Bend, Oregon

We travelled down the coast as far as Florence before bailing on our plans for Bandon. As much as I’d like to play Bandon Dunes, we saw enough of the coast and had a stronger urge to get to Bend. Fortunately, we were able to cancel our hotel in Bandon, and booked a night at The Oxford Hotel, a swanky boutique hotel in downtown Bend.

Day 1 – Of course we had to sleep late, especially after spending so many long days in the car and waking up early. Upon waking, our first stop was to Nancy P’s, our favorite bakery in Bend. Cali went swimming at Drake Park, and we went to the local high school to watch the Oregon Rush take on the Portland Rain in women’s soccer. We checked into our house, stocked up on essentials and went out for an early dinner at Zydecos.

Day 2 – Eliza and I spent time at Widgi Creek Golf Course, having a closest to the pin pitching and putting contest, followed by time at the driving range. I went mountain biking at Phil’s Trail, a vast complex of trails a short pedal from our house. The kids enjoyed a nice float trip down the Deschutes River while I kayaked nearby.

Day 3 (4th of July) – We went for an early a.m. mountain bike ride at Shevlin Park, another trail accessable without getting in the car. The town of Bend hosted a Pet Parade, where thousands of people (and their dogs) converged on downtown for a walk around town. Afterwards, it seemed as though everyone in town then jumped on the bikes for the Freedom Ride. Folks were dressed in funky outfits and all different types of bikes as they rode around town tying up traffic…all the while yelling “FREEDOM”. Mckenna and Eliza sprayed the riders with a hose as they rode by our house. My buddy Steve Godwin, with whom Yvonne and I started our careers at C&W, arrived with his wife Anna and children from Atlanta to spend the week with us. Another float trip down the river, a bite to eat at Deschutes Brewery, and finished the day watching the fireworks at Pilot Butte.

Day 4 – MTB ride at Shevlin Park, followed by an intro visit to Nancy P’s Bakery for Steve and his family. In the afternoon, we went white water rafting on the Deschutes River and had a blast. Cali was finally starting to come down after 3 straight nights of fireworks. I’ve never seen a town so lathered up about fireworks–and Cali and I had a string of sleep-deprived nights.

Day 5 – Mckenna tackled Phil’s Trail with me and had a great time. After a gradual climb for multiple miles, she enjoyed the fast, smooth singletrack on our way back down to the trailhead. Steve and I played golf at Aspen Lakes in Sisters, followed by cocktails on the river and a cookout at the house.

Day 6 – We visited the Cascade Lakes region and were taken back by the amount of snow that still existed. Not a huge surprise given Mt. Bachelor broke all records with 650 inches of snowfall this year. Todd’s Lake was compeleted snowed in, so we went for a visit to Sparks Lake–where Cali enjoyed swimming in the calm waters. Off to Mt. Bachelor, where we took the chairlift up the mountain for some outstanding views of the region and walked around a bit. Finally, we visited Sunriver before heading back to the house. The ladies and McKenna went for a standup paddle boarding lesson that evening, while Steve and I took the two younger kids to Drake Park for “munch and music”, a weekly event with live music, good crunch, and activities for the little ones.

Day 7 – I took off for an early MTB ride on the Deschutes River Trail, and rode out to Benham Falls and back. The girls went horeback riding at Black Butte Stables in the morning, while Steve and I played golf at Tetherow in the afternoon. Tetherow was designed by the same architect who designed Bandon Dunes. I’m not a huge fan of links courses, but what an amazing track. Cocktails and steaks on the grill were a perfect finish to the day.

Day 8 – Steve and his family were off to Cannon Beach today, but we were able to get in a nice hike along the Metolius River and check out Camp Sherman, where we loaded up on some fresh blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and cherries. Early to bed for all of us–and it sure felt good to catch up on some sleep.

Day 9 – What started as a leisurely ride to look at surrounding neighborhoods turned into an off-road pedal along the Deschutes River Trail heading out towards Awbrey Butte…and getting lost on the way home. Eliza broke down as we cycled up some of the steep mountainous roads, but felt better when we reached our final destination (home).

