Bend Travel Guide

From Wikitravel

Bend as seen from the top of Pilot Butte. Cascade Mountians in the background.

Bend [1] is the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, located in the heart of the Cascade Mountains. The city has a population 70,000+. Bend is a tourist destination in both the summer and winter.

Get in

By air

• Redmond Airport [2] is about 30 minutes from Bend and served by three air carriers; Delta Airlines, Horizon Air, and United Express with daily direct flights to Portland, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Seattle. A Delta flight to Denver will be added in summer 2006.
• Bend Airport
• Madras Airport- which is also home to the Central Oregon Airshow, which is going to be August 26, 2006 this year.

Get around

To access all the city your best bet is by car. Bend does have extensive bike paths and lanes as well as walking paths. For the downtown area, park your car and walk. The downtown is small enough that the area can be covered on foot. Downtown parking is free for the first two hours during business hours and unlimited after 5PM. Sometimes parking is difficult to find so get there before the rush and get your spot. Expect small bus routes by winter 2006.

See

• High Desert Museum, [3]. The High Desert Museum is Located just south of Bend on Highway 97. The High Desert Museum is a great way to gain educational experience about some of the animals and habitat that go along with Central Oregon. The High Desert Museum is open on weekdays from 9AM-5PM.
• Historic Tower Theatre
• Smith Rock Smith Rock State Park encompasses 651 acres on the Oregon high desert plateau which hovers around 3000 feet in elevation. The park and campground are open year-round. A $3 day use permit or a current state park camp receipt is needed for each vehicle. A yearly permit is available for $25. Hiking trails offer spectacular views of the surrounding area. You can spend 30 minutes walking along the river or a half day making a loop on the entire trail system that extends outside of the park. The major rock faces are composed of welded tuff (compressed volcanic ash) reaching a height of up to 550 feet. The picnic and campground areas sit on top of the rimrock which is made up of columnar basalt. There are over 1400 climbing routes in and around the park ranging from some of the best sport climbs in the world to... “Why would anyone want to climb that pile of choss”. People climb year-round, but summer temperatures can reach 100+ degrees (f), and in the dead of winter the thermometer stays close to the freezing mark (32f) during the day. Spring and fall are the most popular climbing months.
• Deschutes River The Deschutes features ruggedly beautiful scenery, outstanding whitewater boating, and a renowned sport fishery for steelhead, brown trout, and native rainbow trout. The Upper Deschutes features primarily flatwater boating with limited whitewater and excellent trout fishing opportunities. The Middle Deschutes has excellent hiking opportunities with spectacular geologic formations and waterfalls, but boating is limited. The Lower Deschutes offers the greatest opportunities for whitewater rafting and is one of Oregon's premier steelhead and trout fisheries
• Newberry National Volcanic Monument [4] South of Bend, See lava flows, explore lava caves and ice caves, fishing for trophy rainbow and brown trout in the two alpine lakes at the Newberry caldara (East Lake & Paulina Lake) and explore the massive Obsidian Flow. There are hiking trails, camping and resorts. Also snow parks, winter cross-country sking and snowmobiling. Visit the Lava Lands Visitor Center for infomation.
• Cascade lakes and Mountains

