• Home
• Discover Bend Oregon
• Where to Stay
• What to Do
• How To Get Here
• Move Here
• Plan a Meeting
• About Us

Bend’s Vintage-to-Urban Vibe

Level 2 Global Restaurant and Lounge

There are roughly eight billion great restaurants in Bend, Oregon and when there’s a new kid in town, they’ve got a lot to prove. All eyes are on Level 2 these days, the Global Restaurant and Lounge in the Old Mill District. My two favorites things about Bend’s newest hot spot are as follows:

1. Location, location, location. Level 2:

1. is located in the very hip Old Mill District

2. has a balcony overlooking the Deschutes River

3. sits on top of a JEWELRY store (yes!)

2. Small, Medium, Large and Dessert: The Four Basic Food Groups.

I don’t cook much, but I love good food. So my family and I happily gorged ourselves on Level 2’s expansive menu the other night. We shared a titillating range of selections, including small plates (spring rolls and ahi poke) to medium plates (ettoufee and BLT salad) to full-on steak and potato-esque dinners.

To Expound:

The Building: Level 2 takes up the intimate second floor the old pump house – an historic building in the Old Mill District that has been re-purposed into a very cool, mindustrial (modern industrial) retail building. With exposed brink, turquoise leather booths and splashy art throughout, revelers at Level 2 enjoy a great urban vibe.

The Balcony: Everyone loves a balcony, especially in a city like Bend, where the Deschutes River runs through the middle of it. But particularly in the Old Mill District where the buzz of shoppers, diners and recreationalists filters along the promenade next to the river. From Level 2’s deck, you can view it all, including live music in the summer months at the nearby amphitheater.

The Jewelry Store: Walking into Saxon’s Fine Jewelers http://www.saxonsfinejewelers.com/ is like walking into a splendidiforous candy store, with sparkling confections in every corner: Rolex, Pandora, Hearts on Fire diamonds, the gems go on and on. Part and parcel of the historic building and hip vintage-to-urban vibe, Saxon’s is not a place you want to miss when you visit Bend and the Old Mill District.

The Food: Finally! With eight billion great restaurant choices in Bend, a successful restaurant has to offer more than a hoppin’ atmosphere. Which brings us to the food.

The menu at Level 2 comes in four basic food groups, small, medium, large and dessert:

The Small Plates range from $3 to $7 and the offerings include smoked salmon crostini, marinated tiger prawn gazpacho coolers, cheese steak egg rolls with gorgonzola mornay sauce and many others fit to share or savor alone.

The Medium Plates are more filling, costing $9-$10, and include steamed mussels, udon noodle soup, and the Level 2 Burger – no ordinary burger affair. For dinner, my favorite dish was the pork tenderloin medallions served with sweet potato purée, cippolini onion mango chutney, caramelized tomato, red wine jus, and dressed baby greens. Other choices include New York steak, risotto with oven-roasted chicken breast, and macadamia nut-crusted halibut. These Large Plates range from $11 to $22.

Drum roll please: it’s time for Dessert! We shared, and equally loved, house-made chocolate ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake, brownie cheesecake with chocolate ganache and a red velvet cupcake.

We rolled ourselves out of Level 2, dallied in the jewelry store, and then walked along the river to our car: completely delighted.

I Do, I Do, I DO Believe in Ghosts!

Haunted Historical Buildings in Bend, Oregon

Do you believe in ghosts? The good folks at the Des Chutes Historical Society certainly do, and on Halloween weekend, they’ll take you on a tour of six historical buildings in downtown Bend, all rumored to have “paranormal” activity. They are also presenting “An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe” that weekend. Read on, dear friends, if you dare…

Historical Haunts of Downtown Bend Walk
October 29-30, 5 to 7 p.m.
The Des Chutes Historical Museum will stay open late on Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30 for a special historic walk through downtown to see six historic buildings thought to have paranormal activity–beginning with the Museum. The walk is included with regular museum admission and will be offered six times each night. The walk will last approximately 45 minutes; please dress for the weather and bring a small flashlight.

An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe
October 29-31 at 8 p.m.
Also celebrating All Hallow’s Eve, the Des Chutes Historical Society presents An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe at the Old Stone Church near downtown Bend. The Museum is please to bring back Lenore Productions for an amazing fourth year. Due to overwhelming popularity, the Halloween weekend performance is moving to the Old Stone Church on Franklin and has expanded to three nights. Mr. Poe promises three different shows each night, his only guarantee is that he will comply with popular demand and perform “The Raven” all three nights. Tickets are $10.00 in advance, $12.00 at the door.

