Bend, Oregon Pt 1
Bend, Oregon
December, 2024
Leaving McMinnville under a bright sun and biting cold, we embarked southeast on a 157-mile quest toward Bend, Oregon. The drive included a pass through Salem—where, surprisingly, traffic was more “leisurely cruise” than it was “capitol chaos.” It’s not as postcard-pretty as the coast, but Oregon’s High Desert has its own rugged charm. If you’re into hiking, climbing, rafting, kayaking, birding, golf, spelunking—you name it—it’s probably within 30 minutes.
After a couple hours of driving to the soundtrack of Some Gal’s musical choices, a familiar little demon started digging its claws into my gut.
“Food,” it whispered, echoing through my hollowed-out insides.
We stopped in Sisters, Oregon to quiet the beast.
The Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill, right in the heart of town, was the perfect pit stop. Their sweet potato fries might be some of the best ever—made even better with a cold Coors Banquet on tap. Sisters is too beautiful to be a one-time visit, but the sun was dropping fast and we still had an hour to go. We’d already turned a three-hour drive into a six-hour adventure.
Bend is where all the Patagonia, Columbia, and North Face gear went to hibernate during COVID. The first place we ended up—because we were lost—was the riverside park cutting through the heart of town. People were everywhere, strolling in every direction, looking like winter trail models in “lightweight” insulated everything.
Driving in, we passed high elevations blanketed in snow, but Bend itself hadn’t been hit yet. Ducks still floated casually down the Deschutes River as the sun prepared to bow out for the day. It was the kind of place you wander into accidentally and immediately wonder if maybe you were meant to.
We figured out our direction just in time to pull into a quiet neighborhood as dusk settled in. Our Airbnb was tucked beneath towering pines, with deer slowly meandering around like they were in charge of the HOA.
House in Bend
The house itself was a gem—big enough for six to eight people, but still cozy. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage stocked with ping-pong and pop-a-shot, a big kitchen, fluffy couches, a walk-in shower, and a hot tub. All for about the same price as a Holiday Inn Express.
We melted into the scenery and called it a night.
The Lemon Tree
Some Gal had her heart set on a spot in downtown Bend called The Lemon Tree, mainly for their lattes—or so I was told. It’s on Franklin Avenue in the heart of old town. We parked a bit away and walked up. Busy place, but we lucked out with a two-top.
The Lemon Tree in Bend Oregon
She got the cardamom latte. I went for the variety-pack mimosas. Both were excellent, but the food was even better. She got the Avo Hash Smash. I ordered the Smoked Salmon Benedict. Hands down, one of the best brunch spots I’ve ever been to.
A weird trend followed us: no matter where we go, it’s quiet when we arrive… then chaos hits as we leave. When we exited, there were twenty people shivering outside waiting to get in.
I’d share the times we visit, but:
1.We rarely know what time it is, and
2. If I told you, we’d never get a seat again. So… no.
The High Desert Museum
Roughly twenty minutes south on US-97 sits the High Desert Museum. You’ll need a couple hours minimum to explore it properly. There’s a half-mile outdoor trail with birds of prey, otters, and high desert flora. There’s also a replica old-time farm. The coolest exhibit (for me) was The Forest at Night—an immersive walk-through that felt like stepping into the woods behind your childhood home… if your childhood home had a sound engineer.
We wandered, we read, we soaked in the stillness. It’s the kind of place you think you’ll spend an hour at, then lose track of time completely.
By the time we returned to the car, the sky had that winter gray that whispers, “You should be napping.” Not quite night, but everything—the sun, the trees, the cars, even the billboards—seemed ready to shut it down.
I’ve said it before: bears are underrated in the field of intelligence. I could sleep all winter. Maybe I have. Maybe I still am.
We got back to the house before that gray turned to black. It was time to actually use the kitchen we’d been paying for. We’d been dining out every meal since we left home, but we both know our way around a skillet. We cooked. We shared some age-old herbal remedies. We soaked in the hot tub. We stretched out on the fluffy couch with surround sound and a movie.
A perfect end to a perfect day.
Tomorrow: snow hikes, secret caves, and dark chocolate at Seahorse Chocolate