Do

• Mt. Bachelor [5] Bachelor is Central Oregon's best Ski/Snowboard mountain. It was home to the Olympic snowboard trials years back aswell. When the summit is open (depending on weather) it is some of the best skiing you will find in Oregon. The northwest territory is also great with lots of black diamond runs. I recommend taking some 2-way radios for the other members of your party. The mountain is quite big and keeping track of everyone is sometimes difficult.
• Whitewater rafting Bend offers some great Whitewater rafting on the Deschutes River. Sun Mountain Tours [6] offers some deals for those of you that would like to tackle the Deschutes for some whitewater fun.
• Golf [7] There are golf courses in Bend for both high and low handicappers. Bend offers several great golf courses that share amazing scenery. At 3600 feet, the ball always travels higher and longer in Bend!
• Pine Mountain Observatory, [8].
• Go Fishing Bend is situated in the Heart of the Cascades, and due to this location Bend is surrounded by numerous Cascade lakes and the well known Deschutes River. Some of the Cascade lakes hold monster trout exceeding 10 lbs, Crane Praire is one of these lakes, and it is south of Bend near Sun River. The avid fisherman can experience almost everything when fishing around Bend. The lakes hold a variety of species of fish from Trout, Kokanee, Atlantic Salmon, Bass and other fish. While the famous Deshcutes holds an abundance of fish. The Deschutes flows right through the city of Bend. Some of the better fishing can actually be right in front of the Riverhouse right on the Deschutes off of 3rd St. If getting away from the crowds is what you like the Deschutes offers miles and miles of peaceful fishing spots. Lastly, if you are new to fishing, Fly and Field [9] are recommended outfitters as a guide service. They are great at what they do and are top notch professionals.
• Les Schwab Amphitheater [10] In the summer time Bend offers many Sunday concerts that are performed at the Les Schwab Amphitheater. In the past artists such as Cold Play, ZZ Top and Jack Johnson have performed there. This summer Ben Harper will be performing at the Les Schwab Amphitheater.
• BendNights [11] This is a really good site, especially for visitors to Bend, for events, concerts, and other activities. Event calendar is always updated, they also have movie times for all of the theaters in Bend, Redmond, and Sisters.

Buy

There are numerous shopping opportunities in Bend. Downtown Bend has all different kinds of shops from outdoor gear to clothes. Secondly, the Old Mill District [12] has great shops including Pac Sun, Victoria’s Secret, American Eagle, Gap and other great stores. Also, a few good restaurants including Anthony's and Red Robin.

Eat

Bend has a great selection of restaraunts located all over town. Ranging from cheap and easy to expensive and ritzy, you are guaranteed to get a great meal almost anywhere you go.

• Shoji's 62929 N Hwy 97 Ste B. Best teriyaki chicken in town cooked on an open grill right in front of you. Its fun environment is perfect for group outings. Enjoy their excellent shushi bar while your there!
• The Original Pancake House [13] Located on the West Side of Bend on the way up to Mt. Bachelor, the Pancake House has excellent food and great service.
• Deschutes Brewery [14] Known for its world renowned dark brews, the Deschutes Brewery offers excellent burgers and sandwiches with a great atmosphere in the heart of downtown Bend visitors really shouldn't leave without town experiencing.
• Longboard Louie's is a great burrito shack on the westside of Bend that offers great food at prices college kids can afford. Louie's has all of the character of the locals and it is located just a couple hundred yards from Drake Park and the Deschutes River running through Bend.
• Merenda Restaurant & Wine Bar, 900 NW Wall St., +1 541 330-2304. [15] Wood fired French & Italian cuisine and wine bar. Nice selection of wines and a very good place to taste wines with reasonable priced wine flights.
• Cork, 150 NW Oregon Ave., +1 541 382-6881. High end restaurant in downtown Bend. Nice wine selection and very good steaks. Dinner $20 to $30.
• Pizza Mondo, located on Main St. in downtown Bend, has great pizza at cheap prices and large quantities. With great lunchtime deals and is a great place to hit up after a day on the slopes.
• Cibelli's New York Pizza Two locations in Bend (East & West). Eastside - 2095 NE Highway 20, +1 541 385-8646. Westside - 64670 Strickler Ave # 101B, +1 541 318-2800. This is very good New York Pizza. They also have a 24" pizza that is huge. No delivery.
• SOBA - Downtown, 945 NW Bond St., +1 541 318-1535. [16] A blend of Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese and Japanese. The Spicy Shrimp Noodle Soup is very good. Under $7. (Also locations in South Bend across from Albertsons, Sisters and Salem.)
• Toomies Thai Cuisine, 119 NW Minnesota Ave., Tel: +1 541 388-5590. Very reasonable priced Thai food with a good selection. Lunch under $6, dinner $6 to $18.
• Yoko's Sushi Bar Located on Bend's eastside, Yoko's has great sushi with the ability to have a quick meal before catching a movie, or the potential to be made into a great dinner.
• Mangia Pasta Mangia Pasta is also located on Bend's eastside. This quaint, romantic restaraunt has great pasta and italian food that is perfect for a dinner-date at affordable prices.
• Broken Top Restaraunt Broken Top's famous golf course also has a great restaurant with excellent food. Although its meals are on the pricey side, every meal is definitely worth its price. Located on Bend's westide.
• Anthony's is located in Bend's newly (and continually) developed Old Mill district, it is a chain that is located in Oregon and offers excellent seafood at affordable prices. It has a nice full service bar with about six of the Oregon microbrews on tap. It also has a nice patio area that overlooks the Deschutes River
• Goodies Candy Shop Goodies is a delightful little candy shop in downtown Bend that offers an array of different sorts of chocolates, candies, milkshakes, ice creams, and popcorn that is perfect for topping off a great meal.
• Staccato at the Firehall, 5 NW Minnesota, +1 541 312-3100, Fax: +1 541 312-3191. [17] This fine dinning restraurant is located in the old firehouse in Bend. During good weather the big truck door open onto the patio. The original fire pole is behind the bar.
• Zydeco Kitchen & Cocktails, 1085 SE 3rd, +1 541 312-2899. Award winning restaurant. Try the Acadian Flatbread from the starter list. Good wine list and full service bar.
• BendNights.com [18] This site has a complete listing of all of the restaurants in Bend. Restaurant profiles with menus, directions, features, pictures, hours, features, accepted payments, and more. It's a great guide if you're coming in from out of town.

