I'm planning a trip to Bend this Spring/Summer. For those in the know, what do I have to see? What do I have to do? I've heard there's a few micro breweries, what beer do I have to try? Where do I have to eat? What month has the best weather? I've thought about renting a mountain bike, what trail do I have to ride? Thanks in advance.
Bend is a great place for most outdoor activities. It is surrounded by
BLM and National Forest land. You can mountian bike all over from
open desert to wilderness level forests. Contact BLM and NF for info.
Snow skiiing is world class. Mt. Bachelor is only 17 miles away. Great
alpine and cross country. Fishing, hunting, camping, birding are nearby.
Geological wonders close by. If you are bored here means you have
run out of money or time. Time then to go to the local breweries.
Every time I go to Bend, I always go to Izzy's for pizza. It's not a fancy place or anything, but their pizza is outstanding.
Mountin biking is great around Bend. Check out the Deschutes River Trail. It basically runs from Sunriver to Bend. Fun trail, and very scenic. The Petersen Ridge Trail in Sisters is a good one as well. Order the Treadmaps for the Bend area before you go, and you can plan all kinds of rides from family-friendly to extreme.
If you're up for a beautiful drive (about 55 miles each way from Bend), I really suggest the McKenzie River Trail. Beautiful waterfalls, the Blue Hole, and Clear Lake is gorgeous.
The trail is best during the spring runoff, a lot prettier with raging water, but the weather is much nicer during the summer. We had snow in late May last year. Odd year, but even June can be cold...hopefully not this year.