This is one of my favorite cities to visit to get some cool weather in September. It is about a 3 hour drive from Portland and under 30 minutes from the Redmond Municipal Airport. There are a variety of hotels, motels, and B&B's between downtown and the Old Mill District. If you want a quieter environment, stay in the Old Mill District area. Bend has some beautiful landscapes full of different outdoor activities. Flow riding on the rapids of the Deschutes River, jogging along the river paths, shopping in town, and dining at some wonderful restaurants. I also love that Oregon is tax-free on merchandise, so the price of goods is the total price. Bend still had that small town feel even though it is quickly becoming more popular with people moving here for a better family environment. read more

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I feel like Bend is now known as a playground for Californians with too much money. Growing up, I only visited a few times, mostly related to a youth organization I was in; it's about 2.5 hours east but my family wasn't into skiing or anything and there were rivers, lakes, and reservoirs much closer to home. But rather than just sit at home and stare at each other we decided to take a drive to Bend when I was home recently. When we go my mom likes to drive by the house which my grandparents lived in for a few years whilst she was in college, before moving back to Eugene, and there's not usually anything in particular we're here for. This was not really an exception. We did stop at the Last Blockbuster, since my nephew was along and wanted to. We went to the downtown district where there are some cute shops. I got a permanent bracelet at Nashelle and I love it; I wish that I was closer because they had some really nice charms to go with it. Bend Burger has good burgers. But what people usually come to Bend for is the recreation. Located in the Deschutes National Forest and at a high elevation, Bend is a place for skiers. Mt. Bachelor isn't too far away. Suttle Lake is nearby as well, so if lake recreation is more your bag you'll find it here as well. Volcanic eruptions in the state has left some of the area covered in lava beds. Fishing, rafting, and so on are all popular activities in the area. read more

The City of Bend, always touted as the next up and coming city in Oregon (at least as long as I can remember). It just never really took off for some reason. That being said, if you want some of the best mountain views in the state as well as some of the best skiing (coming from a very amateur snowboarder - we won't talk about how many times I went - But I did go) this should make your short list for places to visit while in Oregon. If you find yourself here while the weather is a little bit nicer, they have really become quite an outdoor activities location. With people traveling here to participate in mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, rock climbing, white-water rafting, skiing, paragliding, helicopter tours, golf .... etc. Also, another great place to find local breweries, this place really kind of has it all if you're looking for stuff related to the outdoors. read more

Being a military brat who subsequently moved around numerous times as an adult as well, I've lived in a lot of places. Most everywhere has its good points and bad. Bend definitely tips the scale heavily on the 'good' side. In no particular order: Good: - Brewpubs everywhere (shout out to my fave - Bend Brewing! - with an honorable mention to Bridge 99) - Good beer in many non-brewpubs. - Happy hours. Many cities have banned HH. Not Bend. It's a religion here. - Lots of green space, parks, trails right in the city. The Deschutes River Trail stands out. Many trails right outside the city. - The Deschutes River itself is very cool. - The Great Drake Park Duck Race - Traffic circles (roundabouts) and the people who know how to drive them. - Newport Market. - Northwest Crossing Saturday Market - Abundance of specialty shops and cafes. - Food truck pods. - No domineering religious presence. - Lots of friendly people. It's a cliche but 'Be nice. You're in Oregon' really seems to be a thing. - Volcanoes. The local collection: Bachelor, Broken Top, Three Sisters, Belknap, Washington, Black Butte, Three Fingered Jack, Jefferson. - The Deschutes National Forest. - Bend Brewfest - Proximity to great snow sports (I don't ski or snowshoe but it's a big part of the winter culture here). - Lots of good golf courses. Widgi Creek and Juniper (Redmond) stand out as great reasonably priced public courses. - Kayaking, in the river or the many lakes. - Ponderosa pines. They're everywhere. - The high desert and all it offers. The Badlands in particular. - The High Desert Museum. Raptors and river otters! - Good public library. - Roller Girls. - Central Oregon Community College. - Limited blue laws. - Electric, gas and water rates are reasonable (they are, really). - There isn't a significant police presence. The police are around, there just isn't much high crime going on. And I've read very little about the police abusing their authority. - Downtown Bend is very walk-able with interesting stores and restaurants. Not just for tourists. - Recycling. It's an Oregon trademark. - We have four seasons. Yeah, the winter may get too snowy and the summers a little smoky but in between, awesome. - No smog checks required for cars. I'm a big proponent of clean air regulations but it's nice to be in an area where it's not an issue (yet). - Canada is close by. - Decent response by the city to snow events. Sure, they can get overwhelmed by huge snowfalls, but it's still good. - Tin Pan Theater. - Tower Theater. - The DIY Cave is a great concept. - Lots of safe, beneficial cell towers. Bad: - Lack of diversity. This place is white, very white. - Bend is fairly expensive, especially housing. - The big grocery stores are not up to par. Too many items out of stock, selection often limited. I'm comparing to stores in major cities. Ralph's, Vons, Kroger are all better in those cities. Here, the best is Fred Meyer (a Kroger brand) and it's just OK. Safeway is OK, too. High prices, too. - Crappy internet service. Bend Broadband seems the best and they suck. This is an issue I find puzzling given Bend's progressive nature. Why isn't Bend on the cutting edge of connectivity? - Bend Bulletin is a decent paper but Bend leans progressive and the paper's editorial bias is distinctly conservative. They have new ownership, so we'll see. - Limited medical care. In particular, a lack of primary care doctors and emergency facilities. Bend has one trauma emergency hospital. - A lack of quality Asian restaurants. There doesn't seem to be a good Chinese place. *Everyone* has good Chinese - why not Bend? No Korean BBQ. Limited ramen choices until Miyagi opened (their ramen is quite good). Tomo has decent tonkotsu. - Lack of good BBQ, something that isn't all that hard to prepare. - Few good pizza options, which is also not hard to make. Too many places making 'flatbread' pizza. - Vegetarians often face limited options. Vegans should not even come to Bend. - 'Spicy' in restaurants usually means 'barely picante'. I should remember to bring my own hot sauce. - Not a great contemporary art scene. The city government does nothing to support the arts. - We need a dedicated golf practice facility, including indoor. - We need more public tennis courts. Bend Park and Recreation operates just three facilities and two are in small parks on Awbrey Butte. - Fireworks are out of control and the police seem not to care. - Stupid 'can't pump your own gas' law in Oregon. - Those few people who don't know how to drive through roundabouts. It's not a 4-way stop. The local social media decries the lack of exit turn signaling but I think the inability of some folks to smoothly merge into the flow around the circle is a bigger issue. - Lack of options for mainstream movies. Regal needs competition from AMC. - Traffic is getting worse, although it's still nowhere near as bad as in big cities. - Too many Bendites blaming Californians for their problems. read more

