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Visit to Bend, Oregon

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Visit to Bend, Oregon

0regon Reflections

The other day I returned to Bend, Oregon. I last visited there in 2019 and enjoyed both visits. Growing up in Berkeley, I spent my summer with my family in Yakima staying at the family’s cabin in the national forest near Mt. Ranier. My father was a college professor and had July and August off, so we went tothe cabin during the summers. We frequently drove through Bend as it was on the route from Yakima to the Bay Area. We usually stayed in Medford or Weed, but sometimes we stopped in Bend or the small town of Chemult.

Bend in those days was a backwater little town, a little bigger than the town of CHemul or Klamath Falls. It was a boring agricultural town.

Over the years it has become a trendy, hip town filled with the best beer in the country, great wine as well, and decent food as it is a foodie’s delight. Bend is a hip town about an hour southeast of Portland on the edge of the Oregon high mountain desert, it is the mecca of artisanal spirits, beer, and Kombucha. There is a good museum called the Oregon High Desert Museum which is worth a visit. There is also an Oregon Cascade scenic bypass, a 66-mile drive through the Cascades that I am looking forward to driving on my next trip

The city is the second fastest-growing city in Oregon if not the country. It is increasingly diverse, no longer a backwater. There is a new State college there as well. Mostly tourism based now, but there are some hi-tech companies set up there.

The city is lined with beautiful parks along the Deschutes River which runs through the city. The city is the second most fit city in the country and we saw lots of people, walking, biking, boating, or hitting the gym.

We walked about Drake Park and Juniper Park before trying the beer at Bend Brewing Company downtown. We drove around town after touring downtown and having some great Gelato. We stopped off at the last Blockbuster left in the country, stopped off at Humms’s Kombucha, and then had a beer sampler at Long Barrel Beer one of the bigger brew pubs in town.

Bend parks

Bend Oregon parks - Search (bing.com)

We drove by several of the many parks in Bend, stopping off at Jupiter Park and Drake's park. the city is building a long trail along the Deschutes River which flows through town.

bend park
last Blockbuster

The last blockbuster video store in the world is located in Bend, Oregon. Blockbusters used to be everywhere. Then they weren't with the advent of Netflix and streaming services. But, somehow they manage to thrive in trendy little Bend Oregon. Seeing a blockbuster brought back memories. We used to go every Friday night to get movies for the weekend picking three to five to watch every weekend.

Is Is the Last 'Blockbuster' Still Open? The Truth About Netflix Show Location (newsweek.com)the Last 'Blockbuster' Still Open? The Truth About Netflix Show Location (newsweek.com)

blockbuster
blockbuster
Bend Brewing Company

Conveniently located downtown along the mirror pound park near Drakes Park. It has lots of places to sit outside and enjoy the weather. The beer is great.

Bend Brewing Company

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Tripadvisor (454) · Bar, American, Burger · $$
1019 NW Brooks St, Bend, OR 97703-2018
[phone]


Dine-in · Takeout / Delivery

Open · Closes 10 PM

Menu

Popular menu items
See all


Grilled Steelhead Special
House Salad
Fried Chicken Sandwich
Kale Caesar
Crispy Fish Tacos



bendbrewingco.com

https://www.bendbrewingco.com



Bend Brewing Company

Welcome to Bend Brewing Co. We were established in 1995, and are the second oldest brew pub in Bend, Oregon. We have a rich history of award winning craft beer brewed at our


ten Barrel Brewery

East Bend, OR – 10 Barrel Brewing Co.

We had dinner at Ten Barrel Brewery brew pub. We tried the beer sampler -ten of their beers, and a Cubano sandwich and nachos.

10 Barrel Brewing Pub Menu - Bing images

ten barrels
beer samplier bend
ten barrels pub
Humm's Kombucha
hummkombucha.com

https://hummkombucha.com/original


Original - Humm Kombucha

humm original. We didn't invent kombucha, we perfected it. We've always had one primary goal: to make people feel good. And as more and more people are drinking kombucha …

We stopped by their tasting room and tried a number of samples. we drove by the factory as well.

my Brother-in-law and his wife have a Kombucha business in Korea. So they were quite interested in seeing how it is made.

Bend, Oregon - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bend,_Oregon

Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, with a population of 99,178 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 76,693 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, and 52,029 at the … See more

THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Bend - 2023 (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

High Desert Museum
high mountain desert museum



On the way to Bend, we stopped off at the High Desert Museum which is worth a visit. The highlights of the museum are the outdoor walks that go through the high desert forest with a great otter exhibit and a bird of prey exhibit with eagles, and other birds of prey. There are lots of chipmunks running around as well. The otters were very cute as otters tend to be.

The museum had a decent Native American exhibit as well as an outdoor recreation of a settler’s camp circa 1890 or so.