About the Des Chutes Historical Museum
The Des Chutes Historical Museum is dedicated to the heritage of Deschutes County. Encompassing Bend, Redmond, La Pine, Tumalo, Sisters and Terrebonne, discover why this has always been a great place to live and play.
Admission: General Admission: $5.00; Youth 13-17 = $2.00, Children under 12 = Free, when accompanied by an adult. Get directions here.

Tales of Hallows Eve

You follow a cloaked figure, lantern swaying, along dark, a winding path into the corners of the night. A raven appears like magic, an owl hoots over your shoulder, and you can hear raptors in the distance, waiting, eyes gleaming with hunger.
Have you woken to find yourself in Sleepy Hollow where the Headless Horseman rides? Or has Edgar Allen Poe visited you with a nightmare?
No. You are at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, for “Tales of Hallows Eve.” In association with BEAT, the Bend Experimental Art Theater, the museum has created a wonderful celebration to engage your imagination and thrill you to the bone.
The High Desert Museum is located three miles south of Bend on Highway 97. Visitors encounter wildlife (from wildcats and raptors to otters and reptiles), as well as living history (historical characters) and permanent exhibits (By Hand Through Memory and Spirit of the West).
“Tales of Hallows Eve” takes place from 4 – 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 30. Entry fee is $5 per person. 
High Desert Museum members: free.
The Highlights of Hallows Eve:
Illuminated by jack-o’-lanterns, the museum’s raven and raptors will appear at dramatic readings of Edgar Allan Poe (The Raven and The Telltale Heart) and Edward Gorey (Gashlycrumb Tinies). A puppet show of 1880s “Cautionary Tales” – stories with morals that teach about avoiding peril – are told through the eyes of local animals. Also, live characters emerge from the past to join the revelries and help you churn pumpkins into butter, make puppets, and bob for apples.
This year, Hallows Eve will be a night you won’t soon forget. And if you do, or if you neglect the teachings of the cautionary tales, one night you might see, in the dark corners of your memory, the cloaked and menacing figure of Poe or the Headless Horseman…

Rock Star Authors

The Nature of Words
Bend, Oregon: November 3-7, 2010

Ellie Waterston has wings for shoes.  Keeping up with her is tough. So when she announced, nigh on seven years ago, that she and her Golden Rolodex were launching Central Oregon’s first ongoing literary festival, The Nature of Words, I was extremely excited. But I had no idea the breadth and depth of what she would accomplish in those few years.

The most obvious and thrilling component of The Nature of Words, scattered throughout various venues in Bend, Oregon is the rock star authors who show up. Literary luminaries this year include, among many others, Anne Lamott (Operating Instructions, Traveling Mercies, Imperfect Birds), Barry Lopez (Arctic Dreams, Resistance, Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape) and David Whyte (The House of Belonging, Where Many Rivers Meet, Crossing the Unknown Sea). See the complete list of authors here.
So what do these acclaimed writers do when they get to Central Oregon? The Nature of Words offers many opportunities for people to meet and talk with the authors, including informal discussions and workshops, providing a unique perspective on each authors’ craft and writing approach. Events include readings, lectures, workshops, signings, and a sit-down dinner.

This year, actor and Shakespearean scholar, Sam Waterston, will speak at the Author Dinner on November 6.  Mr. Waterston has cultivated a loyal following with his quietly charismatic, unfailingly solid performances.
The Nature of Words also supports and encourages young writers through three programs: The Rising Star Creative Writing Competition, Words Without Walls (Creative Writing in the Schools), and The Storefront Project.
Kudos to Ellie Waterston, Louise Hawker, and all the super-human volunteers who’ve put this event on the literary map. And to the writers and readers among us who flock to this event on wings of their own. Get more information and tickets here.

I am Indie!

