Exploring Oregon - Bend Addition

A couple of weeks ago...wait, I suppose it's months ago now (yeesh) Lewis and I happen to be between jobs at the same time. Now, normally I would be in super-anxiety mode in this situation but we somehow set aside those new job jitters and decided to take advantage of the time off to finally check out Bend, OR.

Bend is a cool destination because you get to see how diverse the Oregon landscape is without having to travel too far from home. From the lush and winding roads of the Willamette National Forest to the wild west of town of Sisters - this road trip is definitely not lacking in the scenery department. As you can see there was still a decent amount of snow in the mountains (we took this trip mid-February) but luckily the temperature was high enough to keep the roads clear.

We choose to stay at McMenamins Old St. Francis School because it's centrally located, and their community courtyard makes for a perfect spot to relax and enjoy a beer by the fire after an action-packed day of exploration.

Where We Ate 

Since we were only going to be there for one full day, our choices of where to eat where crucial.

For dinner on our first night, we walked across Mirror Pond to a cozy Meditteranean Cafe called Kebaba. Their Falafel Rice bowl was delicious and the Gyro was on par with our favorite go-to place in Portland - definitely worth checking out!

The following morning, we took a short walk to Thump Coffee which was your typical cozy neighborhood coffee joint - latte was on point and of course, it always seems to taste better when adorned with a pretty rosetta.

For brunch (the most beloved and important meal of the day) I checked out a place recommended by a friend - Chow. We were lucky enough to beat the morning crowd which was good because while restaurant houses provide a comfortable dining atmosphere, the seating is pretty limited.

I ordered The Sampson - house made crab cake on mama's white toast, poached eggs, sauce choron. The crab cake was decent, it had great flavor but it could have had larger chunks of crab and fewer bell peppers.

Lewis got The Local which was your typical mix of eggs, meat, and roasted potatoes. Highly recommend this place as a way to start your day, if you end up having to wait a while for a table, you can always walk across the street to Backporch Coffee Roasters and enjoy a cup of coffee!

While our trip was fairly short, I definitely feel like we got a good sense of the city and it was really nice that we were able to walk everywhere from our hotel. We are already planning to make a return trip soon to check out more restaurants/breweries as well as some outdoor destinations! If you have any suggestions for what to see, please leave a comment below!