Travel
A Weekend in Bend, Oregon
If you have an extra day to spare in Bend, we have the perfect itinerary for a Friday well spent.

photo courtesy Dustin Mitsch / Alpen Exposure
photo courtesy Dustin Mitsch / Alpen Exposure
At an elevation of 3,625 feet, Bend enjoys a predominately dry, high-desert climate with sunny days, cool nights and low humidity. In late spring, highs tend to fall in the mid-60s and 70s; evening lows range from the mid-30s to mid-40s.

In the summer months, expect daily temperatures in the 80s and 90s, and lows in the mid 40s and 50s.

Annual precipitation averages 10-13 inches in Bend, but in late spring and early summer, chances are good that your days will be dry.

DAY 1—Friday

West Side Bakery & Café
1005 NW Galveston Ave., (541) 382-3426. Breakfast from 6:30.

Wanderlust Tours
(800) 962-2862, wanderlusttours.com. Trips leave daily at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. $47 per person; $42 for children under 12

The Pine Tavern
967 NW Brooks St., (541) 382-5581, pinetavern.com. Lunch and dinner reservations are recommended.

Tower Theater
835 NW Wall St., towertheater.org.

Mirror Pond Gallery
875 NW Brooks St., (541) 317-9324, mirrorpondgallery.org. Open Mon.-Sat. 10-4:30 pm; Sun. 12-4 pm.

Painted Pony Trading Co.
933 NW Wall St., (541) 317-1190, paintedponytrading.com. Open Mon.-Sat.: 10-6; Sun. 10-5.

The Cork
150 NW Oregon Ave., (541) 382-6881. Call ahead for reservations.

First Friday Art Walk
Downtown Bend, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. the first Friday of each month.

Introduce yourself to Bend with a half-day journey—by canoe—into the rugged Cascade Range. Set the alarm clock early so you have time to carbo load at the West Side Bakery & Café before heading out. If there's time, sit down for some pancakes, waffles or eggs Benedict, or just grab their "breakfast on a bagel" and go. Now head into downtown Bend to meet the folks from Wanderlust Tours; they'll take you deep into the Cascades, where you'll paddle pristine lakes and watch for otter, mink, osprey and eagles.

By the time Wanderlust deposits you back in Bend you'll surely be hungry, so take a late lunch at the Pine Tavern, a landmark in Bend since 1936. Here you'll find informal patio dining overlooking Mirror Pond; try for table 22, which has the best view of the pond and its swan residents, who were purchased from Queen Elizabeth's royal swannery in England and brought here to chase away the Canada geese and their offensive calling cards.

If lunch leaves you in need of a nap, take one. Otherwise, explore downtown Bend, which has been revitalized with the complete renovation of the old Tower Theater into a community performing arts center. Even if you don't have time to catch a show, the art deco lobby and elegant theater are themselves works of art and well worth the visit. For artwork by local and national artists, stop in the Mirror Pond Gallery, located in the historic Allen-Rademacher house, one of the earliest Craftsman bungalows in Oregon.

Finish the afternoon with some shopping on Wall and Bond streets. Stop for souvenirs in Painted Pony Trading Co., a fun boutique that offers unique clothing and gifts with a Northwestern flair. Later, treat yourself to some award-winning Continental cuisine at the Cork, rated the "Best New Oregon Restaurant" in 2002 by Northwest Palate Magazine and "Restaurant of the Year 2006" by The Source Weekly. If it's the first Friday of the month, don't linger over dessert for too long. Instead, order it to go and experience the works of top local and national artists at downtown Bend's First Friday Art Walk, before turning in for the night.