Day 10 – Eliza started Tetra Brazil soccer camp this morning, and McKenna begins training this evening with the Oregon Rush soccer team. Yvonne and I also dropped by the St. Charles Medical facility. Cali needed her picture taken so she can continue being a therapy dog while in Bend. After 10 straight days of perfect weather, I decided to spend a couple hours updating my blog. Bend is considered the high desert, and daytime temperatures have been between 70 – 85 degrees, no humidity, no bugs–and most importantly no rain (or at least not yet). Overnight temps drop into the 40’s –perfect weather for throwing on a fleece or sweatshirt. We had our first case of drama while playing soccer at the park this afternoon. A lady was driving down the wrong side of the road and collided with another car carrying a woman and her 12-year old daughter. Thankfully nobody was seriously injured, and it could have been a lot worse had the one driver not taken evasive action at the last minute. We were the first witnesses on the scene and called 911. The kids looked on as the police administered a sobriety test and eventually arrested the lady for DUI. Nothing like being hammered at 4:00 p.m. on a Monday afternoon and driving down the wrong side of a residential street while kids are busy playing at the park.

Day 11 – McKenna and I went out for a 3-hour MTB ride–pedalling from the house to Phil’s Trailhead, tooks Ben’s Trail up to Whoops and then a 7.1 mile downhill blaster. In the afternoon we strolled along the Deschutes River down at the old Mill, and visited some of the shops. Happy Hour at Typhoon followed–$3 pints of Stella, $4 plates of Pad Thai and Drunken Noodle…quite a treat given that most happy hours consist of sliders, wings, and other fried food that leave your tummy rumbling afterwards. We then watched television as a family that evening, for me the first time sitting in front of a TV in almost 3 weeks.

Day 12 – Played golf at Awbrey Glen, where they had recently hosted the Oregon Open. I had the pleasure of playing with a member named Brian Wasserman and his son Ben. Brian had been living in Northern California up until 6 years ago, when he and his wife uprooted their 4 kids and moved to Bend in search of a better quality of life. After a successful career in technology, Brian opened a tutoring business in Northwest Crossing, a planned community just outside of town. They are thriving in their new environment. The overnight temperature dropped as low as 34 degrees last night.

Day 13 – We took Cali for a walk along the Farewell Bend River trail loop, a beautiful 3-mile loop that hugs the Deschutes River. After picking up Eliza at soccer practice, we went for a healthy lunch at Jackson’s Corner–a very hip and reasonable cafe…and our new favorite spot for crunch. In the afternoon, we went for a hike along Tumalo Falls, and over to Drake Park in the evening for Music and Munch.

Day 14 – I got on the road early for an epic MTB ride from Mt. Bachelor back to Bend. Yvonne shuttled me up to Mt. Bachelor and I started my excursion at the Swampy Lakes trailhead…later connecting with the Phil’s Trail complex, and eventually pedalling back home. My original plan was to start at Dutchman Flat and take Flagline, but after doing research on the internet…the trail was closed until mid-August due to elk calving. I’m glad I didn’t stumble across a bunch of elk protecting their young ones…it could have made for an ugly scene. We went for a hike on the Green Lakes Trail (gorgeous), but were turned away after a couple miles due to the overwhelming number of mosquitos. Yvonne and Murr went to Power Yoga, while Eliza Raye and I made our way to Juniper Golf Course for a round of golf. That too was cut short as thunderstorms rolled through the area after 4 holes. This would be the first rain we would see since arriving in Bend 2 weeks ago.

Day 15 – The girls slept in and we eventually went for a hike at Shevlin Park, along Tumalo Creek. Cali found a nice swimming hole and we met a nice family who recently moved from Portland to Bend. Eliza Raye and I went back to Juniper Golf Course later in the day, where we had our first round playing 18 holes together. She made three pars and 1 birdie teeing off from 100 yards out on each hole. She also got to drive the golf cart, which is always a big thrill for her.

Day 16 – We watched the final round of the British Open. Kudos to Darren Clark for pulling off the victory. With everything he’s been through personally, it’s hard not to root for the guy. After a quick stop by Nancy P’s, we went down to the Old Mill area and took Cali for a hike along the River Loop, a scenic trail that runs along the Deschutes River.

