Central Oregon & the Oregon Cascades - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 557

541-416-6500; www.fs.usda.gov/centraloregon ; 3160 NE 3rd St; 7:45am-4:30pm Mon-Fri) has a list
of nearby USFS campgrounds. There are plenty of accommodations in Prineville.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Bend
POP 78,000
Bend is where all outdoor-lovers should live - it's an absolute paradise. You can ski fine
powder in the morning, paddle a kayak in the afternoon and take in a game of golf into
the evening. Or would you rather go mountain biking, hiking, mountaineering, stand-up
paddleboarding, fly-fishing or rock climbing? It's all close by, and top-drawer. Plus,
you'll probably be enjoying it all in great weather, as the area gets nearly 300 days of
sunshine each year.
With the lovely Deschutes River carving its way through the heart of the city, Bend
also offers a vibrant and attractive downtown area full of shops, galleries and upscale
dining. South of downtown, the Old Mill District has been renovated into a large shop-
ping area full of brand-name stores, fancy eateries and modern movie theaters. Bend has
also become a beer-lover's frothy wet dream; it has more breweries per capita than any
other city in Oregon (more than a dozen).
Not all of Bend is pretty, though - US 97 (3rd St) is a long commercial strip of cheap
motels, fast-food restaurants and run-of-the-mill services. But something has had to sup-
port Bend's fast-growing population, which skyrocketed nearly 50% in the last decade.
While the economic slowdown has definitely affected the city's booming growth in re-
cent years, Bend is likely to remain a mecca for those who seek to integrate the outdoors
into their active lifestyles.
Sights & Activities
Beautiful Drake Park , right downtown, is a good place to start exploring Bend's many
miles of riverfront walking trails.
High Desert Museum MUSEUM
( 541-382-4754; www.highdesertmuseum.org ; 59800 S US 97; adult/child 5-12yr May-Oct $15/9,
Nov-Apr $12/7; 9am-5pm) Don't miss this excellent museum about 3 miles south of
Bend on US 97. It charts the exploration and settlement of the West, using reenactments