Did Santa miss the mark this year? Gifts every Bend-ite will love!

Get your own personal keg from Drink Tanks.

Didn’t get everything you wanted for Christmas? Not to worry. Bend has some great local shops with exciting merchandise to make your season merry and bright. Here are just a few of the options.

For the beer connoisseur: Options abound for this individual. Pick up a growler from Drink Tanks for your own “personal keg.” Then grab them a Silipint to go with: an eco-friendly silicone pint or shot glass that is unbreakable and can withstand temperatures from -150°F to 600°F. Still not sold? Get them some bike “swag” from Worthy Brewing, or even some “Bathe with a Dirty Girl” Beer Soap by LeCol’s Soap Bar.

Speaking of biking: Bend has an abundance of paraphernalia for the bike enthusiast on your list. Start small with a TrailRag, a bandana that has a map of Phil’s Trail, the River Trail or other local systems. How about a bike bell with the BEND logo, or a spoke-bracelet? Or go big and call Cog Wild at 866-610-4822 to order a fully customizable gift certificate for any Cog Wild bike tour in Central Oregon, from day trips to week-long adventures.

For the ladies: Bend isn’t only about beer and the outdoors. Pamper your woman with a punch card to one of our amazing yoga studios, like Groove Yoga or Namaspa. Treat them to a spa day at Jinsei Spa, Anjou Spa & Salon, or Spa W. Top it off with some Mt. Bachelor Pine Soap from Bend Soap Company or a Bend Logo Vance Family Soy Candle.

For the kids: Leapin’ Lizards Toy Store is the go-to for all things kid-worthy. Stop by Powell’s Sweet Shoppe or Goodie’s for some special treats and stocking stuffers.

For the dogs: Pick up some delicious and nutritious Dawg Grog at Boneyard Brewery so that your dog can enjoy great (non-alcoholic) beer along with you. Or check out the upcycled gear from Spits Adventure Wear in Bend and online, that offers reflective dog leashes and collars made from old bike materials (the collar even has a bottle opener on it).

Or go used: Find great deals on second-hand gear and apparel at Repeat Performance, Gear Peddler, Cowgirl Cash or Rescue Moderne Consignment. You never know!

5 must-do activities in Central Oregon over the holidays

Snowshoeing on Vista Butte across from Mt. Bachelor last year. Pray for snow!

There’s nothing better than being in Bend during the holidays. Each day offers a host of wintertime shenanigans. Here are our top five picks for making the most of your time off.

1) Hit the Slopes at Mt. Bachelor! More lifts and runs are scheduled to open the day after Thanksgiving with quite a bit of manmade snow until Mother Nature is expected take over later on the weekend. So keep doing that snow dance and follow the snow report so that you can get the first tracks of the season!

2) Work up your Turkey Day appetite with a holiday run! Bend has no less than three awesome organized runs Thanksgiving morning alone. The Central Oregon Thanksgiving Classic offers a 5k, 10k, and family friendly Gobbler Walk. If you like pie, try out the I Like Pie Thanksgiving Day Run/Walk that includes a baking contest. Or participate in the 4th Annual Bend Turkey Trot in NorthWest Crossing. Then, stay in shape and earn your Christmas cookies in the Jingle Bell Run/Walk that precedes the annual Christmas Parade, December 7 in Downtown Bend.

3) Do some serious holiday shopping at the Old Mill District. It features popular stores like Victoria’s Secret, Banana Republic, Bath & Body Works, Zumiez, REI and more. Check out these Black Friday Specials to get you started. But if you need more help finding the perfect gift for little Sophie besides a pony, Santa will arrive via helicopter around 10 am to begin his Santaland duties. They’ve also got carriage rides, carolers, and kids’ activities to make the season bright. If you want some more cute, quirky, local gifts, hit up Small Business Saturday in Downtown Bend. They’ll have some great deals at popular stores like Hot Box Betty, Local Joe, and Tres Jolie.

4) The Christmas Tree Lighting has been a tradition in Bend for years. But this year we’re doing something a little different. Crews just planted a brand new tree in a more spacious locale at the top of Drake Park by Brooks Street and Franklin Ave. The festivities get underway at 6pm on Saturday, November 30. There will be caroling and free samples from Luv’s Donuts, and Santa will light the tree at 6:45 pm.

5) Make a night out of a show at the Tower Theater. The Tower has a great line-up for the holiday season that includes “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with pianist David Benoit, flamenco guitarist Todd Haaby, and “Take 6” a cappella group. Also, don’t forget your tickets for The Central Oregon School of Ballet’s Nutcracker Suite December 7-8 at the Bend High School auditorium, the High Desert Chamber Annual Music Gala at Broken Top Club, and Jazz Night at the Oxford Hotel.

