So, once again, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted and caught everyone up on all the happenings. Shocking, I know. A travel blog that occasionally forgets to blog about the travel. Very on-brand.
For starters, we’ve officially landed in Bend, Oregon. This stop will be a bit unconventional for us because we’ll be here for the entire summer. That means we get to spend more time with Logan while he’s on summer break after finishing his freshman year at Oregon State University. It also gives us the chance to settle into one place for more than a month, get to know the area, and maybe even establish something that vaguely resembles a summer routine.
If you’ve never been to Bend, it’s a town that fully embraces the outdoors. There are endless trails to explore on both bikes and on foot. The Deschutes River flows right through the middle of town, basically daring every visitor to hop on a paddleboard, grab an inner tube, or find some other creative way to get wet in public. Add in a solid collection of restaurants, food trucks, and bars with outdoor patios, and it’s pretty easy to find yourself grabbing a local beer and doing a little people-watching after your favorite outdoor adventure.
And then there are the events. Just about every weekend, something is happening. There’s Hayden Homes Amphitheater, the local concert venue, three different farmers markets, and a rotating mix of community events that seem carefully designed to get everyone outside. It probably goes without saying, but all of that is right up our alley.
So, what have we been up to in our first few weeks here?
For starters, we found a house to rent just one mile south of downtown, which means almost everything is walkable or rideable. This is both convenient and dangerous, because “we’ll just go on a walk” can quickly become dinner, dessert, and somehow a discussion about whether we need another houseplant.
We also found our “gym” for the next few months, which should help us get back into a routine that has been a little difficult to maintain through all of our travels. Turns out, constantly moving from place to place is not exactly ideal for consistent strength training. Who knew?
We’ve also located the important staples: the local grocery store, a corner farmers stand with organic everything, and a couple of local ice cream shops. You know, basic survival infrastructure.
Beyond that, we’ve been exploring the area on our bikes, hiking a few trails higher up in the mountains, playing a round of golf, walking around a high mountain lake, attended a makers market, went to a friends daughter graduation party in Eugene, celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary, and generally tried to see how many activities we can squeeze into a week before our legs file a formal complaint. Katie also played mahjong, which feels like a very Bend-summer-social-life thing to casually add to the list. And we even caught a last-minute Jim Gaffigan comedy show at the amphitheater, because apparently our new hobby is saying yes to everything and then wondering why we’re tired.
We also took a side trip to Seattle to attend the USA vs. Australia World Cup game. This has been on my bucket list for a long time, so when we figured out how to get tickets, it was a no-brainer. We made the short six-hour drive from Bend to Seattle for the match. And yes, I realize calling a six-hour drive “short” means we may have officially lost touch with reality.
But it was absolutely worth it.
The game turned out to be one of the most electric sports experiences any of us has ever attended. You could feel the energy of the city as soon as we arrived. The stadium was packed with close to 70,000 fans, and we chanted, celebrated, and cheered as the USMNT took the win, 2–0. The victory boosted them into the knockout rounds, and the excitement didn’t stop when the final whistle blew.
As fans poured out of the stadium, the celebration continued throughout the city. Everywhere we went, people were wearing jerseys, talking about the match, and already looking ahead to what was next for the team. It was loud, fun, chaotic, and incredible. Basically, everything you hope a World Cup experience would be.
On the way home, we swung through the Columbia River Gorge, home to Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Oregon. We fit in a gorgeous waterfall hike, which helped break up the long trip back to Bend and gave us one more reminder of just how much there is to explore in this part of the country.
Up next, we have a full calendar of visitors coming into town. On the docket: golf, paddleboarding, biking, hiking, and plenty of exploring.
I know what you’re thinking: do these people ever stop?
And honestly, no. Apparently not.
At this point, we seem to be fully committed to living life to the fullest, even if that means occasionally needing a recovery day from our “relaxing” summer.
Lots of summer fun to be had.
