I bought two tickets to the zip line for myself and my grandson to celebrate his 13th birthday…read more Neither of us (69 yrs for me) had ever zip lined before. I was a bit nervous before arriving. But I'm so glad I had this experience! First, the prep for the zip line is thorough and reassuring. The demo line helps feel comfortable. Second, the team you go up with (2 guides in front and 1 in back) are amazing. Felt very safe with them. They were fun as well and really added to our experience. And third the zip line itself is spectacular - the views, the speed, the ease to control your own speed, all top notch. I highly recommend this experience. It felt good to step outside my comfort zone and created a core memory for my grandson.

Five stars for Mount Bachelor…read more Yeah, you've thrown wind and whiteouts at us before fog so thick it felt like skiing inside a smoke machine. But yesterday? Total main-stage energy. Sun blazing. Groomers crisp. Fresh pow still soft enough to slash. Edges biting clean, skis humming, every carve smooth like a disco groove. Spring warmth, winter snow the perfect crossover mix. Mount Bachelor, when you shine like that, it's not just skiing... it's a headlining performance. Five stars. Click in. Drop in. Dance it out.

Woo-hoo! What a hoot! Spent a weekend in Bend with friends, g/f suggested that we take a ride…read morewith Outriders. Although a bit cautious, it sounded like fun and we signed up. Interestingly, our friends had tried to sign up the next morning but were told that "they'd see what they could do" because apparently Outriders only runs a limited number of 4x4's per trip. But, we found out later that day that they'd added one vehicle to the run and we were all good to go. Launch point was about a 15 minute drive from our friends in S. Bend. Just a turnoff on a forest trail off of the road, we spotted our guide and vehicles and got situated. Helmets were fitted, and we were given a clean set of instructions from Jason, our guide. And off we went. We'd signed up for the two-hour run and honestly, about 15 minutes in, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. It was a bit of a ride, even given the soft suspension of the 4x4's. However, it's hard to deny the beauty of the surroundings and the smiles on our faces. We got up to the top of a bluff whose same I don't recall - Sugar Bluff, maybe? - and stopped for a bit. Jason gave us a status check and a bit of history and geography info. He's very informative, and easy to talk to, very willing to answer questions. From there we headed through the forest to our next stop, some lava fields. Again, a bit of history, very informational about the age of the rocks, and some interesting facts about plant growth in relating to the lava rocks age. All in all, this was a heck of a ride. Up and down, bouncing all around, noisy, only a bit of dust (we were lucky that day so be forewarned if you do this during a dry spell). There are other options available, we're seriously considering one of them for our next trip to Bend. Don't forget to tip your guide!

Super fun! Definitely recommend! Great way to spend 2 hours! The ATVs were 1000cc 2022 models and…read moreworked great. There are quite a few different terrain types including a volcanic rock field and cave. Super cool

The Lava lands visitor center has a small gift shop, staff out front with times for a guided tour,…read morethey have souvineer penny smasher and a small museum about the volcano and fossils. It also had the trail heads for the trail of the Molten lands, the trail of the whispering pines, the roadway up to lava butte, as well as information on the lava river tunnels, and other things in this portion of the park.

Lava Lands is part of small cinder cones on the northwest side of Newberry Volcano, a massive…read moreshield volcano rises to the southeast. This region is characterized by extensive lava flows, including the 7,000-year-old flow from Lava Butte, a prominent cinder cone. How I like to see as much as possible is by mountain bike. From Lava Lands parking lot pick up the 4 mile fast flow furious fun single track for 4 miles curving through Ponderosa Pines following lava fields. Ride through the lava rock featuring panoramic views of snow capped mountains. At the end of Black Rock single track connect with the Deschutes River and ride along at least a mile to Benham Falls - so magnificent! Continue riding 5-10-XX more miles filling up your passion bucket in the natural wonders following and flowing with the Deschutes River. I fulled up my bucket for 20 miles - at time rivers flows with power and times as still as a lake. Let's go! Wherever the powerful river flows! Wherever the peaceful river goes! Many feel the pace only the river knows - as I did flow along by mountain bike!

We used Central Oregon Rentals in July for a memorial luncheon gathering at our neighborhood…read moreassociation lodge. They assisted us in planning the layout to accommodate our 80 guests. We rented tables, chairs, linens and beverage servers. The rental items were all in good condition and the set up and take down went seamlessly. We especially appreciated the reschedule of take down to a later time due to needed family accommodation. We couldn't have been happier with the service and support and highly recommend Central Oregon Rentals!