Get Cultured at the Tower Theater

As a child growing up in Bend, my little sister and I would always groan every time my dad announced that we were all going to the Tower. It didn’t have a big screen and special effects like they have at Regal Cinemas. All the plays, concerts, and movies they showed there were often things I had never heard of. And what’s more, it seemed like we were always the only “young folks” around for miles.

But the thing was, I secretly liked going to the Tower. There was just something about it that made going out really something special. Maybe it was the bright white lights at the entryway. It could have been the iconic tower itself that watches over downtown Bend from 40 feet up. Or maybe it was the vintage glamour of the old beautifully renovated theater that made it so magical.

The building was originally built in 1940 and thrived as a cinema and performing arts stage. It closed when it couldn’t keep up with multi-screen theaters until efforts to renovate and reopen the building were finally successful in 2004. It now features state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment and a video projection system.

Since the reopening, the Tower Theater has been a cultural and historical hub of Bend as the home of everything from the Bend Film Festival and Broadway reproductions to Chinese acrobats and Grammy-winning artists. Highlights of my own experiences at the Tower include The Producers, KT Tunstall, Blind Pilot, and most recently, Spamalot—all shows that are sure to entertain audiences of all ages.

I have my dad to thank for keeping me cultured. And even though you can definitely spend a fortune to get the theater experience in Portland, the Tower offers many popular shows and artists at half the price. So make a night out of an event at the Tower Theater. It is truly a gem in our town!

Top 5 sunrises/sunsets of the summer

I’ve never been an early riser. But when work required me to get up before the crack of dawn on multiple occasions this summer, I realized that sunrises in Bend definitely made waking up that early—and all those extra cups of coffee—completely worth it. So I started doing it on my own more often. Below are the top 5 sunrises and sunsets in Bend that I had the pleasure of viewing this summer. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Saying goodnight to the city on Pilot Butte

Pilot Butte State Park is a place every Bendite and visitor should experience at least once a year. There is a road to the top, which makes it an easy detour for you to grab a burger and blackberry shake from Pilot Butte Drive in and go enjoy the sunset over the city, or to simply take a break from your daily routine and breathe in the 360-degree view. There are also hiking trails that are roughly a mile to the top, so you can squeeze in a workout with some killer views in under an hour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Bend evenings at Les Schwab Amphitheater

Some of my favorite summer memories are going to concerts at the Les Schwab Amphitheater at the Old Mill. Grabbing some dinner and listening to great music with good company by a gorgeous river with the Cascade Range in the background… need I say more? I guess you could add a craft beer in there, too. This particular sunset was observed while listening to Sigur Ros Memorial Day weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. An epic morning on Tam MacArthur Rim

This one was so spectacular it warrants more than one photo. A couple coworkers and I decided to wake up at 3:30 in the morning to make it up the 5.4 miles to the top of the Tam MacArthur Rim trail for one of the most epic sunrises I have ever seen. I watched as the first rays of sunlight hit the peaks of Broken Top and the Three Sisters before it flooded the entire Deschutes National Forest and beyond. The hike is relatively short for the treat you get at the top—and we even made it back in time for work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Sunrise paddling at Sparks Lake

If you’ve read anymore of this blog, you know I’m a huge fan of Sparks Lake. As if this place could get any more beautiful, a friend and I went camping by the lake and woke up at 5:30 to catch the sunrise from our kayaks out on the water. Boy were we in for something special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Chasing sunsets on Tumalo Mountain

Our original plan on this particular excursion was to hike Mt. Bachelor, but we ran out of time. So we packed up our hot chocolate in our Hydro-flasks and a puffy jacket and decided to do Tumalo Mountain, right across the street. It’s a moderate 3.6 miles round trip and gets you views as good as any other. We ended up running the last .5 miles to watch the sun go down and barely made it. I’m sure glad we did.

The rite of passage for every Central Oregonian

Climbing South Sister is like a rite of passage for every Central Oregonian. And since I’ve lived here for 20 years now, I’m kind of ashamed that didn’t make it up there until last summer when some buddies and I finally synchronized our work schedules so that we could set a date for the excursion.

Besides hiking up Bachelor, South Sister would be my first real mountain. On the one hand, I was nervous because I had never hiked anything close to 12 miles with 5000 feet of elevation gain before. I had also heard the search and rescue stories in the Cascades that inevitably happen every year. But I was more excited, because it was a new challenge and the perfect beginner mountain climb. What’s more, the view at the tippy top promised to be spectacular.

