Chocolate and Bacon: Oregon: Bend

Friday, August 8, 2014

Oregon: Bend

The whole time we were planning our trip, Jesse only insisted on one thing: visit Bend. Both outdoor publications and friends recommended this small city to us. A veritable outdoorsy mecca, we were told.

Photo by Jesse Stratowski

The drive out brought us over the Cascades and into the high desert. We might as well have hopped in a plane and flown to a different country. Bend is a completely different world than Portland.

Photo by Jesse Stratowski

The climate and geography are the most notable differences. It is dry. Really dry. Jesse and I hiked for several hours in 80+ degree heat and strong sun. About two thirds of the way through the hike Jesse pointed out that neither of us was sweaty, nor did we feel uncomfortably hot. Our sweat was immediately evaporating, and thus effectively cooling us.

I have never experienced this before in my life. It was hot, sunny, and comfortable.

Photo by Jesse Stratowski

24 hours was not enough time to thoroughly explore the cities 48+ miles of trails, nor its dozen or so breweries.

We opted for a flight of beers with dinner at the Bend Brewing Company. Their Salmonberry Sour Ale really stood out. It was a fierce sucker punch to the tastebuds, unlike any beer I've had before.

Shevlin Park, the largest within the city limits, also looked to be the most promising destination for our day in town.

A map of the park and the surrounding forest and wilderness, showcases the allure of Bend.

U.S. Forest Service

The park is in the top right corner of this map. The rest of the map is miles and miles of trails you can access from the suburbs. You can walk down the street and into the backcountry. This is not something you find here in New Jersey.

The hike was unlike any other I've experienced, as well.

Photo by Jesse Stratowski

Also found within the city: waterfalls and whitewater.

Photo by Jesse Stratowski

Jesse has recently started focusing on whitewater kayaking, so the appeal of class IV rapids within 15 minutes of downtown had him giddy. He explained to me how he might approach the various rapids, as we walked parallel to the river along an access road. Just as the sun was starting to brush the tops of the trees, a group of kayakers came down the river. Jesse was thrilled.

The river calms down considerably as it comes into the city.

Photo by Jesse Stratowski

Two dams in the downtown area make it lake-like. Both days we were there we saw people on tubes, kayaks, and stand up paddleboards. The river was easily access throughout the city and it was clean enough for people to want to be in it.

There was one drawback to the city - the coffee wasn't as consistently good once we left the Portland area. We had a few duds on our way south, but the quality improved once we arrived in town.

Sparrow Bakery made good enough coffee and had great service, as well as a pleasant outdoor seating area. Although the days climbed into the 80's and 90's, the mornings in Bend were cool enough for sweaters and hot lattes.