World Muse Coming to Bend

Bend Vacation Rentals is a proud supporter of the fourth-annual Muse Conference this weekend, March 4-6, 2016. Held in Bend, Oregon, this inspiring women’s conference brings local women of all ages together with internationally-recognized artists, authors, athletes, entrepreneurs, activists and social change leaders to celebrate International Women’s Day as well as kick off Women’s History Month.

We are honored to be providing luxury vacation rental accommodations for some of the out-of-town speakers, and are looking forward to connecting with the women of Bend at the receptions, yoga class, 5K run and workshops during this inspiring, three-day event in Bend.

The mission of World Muse, the Bend-based nonprofit that produces the Muse Conference, is to inspire women to create positive social change from within. They strive to connect women to their “own inner awesome,” and offer tools and support for putting it into action. Ready, set, muse.

Three-Day Yoga Retreat with Rolf Gates

Fall in Bend, Oregon, brings crisp fresh air, pure landscapes and pristine beauty that both locals and visitors enjoy and appreciate as they embrace activities like hiking, biking, and even outdoor mediation and yoga. This weekend’s retreat with acclaimed yogi Rolf Gates was a perfect way to savor the wonder of fall in Bend.

We are blessed in Bend to have some of the best yoga studios in the Pacific Northwest, and Groove Yoga, which organized the retreat, is no exception. People gathered from several states to come together in Central Oregon with the shared purpose of deepening their yoga practice, creating space and stillness in their minds, and participating authentically in their own self-discovery.

I started my weekend with a yoga and meditation session Friday evening at an amazing property in Tumalo, a rural community just outside of Bend. Situated on a large parcel of land, the Miracle Barn is a gathering place that feels magical. Gazing out on the seven peaks of the Cascades, and surrounded by the brilliant colors of the changing aspen trees, we were truly practicing our mountain pose at the mountain top!

Saturday morning brought some much needed rain to the area, and the colors grew in radiance. The moisture also contributed to what the locals call “hero dirt” for incredible mountain biking conditions on Sunday. Even those of us who live here are constantly awed by the myriad opportunities we have available for enriching and fun activities, and I was no exception, as this last weekend I was able to practice yoga for three days with a world-renowned master, mountain bike through the forest, cycle on quiet roads, and even enjoy a pint at one of our amazing local breweries.

Maybe it’s time you channeled your inner mountain man–or woman!– and experience Bend, Oregon, for yourself. I encourage you to plan your visit to Bend and let us help you choose the perfect activities during your time in this extraordinary place!

–Michele Halderman, Owner of Bend Vacation Rentals

Halloween Cyclocross Special

Hey ‘crossers, coming to Bend for the Cross Crusade cyclocross races November 1 and 2? Stay with us between October 30 and November 2, 2014, and receive 15% off your rental! Use promo code CRUSADEwhen booking to receive your discount. Offer is good for new bookings only. Call us at 541.385.9492 or book online.

This year’s Halloween Cross Crusade races promise to be as action-packed and fun as in years past, with racing on both Saturday and Sunday on the grounds of the Deschutes Brewery, as well as the “Jungle Cross” Warehouse Party at the Brewery on Saturday night, which includes the annual costumed Clydesdale race at 8:30 p.m. Sunday is the traditional costume day, where hundreds of competitors race in elaborate costumes. Bring your cowbells, and we’ll see you out there!

Bend Wide Open

Traditionally, “putt-putt” golf courses have been all AstroTurf and populated by absurd obstacles like giant plastic elephants that you have to aim a ball through. This is so much better: Bend Wide Open will transform Downtown Bend on Friday, June 20, into a mini-golf course, where you can “putt-putt” your way through the various watering “holes.” Cost is $20 per player, limited to 300 players, and players must be 21 or older. Costumes are highly recommended. Event Registration runs from 2 to 6 p.m., and players may begin to putt immediately after registering. Last tee time is 6 p.m. Rodney Dangerfield would love this! Click here for more information.

Mt Bachelor Downhill Bike Park!

It’s official. The Mt. Bachelor Downhill Bike Park is to open September 13, 2013.

Upper Lava Flow to Rattlesnake and Blade Runner will be ready for top-to-bottom riding. For an easier, alternate route in avoidance of the black diamond Rattlesnake trail, riders can take Lava Flow to Cone Run, which connects to Blade Runner. For experts, the upper portion of Last Chance trail will be finished down to the 21 Road. From there, riders can use 21 Road and lower Red Road to return to the base area. The West Village Getback, 21 Road and Red Road are service roads that will not be a part of the finished Bike Park trail network, but will be used this fall and early next summer as connector trails until other permanent bike trails are complete.

Tickets for opening day on September 13, 2013, will be available online. Tickets for other days will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis at the ticket office on the mountain.

Little Woody

August 30 and 31, 2013

Friday 5pm-10pm; Saturday noon-10pm

The Little Woody Barrel Aged Brew Fest was created to commemorate one of Central Oregon’s cultural hallmarks – craft beers. This is a festival for beer lovers and connoisseurs alike!

