Bend, OR

I have always been fascinated by the steep canyons & largess in which Columbia River resides; the barge boats that pass through occasionally and the wheel house boat , where as a kid I was intrigued by the fact that the large wheel on the back of a boat propelled this boat forward; the myriad waterfalls and extravagant views that I see in the 14 miles that I normally travel.Columbia River itself is a 1200 mile river spanning 7 states (not including Canada) from Canada to Oregon and is the largest in the Pacific Northwest and flows into our Pacific Ocean. The majority of the Oregon part of the river is nestled within a deep canyon providing extravagant & exceptional panoramic views.

This past weekend I went to another of my pirate gatherings as I do each year and it was at a place I didn’t know that existed, a place called Horning’s Hideout. What a cool place. Over 100 acres, some treed, some grassed with a 2 streams, a 5 acre stocked fishing pond and a separate breeding ground to keep the fish continually stocked. Three separate playgrounds for all the kids, an island in the middle of the lake, all kinds of wildlife and about 100 colored & albino peacocks & peahens. This area is absolutely stunning and no one knows where you are and would ever even know this place existed if the owners didn’t allow public use.

Stand along the high wild edged coastline and feel the wind, the sea breeze and watch the sun set or rise amongst this craggy face of the cliff that hosts Cape Perpetua. Wander among the 2700 acre forest that is denser than the Amazon Jungle, see the meat eating plants throughout this same forest and no they do not eat us humans. Take the little ones up to visit the giant spruce tree that is at least 30 feet thick and is written as 185 feet tall.

As soon as I moved to Bend a few weeks ago, I started hearing rumblings about Bend’s annual Pole, Pedal, Paddle, a six-part race in which participants ski (Alpine and Nordic), bike, run, kayak, and sprint their way from Mount Bachelor to the Les Schwab Amphitheater. Tongue twisting title aside, the Pole, Pedal, Paddle celebrates the essence of Bend: serious outdoor sport that takes full advantage of Bend‘s mountains, rivers, and trails. Plus, the entire population of Bend seems to show up, either to compete or cheer on the thousand or so participants. The sextuple-threat contest attracts everyone from elite athletes, to teams of friends or coworkers, who divide up the legs of the competition and often dress up in costume.

Thump Coffee is one of those tragically hip coffee shops where I suddenly feel the need to don thick-rimmed glasses and have intellectual discussions about mung beans or the Icelandic Post-Rock movement. Everything, from the brick walls, the tattooed, bandana-wearing baristas, the strictly fair trade coffee, and the semi-permanent art installation on which customers can decorate a small wooden plank with their wishes for the world, whispers hipster haven. Happily, even a non or pseudo-hipster like myself can enjoy the artistically alluring atmosphere, quality coffee and free wi-fi connection.

Haul Road Trail runs alongside SW Century Drive, and I picked up the trail at the corner of SW Century Drive and SW Reed Market Road. According to the Bend Parks and Recreation District Map, Haul Road Trail is only a little more than a mile long, but connects to the Deschutes River Trails heading Southwest.