Attn Sillybilly or Imagist

We are headed to Sunriver this weekend. Our plans have changed a bit and DD and I are going earlier than the rest of the extended family. Right now we have Sunday afternoon/evening free. Is there anything going on in town that day, maybe around Drake Park or something? Also, any suggestions of casual places for dinner. DD is 15, so keep that in mind, lol! We don%26#39;t care for fast food, and usually hit Deschutes, but thought maybe there was something else we were missing that would fit the bill.

Attn Sillybilly or Imagist

mtngrl:

My wife %26amp; I just spent a long weekend in Bend last week. On Sunday night, we had a really excellent dinner at Bluefish Bistro. It%26#39;s on Franklin, just about a block from Drake park. Seemed pretty casual %26amp; family appropriate, though I%26#39;d say reservations would be highly recommended.

For really casual, we had dinner one night at Pizza Mondo (811 NW Wall). Very good pizza, calzones looked good, too.

Had very good lunches at Merenda and at Vino Mercato, though I don%26#39;t think either is quite as casual as you%26#39;re looking for.

Hope you have a great trip.

Brian

Attn Sillybilly or Imagist

Thanks Brian:) I was actually thinking about you a few days ago wondering where you were, lol! Somewhere I read that Bluefish Bistro was closed on Sundays, but you were there right? Yes, Merenda is higher end than what I want for that first night. After driving for nearly 4 hours, with the suv loaded down and all the bikes, casual is good:)

Yes, Bluefish was definitely open on Sunday (at least it was on the 2nd - possibly summer hours or open because of 4th of July weekend?). We sat at the table for 2 just to the right of the front entry, lots of people coming and going. Also quite a few walk-ins were turned away due to not having those reservations. Nice service, too. I had the halibut, which was quite good. My wife had a risotto with seared scallops that was absolutely stunning.

We did the pizza place on friday night right after we pulled into town and got our bearings. They%26#39;re open til 10 - good food %26amp; very relaxed. Nice after you%26#39;ve just made the long drive.

Thanks for thinking of me. Sorry I haven%26#39;t been posting as much on TA of late...it%26#39;s good saying hi to y%26#39;all. I%26#39;m still around... ;-)

B

I will give them a call, thanks! We are looking forward to getting there and having some time before the other dozen or so family members arrive. How was your weekend there?

Oh, Bend was awesome. Gorgeous weather, good times. I%26#39;ve posted most of the places we ate already. Another good place we found (twice in fact) is a tiny chocolate store around the corner from Merenda, but I can%26#39;t think of the name. It%26#39;s next door to Astro Lounge; owner is a very guy -try the hazelnut chocolates imported from Belgium!

We stayed at Mt. Bachelor Village in a pretty nice Suite...the package included two tickets to the Fiona Apple/Damien Rice concert at the Amphitheater. Great concert, spectacular sunset while lounging on the lawn.

On Saturday I took the brewery tour at Descutes. Interesting facility plus LOTS of free beer in the tasting room (soda for the under-21%26#39;s). Tours on the hour from 12-4 on Saturdays. My wife spent an hour at a spa called Oasis (pedicure), said it was ok but better facilities/services in Portland...oh well.

Also strolled through Drake Park, watching dogs splash around and kids feeding ducks %26amp; geese. Just a really wonderful visit.

The last night we visited St Francis School for a movie (';MI-3';). Just another cool McMenamin%26#39;s, similar to Kennedy School in a lot of ways, lots of people having a good time inside and on the patio.

Hope your trip is as good as ours was!

B

Oh that sounds like a lot of fun! My DD will definitely want to hit the chocolate store:) I will let the guys know about the brewery tour. I always use the Sunriver Spa, so haven%26#39;t tried any out in town. If you go again and your wife wants to try that one, let me know. I have my favorite therapists there andhelp with that, if needed. My dad has been to the St. Francis School, but we haven%26#39;t...yet, lol! We will be there for just over a week, but the time always flies.

Hi there! We just had Summerfest this past weekend, so there is nothing planned for downtown Sunday - the big happening right now is the Sagebrush Classic, but that one has an entry fee of $200, so probably not what you%26#39;re looking for! Lots of people are taking rafts down the Deschutes on these gorgeous warm days and they have a free bus that picks you up at the end in Drake Park and hauls you back to the Old Mill District to start over again. There was a drowning this weekend demonstrating that it is very important to appreciate the strong current and obey the signs, but it would be a fun activity for a teenager and there are places that rent floatation equipment. Dinner on Sunday - you might try Marz - A Planetary Bistro on Minnesota between Wall %26amp; Bond downtown. Small and can be noisy but the food is really good and the prices are very reasonable. Away from downtown on the west side is Baldy%26#39;s BarBQue on SW Century Drive. They serve up some really good BBQ that has won lots of awards. McMenamins Old St Francis School on Bond St is like other McMenamins food-wise but it%26#39;s a great option with a teen and its a fun place. They have done a beautiful restoration. SHould be a gorgeous weekend for you weather wise

Thanks Imagist:) We are doing a rafting trip later in the week with all the family, so will hold off for that. I did hear about the drowning...very sad. I appreciate all the help! Maybe tonight I can sit down and look at all these places and decide.

If your family will be here on a Thursday, then you might be interested in Munch %26amp; Music - it%26#39;s free. National and regional music, food booths, arts and crafts vendors etc. from 5:30pm-8:30pm in Drake Park.

Thanks! Yes, we will be there...we are there for over a week. We enjoy the music in the village at Sunriver in the evenings, but I like the Drake Park area a lot too. Our rafting trip is Thursday afternoon, so that might be perfect to head over to the park after the trip.