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Bike the Many Trails in Bend, OR
Beautiful Bend, OR, might just be heaven on Earth for the outdoor lover, and serious bikers can expect to seriously fall in love with this place. Trails of all kinds cover the areas around the city with terrain ranging from alpine forests to desert canyons and lava rock formations. One of the most popular short paths is the Bend Riverside Trial, a 5.9-mile easy ride with a few curb hops. Distance: Take your pick – the city offers trails of all shapes and sizes Difficulty: Again, lots... Read More »
In Bend, It's About What You're Drinking
For Bendians, the beverage business is no joke. Be they hoppy, robust or caffeinated, how the drinks are made is just as important as who’s throwing them back. Bend is home to the Deschutes Brewery, the 16th largest brewery in the nation and birthplace of such distinctive ales as the Black Butte Porter, the Obsidian Stout and the Bachelor ESB (named in reference to local cinder cone, volcano eruption and ski haunts, respectively). The brewery turned 20 years old in 2008, and its... Read More »
Seasonal Festivals Anchor Bend's Culture Year-Round
In most northern states, winter means shoveling sidewalks, missing school and soaring utility bills. But in Bend, winter just means WinterFest.
The festival, which draws a crowd of roughly 40,000 each year, features all the usual suspects: an ice carving exhibition, a skating rink, ski races and snowman contests. The Winter Wine Walk is also a local favorite, along with the snowboard and ski rail jam.
Winter is an iconic time in the Pacific Northwest, but Bend doesn’t need a blanket of snow... Read More »
Bend is Great for Beer and Bicylcing
Beer is the drink of choice for a true man's man. And Bend, OR, is a beer-lovers paradise. Known for both its batch of world-class breweries and superior cycling trails, visitors can enjoy the best of both worlds on the Bend Ale Trail. When you've had your fill, head for the rapids and take a whitewater rafting trip down one of the many nearby rivers. Bend is also famous for its biking scene and plays host to a number of professional competitions. Manly Things to Do: • Grab a brew from... Read More »
Bend is Becoming a Wine City
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { }In the unassuming town of Bend, OR, a little eruption occurred when Scott and Liz Ratcliffe moved to town. They brought their love of wine with them, and soon after Volcano Vineyards was born. Classified as a micro-winery, Volcano produces about 1,000 cases of wine per year and operates a tasting room in Downtown Bend which will soon be moving to a new location on the westside of town. Their wines have consistently earned impressive accolades, from a gold... Read More »
Hot or Cold, Bend Has Sports of All Sorts
Lots of communities offer fly-fishing, Little League and greenways, but Bend takes the great outdoors one step further.
Welcome to the Lava Lands of Central Oregon.
That’s lava. As in volcanoes. The 50,000-acre Newberry National Volcanic Monument is the cradle of a real-life volcano. Adventurous souls can drive through the 17-square-mile caldera at the volcano’s summit, which geologists believe sits atop a body of magma bubbling two to five kilometers under the earth’s surface.
If you’re... Read More »
Bend's Pedal Powered Pub Tour
Bend is known for its cycling enthusiasts. It’s also known for a batch of world-class microbreweries. Combining the best of both worlds is the Cycle Pub. This bar-meets-bike mode of transportation is a rolling pub on wheels, moving on passenger pedal power.
Passengers are encouraged to bring their own beverage of choice and some delicious food for the group or opt to stop along the ride at one of Bend’s many pubs or restaurants.
Peddlers can even take part in the Bend Ale Trail to... Read More »
Defy Death in Bend, OR
With a foot in pursuits from whitewater rafting and skiing to rock climbing to cyclocross, daredevils in Bend, OR, hardly know which way to go. In the summer, rock climbers flock to the world-renowned faces of Smith Rock. In the winter, Mt. Bachelor with its annual average of 370 inches of snow brings skiers, snowboarders and snow tubers from all over Oregon, Washington and California. The powerful Deschutes River, which runs through the heart of the city, offers rapids up to a Class 5 level... Read More »
Bend, OR's BendFilm Fest Celebrates Independent Filmmakers
BendFilm Fest
Independent filmmakers find a very public audience at the BendFilm Fest in Bend, OR. The festival has been around since 2006 and features awards in categories such as Best of Show, Best Acting, Best Short and Best Animation. The festival was created as a way to give independent filmmakers a creative outlet and the opportunity to reach an audience. Though the festival only happens once a year, viewers can catch monthly movie screenings put on by BendFilm.
For those who want action... Read More »