Day 17 – Family MTB ride at Phil’s Trail, Benham Falls, followed by a short stint at Lava Land. Murr was taken back when I threw her the keys to the truck and suggested she take the family for a spin. It was a long straight road, very little traffic and she had been begging to drive ever since we hit the Western states. She did well. Yvonne and Eliza were a bit rattled by the whole thing.

Day 18 – Yvonne dropped me off early a.m. at Cog Wild, who shuttled 9 riders up to the famous Mckenzie River Trail for an epic 5-hour 28 mile MTB ride through lava flow and lush green forest, all the while meandering along the mighty McKenzie River. It had rained the entire day prior to our arrival, and was raining while en route to the trailhead. This made for wet, sloppy conditions, which obviously made the exposed rocks and roots all the more dangerous. We had riders from Santa Barbara, Twin Falls Idaho, several “Bendites”, and of course me from Maryland. This was an incredible ride, and one I’d like to repeat in conditions that are dry and fast. Upon returning back, the girls were just getting out of the new Harry Potter movie, which they both enjoyed a lot. That evening, time trials were taking place for the professional cycling going on in Bend this week. It was right up the street from our house so we watched a bit. Those dudes really fly.

Day 19 – Our day started by climbing Misery Ridge at Smith Rock. On a clear day (which most of them are), the view is always incredible. You can see all of the mountain ranges in Central Oregon–Mt. Bachelor, Three Sisters, Broken Top–and even Mt. Hood which is 150+ miles away. It’s always fun watching rock climbers summit Monkey Face from the top of Misery Ridge. After Smith Rock, we checked out Brasada Ranch and Pronghorn, two of the premier golf courses in Central Oregon. They looked like a real treat and I look forward to playing both at some point. Mckenna went to soccer and I played a twilight round at Lost Tracks Golf Club. It was my first solid round in weeks, shooting a 75 with 5 birdies. I’ve never tallied more than 3 birdies in a round before, so this felt special. As I threw down a couple Blond Bombshells on the porch afterwards, the dudes were talking about a course named Tokeatee near mcKenzie Bridge that is apparently a must play course.

Day 20 – Today was all about Crater lake, the deepest fresh water lake in the United States and I believe 7th deepest in the world. It is almost 2,000 feet deep, and very frigid. The drive to Crater Lake is about 2 hours each way so it took up most of our day. The pictures tell the full story.

Day 21 – Yvonne and McKenna went to 6:30 a.m. yoga while Eliza Raye and I slept in. Following breakfast, Eliza and I went for a run on the Deschutes River Trail. We eventually went back down to the river as a family, playing soccer at the park and taking Cali swimming. I played golf at Brasada Ranch in the afternoon and was extremely impressed with the facilities. People looked at me funny for walking the course and carrying my bag. From the first green to the 18th green, the course measures more than 7 miles of rolling terrain–and I felt as though I was out for a long hike and a round of golf at the same time. The walk from the 9th green to 10th tee box alone felt like a 1/2 mile. Nothing that a few Mirror Ponds from Descutes Brewery couldn’t fix. Eliza Raye made dinner for the family–chicken and steak kabobs, Veggies, salad, rice etc.–quite a treat.