BendFilm Festival
October 7-10, 2010

The first time I went to the BendFilm Festival – in its 2003 premier – it blew my socks off. O.F.F. That our little town of Bend, Oregon had the cache to score this type of event made droves of Bend-o-philes very proud indeed.
Now in its seventh year, this celebration of independent film  has evolved into a “must-attend event. It brings together independent filmmakers and savvy media consumers for a life-enriching experience that educates and entertains. The work of BendFilm has drawn acclaim from both the film industry for its bold support of alternative cinema, and the Central Oregon community for its jammed-pack, four-day event of film viewing, lectures and other special events.” Source: http://www.bendfilm.org/

News Hot of the Press: BendFilm has nabbed the indie opus “Meek’s Cutoff,” a critical darling of the Venice and Toronto festivals, which will show in Bend one night after its U.S. premiere in New York. Kelly Reichardt’s made-in-Eastern-Oregon film of a Jon Raymond script chronicles the fateful journey of a band of Oregon Trail pioneers. It stars Paul Dano, Bruce Greenwood and Michelle Williams.
BendFilm is also featuring indie hits with big-name Hollywood actors. The festival just secured “I Love You, Phillip Morris,” for example, which stars Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor as jailbirds in love.
The Oregonian’s film critic, Shawn Levy, calls the pair of bookings “worth a trip to Central Oregon to see,” adding “it’s SO worth the trip.”

About BendFilm

BendFilm is a non-profit group inspired by the opportunity to open doors for artists and to cast Bend, Oregon as the cultural and economic beneficiary. The BendFilm Festival runs every October in downtown Bend, Oregon at the historic Tower Theatre, McMenamins, and, new this year, The Oxford Hotel. Plan now to attend the long weekend of films, lectures and parties as filmmakers compete for cash awards in Bend’s charismatic setting of mountains, rivers and screaming blue skies. For more information, call 541- 388-FEST, email info@bendfilm.org or visit their website.

It’s Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Autumn

My Top 3 Autumn Trails (and the 3 Best Reasons to Get on Them, Now)

It smells like autumn now in Bend, Oregon. And it feels different … outside and in. As in “within.” What is it about the change of season each fall that makes all my senses do back flips?

Glad you asked.

Reason # 1: New colors explode on the scene in screaming shades of orange, red, yellow and deep dark gold. Reason # 2: The weather in Central Oregon is fantastic this time of year, with gorgeous, glittering afternoons and mild evenings. Reason # 3: No mosquitoes, no summer vacationers, and no dust. It’s just you, your peds, the ground beneath you and the sky above.

Here are three of my favorite Bend, Oregon autumn trails for hiking and mountain biking –  scattered with leaves and the musty smell of a new season.

1. Tumalo Falls is just 20 minutes from downtown Bend, Oregon and the trail is littered with yellow Aspen leaves – in the trees, on the ground and in the air. One if the best things to know about this hike is that it’s a leash- free area. Great news for dogs and dog lovers. Toddlers: not so much. The waterfall is four miles from the trailhead. Map

2. The Upper Deschutes Trail follows the banks of the Deschutes River past three dramatic waterfalls: Lava Island Falls, Dillon Falls, and Benham Falls. Your starting point for this trail is Meadow Camp, less than 10 miles from downtown Bend.
Map: Link to MapQuest directions from Bend to Meadow Camp.

3. Paulina Lake /Peter Skene Ogden Trail has the added attraction of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which is a major tourist attraction in the summer and a quiet and compelling stop in the fall. Starting 26 miles south of Bend, the trail (#3956) follows Paulina Creek for 8.8 miles uphill, passing footbridges and waterfalls. Note: mountain bikes are welcome uphill only. Hrmph! But a mountain bike around Paulina Lake or East Lake: nirvana. Read more.

More Trails: For details on other trails in Central Oregon, link here to Visit Bend’s website.

Leaf Peepers: If you prefer to take a drive and see the stunning Oregon colors from the comfort of your car, check out the Oregon Fall Foliage blog at http://oregonfallfoliage.wordpress.com/. Weekly postings let you know where to find the best and brightest colors throughout the state. Not online? No problem: call the Fall Foliage Hotline at 800-547-5445. Yeah. It’s that good.

The Labor of Love: Deschutes Brewery

Q: Why would the keepers of Deschutes Brewery dump $250,000 worth of perfectly good beer down the drain?
A: Because it wasn’t perfectly good beer. It was good beer. But it was not perfect beer.

This – plus many other interesting beer-esque tidbits – I learned at a recent media presentation at Deschutes Brewery – Bend, Oregon’s first and most successful craft brew house.

When the master brewer at Deschutes Brewery makes a presentation, he does so with a beer in his hand and the good humor of someone who loves his product. Jimmy Seifrit knows pretty much everything about the mixology of barley, hops and malt. And the effect of cherries, chocolate, orange peel, pepper and other surprising ingredients on his concoctions. And that’s just the start. Don’t even get him started on cold-steeping dark malts. It’s enough to make a grown man cry.

