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The Great Rotary Duck Race

It’s time to get your ducks in a row and head to Bend, Oregon! The Great Rotary Duck Race returns to (aptly named) Drake Park in downtown Bend for its 21st year, on Sunday, September 12. And, for the price of a $5 duck, you just might win the grand prize of $20,000 toward a Chevrolet, Cadillac or Honda from Lithia Motors. Or, you could win a pair of diamond earrings from Saxon’s Fine Jewelers, tires from Les Schwab, golf at Awbrey Glen, or one of the other great event prizes.
Post time is 2 pm at the Galveston Street Bridge, when 30,000 ducks bob and weave their way downstream to the Mirror Pond Foot Bridge, on behalf of children’s charities.
To clarify: The ducks are plastic, the prizes profuse, and the fun extends to kids and adults alike. Even if you don’t win a prize, you’ll enjoy the outrageous display of frenzied spectators cheering on 30,000 unruly ducks. Tickets are on sale now. Link here for details or contact your favorite Bend Rotarian directly.

The Schedule:
11:00 am: Festivities begin in Drake Park, including music, food & activity booths
12:00 pm: Kids Race (1,000 Free Ducks)
2:00 pm: Ducks hit the water
2:23 pm: Estimated time when Ducks begin to cross the Finish Line
3:00 pm: Winners & Awards are announced at the staging area in Drake Park
4:00 pm: Festivities end

The Prizes:
Lithia Motors: Retail voucher toward purchase ($20,000)
Lakeside Lumber: Gift Certificate for AZEK composite decking ($2,000)
Saxon’s Fine Jewelers www.saxonsfinejewelers.com: Diamond Earrings (1/2 ct. total weight-$1,000)
KBNZ TV: Weber Genesis E320 Grill ($800)
Les Schwab Tires: $500 Gift Certificate
Les Schwab Tires: $500 Gift Certificate
Combined Communications: 2 Nights Oregon Coast Lodging ($360)
Awbrey Glen Golf Club: Golf for Four ($360)
Mirror Pond Cleaners: Gift Card for Cleaning Services ($200)
Xtreme Car Wash: Gift Card ($200)
KOHD: Dinner at Crossings at the Riverhouse ($100)

The Beneficiaries:
Bethlehem Inn
Boys and Girls Club
Deschutes Children’s Foundation
Education Foundation for Bend-LaPine Schools
Family Kitchen
Grandma’s House
Healthy Beginnings
KIDS Center
Saving Grace
Shots for Tots
Volunteers in Medicine

Choices, Choices: The Dissident, the Hammerhead, or the Knotty Blonde?

The Little Woody Barrel-Aged Brew Festival

If there is one thing Bendites like, it’s their beer. With seven world-class craft breweries within walking distance of each other, an official Ale Trail, and a barrelful of annual events featuring beer, residents of Bend, Oregon can swill the suds with the best of them.

Last week, thousands of beer drinkers – from aficionados to couch potatoes – came together to celebrate the good old days of aging beer in oaken casks. Due to the overwhelming interest in the 2009 premier of the Little Woody Barrel-Aged Brew Festival, the bacchanal returned to the Des Chutes Historical Museum in Downtown Bend for two full days on September 3 and 4, 2010. Exhibitors included Deschutes Brewery, Ninkasi, McMenamins, Three Creeks Brewing, and Bend Brewing Company.

The Little Woody celebrates the ancient brewing technique as adapted by American craft brewers, featuring beers aged in wine barrels, whiskey barrels and oak barrels, which uniquely flavors and intensifies the beer. In addition to showcasing the wide variety of barrel-aged beer from local and regional microbreweries, this year’s Little Woody offered bourbon tasting from some of the region’s finest distilleries.

Mark your calendar for the first week of September 2011. The Gnomes and their best beers and bourbons will be back!

