DISCOVER
To enjoy nature and learn some of Bend’s history at the same time, visit the 10,000-square-foot High Desert Museum, with exhibits on Native Americans, a live raptor show with expert wildlife specialists and rehabilitated birds of prey that can fly right to you, playing river otters, and the “Blood, Sweat & Flannel” exhibit. Don’t miss the first Friday of each month when downtown galleries and shops stay open late with refreshments. Add another “must-do” and catch a big-name outdoor concert at Hayden Homes Amphitheater in the Old Mill District.
PLAY
If it’s outdoor adventure your group is seeking, Bend makes for an ideal base camp with 600-plus miles of mountain bike trails, 1.6 million acres of national forest for hiking, 800 caves for exploring, and numerous lakes for kayaking. In summer, float the Deschutes River, or take a whitewater rafting trip with Sun Country Tours. Book a lava tube tour or canoe the Cascade Lakes with Wanderlust Tours, or join a Cog Wild Bicycle Tours mountain bike ride. Stroll the Deschutes River Trail, and enjoy a sunset dinner at a mid-mountain lodge. In winter, enjoy one of the longest ski seasons in the country and ski at Mount Bachelor, or use the Meissner Nordic community ski area for groomed cross-country trails supported entirely by donations.
SAVOR
Experience Bend’s famous and plentiful food cart pods—a collection of food trucks all in one place—like On Tap, The Podski, and Silver Moon Brewing, also featuring local beers. Try the smash burger at Americana or Dominican beef at The Dominican. Enjoy cowboy-chic dining at Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge or Asian cuisine at JIA Asian Street Kitchen. Explore Bend’s 30-plus breweries—equating to one of the highest breweries per capita figures in the country—along the Bend Ale Trail.
LEARN MORE
Visit Bend
visitbend.com
Main Image: Deschutes River and Downtown Bend; Credit: Visit Bend
