Bend, Oregon

Bend, OR is a gem of a city. With the Deschutes River running through it, and the Deschutes National Forest beside it, we enjoyed every minute here. Except the minute I flew my drone into a tree.

Oscar, Gertie (the truck), and Marj (the camper) at our spot in Deschutes National Forest.

Our First Time Boondocking

To be fair, Kyle and I had 0 expectations of what Bend was going to be like. When we got here, the most we'd done was put it on our roadtrip map, look up places to stay on Campendium, and drive in. I'm not sure if we loved it so much because we lacked expectations, but this city was amazing. It also doesn't hurt that we lucked out with near perfect weather.

When we'd decided on a free dispersed camping spot in Deschutes National Forest, just outside Bend, we were a little nervous as it was our first ever "boondocking" experience. We made the mistake of driving a little too far in—turns out, the stranger you are, the further back you camp—so we turned back around and found a long back in spot closer to the entrance.

Once we set up and settled in, Kyle jumped on some calls for work, and I set up the slackline my friend Michelle gave me as a going away gift. (As a first timer, it took me hours to be able to cross it.)

Kyle and Oskee in the camper.

Slacklining in Deschutes National Forest.

Driving into Bend.

In the City

As soon as we had a chance, we drove into Bend to check it out. One of the first things we noticed is that everyone is outdoors—it's delightful. People of all ages, from babies with their parents, toddlers, and even folks with salt and pepper or straight blue hair are out and about. Whether they're walking, biking, jogging, kayaking, or even surfing on the Deschutes River at Whitewater Park—the people of Bend know how to enjoy the outdoors.

We parked downtown, walked to a little spot called Super Burrito for a quick bite (fast and delicious; recommend), then strolled into Drake Park. We walked around the city center, then spent a few hours at Thump Coffee while we got some work done.

On a footbridge in Drake Park, on the Deschutes River, right in the center of Bend.

Another day, we signed up for a brewery tour at Deschutes Brewery. With thorough and informative explanations of the different processes as well as the company's history, our energetic guide walked us through the sights and sounds of the brewery.

On location, the tap room has new brews that the team is testing and working on, and you can sample any of the assortment of beers they have and vote for your favorites by purchasing a pint. The bartenders are all well-educated on the ins and outs of the brewing process, and can answer any questions about any single one of the beers. It's amazing. You should go. We were so hyped, we left and had dinner at the Deschutes Public House, just to see what it was like.

Kyle at the last Blockbuster.

Always suckers for nostalgia, we made the obligatory stop at the last Blockbuster on earth. Yes—this is the last remaining store from the once ubiquitous video chain.

Spoiler: it's exactly like you imagine—but that's why it's great. It smells popcorny and kind of like an old library. It has new releases, VHSes, and a little shrine-esque museum at the back, with a guest book, newspaper clippings, original membership cards and other ephemera.

Better still, this Blockbuster still has actual patrons. Locals stop in, return, browse, and rent movies, just like the good ol' days. This stop is a delight.

Outdoor Spaces

It took us a couple of days to realize that just behind our boondocking spot in Deschutes National Forest is the access point to a few very popular mountain biking trails, KGB and Marvin's Garden. We saw mountain bikers coming in and out every day.

Just a short drive from our spot are multiple day use access points to the Deschutes River Trail. On a sunny afternoon, Oscar and I headed over to check it out. 

This area has all kinds of mixed use trails all through out the National Forest, as well as several other areas next to it, like the Newberry Volcanic National Monument, the Three Sisters Wilderness, and the Shevlin Park. There are horse trails, bicycle trails, hiking only trains, even ATV trails, and of course river access points.

Lava Flow across the Deschutes River.

The Deschutes River Trail has a $5 day use fee, or you can use any of the National Parks Passes to waive the fee. From where we parked, near Lava Island, there was an Osprey nest high up on a dead pine.

From the trail we could see lava flow in the Newberry Volcanic National Monument, just across the Deschutes River.

The trail wound through pine forests, with beautiful views of the river, which was sometimes calm and steady, and other times swift and turbulent.

There weren't very many people—probably because it was midday on a weekday. Just a few other hikers, a couple runners, two bikers, a dog walker, and Oskee and me.

A lush section of the trail.

Oscar, posing for a photo.

We walked along beautiful riparian areas, passed a group of white water rafters. We mostly roamed alone, enjoying the scenery, the sounds of birds and flowing water.

Oscar hunting for sniffs.

Very lush, even in early September.

Guess what Kyle's doing here... ):

Kyle testing a kayak in the Deschutes River.

Heading North

From Bend, we headed north to Crooked River Ranch, a beautiful and affordable RV and golf resort, where we'd have hookups for our rig and quick access to the birthplace of American sport climbing, Smith Rock State Park.