To All the Songs I’ve Loved Before

Willie Nelson in Concert, Bend, Oregon, September 17

The first time I experienced Willie Nelson live in concert I was in a kayak on the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. My friend Ande and I couldn’t afford tickets at the time, but we had kayaks, determination and a handy river running right past the venue. True story. We packed snacks and (ahem) “beverages” and rowed upstream past the concert, so we could lazily float downriver to the sounds of Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to Be Cowboys, On the Road Again and To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.
The Les Schwab Amphitheater is a jewel on the landscape of Central Oregon, with the Cascade mountains on the horizon and the Deschutes River at its feet.

Named after the tire magnet, this outdoor stage was built in 2001 by Bill Smith as part of his Old Mill District – the reincarnation of a neglected industrial area into a vibrant shopping, dining and entertainment center. At the Les Schwab Amphitheater, enthusiastic crowds have seen the likes of Coldplay, the Steve Miller Band, John Mellencamp and many more music luminaries.
Returning to the stage on Friday, September 17, Willie Nelson will rock the river and the happy crowd inside the amphitheater. Nelson has been touring throughout the summer with his long-standing troupe of musicians, or “family,” to present a new album of country standards, Country Music, which was released last spring. Tickets and information.

Willie Nelson closes the outdoor concert season in Bend. As the school year ramps up and the weather cools down, eyes are turning to indoor venues, including the Tower Theatre in downtown Bend – another treasure of our community. Coming up at the Tower: Trace Bundy (Sept. 10), Blind Pilot & Sara Jackson-Holman (Sept. 29), The Cowboy Junkies (Oct. 5), Greg Brown (Oct. 6) and Judy Collins (Oct. 12). Link here for a complete list of upcoming performances at the Tower Theatre.

Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up without music!

Smith’s Pleasures

If you want to go to a “Pleasure Palace” for a little off-line recreation, I’ve got great directions for you. Drive 26 miles north of Bend, Oregon. Head to the west of Misery Ridge and past the Red Wall. Then climb 100 feet upwards. You won’t be disappointed. And the scenery: Ooh la la!
Pleasure Palace is just one of over 1,000 bolted routes at Smith Rock State Park, where travelers to Central Oregon find world-class rock climbing year round. Some other popular climbing routes with intriguing monikers include Monkey Face, Morning Glory and Spiderman Buttress.

Yes, the shape and character of Smith Rock captures the spirit of many travelers, with its rust-colored walls, dramatic spires, and the Crooked River at its feet. This geographical wonder rises from the land like a mammoth ship, beckoning to recreationalists of both extreme and sublime sensibilities. How did it get here? Over a million years ago, basaltic lava roiled from Newberry volcano and flowed down the canyon of the Crooked River leaving behind steep, cragged, cliffs.

Today, travelers come from all over the world to climb the heights of Smith Rock. Sightseers picnic in its shadows and hikers, bikers, scramblers and walkers of all bent take to its trails. Autumn is a fantastic time to visit Smith Rock. The crowds have disbursed and the soaring 100-degree temperatures have cooled to down to invite you up.

Photos courtesy of Smith Rock Climbing Guides.

What You’ll See and Do There
Hike, walk, mountain bike, picnic, bird watch, boulder, cave, fish in the Crooked River, and – if you’re a hardcore local, regional or international rock climber – you can always rope up and climb. There are thousands of climbs and 1,700 established routes.

Resources
Smith Rock State Park Website
Smith Rock Climbing Guides

Location: Smith Rock State Park is located in Central Oregon, off US 97, 26 miles northeast of Bend. It encompasses 651 acres and hovers 3,000 feet in elevation. Link to Google Map.

Fees and Parking: $5 daily day-use fee or buy a 12-month permit for $30. Good at all state park day-use areas.

Real. Live. Theater.

Visitors to Bend, Oregon might be surprised by the dazzling quality of the music and entertainment in our “little” city. When the call of autumn is in the air, I head to the theater (or the thea-tah, as my college buddies in drama school use to say). And I don’t mean the cinema multiplex. I mean:

Real. Live. Theater.