Drink

• 28, 920 NW Bond, +1 541 385-0828. Premium cocktails and good bistro food. This is one of the many hot spots in downtown Bend.
• Astro Lounge, 147 NW Minnesota, +1 541 388-0116. Singles bar in downtown area. This is a late night hot spot in Bend.
• Bendistillery Martini Bar, 850 NW Brooks St., +1 541 338-6868. [19] Another hot spot and favorite. Serving handcrafted small-batch distilled spirits. Tu-Sa 4:30PM-Midnight.
• Bend is home to Deschutes Brewery. [20] If your in town be sure to stop by there. They have some great seasonal brews as well as six others that are regularly on tap. The facility is located in the heart of downtown Bend, which is next to the Deschutes River.
• The Bend Brewery [21] is another great place to grab a drink. Not only is it a pub but a well known restaurant that over looks Mirror Pond in Bend.

Sleep

• The Inn of the Seventh Mountain, [22]. Great resort located just 15 minutes from ski resort Mt. Bachelor. The resort has two swimming pools, one complete with waterslide and volleyball net. The pool area is accompanied by large hot tubs, a sauna, and dressing rooms. The Inn has lots of activities including white water rafting, hay rides, mountain biking, shuttles to the mountain, ice skating, and lots more.
• Mt. Bachelor Village Resort, [23]. Mt. Bachelor Village is located on the way up to Mt. Bachelor and just outside of the city. Located close to the Old Mill District and minutes from downtown. Mt. Bachelor Village has rooms for all from business suits to family condos; during the winter season they have special packages for the winter enthusiast, which could include a ski trip or a snowshoes adventure. Almost all of the rooms face the wild Deschutes River, while staying I would recommend talking a walk or run along the river trails, which runs right along the river.
• Eagle Crest Resort, [24]. Located between Bend and Redmond, Eagle Crest is known for its three golf courses and wonderful mountain views. The resort has a number of different amenities including, two recreation facilities including racquetball courts, basketball courts, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, weight and cardio center, three pools, two hot tubs (with adult hours only) indoor game room, day spa, café, a mini golf course-that will challenge even the most experienced golfers and a wonderful restaurant Niblick and Greenes. [25] But for travelers who are looking to get outside of the city and relax either rent a room in the hotel, or if you really want to have some fun, rent a condo for a week of fun!
• Phoenix Inn Suites [26] - 300 NW Franklin Ave, Tel: (541) 317-9292 -- All suite accommodations with complimentary breakfast buffet, high speed internet, and 24 hr. business center

Get out

• Crater Lake National Park