PointsWest’s Ski Village!

The beginning of an epic ski season. The ending of an epic ski village.

Admit it. On your journeys back and forth to Mt. Bachelor, you’ve always been a little envious of people staying at the 7th Mountain Resort. Being much closer to the slopes means they can sleep in a bit longer, yet still make first tracks on their favorite run. What’s more, they can be enjoying Apres’ Ski wine and cheese, without having to fight through roundabout traffic in Bend.

Well, guess what. There are still a few homes left at PointsWest, the award-winning neighborhood of townhomes right next to the resort. Which means it isn’t too late to own a magnificent home that’s as close as you can get to Mt. Bachelor. Right at the outset of what promises to be another stellar ski season.

skier on Mt.Bachelor

Of course, that’s not the only beauty of living at PointsWest in the wintertime. Nestled on a bluff above the Deschutes River, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the River Trail are right outside your door. Some folks have even been ice skating on the big pond down below.

We handle all the neighborhood snow removal and routine maintenance. And even though PointsWest offers unparalleled peace and quiet, it’s still just an easy seven-mile drive to all of the dining and cultural activities in downtown Bend.

outdoor patio-fireplace-PointsWest

Our spectacularly spacious “Deschutes” floor plan overlooking the river that bears its name won Best Master Suite and Best Landscaping on the COBA Tour of Homes this year. This 4-BR, 4-BA, two-story masterpiece offers more than 3,600 square feet of maintenance-free living. Our three other remaining homes in the neighborhood also provide upwards of 3,000 square feet, with breathtaking river views, dramatic lava formations in the backyard, and prices starting as low as $869,750.

So don’t let another day slip by before making tracks for PointsWest. There’s never been a better time to get your skis waxed and get moving.

Contact Stephanie or Jordan for more information today.

 

PointsWest River View!

skier on Mt.Bachelor

Spend your mornings on the mountain. And your evenings on the bluff.  

During an epic ski season like this, you want to be the first one on the slopes. But not the last one home for a glass of wine in your favorite chair.

No place makes those two scenarios as easy as PointsWest Townhomes. Quite simply, PointsWest is Bend’s closest community to Mt. Bachelor. Since all of the snow removal and yard maintenance is handled for you, there’s nothing to keep you from leading the first-tracks parade up to Pine Marten. And at the end of the day, while the rest of snowriders are chilling in roundabout traffic on Century Drive, you can be warming up by the fire and watching the sun’s last rays linger on the Deschutes River below.

 

outdoor patio and fireplace rendering PointsWest

All seven of our remaining homes are perched on the bluff just above the River Trail, putting summertime hiking, mountain biking and fly-fishing literally in your backyard. What’s more, Widgi Creek, one of Bend’s favorite golf courses, is right next door,

Each river-view home site accommodates spacious single and two-story floor plans ranging from 1,987 to 3,647 square feet. Many come with dramatic lava formations surrounding the patio. And yet, even with such rugged natural scenery, you’re only 15 minutes from the civilized activities of downtown and the Old Mill.

With prices starting at $694,750, homes at PointsWest are not only right on the bluff, they’re right on the money. So you’d better come see them. On the double.

Contact Stephanie or Jordan for more information today.

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.

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!

Bringing it home at the ADDYs

ADDY Awards PDF

It’s a wrap! Our marketing team made us proud at the 2013 ADDY Awards.

Bend has a lot of great things going for it. But what you might not know is we’ve got a lot of creative and talented people too. Our team at PointsWest is proud to have worked with a few of them—especially since they brought home some nice swag at the 2013 Oregon ADDY Awards this month.

In the Digital Advertising category, we won an Award of Merit for the PointsWest video produced by Brian Niles of The Outlaw Partners in Big Sky, Montana and written by Cam Davis of Wordplay in Bend.