At 10,358 feet, South is the third highest peak in Oregon. It’s got glaciers and pools and a view of the Cascade peaks, evergreen forests, and alpine lakes as good as any other. And it’s nontechnical, so any reasonably fit hiker can hike it in a day. On a sunny Saturday in August, as many as 300 hikers may reach the top.

I packed up the 10 essentials, plenty of food and water, sunscreen, my down jacket for the summit, and my camera, and we hit the trail before 7 a.m. in order to beat the summer traffic on the hill and in the parking area–and the heat. The first couple of miles were steep and they hit me pretty hard, but after awhile we got into the swing of things and I felt like I could go all day, just putting one foot in front of the other. Apart from the summit, the hike itself is a sight for sore eyes (and legs). There are plenty of viewpoints along the way, including awesome proximity to the backside of Broken Top and the green depths of Morraine lake, where many hikers choose to stay if they decide to backpack instead of doing it in a day. My favorite place was the electric blue glacial pool near the top, where we stopped for a snack and dipped our toes in the freezing snow melt.

 
After that comes the not-so-good-part: about a half mile of scree awaits before you can reach the top–that’s climber’s lingo for really loose terrain that makes it feel like for every step you take forward, you are falling two steps back. It’s no walk in the park, but it’s not very often that you find a mountain that you can virtually just walk up.

Reaching the summit was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Middle and North Sisters were so close that it seemed as if I was looking at them through a microscope. Bachelor was looking handsome as ever, and I could see for miles beyond that, all the way to Mt. Shasta. This moment is what living in Central Oregon is all about–and we hadn’t even gotten to the fun part yet.

We went in late July, and there was still plenty of snow covering the bowls of the mountain. So, rather than painstakingly making our way down until our poor knees could take it no more, we plopped down on our shells, vests, space blankets, whatever we could find, and slid all the way down the mountain. And we could not stop smiling.

The best time of year to go is late summer or early fall (sidenote: that’s right now!) The average hiker should plan for an 8-10 hour day. And the best part is, the trailhead is only 25 minutes up the road from PointsWest. So you can mark this peak off your checklist and be home just in time for dinner. And finally, check out our Facebook for more great things to do in Central Oregon like these!

5 Reasons to Love Sparks Lake

Fantastic views are just a hop, skip, and a jump up the road from Tripleknot at this alpine lake.

What if I told you that you can find a crystal clear alpine lake with unparalleled views of Mt. Bachelor, South Sister, and Broken Top, right in your backyard? When you live at PointsWest, a vision like this isn’t too far from reality. Since the community is conveniently situated right off the Cascade Lakes Highway, you’ve got prime access to some of the best backcountry areas and adventures that Central Oregon has to offer. And you’re only a hop, skip, and a jump (about 20 minutes away) from Sparks Lake, which is hands down my favorite lake of all (and I’ve been to a lot of lakes). Here’s why:

 1) The views

There is certainly no lack of eye candy at this lake. Only at Sparks are you nestled in between three looming Cascade mountains at such great proximity. You’re so near to Bachelor that you can pick out the Boomerang run off the Outback lift. South Sister’s summit is so close that you can maybe make out the hikers on top. You can even pick out the craggy peaks and rocky ledges on Broken Top’s broken top. No matter which direction you turn on the lake, there’s a snow-capped mountain dotted with pine trees and wildflowers peacefully staring you down. And it’s the most awe-inspiring feeling in the world.

2) The kayaking

There’s nothing like being able to grab my kayak (or paddleboard), throw it on the car, and speed on out of town for a relaxing day at Sparks, or even just a couple hours in the morning or evening for an easy getaway of epic proportions. The water is placid and clear, and it’s nice and cool in the mountain air, even on a hot day. And it’s a great place for exploring. There are a handful of islands to paddle out to and wander about. Last time I was there, I even saw a deer on one! Don’t ask me how it got there–I’ll never know. Furthermore, a number of lava formations line the edges of the lake, providing the perfect playground to climb on and kayak behind. Sparks isn’t round: it has a couple long “arms” with little inlets and coves that make the perfect place to find a secret little beach to enjoy that could only be accessed by boat. Talk about an escape!

