Bend, Oregon

Today we left Grants Pass and headed out for Bend.  We had a four hour car ride, but thanks to our nice roomy SUV, good music, and good movies, it didn't seem too long of a trip.

Upon arriving in Bend, we decided to check out one of the local breweries.  Oregon is known for brewing beer, and ironically, we are staying right on the Deschutes River.  As I am typing this, if I look up I can see thick forest parted by a peacefully flowing Deschutes River.  It's absolutely gorgeous.

We checked out the 10 Barrel Brewing Company and had INCREDIBLY delicious food there (brussel sprouts with some cheesy mayo topping, cajun steak nachos, and lime-siracha buffalo wings).  I would definitely recommend anybody passing through Bend to make a stop here.

Just from driving around, it seems like a very eco-friendly and clean town.  There are people biking, walking, and tubing down the river.  It seems like an active and friendly town.

Our plan was to only stay in Bend for a few days, then head up to Portland. However, Bend was just too beautiful to leave, so we decided to stay for a few extra days.  According to Dave Matthews (of the Dave Matthews band, naturally)  it is the "best kept gem of the United States" and I could not agree with him more.