Central Oregon Rentals is A+++. We rented five sleds for the Saturday between Christmas and New…read moreYears. The sleds were loaded into a five-place enclosed trailer and ready to go when we arrived at the shop. Michael the owner gave us a thorough run down of the trail systems (I've ridden in Minnesota a lot, but first time in Oregon), a walk through of the sleds, and other general tips. They also had a complete lineup of decent rental equipment, although renting isn't ever has good as having your own gear that you're used to. All of the sleds were quality Ski-Doo long tracks. We had two 850's that rocked the trails and the powder, two 600's for the less experienced riders, and one 900 two-up. Unloading and loading was easy, and it was a short 25 minute drive to the snow park. Great rental experience - would definitely rent again from Central Oregon Rentals. Thoughts about the Deschutes trail system around Mt. Bachelor: 1. We rode on what had to have been one of the busiest days of the year - bad planning on our part. By the time we got to the Wanoga sno-park the parking lot was full, but it really wasn't full: they could have fit at least 1/3 more rigs if folks would learn how to park. There was literally 10' between some rigs. We ended up parking along one of the roadways inside the snow park which worked. If you could beat the mountain traffic and make it higher up it would be better. See #2 below. 2. The trails leading up to the Mt. Bachelor - especially Trail 5 - were AWFUL. So many riders chewing it up, even though they were groomed the night before. They were even worse coming back down. If you like going 10 mph max on washboards you'll love them. Once we got past the mountain, Trail 5 was better, but not great. 3. The 250 miles of the Mt. Bachelor trail system is beautiful, but TBH after riding Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the UP, the trail system around Mt. Bachelor isn't the place to go for hard core riding. We rode all day and maybe got 40 miles - in the upper Midwest we'd get at least 100 miles on a low day. This is partly due to the number of people and the trail conditions, but there just aren't the same miles of trails if you really like to ride. 4. The stop at the Elk Lake resort was great. Definitely worth they trip out there. Would we ride the Deschutes Trail System again? -Yes, and we would definitely rent from Central Oregon Rentals. -Yes, but on a weekday or during the shoulder season. Definitely NOT on a holiday weekend. -Yes, but explore starting at a different location.

On my first visit to Bend, I saw a little bit about the Bend Ale Trail but realized it was too much…read moreto work on that trip. I had a visited a bunch of breweries, but not all in any one region. For my most recent trip, I purposely tried to complete what I could. The Bend Ale Trail is a sponsored by the Bend tourism authority where you get stamps for each brewery visited either digitally or in a free passport book. I read there were prizes and artwork associated with each, so it made sense all of this was done out of the Visit Bend Oregon visitors center right downtown. It's easy to find, just a few blocks away from the river. They have mostly daily hours, making it convenient to drop in. If you're a first timer to the area, I recommend coming here on your first days, as they have a ton of free literature about the area including maps, activities, coupons, etc. They also have areas to sit, have pictures taken, plus advice and planning from the people who work here. I had mixed interactions with the people working here, but none were negative. Back to the Ale Trail - it's free to do, and worth your time if you're already visiting all the excellent breweries in the area. As you complete each of the seven regions, you bring in your passport and show it to receive a tasting glass and matching sticker with the key art. Once you complete all seven glasses, you get a matching wooden flight paddle! Even better, if you have a designated driver they can complete it too; but they'll earn a free branded Hydro Flask, another famous company headquartered in Bend. If you're visiting, it's worth stopping here to help plan your trip!

We came, we saw, we conquered the Bend Ale Trail. 16 breweries in three days sounds like a lot but…read moremy pretty designated driver and myself were up to the challenge. You can either grab a map at any of the participating breweries or download their app. I recommend you do both. The map as a souvenir and use the app to redeem for your rewards. The app is also very helpful in navigating the area and figuring out a course of action as you move from brewery to brewery. We of course started with the best beer in Bend at Boneyard. The Deschutes tour is another must. Crux makes some damn fine beer as well. I noticed for the most part, all the breweries in Bend are also restaurants as well. I prefer to keep my restaurants and taprooms separate so there's several breweries that I would have skipped if it weren't for the quest to visit all of them before we left town. The only negative to the whole thing was that 2 of the 16 breweries are about 20 miles away so you'll have to do some driving whether you want to or not. Since they're not in Bend, I'm not sure why they're included on the trail. Bridge 99 would have been a better choice to be included on the trail. The bottle opener and Silipint that you get from the Bend visitor's center for completing your passport are actually pretty neat and not throw away trinkets. The memories will certainly last a lifetime but it's always nice to get a little bit of schwag as well.