The historic Tower Theatre – renovated in the art deco tradition – sits in the heart of downtown Bend and is one of our dearest treasures. My favorite lineup at the Tower right now: Little Shop of Horrors, Love Letters, the Capitol Steps and Body Vox-2. Upcoming musical concerts at the Tower, where I’ll be found for sure, include the Cowboy Junkies, JIGU! Thunder Drums of China, and Jo Dee Messina. See the complete Tower Theatre events schedule here.

Bend, Oregon may be Off, Off, Way Off Broadway, but don’t tell that to the good folks at Innovation Theater Works. This non-profit organization brings professional actors to Bend, elevating the quality of performances to those you see in New York City. Currently playing at the Bend Performing Arts Center: Bonnie & Clyde, The Musical, starring Jessica Nash and Jeremy Bernard. The play closes August 29, so get your tickets now. Tickets and info here.

Launched 32 years ago, the first live theater in Bend was seen at the Community Theater of the Cascades in downtown Bend. Now called Cascades Theatrical Company, the curtain still rises regularly at their intimate venue, the Greenwood Playhouse. Coming October 15-31: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Other fantastic production companies and venues in Bend include:
2nd Street Theater
Bend Experimental Art Theater
Triage, Bend’s Premier Improv Troupe

Day & Night at the Museum

I recently had the good pleasure to write a feature story for the national magazine, Cowboys & Indians, about Bend’s High Desert Museum.  It was a great opportunity to shout out all the great work the museum does. Here are some of my favorite things about the museum, and you don’t have to buy a magazine to read about them!

Living History: One of the most engaging aspects of the High Desert Museum is the living history “exhibit.” Authentically inspired characters from the old west stroll the museum and talk with visitors, citing the challenges of prairie life, for example, or boasting the stagecoach ride of Horace Greeley. Their stories, accents and costumes follow history, right down to the buttons on their underwear.

Wildlife Exhibits: Visitors to Bend’s High Desert Museum have the chance to meet wild animals every day, including Ochoco the bobcat, McKenzie the great horned owl, and Thomas the river otter, who plays in a habitat that includes underwater viewing. There are many more wildlife exhibits, including the Donald M. Kerr Birds of Prey Center and the Desertarium, where visitors can see are kinds of creepy, crawly, fascinating things.

All of the animals at the High Desert Museum have been rescued due to injuries or human imprinting. They cannot survive on their own, so the Museum provides them a safe home and visitors can see them close-up. On a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum one day, I got to witness the wild animals’ “kitchen,” and watch culinary operations of the museum. Frozen mice, birds and other natural food is shipped regularly to the museum. It was sort of gross, but also fascinating. It taught me how much attention these amazing animas require – day and night, 365 days a year. If you want to “adopt” a wild animal at the High Desert Museum, and help provide its care and feeding, the museum offers an Animal Adoption Program.

Permanent Exhibits
Through detailed experiential dioramas in Spirit of the West, visitors can witness how fur traders lived, the tribulations of traveling the Oregon Trail, and how a buckaroo spent his time.
By Hand Through Memory gives visitors a look into Plateau Native American life in the Reservation Era, showing how Plateau tribes have retained their identities by continuing traditions while actively participating in the rapid changes of a century.

Sin in the Sagebrush: Closes September 26!
Experience life in frontier saloons, gambling halls, and bordellos of the Old West. Sin in the Sagebrush is one of the most in-depth exhibits examining the lives of those who sought opportunity, fortune and community on the Western frontier. Understand how trappers, tracklayers, buckaroos, sheepherders and other workers’ dreams were replaced with lonely, harsh lives, and how they found community and escape in saloons, gambling halls and bordellos.

Rimrock Café
The Museum’s family-friendly cafe has indoor and outdoor patio seating, and offers a wide selection of dining choices – including sandwiches, grilled Oregon beef hamburgers and hot dogs, wraps, salads, chili, soups, pizza and a variety of beverages.

Silver Sage Trading Store
Everybody loves souvenirs. If you’re looking for art, books, jewelry, toys, cards, ornaments, home decor and apparel that speak to your love of the high desert, Silver Sage Trading is where you can find it all in one place.