Such is the dedication that guides production at the sixth largest craft beer company in the country. Twenty-two years ago, the vision of Deschutes Brewery owner/president Gary Fish was to operate a cozy little brewpub in heart of downtown Bend with four labels: Cascade Golden Ale, Bachelor Bitter, Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale, all named from the region from which his dream sprung. Today, you can find seven year-round varieties of Deschutes Brewery beer and their three seasonal ales, in 16 states and British Columbia. Add to that, three “hoppy” beers in their Bond Street Series, and four brews under their under Reserve label. And despite the downward economy, sales of Deschutes Brewery beer is up 13% from last year – double their expectations.

There is a great buzz around the brewpub this week, as the much-anticipated release of Jubelale, Deschutes Brewery’s wildly popular seasonal ale, is right around the corner. This crowd pleaser is only available from October to December and sells out every year. Read more about the history, art, awards and ratings and of this celebrated ale.

Perhaps it’s not surprising to find a pretty happy crew at Deschutes Brewery, given their products’ financial and critical success. Says Seifrit, of Jubelale for example, “It’s a labor of love.”

Playing with the Queen of Hearts

Science Meets Art at Oregon Spirit Distillers

Brad Irwin has always been a gambler, a player of games. Former owner of Gambit Games in Bend, Oregon, Irwin let the spirit move him one fine day, and he began the process of launching a new label in town: Oregon Spirit Distillers. Perhaps it’s not surprising that Irwin started a boutique distillery here in Bend—home of seven craft breweries within walking distance of each other. He and 15 of his pals, the Bend Spirit Club, had been meeting once a month to study and educate their palates on the finer aspects of vodka, bourbon and other fine spirits. Given his entrepreneurship and connoisseur-ness, it wasn’t a huge leap for him to roll the dice on a distillery. “Besides,” he says, ”anyone can make beer.”

Today Oregon Spirit Distillers specializes in vodka that blends effortlessly into any cocktail and also can be enjoyed neat or on ice as a sipping spirit. Their tasting room is open on Saturdays from 11-4 or by appointment and can accommodate groups of 6-10 people. In additional to free tastings, Irwin will give you a tour of the facility on Bend’s east side.

One of the proudest pieces of machinery in the distillery is a 400-liter still that arrived in Bend via boat from Germany. The still heats the raw alcohol, derived from Pendelton wheat, to 73 degrees Celsius, alcohol’s vaporization point. From there the vapor returns in various stages to its liquid form, ready for fine tuning. While the exact process of turning wheat into vodka escapes me, the sublime taste of the final product does not.

Look for new releases of marionberry liqueur and absinthe later this year. In the mean time, Oregon Spirit Distillers Vodka can be found at these Bend area liquor stores in a very unique bottle.

When it came time for design and packaging, Irwin chose to display a playing card inside the bottle. ”I love seeing light through spirit,” he says, adding, “The Queen of Hearts must be lucky.”

Photography by Brenda Barnes

Fall is in the Air, the Streets, and the Parks

Scout is about two feet long, fluffy, with a pointed nose and a stance approximately three inches off the ground. He’s also a mighty athlete, motivated through practice sessions by high-octane treats. Which is going to come in handy for him on September 25, when dozens of miniature daschunds take to their lanes for the chance to become top dog in the annual Wiener Dog Races. Such are the revelries of Autumn in Bend, Oregon.
Bend enjoys beautiful fall days of stunning color, bright skies, and mild temperatures. Vine maple is Oregon’s state flower for a reason: the brilliant leaves herald a new season from high atop the mountain passes, which trickles into the streets, parks and walkways of Central Oregon, where festivities reign supreme.
Kicking things off this autumn season: The Bend Fall Festival brings a fabulous array of music, art, food and fun to downtown Bend on September 18-19. On September 24-25 Oktoberfest, also in downtown Bend, celebrates the new season with events for grownups and kids. In nearby Sisters, Oregon, in the shadow of three mountain peaks called Faith, Hope and Charity, revelers enjoy a trifecta of events: The Fall Street Festival, Sisters Stride into Autumn and Sisters Hop Festival September 18-19. The height of the bacchanals: The Wiener Dog Races in Bend’s Drake Park on September 25.