High Desert Museum

59800 S Highway 97, Bend, OR 97702

[phone]

Closed · Opens 9 AM

from internet:

The High Desert Museum is located near Bend, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1982, it brings regional wildlife, culture, art, and natural resources together to promote an understanding of the natural and cultural heritage of North America’s high desert country. The museum uses indoor and outdoor exhibits, wildlife in natural-like habitats, and living history demonstrations to help people discover and appreciate the high desert environment. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Facilities :
The High Desert Museum sits on 135 acres (0.55 km square) of pine-covered forest land in Central Oregon. South of Bend on U.S. Route 97, the museum includes various indoor and outdoor exhibits, a library, a desertarium, and a cafe. Portland’s GHA Architects designed the original museum building. That structure contains walls built from volcanic rocks and slate flooring. The outdoor exhibits and various buildings are connected by a half-mile-long paved path.

Collections :
The museum has more than 18,500 artifacts in its collections. Artwork includes works from Edward Curtis, Edward Borein, Charles Marion Russell, Philip Hyde (photographer), and Alfred Jacob Miller among others. Historical artifacts include those of Native American origin and post-Euro-American settlement of the region. Many of the Native American items are from the Doris Swayze Bounds Collection of American Indian Art and Artifacts, and the Doris Bounds Swayze collection.

highdesertmuseum.org

https://highdesertmuseum.org/visit-bend-ore…



High Desert Museum Visit Bend Oregon



This unique museum reveals the West’s High Desert region through artful exhibits, alluring animals, engaging programs and meaningful history. Whether you’re a local or planning to visit Bend, Oregon, discover why …

Chemult

One of the towns we drove through is the town of Celmult, Oregon. It is a town now, I recalled it being bigger when we drove through back in the 70s. We often spend the night there. It is the snowiest town in Oregon if not in the United States. Now there is not much there.

(Wikipedia article)

Chemult /ʃɛˈmoʊlt/ is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Klamath County, Oregon, United States, on U.S. Route 97 near the drainage divide between the Klamath and Columbia Rivers. Chemult has a population of about 300 people.[3] Chemult's elevation is 4,764 feet (1,452 m).

The locale was originally established in 1924 as a station on the Southern Pacific Cascade Line named "Knott" during construction.[4] The station's name was changed to Chemult when the line opened in 1926 and a post office was established the same year.[4] The name Chemult comes from a Klamath chief who was one of the 26 who signed the Klamath Lake Treaty of October 14, 1864.[4][5]

Amtrak's Coast Starlight stops in Chemult daily at the Chemult Amtrak station, and Pacific Crest Bus Lines stops daily at the station on its route from Klamath Falls to Bend. There is also a Winema National Forest ranger station within the community.

The area around Chemult is commonly used for hiking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, dog sled racing, fishing, and hunting. Chemult also offers the annual Sled Dog Races where mushers come to race their sled dogs and compete for cash prizes.

Chemult is Trump country as many smaller towns in Oregon are. Oregon is a blue state with much of the population in the Portland -Eugune corridor. Central Oregon, (with the exception of Bend) eastern Oregon and Southern Oregon (with the exception of Ashland) are ruby red, politically speaking. But in general, people in Oregon are not as partisan as people in many other states tend to be. They are a pretty tolerant and friendly lot.

Rogue Gorge and Natural Bridge

(from internet article)

On the way to Bend we stopped off at the Rogue River gorge = a long waterfall near Crater Lake that is worth a visit, the other day we visited the natural bridge nearby which is also spectacular.

Nature’s own magic act

Everyone loves a good magic trick, and nature seems to have figured out a way to create one- without the smoke and mirrors. Natural Bridge, a point along the upper reaches of the Rogue River, is where the magic happens. At this point, the Rogue River disappears underground into a 250-foot lava tube, with a small amount of water escaping from the tube, forming a pool under the bridge. All the water, slowly but surely, reappears at the surface further down the river.

There are many ways to hike this stretch of the Rogue River. Natural Bridge itself can be reached via the Upper Rogue River trail. The easy hiking 2.4-mile loop option includes views of Natural Bridge and is accessible for all ages. For this route, start at the Natural Bridge viewing area. Stay on the near side of the river and start hiking upstream. Hike upstream until you reach Woodruff Bridge. Cross the bridge here and head downstream back to another foot bridge right near your starting point. The loop can be done in either direction with no substantial advantages either way. The trail itself has amazing river views, views of Natural Bridge, and ancient old-growth forests.

There are different campsites in the area, all of which have easy access to Natural Bridge, and the many surrounding recreation areas. This area is 10-15 minutes away from Crater Lake National Park and is a great place to stay to enjoy the park. Longer hiking options continue upstream to the Rogue Gorge along the river. You can also do a very short hike to the Rogue Gorge viewpoint just off the highway, this option is more of a leg stretch than a "hike" but has amazing views of the gushing river. More details and directions on different hiking routes here.

While this natural wonder is as impressive as the lush forests around it, it is not protected. If you want to help protect one of nature’s own magic acts, be sure to sign the petition and support the Crater Lake Wilderness region for generations to come.
We drove back along Highway 97 then Highway 62 going past Crater Lake again. We saw deer along the way and chipmunks in the wood.

the End