Bend OR Bust
Happy New Year!!
A lot of people ask me why I work so much, why I have two jobs and why I keep myself SOOO busy. The answer is so easy for me, so I can afford the life I want to live. I want to be able to go on weekend trips, long trips, far trips, short trips, repeat trips....k I am trippin.
Bend was one of those trips. I wanted to do something fun + go somewhere new but with the roads being a little sketchy (due to weather) we figured this would be our safest and most fun option.
We stayed at the Best Western Plus Bend North merely for the fact that it was the least expensive option and we were super happy with the rooms, amenities and convenience. Since this was a lowkey trip (no wild bar hopping) this location was fine, anywhere we wanted to go was a 10-15 minute drive from the Hotel and was right off hwy 97 which runs right through Bend.
When I go again and want to do more bar/brewery hopping I would LOVE to stay either at the Springhill Suites by Marriott (for convenience) or at the Old St. Francis School Hotel (for experience + convenience).
Here was our itinerary:
Friday:
Lunch: Deschutes Brewery Public House -
Pretzel + Cheese - 10/10 the pretzel was so fluffy and fresh, the cheese was amazing!
Mac + Cheese - We added Italian Sausage and I think it really kick the flavor up a knotch
Fish + Chips - The fish was great, great crunch and flavor. I substituted the house cut fries for garlic fries and this was a game changer 10/10 recommend if you love garlic.
Check In @ Hotel - relax + get ready
Explored: Drove to the Box Factory walked around + ended up at The Brown Owl.
Vibe: 10/10, lots of reclaimed wood, felt very Winter Cabin-y
Snack: Pickle Bowl - Not sure if I'd do that again but if you like pickled veggies it was unique!
Drank: Picante Margarita - I asked for half spicy and it was PERFECT. I love a good spicy Marg.
Espresso Martini - So delicious and a fun pick me up!
Explored: We drove back to Downtown walked around and ended up at Velvet for a cocktail and snack such a small space but fun atmosphere.
Vibe: Moody, great place to casually grab a cocktail + catch up. Lots of reclaimed wood.
Drank: Champagne Jalapeno Margarita - it was underwhelming, but refreshing.
Snack: Baked Brie - 10/10, the brie was amazing with Mango Chutney and the sourdough toast was the perfect match.
Saturday:
1st Breakfast: (lol) We made brunch plans for noon so we wanted to grab a quick bite and coffee at The Sparrow Bakery to hold us over.
Vibe: Industrial Modern Chic. Great place to meet for a coffee.
Drank: Peppermint Latte + Baileys (FREAKING LOVED THIS FEATURE)
Bites: We tried the Pavlova, Cream Puff and Eclair - Pavlova was phenomenal. I am not a huge baked goods gal, but I enjoyed the experience and taste testing.
Explored: This little neighborhood had some very cute shops so we walked around. I loved Root Adorned + West Coast Provisions. We then hopped into the car and drove SW on Skyliners Rd until we literally hit a dead end @ Tumalo Falls Trailhead. ABSOLUTELY gorgeous drive and just a fun way to get lost. We didn't get out and explore on foot since we had brunch reservations but definitely adding it to the list for when I come back!!
Brunch: We were so excited to try DRAKE in downtown Bend.
Vibe: Quaint + Quirky
Drank: FRESH SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE - yes I am shouting, best I've ever had. Next time I want to try the Mimosas + Bloody Mary.
Food: I ordered the PNW Smoked Salmon Benny and Krista ordered The Dinger. We both agreed the Potatoes were the best part (so crispy). My Eggs Benny was OK. I'm a benny connoisseur so I am very critical, but I think it could have had more flavor.
Explored: We took this time to do another lap of downtown now that stores were open, but since it was New Years do a lot of shops were actually closed, so jokes on us. We went on a mural wall hunt and found 2 that we loved and were accessible. We then went over to the Old Mill District and wasted the rest of the day there so that we could end up at Anthony's for dinner.
Dinner: We weren't super hungry since we had a late brunch, but we shared the Calamari and a cup of Clam Chowder
Drank: I finally had a beer in Bend, I know that's super sacrilegious for Bend.
Sunday:
Before we headed home we wanted to grab some bagels for the road and we stumbled upon Big O Bagels.
Breakfast: I ordered the Lox Box on Garlic + Herb - BOMB. Krista ordered the Eye Opener with Sausage on a 3 cheese bagel. She also bought a bag of day old bagels and said they were sooooo good!
Somethings I want to do next time:
-I don't know if there is a name for this area but I like to call it the Art District off of SE 2nd St. It's a cluster of maker spaces/shops. The Workhouse, The Northwest Trading Post, Gairdin - to name a few
-Brewery Hopping
-Tumalo Falls
-SUP/Kayak the Deschutes River
- Old St. Francis Soaking Pool
-The Lot - Food Cart City
There are probably so many more cool spots I missed out on, so I am excited to go back and explore more hopefully June 2022!!!
