It's where youOn the giant list of things I love about Bend, summer concert season at the Les Schwab Amphitheater easily ranks among my top 5. Dancing barefoot on the grass with the stage bathed in pinky-orange sunset while music ripples off the Deschutes River, or snuggling with my hubby in our … Continue reading
Arts and Culture in the Adventure Journal
4 Bend “firsts” worth celebrating this winter
On September 23, Mt. Bachelor became the first ski area in North America to offer skiing and snowboarding in advance of the 2017-18 winter season when an early storm dumped more than a foot of snow. Though that was only for a weekend, they followed it up this week by … Continue reading
7 spots to enjoy live music outdoors in Bend this summer
Is there anything as magical as an outdoor concert with sunshine on your bare arms and a warm breeze carrying a melody out over the sparkling river? Bend’s summer months are brimming with opportunities to enjoy music in the great outdoors, and here are 7 of my favorites. Ticketed … Continue reading
8 ways to survive Election 2016 by hanging out in Bend, Oregon
Is anyone else feeling bogged down by all the negative garbage in this election season? The bickering, the accusations, the comment trails that leave you wishing you could poke your eyes out with a rusty fork . . . With nearly four weeks to go, it’s easy to see how … Continue reading
Sheila Dunn is the new featured artist for the Pillars of Art program
You know how your mom used to get mad when you’d draw on the living room wall? Here at the Bend Visitor Center, we don’t get mad at all. In fact, we pay artists to do it. Every six months, Visit Bend chooses one local artist to create unique chalk … Continue reading
8 things that haven’t changed much at all in Bend
So my grandma died yesterday. I know I’m usually upbeat on this blog, so I promise I’ll still lace this post with a few doses of irreverent humor. I’ve been feeling nostalgic about my childhood summers in Central Oregon. I’m a fourth-generation Oregonian who grew up in Salem, but for … Continue reading
10 things you won’t hear people say in Bend, Oregon
There are many things that make Bend unique. Endless sunshine. A spellbinding volcanic landscape. More breweries than you can shake a pint at. But it goes beyond that into the little idiosyncrasies of our language and the things you will (and won’t!) hear folks say around here. Before someone takes … Continue reading
8 fab ways to do the Bend, Oregon art scene in 2015-2016
Bend’s reputation as a beer and outdoor adventure mecca occasionally overshadows some of the more subtle attractions that leave visitors feeling giddy as a puppy gulping Dawg Grog. But after watching Bend’s art scene explode over the last couple years, I’m thrilled to see how many folks have realized they … Continue reading
15 tips for attending a concert at the Les Schwab Amphitheater
I’m lucky enough to attend nearly every concert booked at the Les Schwab Amphitheater, which I realize is pretty much the coolest job perk on the planet. Last week, a guest at the Bend Visitor Center peppered me with questions about an upcoming concert, wondering what to bring, when to … Continue reading