While the post-Labor day ‘return to office’ doomsday loomed over us, we still had nearly a month of freedom left. So we dusted off the Basecamp for a Bend, Oregon finale.
The drive north up the I5 freeway is a somewhat tedious and soul-destroying journey. Busy traffic and trucks on a Friday afternoon, through one built-up area after another, and no good overnight rest stop options. A little off the beaten track, a Sam’s Club car park came to our aide. Once you’re north of Sacramento, the scenery starts to get much more interesting, surrounded by trees and mountains. That’s more like it! A little lunch stop at Mount Shasta allowed us to stretch our legs in Sisson Meadows before hitting the Oregon state line and pulling into Bend late afternoon.
Bend is really all about bikes and breweries. So we wasted no time in getting stuck into both. Darren headed off into the forest to do some single track mountain biking, while I rode the Twin Bridges Scenic Bikeway. Such a nice ride through farmland and forest (breathe in and smell those pine needles!), with views of Mount Bachelor. The roads were quiet with mainly horses and cows for company and the odd cyclist.
And the great thing about doing a big bike ride, is that you get to meet up at a brewery with food trucks post-ride.
Such a good option, the bike/brewery combo, we made a bit of a habit of it, with Darren working his way through the extensive network of Deschutes National Forest trails while I rode the Cascades Scenic Highway.
We took it in turns to cycle to/from work too. Yes, we were working but the deer hanging around the Haven co-working office kept us company and kept it real.
The expansive river views from the office were a constant reminder to get out there and enjoy the river trails and summer wildflowers.
We mixed things up a bit with our Basecamp hangouts. Starting off (and finishing) at The Camp campsite in town. This was perfect for lazy evenings relaxing by the fire (our only campfire option given the fire ban). It was also handy for being able to walk to some of our favorite drinking establishments – Crux, Monkless, and the Warming Hut – and to cycle to our favorite personal picnic spot overlooking the Deschutes river.
We found a good boondocking spot (and therefore cheaper option) at ‘Phil’s Place’, one of the MTB trailheads near town. Handy for Darren’s biking but also close to The Grove food hall with a specialty market deli, restaurants and coffee shops and The Sparrow bakery, one of those where your nose is accosted by a whiff of delicious freshly baked pastries when you walk in the door. And still within spitting distance of the center of Bend.
Further afield, we spent a few nights at Soda Creek up near the Mount Bachelor ski area and therefore rather chilly at night. Such a pretty area though, surrounded by meandering streams, lakes and meadows that reminded me of Hope, Alaska.
At Tumalo State Park campground, we had a lovely quiet site nestled in the forest, just a short wander or bike ride to one of our favorite food hubs, The Bite.
Our last weekend included the bonus of a weekend visitor. One of our friends from California, Natalie, had moved to Portland Oregon a few years ago and was looking for just the right excuse to come and visit Bend. Of course, we showed Nat some of our favorite breweries and hikes, including a walk up Pilot Butte in town and wood-fired pizza and beer from Crux.
We also hiked the river trail at the stunning Smith Rock State Park with Nat. A herd of maybe 20 deer were running amok, they pounded across the river towards us and then pronked up the hill nearby. Very cool. And it’s not every day you meet a guy taking his alpaca for a walk.
All that remained was the drag of the I5 return journey. But wait, Darren had a better idea. A diversion via Mammoth Lakes and the much more scenic 395 drive home. After all, the mountains are calling.
Happy Days! It’s amazing how much you can fit into a few weekends, with summer daylight hours also providing recreation opportunities before and after work. This remote working lark has really enabled us to embrace a different type of holiday experience, one where you don’t have to book a whole load of days off work in order to feel like you’re on vacation. Being back in the office is going to take a bit of getting used to. But after four and a half years of being on the road, you can’t say we didn’t make the most of it. So long and thanks for all the fish. For the next chapter, maybe it’s time to embrace the world a little closer to home. Sunny Southern California, don’t mind if we do 🙂