Days 22 – 28 – On 7/23, we spent the day mountain biking, trail running, and watching the professional bike races in downtown Bend, where they closed the streets on Saturday evening. Pretty awesome watching these pros zoom by while we stood on the sidewalk. We picked up Grandma Ruby at the airport late Saturday night. Needless to say, we were all exhausted. On 7/24, mom and I walked around Drake Park and the town of Bend…Ruby had her first intro to Nancy P’s Bakery, Cali went swimming in the river, we picked Lydia up at the airport, had a little happy hour on the dock, went to Zydecos and a quick roadtrip up to Tumalo Falls at sunset. The next day was very active…with the 3 chicks taking down a trail run on the DRT, while Ruby and I walked the River Loop. Yvonne went to yoga while I MTB’d Grand Slam to Phil’s Trail in the afternoon. We went to Village Bakers (perhaps the best bread on the planet) to pick up some goods to have with dinner that evening. Off to Lava Lands and the Lava Cave and finally a river float for the kids. The Shaw family would arrive this night and spent 4 evenings with our family. We had a great time hanging together. Off to Smith Rock on 7/26 for a hike up Misery Ridge, fellas golfed at Brasada Ranch in the afternoon while the ladies and kids hung out on the river. White water rafting on 7/27–Big Eddy Thriller. Class 3+ rapids coupled with a river running high made for quite the adrenaline rush for the entire family. The fellas were off to Tetherow for a round of golf in the afternoon. Our caddie Ryan was superb, and the golf course was in impeccable shape. On 7/28, the ladies roadtripped up to Black Butte Stables for some horseback riding, while I took my nephew Michael out for a 2.5 hour MTB ride. We rode Ben’s Trail to Whoops and then pedalled back to the house. With only 1 day of rain in the last 4 weeks, conditions are consistently fast…just a bit dusty. Our next stop was to Lost Tracks Golf Course, a really fun track just down the road. The two rounds I played at Lost Tracks produced scores of 75 and 76…so it’s either a really easy course or sets up well for my game. The highlight of the day came on the 17th hole. Down two shots in the match with 2 holes to play (against my brother-in-law), I turned to my niece who was walking next to me and said “here comes the shot of the day…I’m going to put this shot so close to the hole, your daddy’s sphincter is going to twitch”. I then proceeded to knock my 8-iron an inch from the cup from 155 yards out. Clearly all luck, but perhaps influenced by visualization and the power of positive thinking. If nothing else, it made things interesting going into the final hole. On 7/29, we had breakfast with the Shaw clan, who then planned to visit Mt Hood and Hood River before departing for home on Sunday. I used the day to catch up on rest and get organized. We vacate our house in Bend tomorrow and head towards home. We don’t have a gameplan, other than we need to head East–and eventually make it back for Mckenna’s high school soccer tryouts.

We’ve had a tremendous time in Bend and all of us find leaving difficult. This town represents so much of what I love–300 days of sunshine a year, warm days and cool nights, no humidity or bugs, several hundred miles of the best MTB singletrack in the country, dozens of first rate golf courses, great skiing 25 minutes away (they had 600+” of snow this year and were skiing 4th of July weekend), superb crunch, tasty local beers, great music and culture, and some of the friendliest people you’ll ever encounter. The fact you can buy a beautiful house for $350K doesn’t suck either. People who live in Bend aren’t focused on material possessions, but are all about lifestyle and living a life full of meaning and passion. This really resonates with me–and we will undoubtedly be back to visit again soon.

The Trip Home – Upon departing Bend, we travelled to Boise for 3 nights, where I would grab lunch on Monday with Brian Espy, a long term client and one of the coolest dudes on the planet. His COO, Ryan, joined us–as did his son Chase. Boise is a town with a very cool vibe–and only wished I had more time to take advantage of it’s multitude of recreational opportunities. I managed to play a round of golf at BanBury Golf Club, but was salivating over the singletrack, white water rafting, and Sun Valley that were left unexplored. We checked out the campus of Boise State, walked along the River Trail, and tried to catch up on some rest. Our travels took us to Steamboat next, where we would spend some time with Yvonne’s father. Rollingstone Ranch was a beautiful track and the golf staff was nice enough to get me out at the crack of dawn–enabling me to catch the chicks after their morning workout and spend the day as a family. McKenna and I had ambitions of shredding some downhill MTB at Mt. Werner in the afternoon, but thunderstorms cut our plans short. The biggest travel day of our vacation was the following day. That night we packed our car, locked the bikes on the rack, and bribed the night manager to allow us to park our SUV directly in front of the hotel so all we had to do was jump in the car and go the next day. After waking at 4:30 a.m., we drove 17.5 hours from Steamboat to Chicago and lost an hour in the process. We pulled into yia yia’s driveway just before midnight CST and were ready to hit the sack. We spent 4 nights in Glencoe visiting with Yvonne’s family–riding bikes, going for runs, visiting the beach, and getting in a round of golf at the exclusive Lake Shore Country Club. The cousins had a great time together–and in typical greek fashion, we had our share of good crunch. Other than a couple blinding rainstorms, our trip home from Chicago to Bethesda was uneventful…and Cali was very fired up to be back in familiar surroundings.