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Beer. Dogs. Flannel. Hot yoga. Mtn bike trails. Winter recreation. Ya, that's the Bend I know and love. Please come visit but don't litter read more

I've been living in Powell Butte (closer to Redmond) for a few years now and have only recently started venturing out more often to Bend. I don't know why I waited so long when Bend is really the only place around that has anything going on. Bars, music, food. It's a beautiful town with interesting people and a lot of neat things to do and I'm hoping to get out here more and see all it has to offer. So far I am enjoying it the more I find, though I don't know if I'd ever recommend travelling far for it for a vacation. I view Bend as more of a place to go if you're already stuck in the area :p read more

Don't Drive A Rental Car With California Plates! Beautiful town, unlimited fun activities, and unlimited choices when going out to eat! But, never! And, I mean NEVER! Allow the name California ever to enter a conversation or come into view of a resident of Bend, OR. Very hostile behavior was expressed towards us while driving our rental car with California plates on it! And, conversations with what seem to be very kind people almost come to an abrupt stop at the slightest hint that you might be from California, their entire demeanor can shift immediately, mid-sentence even! (And, I can truly understand experiencing some frustration from having a high population of tourists in town, after living more than a decade in Las Vegas, NV). But, nowhere else do you find such a high number of stickers being sold stating, "Be nice, you're in Oregon now!" I'm thinking, "Practice what you preach!" read more

OK, Bend! you have done an excellent job with the parks and recreation throughout the city. the Roundabouts and contemporary sculpture are amazing, so clever. The city is very clean and the people are nice and lovely. Here is the downside. A large section of the city is also very run down. lots of blight. The East side and 3rd Street are visually depressed. Block after block of sad fast-food restaurants and motels that look like they rent out by the hour. No sidewalks or landscaping in many parts of town. I'm lucky I live in the NW part of town, but feel sorry for those who don't. Billboards in the middle of all this natural beauty? really? Bend needs to up its game! if it wants to be considered a resort town like Aspen or Sedona or Nantucket, it needs to start now. read more

The people whom give out tickets to people supporting local businesses in downtown Bend Or.. These guys are brutal!! I was getting my hair done and the place i parked had no city sign that stayed 2 hour minimum.. I came out and had a ticket. It used to be if you were purchasing and spending money downtown Bend you could show your receipts which is how it would be. Then i paid it online tonight and they charged a fee for that.. If we only had a better city planner.. This town would be doing more things right!! That's a topic i could go off on.. read more

I LOVE YOU BEND, OREGON! I have been to Bend once. I loved it and can't wait to come back. We drove from Los Angeles to Bend on Thanksgiving weekend. It took 13 hours there and 16 back (because of holiday traffic). I have to admit, the drive got monotonous after a while. Pine trees for hours once we made it past Mount Shasta. I think the next time I come up, I will fly. It was still amazing though. I loved how everyone was so nice there. It was pretty cold when we were there, but not unbareable. I loved all the little shops and botiques the main town had. The neighborhoods were very clean and well manicured. Tip to remember when visiting Oregon: YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PUMP YOUR OWN GAS IN OREGON. DON'T TRY IT. JUST WAIT IN YOUR CAR UNTIL THE ATTENDANT COMES OUT. This proves handy when is minus eleventeen outside! I love you Bend. =) read more

Just visited Bend's Old Mill yesterday, and they did not disappoint!! Beautiful sunny skies, a breeze off the Deschutes River, outdoor seating at a cute cafe, and after that, we still had time for a little downtown action. The contrast from the Old Mill's modern shops to the nostalgic downtown shops is amazingly pleasant in just a mile or two. There are geese to greet you along the way, nicely paved sidewalks, pretty shade trees, and even a few food/drink stands. We stopped at Strictly Organic, then crossed the street to our favorite record shop, Recycle Music. These guys have at least 8,000 high quality used records in stock. They take trades on cds, cassettes, 8tracks, and vinyl records. This place simply appears to be an old home from the exterior, like some of the other businesses on this side of Bond Street, but inside is a 'goldmine', if you enjoy music collecting. Later in the day, i took a neighborhood walk on the east side of town, with a close view of the Butte, Pilot Butte, to be precise. It was refreshing, and the sunset was nothing less than absolutely breathtaking! read more

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I took a travel nurse assignment to Bend and didn't ever want to leave. I had never even heard of Bend, OR previously. I wanted to go somewhere with several options for outdoor activities and beautiful scenary and that's exactly what I got. There's a very friendly, laid-back, hometown atmosphere while at the same time, there is really a lot to do. There is no lack of culture, sophistication, or fine dining either. I can't wait to get back. I'm 36 years old and felt "at home" for the first time in my life. Everyone should experience Bend at least once! read more