While I love beer and brewery hopping, I'd never been on any sort of brewery bus tour and the Bend…read moreBrew Bus far exceeded my expectations. We did the 4 hour, 4 brewery tour and it was just as educational and interesting as it was fun and delicious. Our guide, Jared, was very informative and made the day relaxing and interesting. He was helpfully conversational on many topics beyond just beer, but other questions about Bend and activities we were interested in. The brewery guides at each stop were gracious to have us and loved sharing their beers, which was nice to feel welcomed around the brewery scene. I highly recommend the Brewery Bus as a fun activity if you're in Bend looking to check out the awesome brewery scene. Beyond all that, you get to try a lot of great beer!

The Bend Brew Bus was a GREAT tour! If you are a beer lover, beer snob, home brewer, or someone…read morewho just appreciates a craft brew, this tour is for you. The guide shares about the city of Bend, Oregon while you travel between breweries and educates you on the different breweries before arriving for the on site tour. The combination of the guides knowledge and the brewers once on site truly make this tour very interesting. Other Perks: - You get to work on your Bend Ale Trail passport (if you visit all the breweries in town you get a Sili Pint) - They provide the driver for you, so no need to worry about a designated driver!! - Some of the guides are home brewers!! Great conversation and they can point you to other great things to check out in Bend The Bend Brew Bus is good for: - Bachelor Party or Bachelorette Party in Bend, Oregon - Getting great exposure to the City of Bend - A girls night or guys night out - A beer lover - Any adult over 21 who wants to have fun Loved the Bend Brew Bus tour and would do it again!

I stayed at Quinn River Campground for a few days/nights as part of a field trip exploring…read morevolcanics in the Cascade Mountains in Oregon through university in August 2017. The campground wasn't too full when we stayed and had ample space for all of us. The parking spaces for each campsite were decently sized and we were able to fit the field trip vehicles (including school vans) in without a problem. Noise was not an issue here and quiet hours were observed. The campsites has picnic tables and even ground. This made setting up tents easy and meant we had options as to where to set our tents up on a given campsite. Restrooms were interspersed throughout the campground and there was a water pump where we could go to pump clean/drinking water. Crane Prairie Reservoir borders the campground and it a lovely place to sit and stare at the stars, watch the sun rise, and watch the sun set. Chipmunks also occupied the campground when we were there. We came back to our food store one day to find chipmunks had gone after some bagels. Good reminder we shared the campground with wildlife during our stay.

An excellent winter getaway! Clear Lake is beautiful in any season, but mid-week in February was…read moreexpecially peaceful and had the place almost to ourselves. We went snowshoeing during the day but could have gone downhill skiing at Hoodoo or visited Sisters just as easily. We stayed in a yurt, temps in the 20-30s, but our yurt was so warm and comfortable, not to mention spotless! You do need to bring all your own supplies for sleeping and cooking. Its like camping in a ginormous tent! So much room!! There is a microwave and minifridge, and we used our own portable propane campstove and bbq for cooking. There is no internet/wifi so at night we played games, read and danced (did I mention they are huge?). The public flush toilets and showers were also very clean and in great condition. A super fun, unique winter experience. We will for sure be back!!

My husband and I rented cabin #3 for a weekend. We are used to staying in rustic places, so we had…read morerealistic expectations before coming in. The cabin had a bed, a table with two chairs, and a gas cook stove (which we did not use). It also had a thermostat-controlled gas fireplace which kept the place nice and warm. The place was pretty small, but adequate for our needs. The big downside was that the overhead light was a very harsh fluorescent light. There was also no porch light. The restrooms were pretty decent, although the TP in the women's bathroom was almost out by Sunday morning. There are plenty of moths, spiders, and other bugs in the bathrooms, which is unpleasant but to be expected. Nearly every single sign is in Comic Sans which makes it feel like the place is run by a bunch of college interns. The lake itself is very beautiful. I recommend doing the five-mile loop hike around it, or renting a boat.