And in the same category, we won a Silver Award for the Digital Campaign that included the video, a series of Email blasts, and the website developed by Blanco Media of Portland. Both the Eblasts and the website were designed by Chris Michaelis of Thistlefish Design of Bend and written by Cam Davis of Wordplay. By earning a Silver Award, the PointsWest Digital Campaign will be forwarded to compete in the Northwest ADDY Awards for the entire region, which includes Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

We wish them the best of luck in representing PointsWest Townhomes and our beloved city of Bend!

It’s only April… but floating season is approaching!

Float the River

A summer in Bend is not complete without floating the river

The weather is showing signs of getting warmer, and many of us are already looking forward to floating the river this summer—even though the water is still pretty chilly. My summers in Bend are not complete without a solid day of floating at Farewell Bend Park. There is nothing more relaxing than posting up in my favorite floatie and lounging in the lazy Deschutes catching rays and people watching—and maybe even ending the trip with a treat from one of my favorite food trucks, DaKine Grindz.

I initially started daydreaming (in April) about gettin’ my float on when The Bulletin announced that the Deschutes made the “Top 10 Western River Floats” in Discovery News. It’s true that Farewell Bend is a popular destination for a lazy kind of day, but the Discovery News article highlights the more adventurous side of water sports that Bend caters to: whitewater rafting and kayaking.

The upper section has the Big Eddy, which is perfect for rafting on your own or with a trip through Sun Country Tours. The lower section starts at Warm Springs and ends just before Sherars Falls—but be careful of fishermen! No matter what section you plan on visiting, you are bound to find an epic day playing in the water in Central Oregon.

Even though I am already looking forward to summer shenanigans on the river, I’ve got spring skiing to keep me content until then. And that right there is what I love so much about Bend—there truly is an outdoor adventure for anyone during any time of the year.

The Art Scene in Scenic Central Oregon

Art in the High Desert

Get cultured at our nationally ranked arts festival in Bend

Guess what… we’re nationally ranked for something AGAIN.

Our Art in the High Desert festival was ranked 14th out of the top 25 events for sales of fine art in Greg Lawler’s Fine Art Fair Sourcebook. We are now in the big leagues with other top ranked festivals such as La Quinta Arts Festival (#1) near Palm Springs and Portland’s Art in The Pearl (#4). Our show is only five years old and has risen above some of the biggest, oldest art fairs in the country. If you want to experience the greatness yourself, Art in the High Desert takes place the weekend before Labor Day weekend at the Old Mill.

This is a big deal, to say the least. So if you can’t wait for September to get here, the First Friday Art Walks in downtown Bend can hold you over until then. This is when dozens of businesses downtown open up their shops and display local and national art. Many even offer live music and serve food and wine from 5 to 9 p.m.

There’s something for everyone when it comes to art and culture in Bend. So while we’re waiting for Art in the High Desert, put on your Patagonia micro-puff and hit the streets of downtown Bend for your monthly dose of acclaimed artwork, awesome food and drink, and an overwhelming sense of community worth its own national recognition.

Talking Behind Our Backs

Back in September, we talked about how Bend was named top dog among the nation’s dog-friendliest cities by Dog Fancy magazine. That’s pretty cool. But the fact is, we have so much more to brag about.

For instance, National Geographic recently included Bend in their list of the World’s 25 Best Ski Towns, right next to Chamonix, France and Whistler in British Columbia. The article cites Bend as “best for multisport junkies with a taste for microbrews.” Can’t argue with that.

On the microbrew side of things, a little newspaper called The New York Times published an article in April entitled, “Bend, Ore., a Brewer’s Town.” The newly expanded Deschutes Brewery downtown was the inspiration for the article, as it has become the fifth largest craft brewer in the nation and has contributed to one of the highest brewery-to-resident ratios in the country.

Bend is certainly not lacking in the “multisport junkie” department either. In a May 2011 edition of Outdoor Life magazine, Bend came in at number one on their list of America’s Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen for its “embarrassment of sporting riches.” What’s more, in a 2009 article in Mountain Bike Action magazine, Bend was named America’s Top Mountain Biking Town that “seems like it was founded just for mountain bikers.”

