Intro, Location & Transportation

Bend is a small city, with a population of 100k, located central Oregon. It’s about 162 miles southeast of Portland and offers top tier skiing (Mount Bachelor), hiking, rafting, biking… aka all things outdoors. It also has a beautiful downtown with restaurants that rival any big-city eateries, cute shopping and an abundance of fun breweries. We spent a week there for the 4th of July in 2023 and are counting down the days until we get back to visit. Bend reminds us of Asheville, our favorite vacation spot back east, because of how well rounded the area is.

We got to Bend in ~6 hours by car from Seattle; however, the Redmond Municipal Airport offers direct flights into Bend from Seattle. Bend is a 3 hour drive from Portland. The airport is small. If you fly, unless you plan to stay directly in town, I recommend renting a car.

Lodging

Compared to other vacation destinations of its caliber, Bend lacks a variety of unique, luxury boutique hotels. We split our trip up into two stays. For the first half, we stayed at Pine Ridge Inn, which overlooks The Deschutes River and is walking distance from restaurants and breweries. The 3-Star Inn is one of the best spots to stay in the heart of Bend and we were very pleased with our experience. Standard room rates range from ~$200-$400 per night, depending on the season. We’d recommend the Inn, especially given its value.

For the second part of our trip, we ventured to the outskirts of Bend, technically Powell Butte, OR, to visit the famous Brasada Ranch, a Conde Nast Reader’s Choice recipient. Brasada, a 4-Star resort, is ~25-minutes from downtown Bend and feels like a ranch paradise. While we enjoyed our stay, we found the resort to not be for us. Many of the experiences target families with young children and the restaurants aren’t on par with those in town. The grounds and cabins are beautiful, the spa is top notch, and Leia enjoyed running around with the other dogs at the resort. This would be a great spot for a group golf trip, girl’s spa getaway, or anything family centric. Standard room rates vary from ~$400-$1,000 per night, depending on the season. The ranch is far, 1-hour, from Mt Bachelor.

I also recommend checking out Tetherow, a similar concept to Brasada, but with a better location (right in Bend). Rates range from ~$200-$500 per night and the resort has a golf course. The Oxford Hotel, right in downtown Bend, is another great option. Rates range from ~$250-$550. *We selected Pine Ridge Inn over The Oxford because Pine Ridge is on the outskirts of the downtown and overlooks the river… since we already experience city living in Seattle, we usually opt for slower options in our travels.. Both Tetherow and The Oxford are recipients of Conde Nast Reader’s Choice Award, 4-Star options, and dog friendly.

There are also numerous airbnbs, which range from cute, small bungalows to larger ski rentals. Some of our favorites include this guesthouse, this 2-bedroom bungalow, or this 5-bedroom mountain retreat.

To Do

There are countless activities in Bend. If you’re into the outdoors, there is easily enough to keep you busy for well over a week, or even a month. Below outlines our activity schedule for 7-days. There are countless other hikes not listed below that can be found on AllTrails . You can get more information on mountain biking here, embark on a Lava Lands Tour here, or visit the High Desert Museum.

Day 1

Paddle on the Deschutes River. While we have blow-up paddle boards, you can rent SUPs from Tumalo Creek here. We accessed the water from Riverbend Park. The lower part of the Deschutes River requires a permit to protect natural resources. Differentiating where the “lower part is,” can be tricky, google maps shows the “boarder.” Generally, if you stay around the main part of Bend, you will be ok.

Day 2 & 3

Hike Mt Bachelor (AllTrails), located 30-minutes from downtown Bend. This 7.1 miles, dog friendly, 2700 foot elevation gain trail is not overly crowded and is incredibly beautiful. From the top, you’ll have sweeping view of the Sisters and surrounding mountains. Keep in mind, the trail is meant for when the resort is closed for skiing. Even during the 4th of July week, there was a fair amount of snow at the top. If adventuring with your dog, keep in mind that the area can get very hot. Also, hikes in the surrounding area of Bend (Deschutes National Forest) have a lot of lava rock that can be hard on dog’s paws. Leia wore boots here.

On day 3, hit some downtown boutique shops, bookstores, etc. and then go for little paddle boarding at Sparks Lake, ~20 minutes outside of Bend. We enjoyed looking through Dudley’s Bookshop Cafe, Ju-bee-lee, Scout and Pine, and many other boutique shops that are all in the main downtown area. We also picked up sandwiches to bring on our big hike for Day 4 from Planker Sandwiches (very good). We were pleasantly surprised to find lots of parking at Sparks Lake, even for the 4th of July.