Upcoming Event: August 21
21st Annual High Desert Rendezvous Gala and Auction
The best of the West awaits you. Don your Western gear for dinner, a hosted bar, live music, dancing and a live and silent auction to benefit the Museum’s educational programs.

The High Desert Museum is a bright shining star on the Central Oregon horizon. We locals are very proud of it and, really, could 150,000 visitors a year be wrong? The Museum is open 365 days a year except Thanksgiving,  Christmas and New Year’s Day. Link here for hours of operation, membership and admission fees.

Splash A-Bout

I have a confession to make: I can’t swim. Yeah. I plug my nose when I jump into water over 5’7” deep. Or if I fall into water accidentally, which is more likely. The nasty truth: I don’t want to get my hair wet. Faced with the prospect of being in the water, and needing to get from Point A to Point B, I resort to dog paddling.

Yet, I’m tremendously intrigued by water. I’m a Pisces. Which might explain it. I was born under a water sign. My personality is characterized by two fish tied together by their tails, swimming in opposite directions. I’m naturally conflicted.

Which perhaps explains why swimming fascinates me. Particularly when I see kids jumping off boats and docks, arms outstretched, plunging into the great unknown.

I recently asked Sue Boettner – national swimming competitor, recreation program coordinator for Bend Parks and Recreation, and mother of two – about the best places in Central Oregon to splash around.

I don’t know if anyone has ever counted the number of lakes in Central Oregon. But there are a lot. Let’s call it eleventy hundred. In other words: a whole lot. Here are Sue’s top picks for mountain lake swim spots, and a little dip into the details of each one.

1. Scout Lake: Kids will like this warm little lake, with a large beach just 50 yards from the parking lot. A picnic area and nearby campgrounds make this a perfect gathering place for families and groups. To get there from Bend, Oregon: Take Highway 20 west, approximately 13 miles past Sisters to Forest Road 2070/Suttle Lake Road. Stay left until you see the signs to Scout Lake. Nearby Lodge Suttle Lake offers exquisite lodging, dining, spa and event facilities, and as well as rustic cabins.

2. Cultus Lake: A great swimming lake for younger kids because it has a nice beach area and sandbar. Nearby Cultus Lake Resort offers lodging, dining and marina rentals. Visitors also have three nearby campgrounds to choose from: Cultus Lake Campground, Cultus North Shore Camp

ground, and West Cultus Campground. To get there from Bend, Oregon: Take Highway 97 South to Sunriver. Exit onto Highway 40, continuing past Sunriver to Highway 46. Turn left (south) and travel approximately 2 miles to Cultus Lake Resort.

3. Elk Lake: With great views of Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top and South Sister in the background, Elk Lake makes a great summer swimming spot. A small offshore swimming dock floats near the marina. Elk Lake Resort offers dining, marina rentals (kayaks, canoes, standup paddle and paddleboats) and lodging. Lodging includes cabins, camping and RV spots. To get there from Bend, Oregon: Take 14th Street/Century Drive south 30 miles (turns into the Cascade Lakes Highway). Pass Mt. Bachelor and continue on approximately 10 miles until you see the Elk Lake Resort sign. Turn left at the sign.

4. North Twin Lake: The northern twin of two lakes south of Bend offers nice warm water, primitive camping, a swimming beach, and a dirt boat ramp (no motors allowed). The campground has latrines, but no drinking water. Twin Lakes Resort is at South Twin Lake. To get there from Bend, Oregon: Take Highway 97 south 17 miles to Vandervert Road. Exit right. Take the 3rd left onto S. Century Drive, stay right on S. Century Drive. Continue onto Foster Road/#4205/S, Century Drive (16 miles). Turn left at Road 4260.

5. South Twin Lake: Good swimming in this mountain lake, with the bonus of rowboats, kayaks, canoes and paddleboats for rent, at Twin Lakes Resort.  The resort also offers lakeside dining and a general store. To get there from Bend, Oregon: Travel south on Highway 97 for 23.4 miles. Turn right on Burgess Road and go approximately 11 miles to stop sign. Turn left on South Century Drive (Highway 42) and travel 4.5 miles. Turn left on Forest Service Road 4260 and go approximately 2 miles.