Bend Fall Festival
Downtown Bend, September 18 – 19
Highlights include the Family Harvest Area with pony rides, maze, hayrides, playhouse neighborhood, face painting, apple bobbing, and pumpkin painting. At the Whole Foods Market Produce Row, a cornucopia of fresh harvest items from local vendors will be available for purchase. Topping the entertainment options, the Clear 101.7fm Mainstage and the KPOV Locals Only Stage feature ongoing live music performances.

Bend’s Annual Oktoberfest
Downtown Bend, September 24 – 25
Friday evening activities include traditional Bavarian music, beer, food and games (21 and over only). The Family Fest on Saturday includes puppet shows, balloon twisting, face painting, and the legendary Wiener Dog Races. On Saturday evening enjoy live music, celebrity yodeling contests featuring local personalities, hammer schlagen competition (race to hammer a nail into a log) and the awarding of this year’s Oktoberfest Brewery of the Year. Brews will be provided by Cascade Lakes Brewery, Columbia Distributing, Deschutes Brewery, Silver Moon, Three Creeks and 10 Barrel.
Sisters Fresh Hop Festival
Village Green Park, September 25
Check out the latest from the Pacific Northwest breweries. Hops are picked and brewed the same day. Admission is $5 for a mug and $1 for each 4 oz. taste. Food court, live music all day, vendors and the best brew in the west. Sponsored by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce.

Bend Ale Trail
Great beer is a hallmark of Oktoberfest and Bend, Oregon is not in short supply. In fact, with seven local craft breweries within walking distance of each other, this charming mountain community is home to a bastion of beer lovers. Use the Bend Ale Trail Map and Passport available in the latest Discovery Map of Central Oregon to discover Bend’s seven breweries – and for extra credit, head to our neighboring brewery in Sisters to visit the eighth. Be sure to get your passport stamped at each location. When you get all seven stamps, stop by or send your completed passport to the Visit Bend Welcome Center and receive a commemorative Bend Silipint made especially for beer drinkers on the go. And, if you do your extra credit and visit Sisters, you’ll receive a special surprise.

Beer-Boiled Bratwurst Recipe
Celebrate Oktoberfest with beer-boiled bratwurst and upgrade your ordinary hot dogs to something spectacular.

Over the River and Through the Woods

XTERRA Trail Running National Championship

Bend, Oregon: September 17-18, 2010

Those of us who live in Bend know full well the beauty and recreational opportunities afforded by our urban trails, as they wind along the Deschutes River and through pine forests. Now, an entire nation of trail runners will know. The XTERRA Trail Running National Championship takes place in Bend, Oregon this year, with hundreds of runners hitting the dirt to compete for the coveted title.
But what is XTERRA?
Self described, XTERRA produces “the most recognizable, enjoyable, root slipping, mud hopping, tree ducking, river crossing, hill climbing, dirt on your shirt, sweat in your eye trail runs this side of Grandma’s house.”
And there is no better place for the national championships than Bend, Oregon, with a 5K, 10K, and half marathon. Kids have the chance to participate in the free Kids Sprint, and also to enjoy the XTERRA Kids Zone challenge stations.
Launching from the Old Mill District, the half marathon will serve up some of Bend’s finest scenery on a fast and fun course, including lots of switchbacks on sandy, rocky, and dirt-strewn single and double track trails. Runners will make their way along the Widgi Creek Golf Nationals Runner course, on single and double track trails along the rim of the Deschutes River Canyon, and then head upstream along the Deschutes River to Meadow Camp.
The return takes them back down the same track they embarked on and into an XTERRA-style celebration at the finish line located smack dab in Center Plaza of the Old Mill District (between Anthony’s and the Gap).

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday, September 17
12:00-6:00pm – Registration & packet pick up @ Fleet Feet Bend (1320 NW Galveston)
12:30pm – XTERRA University, presented by Paul Mitchell, featuring Rod Bien, the owner of Fleet Feet and one of the nation’s best ultra runners.

Saturday, September 18
7:00am – Packet pick up at XTERRA Expo in the Old Mill District (Sorry, no race day registration)
8:00am – XTERRA Expo open
9:00am – XTERRA Trail Running National Championship Half Marathon Start
9:05am – XTERRA 5km and 10km Trail Run starts
9:00am-2:00pm – Paul Mitchell Hair Cut-a-Thon, a benefit for the Challenged Athletes Foundation
9:00am-2:00pm – XTERRA Kids Zone challenge stations open
9:20am/9:40am – 5km/10km winners expected
10:06/10:19am – Men’s and Women’s National Championship winner expected
11:00am – XTERRA Kids Sprint (free)