Just back from Bend

Hello All,

Just wanted to report back on what a great time I had in Bend last week. What a beautiful and clean little city! It offers the best of all worlds with great scenary, hiking, rafting, fishing, etc. along with wonderful restaurants, shops, and cultural events.

Anyway, I stayed at several different locations i.e. Mt. Bachelor Resort, Holiday Inn Express, and Comfort Suites.

At Mt. B we stayed at a River Ridge Condo. It was great, offered every amenity one could think of, pretty but distant views of the Deshutes River and hills, and was convenient to downtown. Our particular unit was spotless, well decorated, and nicely equipped. A pool and movie rentals were also available nearby.

The Holiday Inn Express right on route 97 in northern Bend was perfect and had the BEST bed and pillows I ever slept on! Amenities included a pool, exercise facility, breakfast, free morning newspaper, and fridge. It was very convenient to all the malls and big box stores in Bend.

The Comfort Suites Inn was located on route 97 in Redmond and I had a lovely room overlooking waterfalls! In addition to having a pretty view, the room was large and divided into two different areas; one with the bed, dresser, fridge, microwave, and bathroom. The other (and it was petitioned off with a half wall) offered a sleeper sofa, comfortable reading chair with ottoman and light, coffee table, and window with the great view. Breakfast was included.

All 3 accomodations offered high speed internet access and a good choice of cable tv channels.

Though we did cook some meals while at the condo, we did eat out a few times. Longboard Louie%26#39;s was the best and least expensive Mexican restaurant I ever dined at! I could not believe how excellent the food was for the price. Plus it was a fun atmosphere where you could sit outside amidst flowers everywhere, and watch the world go by.

The Victoriana Cafe was another fun spot where we had breakfast. Tons of food, pleasant (though kinda slow) service, and nice atmosphere where you could once again, eat outside.

Last but not least was the Cascades Brew Pub. This is your basic burger and beer type of place but it also offered a few other unique dishes such as the Asian chicken stir fry which I had. Once again you could sit outside and watch passersby.

Loved Drake Park and hiking along the Deshutes River. Wanted to do much more but was limited time wise, plus I had a sprained ankle I was recovering from and couldn%26#39;t push things too much.

Overall had a wonderful time and wanted to let those of you considering a visit or who actually live there year round, what a fun and very friendly place Bend is :).

cozyharbor

Just back from Bend

Just looked at Holiday Inn Express and if you book online 14 days before it is $71. Is this a good price? It seems good to me but there are no changes or cancellation allowed. How long will it take to drive to Bend from Sea-Tac? We arrive from London and don%26#39;t want to drive too far when we arrive but will then head to Tri cities.

Just back from Bend

Hi Joseum,

$71 is a great price. However, if you book through the hotel itself I bet the price would be similar and you%26#39;d most likely be able to cancel up to 6 that evening without any extra fees. I paid $81a night if I remember correctly for a king bed, on a weekend, 3rd floor. Just note that they are right on a main highway and you%26#39;ll be surrounded by commercialism, though it%26#39;s set back a bit and was very quiet. If you%26#39;re looking for a more woodsy or scenic setting try the Mt. Bachelor Resort as it%26#39;s very attractive and off the beaten path a bit.

You mentioned Sea-Tac, not sure if you mean Seattle or not. If so, the drive would be about 6 hours to Bend. It would be about 3 hours from Portland, Oregon. I%26#39;ve driven both and neither are bad.

Have a great trip :).

cozyharbor

From SeaTac to Bend is about 6 hours. After an international flight, I would suggest staying nearby and then driving. Even the TriCities is further than what I would recommend after that flight. We have flown between Seattle and London, so know how tiring it can be.

Sounds like a nice time, thanks for the report! :)

Cozyharbor, thanks for the great report on your stay in Bend!

Good job I asked, I have the wrong Bend!! I thought you meant the one on I 90 which is just up the road a bit from Sea Tac airport, no more than 1 hr, looking at the map again it says North Bend. Oh well it did seem to be a bargain!! Now I need to keep looking. We used to drive straight to Tri cities but it is too far after the flight and time change, so thought we would have a night around NORTH BEND..............

Josiem--LOL, yes quite a bit of difference between Bend and North Bend;) North Bend is a good stop for the first night. Far enough away from the hustle and bustle, but not too far after a long flight.

ittwit