To get to Bend, Oregon, I passed through a hideously windy 40-mile corridor known as the Columbia River Gorge, which was otherworldly in its beauty but scared the bejesus out of me nonetheless.
Bend, Oregon is the opposite of my Near-Death Gorge Experience. Bend felt like home as soon as I got here.
Bend's beauty does not your breath away. You notice the stretch marks on what was once a small logging town, one that boomed but then busted hard during the last financial crisis. You see parts of town that don't quite make sense, or that don't seem so great. But even in those spots, there are small, pleasant, quietly sublime things to take in. They don't bowl you over. The make you feel peaceful, or smile just a little.
I asked a guy a question about his motorcycle, and we stood in the parking lot chatting for 10 minutes. It wasn't forced or awkward -- each of us was happy to participate, and we walked away glad it happened. I got helpful directions from everyone I asked. I got smiles and waves and good service. People asked me about myself, where I came from and what I was up to.
Bend is a city of less than 100,000 located nearly smack-dab in the middle of Oregon. It's a destination in the summer, with good weather and every kind of river- and mountain-related sport you can fathom. And it's a destination in the winter, with good snow and good mountains nearby. The food is wonderful, the breweries fantastic, the parks green and spacious, and the people active and friendly.
Here's an underpass on a walking path.
Here's a glimpse of river life -- some folks with a dog walking away after a jaunt on a canoe, plus some people living it up on the water in the background.
And here's a dude who's absolutely crushing life on a tube -- while a surfer boosts and air on the river behind him.
And, finally, an outdoor brewery shot, complete with fluffy dog, that captures a beautiful summer afternoon with nothing special going on.
Thanks for the low-key delights, Bend. We'll most definitely be seeing you again.
Bend, Oregon is the opposite of my Near-Death Gorge Experience. Bend felt like home as soon as I got here.
Bend's beauty does not your breath away. You notice the stretch marks on what was once a small logging town, one that boomed but then busted hard during the last financial crisis. You see parts of town that don't quite make sense, or that don't seem so great. But even in those spots, there are small, pleasant, quietly sublime things to take in. They don't bowl you over. The make you feel peaceful, or smile just a little.
I asked a guy a question about his motorcycle, and we stood in the parking lot chatting for 10 minutes. It wasn't forced or awkward -- each of us was happy to participate, and we walked away glad it happened. I got helpful directions from everyone I asked. I got smiles and waves and good service. People asked me about myself, where I came from and what I was up to.
Bend is a city of less than 100,000 located nearly smack-dab in the middle of Oregon. It's a destination in the summer, with good weather and every kind of river- and mountain-related sport you can fathom. And it's a destination in the winter, with good snow and good mountains nearby. The food is wonderful, the breweries fantastic, the parks green and spacious, and the people active and friendly.
Here's an underpass on a walking path.
Here's a glimpse of river life -- some folks with a dog walking away after a jaunt on a canoe, plus some people living it up on the water in the background.
And here's a dude who's absolutely crushing life on a tube -- while a surfer boosts and air on the river behind him.
And, finally, an outdoor brewery shot, complete with fluffy dog, that captures a beautiful summer afternoon with nothing special going on.
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