3) The moonlight

Take everything I said about kayaking, and convert it into a moonlight excursion. The lake is the best place to get away from the city lights–and all of a sudden, it seems like there are a million more stars in the sky. The lake is quiet. The crowds are gone. You can see the moonlight reflecting off of the mountains and in the water. A fish jumps 10 feet away from you. Add a bottle of Twilight summer ale, and you’ve got yourself a magical night.

4) The camping

There’s your basic car camping in a busy campground with RV’s whirring and bathrooms flushing and babies crying and zero privacy with maybe a glimpse of the water if you really squint past campsites 24 and 47. And then there’s car camping at Sparks. Score your own secluded campground right on the water with the view most campers only dream of. Pitch your tent, or hang up the hammock. Feel the solitude. Read a book. Stoke the fire. Or, even better: kayak to your campsite across the lake. Now this is what it’s all about.

5) Everything else

These are my preferred activities at Sparks, but others enjoy the hiking trail around the lake and the ADA-accessible Ray Atkeson trail near the boat ramp for some great wildlife viewing. Another popular activity is fishing for brook trout, but the lake is open to fly angling only. No matter what outdoor activities suit your fancy, Sparks is as good as alpine lakes get. And the best part is that it is only a short drive away.

Cycle Pub to your heart’s desire

Cycle Pub riders aren’t having any fun at all as they pedal and drink their way through the streets of Bend.

Bend is a mecca for both beer and biking. So it makes sense that one of the most popular attractions in Bend is an ingenious mash up of the two.

The Cycle Pub is essentially a bar on wheels, a trolley powered by as many as 14 riders who park their butts on bike seats and pedal their way through the streets of Bend while enjoying the craft beer that the city is famous for.

Wait… wouldn’t this be considered drinking and driving? How is this legal?

Think of it as a limousine or a party bus, except way cooler. A trained (and completely sober) driver steers the Cycle Pub so riders can legally enjoy a local fine-crafted beer or glass of wine en route. It’s strictly BYOB, since the Cycle Pub crew cannot legally serve you. Stops at various breweries around town during the ride will easily hold you over. And the employees are happy to arrange for catered lunch and dinner, live music, or even a bartender to enhance your experience. The Cycle Pub is brilliant because it is a fun and safe way to beat the system and enjoy your beverage while cruising around Bend.

The owner of Cycle Pub, James Watts, originally got the idea for a pub on wheels from his travels in Germany and knew it would be the perfect fit for the beer and biking culture in Bend. And Bendites have fully embraced the business. It is a great way to celebrate anything from birthdays to bachelor/bachelorette parties, for tourists to experience the town, or for locals to let loose with friends. Tours typically start at $300 for two hours, and they can also be reserved for the entire day to accommodate your event. You can also book smaller Cycle Pub “vehicles” for up to six people. Spots fill quickly though, since this is a truly unique and awesome experience.

The Cycle Pub has become an integral part of life in Bend in the summer. Onlookers and passersby love to holler and wave as riders who look like they are having the time of their life pedal down the street. And how can you blame them? Since virtually every Bendite loves biking and beer, they can’t help but be doubly jealous. For more information, visit the Cycle Pub website at www.cyclepub.com.

Cheers!

Our top picks for summer races (including beer)

Participants cross over the Deschutes on the course of the Heaven Can Wait Run/Walk for breast cancer.

We’re coming out of three consecutive big race weekends in Bend, including the  ever-popular Pole Pedal Paddle, the Happy Girls Half, and one of my personal favorites, the Heaven Can Wait 5K. And we’re just getting started on a busy summer . Here are our picks for some of the best summer runs in Central Oregon.

This weekend (June 8), you can choose between the Three Sisters Marathon that treats runners to sweeping views of the Three Sisters, and the classic Dirty Half marathon in Bend.

Next, we’ve got the Butte Burner Charity Run up Pilot Butte and the Tough Mudder on June 15.

One June 30, take a break from your hard-core training regimen and sign up for the Beer Run, which takes participants through several beer stops along its course including Deschutes Brewery, 10 Barrel Brewing, and Cascade Lakes until the finish at the intersection of Bond and Franklin, where runners are greeted with—you guessed it—another beer! Because it wouldn’t be an event in Bend without craft beer involved.

On the 4th of July, you can work off those BBQ burgers and hot dogs with the Spark Your Heart 5K to support Adult and Children’s Heart Services in Central Oregon.

Other July highlights include the Deschutes Dash, which offers Olympic and sprint distance triathlons, duathlons, aquabikes, and 10K and 5K runs on the 13-14th. The next weekend on July 20th, “Bend’s Wackiest Footrace,” the Urban Scramble, gives participants 2.5 hours to run all over Downtown Bend, The Old Mill, and the Westside with a map searching for clues, performing wacky stunts, and collecting wild paraphernalia in order to accumulate as many points as they can. And what would a race in Bend be without two beer stops along the course?