We were even awarded best tasting drinking water in the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade to Coast section of the American Water Works Association for its “clean, crisp and grassy” flavor with a “nice aftertaste.” Grassy? Whatever.

The latest writer to wax fondly about us is Nathan Borchelt who began his article in The Washington Post in last month by stating, “I hate Bend, Ore.” But that’s only because he says, “No place should have it this good.” Truly, the man had nothing but positive things to say about our humble abode.

See for yourself what all the fuss is about at Visit Bend. Then don’t be surprised if you start bragging about it yourself.

Bendʼs flourishing community of yogis

Find your center with Bend’s yoga scene.

Bend may be known for its great outdoor recreation, but many Bendites have developed an incredible passion for a predominantly indoor activity: yoga. Unlike mountain biking, snowboarding and paddle boarding that have gained popularity in just the last few decades, yoga is an art that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. And Bendʼs community of yogis embrace their fellow participants, whether young, old, beginner or experienced.

Why is it so popular here? Besides the obvious increase in flexibility, posture and strength, accompanied by a decrease in stress, locals can find their own personal use for the practice. Take skiing cycling, or rock climbing, for example. Cross training for each of these with yoga can improve balance, strength, focus, and coordination, and therefore improve performance on the mountain, in the saddle, or at Smith Rock, while decreasing risk of injury. So you donʼt have to miss a second of what you love to do in the outdoors.

There is a yoga studio for everyone here. In addition to various beginner though advanced classes, Namaspa (voted best yoga studio in the 2012 Source Weekly poll) offers classes for kids and tweens, as well as “Shake Your Asana,” which is accompanied by music for an upbeat end to your busy week. All classes at the 2011 Source poll winner Groove Yoga studio are taught to music, and you can occasionally take classes from world-famous snowboarder and surfer Gerry Lopez. For a more strenuous but highly rewarding experience, Bikram Yoga offers yoga classes in heat over 100°F. Thankfully, itʼs located right on the Deschutes River, so you can always go jump in and cool off after.

These are just a few of the many great studios in Bend. It is recommended that you take a class at several different places to find one that feels right for you. Most studios have a one-month introductory special of some kind, which is just enough time for you to feel out the studio and to start to notice your tracks getting a little crisper on the slopes.

All About Roundabouts

It’s worth taking a round-about route for this view.

While Bendʼs many roundabouts often catch visiting drivers by surprise and lead to some tentative entries and exits, Bendites embrace them as gas-saving alternatives to traffic signals and four-way stops. And their artwork is always a popular topic of conversation.

Heading into town on Century Drive, itʼs not uncommon to encounter at least five roundabouts on your way. While their function is to aid traffic flow and increase safety, their form has become a staple of Bend culture. From the “Flaming Chicken” on 14th Street and Galveston to the Mt. Bachelor Compass on Century and Mt. Washington Dr., roundabout artwork has created several city landmarks.

One of my favorite pieces of roundabout art in Bend is the “Lodestar” on the hill at the intersection of Bond Street and Reed Market Road. If youʼre driving to the West side from the other side of town and you hit this roundabout in the evening, you can catch the sun setting over Mt. Bachelor and the Three Sisters. In this sublime lighting, you are treated with a spectacular view of the sparkling Deschutes River running through Farewell Bend Park.

The art that was chosen for this particular site is a rounded copper-colored sculpture, which frames each mountain as you circle it. Itʼs almost worth an extra lap around to take in the whole view. It is at this moment in my busy day that I can take a breath and gain a renewed sense of gratitude for the beautiful city I live in.

Roundabout art is featured as its own tour, just like the Bend Ale Trail. The Bend Visitors Center provides maps of the 20 roundabout sculptures in the city, and you can even win a prize if you answer all the trivia questions correctly. So when youʼre done exploring in the mountains for the day, feel free to explore the city… by roundabout.

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