Day 4 – Summit South Sisters

For those up for it, South Sisters, 11.6 miles and 5,000 feet elevation gain, is the third highest peak in Oregon. The parking lot is ~35-minutes from downtown Bend. You will need a permit, which is fairly easy to get if you plan in advance. Moraine Lake, a great, trek in itself, is ~the halfway point (mileage wise, it only marks the 1/3 point for elevation gain). There are a few very important notes about completing South Sisters:

1. This trail requires good fitness and an early start, think ~4am.
2. The final mile is all on sharp, loose lava rock. With every step forward, your feet will slide back. The rock is that loose (and small).
3. It can take anywhere from ~6-10 hours to complete depending on speed. 7-8 hours is ~average.

For those considering bringing a dog: 

1. South Sister’s trail allows dogs. Some of the other sisters do not. Just because dogs are allowed, does not mean that all dogs should go. Only bring your dog if they are an experienced and fit hiker. (Leia is both)
2. There is no shade/tree coverage on the last half of the hike. Even though there is snow, it can, and does, get dangerously hot at the top. Starting early is critical for your dog’s safety. (There have been cases of emergency rescues for dogs with heat stroke)
3. Bring boots and musher’s wax. Leia wore boots for most of the hike and the rock was so sharp that she broke through her boots. After we completed the hike, we ran into a park ranger who told us that she always recommends people bring two pairs of boots for dogs. For reference, it’s worth noting that Leia otherwise never hikes in boots or shoes.
4. There is an excellent stopping point at a tiny lake ~1 mile before the top. Given that the last mile is all on lose, sharp lava rock, I’d consider this a worthy “stopping point” or Mini-peak. The small, lose rock makes the last mile strenuous.

Bottom line, leaving the elevation gain out of it, the lava rock and extreme heat can make this a dangerous option for a dog or an ill prepared person. Start early and be smart. For us, this was one of our favorite hikes ever and something that was incredibly fun to do with Leia. The pictures below give a sense of how other worldly the mountain felt.

Day 5 & 6

On day 5, I enjoyed a relaxing spa day at Brasada’s spa while Nick worked from our room. Radiant Spa and Bella Nuova Day Spa are two other great options for day spas in Bend. As mentioned above, the spa was the best amenity that Brasada had. The facial was great and the staff was attentive, offering complimentary champagne and tea. In the afternoon, we lounged by the adult pool, which serves beverages and food (the food is so-so).

On our final full day, we ventured to Smith Rock State Park, 26 miles from Bend. The park has extraordinary rock formations and is worth checking out for mountain biking, hiking and horse back riding. We opted for a quick trail run with Leia to checkout the sites. In the afternoon we enjoyed horse back riding organized by Brasada.

EAT

Bend’s food scene is impressive. While we are not usually ones to rave about steak houses, for upscale fare, we loved Rancher Butcher Chef (RBC). The menu features creative, fresh takes on classics, the ambiance is trendy and there’s a nice outdoor area that’s family and pet friendly. Make a reservation in advance. AD’s Review: 4.7

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Our favorite meal in Bend, and possibly one of our top-5 favorite meals ever, was at Bos Taurus, another upscale, swanky steak house. The service is impeccable. Our waiter guided us through the menu, took out cuts of wagyu for us to see and enhanced the fine-dining experience. You also select your knives. The cocktails are great, wine selection is top tier, but the A5 wagyu is a complete standout. The A5 tenderloin in particular was one of the best bites of food I have ever had. The Spicy Dungeness Crab Toast and 36 Hour Pork Collar should not be missed. While Bos Taurus has a small outdoor seating area, the experience is best inside… it’s too pricey and lovely to sit on a sidewalk corner table. We left Leia back at the hotel for this one. Note, we enjoyed RBC’s carbonara more than Bos Taurus’s. AD’s Review: 4.9.

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Another notable spot is Spork, which features fusion dishes and craft cocktails. It’s considerably more casual than the two joints mentioned above (counter style ordering). The lines get long at peak dinner times, but the food is good. There is also nice outdoor, dog-friendly seating. The spicy fried chicken is good. AD’s Review: 4.5.

• Yelp
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Other highly praised dinner spots include Zydeco Kitchen & Cocktails, Wild Rose Northern Thai Eats, Ariana Restaurant (more fine dining), BOSA Food & Drink and many others. For breakfast and lunch you can’t go wrong with Planker, mentioned above, diner classics like McKay Cottage Restaurant, Chow, and J Dub. Jackson’s Corner (the bakery is wonderful), The Lemon Tree, The Sparrow Bakery are also other fantastic joints. Most of these options have great outdoor seating.

DRINK (& MORE EAT)

Bend is home to world class breweries that showcase craft beer, other tasty beverages, fun ambiences and delicious food. Most breweries are extremely family and pet friendly. Crux Fermentation Project is a top choice for its ginormous outdoor area. Deschutes Brewing, Immersion Brewing, 10 -Barrel Brewing, and Bevel Craft Brewing are great. Prost Bend and Bangers & Brews have tasty German food and a beer-hall like atmosphere that can easily suffice for dinner. Boss Rambler Beer Club has a lively, fun atmosphere and Humm Kumbucha, The Ale Apothecary and Bend Brewing Company should also be on your list.