Standout races in August are the Haulin’ Aspen Half/7-Miler and the Deschutes Brewery Twilight Run 5K that celebrates the long days and warm temperatures of August. After crossing the finish line, treat yourself to a beer garden featuring Deschutes Brewery’s Twilight Summer Ale, great post race food, and some music to shake your booty to if you have any energy left.

We’ve got races for the young and old, the marathoners and the walkers, the minors and the beer-connoisseurs. We’ll see you out on the trails!

A local favorite: Summer nights at the Les Schwab Amphitheater

Sigur Ros Concert

Kicking of our shoes to listen to Sigur Ros across the river from the Amphitheater.

I found a moment of true happiness last Saturday evening. A good friend and I had kicked off our Birkenstocks and were lounging on a blanket in the grass across the river from the Les Schwab Amphitheater. As we caught up over some Ida’s gourmet cupcakes (red velvet and coconut cream is to die for), we could hear Sigur Ros jamming out on stage after coming straight from the Sasquatch Music Festival the night before. The sounds of the guitar reverberated about the landscape. I could see the sun setting behind the Cascades on the clear, brisk, 60-degree evening. Kayakers and paddle boarders enjoying the music interrupted the flow of the Deschutes. As if this scene could not get any more sublime, I watched the sunlight glint off of the water as a mother and her ducklings swam by.

Did I mention that on the previous night, I had been rocking out to Cake at the same Amphitheater? Or that on the same day I skied down “Thunderbird” in a tee shirt to live music at Mt. Bachelor? Or what about how I had a mountain biking excursion planned at Phil’s Trail about five minutes from PointsWest the next day?

I guess if I could find one complaint about Bend, it would be that there is simply too much to do. But no matter what, I always find time to enjoy the concerts at the Amphitheater. Every summer, they offer a number of first-rate shows. Past shows have included Coldplay, The Shins, Norah Jones, Modest Mouse, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Bob Dylan and one of our more popular shows, Tenacious D. So far this year, the lineup features Steve Miller Band on June 28, Pink Martini on July 12, and Michael Franti & Spearhead on August 11. In addition to these headliners, they offer free concerts by up-and-coming artists every Sunday afternoon throughout the summer.

Whether you prefer to sprawl out on a blanket in the grass at the Amphitheater, on the grass across the river, or to paddle on the river, summer concerts at the Amphitheater are sure to bring fun times into your jam-packed summer itinerary in Central Oregon.

Preparing for the PPP

Padders getting ready to hit the water.

It’s only May, but it’s starting to feel like summer here in Central Oregon. Restaurants are opening up their patios. Fun seekers throughout the area are digging up their paddleboards, mountain bikes, and fly rods from the depths of their garages. And we’ve already spotted a few brave souls floating the river. Ski season may be winding down, but we’re not ready to put away the winter gear yet. Especially because the Pole Pedal Paddle is coming up.

The PPP is the epitome of everything awesome that Bend has to offer. It starts just up the road from PointsWest at Mt. Bachelor with an alpine leg to the exchange point at West Village Lodge. Then skate and classic skiers hit the Nordic trails for an 8 km dash to the cycling exchange, where racers enjoy a scenic 22-mile ride down Century Drive into Bend. The next leg is a 5-mile run along the Deschutes River Trail to a 1.5-mile canoe/kayak leg at Farewell Bend Park in the Old Mill District. As if all this weren’t enough, the race ends with a .5-mile sprint along the grassy banks of the river to the finish line. Pheew! Did I forget anything? They don’t have a skydiving leg. But they might as well add one while they’re at it.

You don’t have to be a pro to get your Pole Pedal Paddle on. Participants can compete individually, in pairs, or in teams. You can be as competitive as you want. Although incredible athletes flock to this race from all over the country, it is common to see teams sporting Jamaican bobsled outfits, military suits, tutus, and a plethora of other goofy paraphernalia. And if you don’t compete, heading down to Farewell Bend to cheer the racers on and to enjoy the booths, live music, awesome food (and beer, of course), is almost as much fun.

The PPP is the ultimate relay race. On top of taking advantage of the awesome outdoor activities we are blessed to have in our town, the event demonstrates the strong sense of community we have built. We’ll see you out there on May 18 poling, pedaling, paddling and cheering!

© Copyright PointsWest