6. Juniper Swim and Fitness Center: For those wanting an urban splash to cool the kids off, Bend Park and Recreation has built a fantastic swimming facility: Juniper Swim and Fitness Center. In addition to indoor and outdoor pools, Juniper offers swimming lessons, a fitness center, group exercise classes and personal training. To get there from downtown Bend, Oregon: Go east on NW Greenwood Avenue approximately 1 mile to NE 6th Street. Turn right and travel .1 mile to 80 NE 6th Street.

Must-Do Mountain Biking: Phil’s Trail

Who is Phil and Why Should I Care?

Phil was a Bendite back in the day when cyclists wore tube socks, neon spandex and bucket-shaped helmets. He also happened to be a monster mountain biker. He and a bunch of his hammerhead pals went west of Bend, Oregon and carved out a single track trail full of bumps, drops, jumps and turns, right through the Deschutes National Forest.
Nice. Great. A bike trail. Wahoo. So what?
Today, Phil’s Trail is a complex of intersecting trails of varying degrees of difficulty offering hundreds of miles of sweet singletrack. It is THE local’s choice for mountain biking. The trailhead is still just minutes from downtown Bend, but the opportunities for exploration are endless, as riders span out west toward Mt. Bachelor. The system reaches its apex at Swampy Sno-Park on the Cascade Lakes Highway.

For my Phil’s Trail adventure, I chose the van-ride-up, gravity-down, beer-at-the-end option. A very groovy local company, Cog Wild, which leads mountain biking tours all over the state, hosts a bike and brew shuttle. They rack your bike on the roof of their van and shuttle you 12 miles uphill to Swampy Sno-Park. Then they cut you loose. At the end of your ride you’ll land at the Cascade Lakes Brewing Company, where you can enjoy a Blonde Bombshell. That would be a beer, my friend. Other microbrews on tap: Rooter Tail Ale, Monkey Face Porter, 20” Brown and more.
If the van-ride-up, gravity-down, beer-at-the-end option sounds easy, it isn’t. I earned that beer! And the steak salad that came with it (medium rare, bleu cheese vinaigrette on the side). The Cog Wild shuttle costs $10 cash per rider and bike and leaves the Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. parking lot on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. sharp. Come ten minutes early to load your bike. On Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. the shuttle leaves from the Athletic Club of Bend, just a mile up the road. All riders enjoy a discount for bar menu items and $2.50 pints at Scanlon’s, the restaurant at the Athletic Club.

Trail Map: Link here for a map of Phil’s Trail.

Getting There: Phil’s Trail trailhead is approximately three miles from downtown Bend. From Drake Park, travel west on Galveston Avenue (becomes Skyliners Drive) past Mt. Washington Drive until you reach a paved road on the left. Look for a sign with a biker icon. The trailhead is a half-mile further down this paved road.

Hiking the High Roads

On my first trip to Bend, back in the 1980s when I still lived in Seattle, I spent my first high desert hour meandering along the Deschutes River Trail. This urban hike, five minutes from downtown Bend, and surrounded by Ponderosa pine trees, captivated me.
One year later, after a decade of moving around the west, Bend became my permanent home.
With Bend as your starting point, every direction you look beckons you to a hiking trail. Stroll the promenade in the Old Mill District or charge up Pilot Butte. Hike the upper Deschutes from one dramatic waterfall to the next, or conquer the 10,358 height of South Sister.
It’s hard to visit Bend without strapping on your walking shoes, if not your full-on hiking boots and backpack. And the best news is this: Bend offers trails near and far, steep and flat, in lake, river and desert territory. Below are some of my favorites. Link here for more fantastic hiking spots.