In the past, brewers served beer that had been aged in oaken casks. Once again, brewers are turning to these historic techniques in order to add depth of flavor to their brews. The Little Woody celebrates this ancient brewing technique as adapted by American craft brewers, featuring beers aged in wine barrels, whiskey barrels and oak barrels, which uniquely flavors and intensifies the beer.

Details and Entry Fees:

Location: The Little Woody Festival takes place next to the Des Chutes Historical Museum, 129 Northwest Idaho Avenue in downtown Bend.

Basic entry including commemorative glass: $7
Tasting package: $15. Includes glass, entry and 10 tokens
Whiskey tasting: Tokens will apply to both beer and whiskey
Tokens: $1 each and tastes cost 2-5 tokens each

Note: The Little Woody is a 21 and over event!

Ghost Tree Invitational

GOLF TOURNAMENT / DINNER ON THE RANGE

FRIDAY – AUGUST 23, 2013

We have a double shotgun golf tournament on Friday at 8:30am and 2:00pm. Please be warmed up and ready by your carts at least 20 minutes before each start time. Complimentary range balls will be provided. Shuttles are available from the resort to Crosswater courtesy of Sunriver Resort. It is only a 5 minute shuttle ride to the course. Please arrange this with the front desk at the resort if you need a shuttle for you and your group.

7:00am CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
Shamble format with on course prizes and contests (including team skins game).
12:15pm to 2:30pm
BBQ LUNCH will be served in the dining room and patio within the clubhouse.

EVENT ATTIRE

Proper golf attire is required. No jeans or denim of any kind and no t-shirts. Tennis shoes or a pair of athletic shoes are just fine, you do not need to purchase golf shoes if you don’t own any. A majority of people will be wearing a collared shirt with a pair of casual shorts.

SATURDAY – AUGUST 24, 2013

Dinner On The Range

4pm to 11pm – Meadows Driving Range

The main attraction of the weekend, Dinner on the Range, featuring 16 of Central Oregon’s finest chefs, hand-crafted beer, a variety of wines and spirit tastings, specialty desserts and more. In addition, we’re excited to welcome the band Big Night Out to the Ghost Tree Invitational stage.

4pm Gates will open and the silent auction will begin as well
5pm Dinner service will begin
6:15pm GOLF AWARDS and Major Announcements
6:45pm Big Night Out takes the stage

EVENT ATTIRE:

Party/Cocktail Dress. The women get dressed up for this evening. Women are wearing nice dresses and the level of attire is probably just below a fancy cocktail party. Men again wear slacks with a button up shirt or something comparable. Please see our photos of the dinner or the video below showing what people wear that evening. Though the event starts when its quite warm out, the temperature drops quite a bit in the evening and therefore sweaters and jackets are recommended.

USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships

Sept. 4-8 – Bend, OR

For the third year in a row, hundreds of masters cyclists will head to central Oregon for the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships. New for 2013, the criteriums will be held in beautiful downtown Redmond to cap the final two days of racing. Titles will also be up for grabs in time trials, road races and tandem events.

Fun Events at Mt. Bachelor

2013 TransAm

It’s year eleven for the Transworld Snowboarding TransAm at Mt. Bachelor! This super fun, snowboard-only event features a jam format. Although there will be winners, and it’s a good way to gain recognition, competing in the TransAm is really about the camaraderie and having a good time boarding together. TransWorld will be on site to give away sweet prizes, play loud music and build weird features that you might only get to ride this one day in your entire life.

TransAm is presented by Skullcandy, and brought to you with the help of sponsors including Ride Snowboards, Anon Optics, Zumiez, Coal Headwear, High Cascade Snowboard Camp, Muscle Milk, Wend Waxworks, Sanuk and Giro. See you out there!

Claim My Run Video Contest

Looking for something new and fun to do? The Claim My Run Video Contest will take your quest to discover all Mt. Bachelor has to offer just one step further. Use a helmet cam to record your run–don’t forget that Mt. Bachelor rents GoPro cameras in their Demo Center–and upload your video for your chance to win prizes from Mt. Bachelor. At the end of February, they’ll select two winners:

The person who “claims” the highest number of unique runs; and,
The person who uploads the most-watched video!

Thirty Inches of New Powder!

Mt. Bachelor has been blessed with amazing conditions this winter. We enjoyed a big powder day at the end of January. The web site reported eight inches, but I can testify to at least a foot. By the end of the storm, we had over 30 inches of new snow!

One of the great things about Mt. Bachelor is the length of time the powder can last. We skied un-tracked snow the entire day, and pretty much the next five days.  This past week has been high pressure, with the best groomers and off piste you will find in the West.

Bend Vacation Rentals is offering great lift ticket discounts, as well as our Kids Under 12 Ski Free program, even over holidays. I have noticed that other ski areas are offering many great discounts this year, and it allows families to enjoy outdoor sports during a long winter.  Bend is such a great place to visit, not only because of all that Mt. Bachelor offers, but also because Bend is more than a ski resort. Snowshoe, sled, Nordic ski or just take a walk along the Deschutes River. This week, the snow sports industry will gather at Mt. Bachelor to demo the new 2013-14 equipment, and it looks like there will be great snow and weather for the event!