BEND, Ore. – Wanderlust Tours will offer an array of half-day and evening tours for Oregon’s Spring Break.

        Half-day Snowshoe Trips and Desert Cave Tours are available daily during Oregon’s Spring Break at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., March 19-27, 2011 and the new Bend Brew Bus, a behind the scenes tour to Bend’s best local craft breweries, will run daily at 1:30 pm. 

        Also planned for Oregon’s Spring Break, Bonfire on the Snow snowshoe dessert events will be offered on Saturday, March 19, Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26, 7-11 p.m.  And Moonlight Snowshoe Tours will also be offered on Friday and Saturday, March 18 and 19, 7- 11 p.m.  The half-day tour schedule will remain the same for Washington and California Spring Break dates.

Half-day Snowshoe

Naturalist guides take participants off trail and into the snowy Cascades to explore the winter forest, look for animal tracks, stroll and glissade down snowy lava fields on snowshoes.  Guides provide vibrant natural and cultural history interpretation for all ages.  $55 per person, $50 per child under 12, includes guide, snowshoes, instruction, transportation and hot chocolate. Children 8 years and older are welcome. 

http://www.wanderlusttours.com/Snowshoe_.htm?m=51&s=389

Desert Cave Tours

Cave Tours take small groups out onto Bend’s High Desert to explore one of its many lava caves – both inside and out.  Guides interpret the formation of the lava tubes, the wildlife habitat inside the caves and the many uses of the caves over time from Native American dwellings to cold storage for early Bend residents.  $55 per person, $50 per child under 12, includes guide, headlamps, helmets and transportation. Children 5 years and older are welcome. 

http://www.wanderlusttours.com/Cave_.htm?m=51&s=400

Bend Brew Bus Tours

Participants will get an insider’s look, behind the scenes at four of Bend’s top breweries, enjoying complimentary samples of various beers along the way.  Tours rotate between Deschutes Brewery, Boneyard Beer, Silver Moon Brewing, Cascade Lakes Brewing Company, McMenamins Old St. Francis Pub, Bend Brewing Company, and 10 Barrel Brewing Company.  Wanderlust guides will interpret the highlights of Bend’s natural and cultural history between brewery stops, and tour members will be able to get four stamps on their Bend Ale Trail Passports by the end of the tour. Bend Brew Bus Tours include guide, transportation from home or hotel, beer tasting, private brewery tours, Bend Ale Trail Passports and appetizers for $45 per person, with an additional $5 per person for pick-ups in Redmond, Sisters and Sunriver. 

http://www.wanderlusttours.com/Bend_Brew_Bus.htm?m=52&s=453

Moonlight Snowshoe Tours

Snowshoe by the light of the moon, discover the Cascades with the bright moonlight reflecting off of the white snow, and look for signs of animals in their nocturnal wonderland.  Wanderlust Tours’ naturalist guides bring the forest alive with vibrant natural and cultural history interpretation along the way, and top the trip off with hot chocolate and marshmallows.  No experience necessary.  $65 per person includes all equipment and transportation provided.  Kids 8 years old and older welcome. 

http://wanderlusttours.com/Moonlight_&_Starlight_Snowshoe.htm?m=51&s=391

Bonfire on the Snow

Participants embark on a short snowshoe tour with a Wanderlust Tours naturalist guide to a quiet spot in the snowy forest to bask at a glowing bonfire in the middle of an amphitheater hand carved into the deep snow.  In small groups, participants relax around the fire enjoying locally baked desserts and hot drinks while guides share fun facts about the forest, its animal life and the night sky.   The event cost is $75 per person and includes guide, snowshoes, instruction, transportation, hot drinks and desserts.  Children eight years and older are welcome. 

http://www.wanderlusttours.com/Snowshoe_.htm?m=51&s=389

Wanderlust Tours, specializing since 1993 in taking small groups into remote natural areas while maintaining a low impact on the environment, was awarded the Austin Family Business Award in 2007 by Oregon State University.

            For information and reservations, call (541) 389-8359 or (800) 962-2862 from outside Central Oregon, or go to Wanderlust’s web site at www.wanderlusttours.com.