URBAN HIKES

Deschutes River Trail
This river trail allows nearly uninterrupted access to the beautiful waterway that is the heart of the community. Once complete, the trail system will encompass 19 miles of trails. The current trail system is divided into five “reaches:” Awbrey Butte, River Run, Pioneer, Old Mill and South Canyon. The upper Deschutes trail system takes you outside the Bend city limits into the Deschutes National Forests and endless miles of fantastic hiking opportunities.
Pilot Butte
Power walk this steep, two-mile round trip, paved trail. The top of this 480-foot butte offers panoramic views of the Cascade Mountains to the west and the high desert to the east, with the city of Bend laid at your feet.

LAKE HIKES
Sparks Lake
Located about 25 miles west of Bend off the Cascade Lakes Highway, Sparks Lake offers camping, fishing, paddling and hiking opportunities. My favorite walkabout is the Ray Atkeson Memorial Trail – an easy 2.5 mile loop with gorgeous views of the Cascade mountains.
Mirror Lake
Located 30 miles west of Bend off Century Drive, this moderate hike passes beautiful mountain streams and lava flows, ending at the Pacific Crest Trail. The entire trail is seven miles round trip, so take plenty of water and snacks with you.

RIVER HIKES
Metolius River
There are many exquisite hikes in the Camp Sherman area. If you start at the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery you can hike upstream or downstream for miles in either direction. A short walk from your car will take you to the headwaters of the Metolius, where the river seems to seep up from ground, cool and clear and calm. From the Camp Sherman Store you can walk the river’s edge past some charming little cabins, two miles to the Allingham Bridge and back.

Smith Rock
While the rising basalt spires of Smith Rock State Park draw hardcore rock climbers from all over the world, kinder gentler hikes are available to the less extreme among Bend visitors. Hike along the Crooked River or climb the many routes through the steep canyon walls. Look for wildlife, including otters, eagles, deer and falcons.

THE BEND ALE TRAIL
Wherever you go, when the sun goes down on your adventure, you might want to quench your deserving thirst at one of Central Oregon’s many homegrown brewpubs. Link to Bend’s Ale Trail – featuring eight local breweries – here.

NOTE: Northwest Recreation Passes are required at some of these trailheads. More here.

Golf in the Kingdom of the Sun

The sun was low on the horizon, casting a warm light across the fairway. This is the bewitching hour, before twilight, when anything is possible.
We mortals were playing nine holes after work one recent evening, just two of us. Our round was coming to a close with one hole left to finish. It was then that my husband – a self-confessed hacker – happened to hit the best shot in golf history.
75 yards from the green, Mike hit his approach shot straight into the water, where it skipped across the surface, landed on the green, and went screaming 12 feet past the pin and onto the fringe, where it rolled to a stop. Except not. With a mind of its own, the ball rolled straight back down the green, gained momentum, curved to the right, and stopped inches from the hole.
Just another magic moment in Bend, Oregon. With 300 days of sunshine each year, a banana belt running though the land in the shoulder seasons, and 26 golf courses to choose from, Central Oregon draws golfers like bees to honey.

They come to experience the red sands of Aspen Lakes Golf Club, the snow-capped mountains rising above Sunriver’s four courses, and the ghost trees surrounding Pronghorn. Or they may choose the Scottish links of Tetherow, the dramatic pitches of River’s Edge, or lush, forested slopes of Widgi Creek.
These courses represent a mere a sampling in the breadth and variety of Bend area golf courses. Each course also offers a 19th hole, where the conquests of the day can be celebrated and mere mortals can raise a challis to the magic in the kingdom of the sun.

CENTRAL OREGON GOLF COURSES
For a complete list of Central Oregon golf courses and links to their websites, click here.

UPCOMING GOLF EVENTS

August 16 – 22
Jeld-Wen Tradition
Crosswater Club at Sunriver Resort
A four-day, 72-hole major championship, preceded by the JELD-WEN Tradition Pro-Am Championship and NIKE GOLF Junior Day.

August 30 – September 4
Northwest Dodge Dealers Pacific Amateur Golf Classic
A field limited to 775 players participates in the three-day, net, stroke-play tournament, culminating in playoff competition at Sunriver Resort’s Crosswater. The Tournament is played on the finest courses throughout Central Oregon, which has been ranked #23 in the Top 50 Golf Destinations in the World by Golf Digest.