Hello, S U M M E R

The start of summer is one of the best reasons for a party. When the warm weather starts to roll in we all get super excited about the coming season. We dust off the canoes, put our winter coats away, and head out to the river. Thanks to the friends who joined us for an evening by the river with beautiful views, canoe rides, bonfires, and excitement for the coming season. We're pretty certain it's going to be a really great summer. 

Thank you to everyone who helped make this a success! Deschutes Brewery, Red Tank Cider, Worthy Brewing, and Volcano Vineyards. For everyone who joined us, we are so excited about the coming season. We could not do this without you! 

Mother's Day

// M O M //

I just googled "what is a mom?" This is what came up.

1. one's mother.

   "my mom gave us each a slice of pizza"

It's too perfect. It's like moms inherently know exactly what we need all the time. They are pizza providers, carpool lane hustlers, homework helpers, and everything in-between. They're the behind-the-scenes workers and the spotlight crew who assist with every step along the way so that their kids, related or not, can shine and thrive. Why? Just because. Because they love you and they care, and they want the best for you. They put in long hours and work hard each and every day. We at Wanderlust Tours are thankful for our moms who taught us to love nature and seek adventure everywhere.

This Mother's Day, we hope you celebrate with anyone you call Mom. Tell her what she means to you and how much you appreciate her. Though we're pretty certain she wouldn't say no to candles, flowers, or pedicures, we think the thing she'd like the most is to spend time with you. We're offering a Mother's Day Coffee Tour on Sunday, May 8th, and we'd love for you to join us. Can't make it that day? Get her a certificate to enjoy some memorable time together, outside. You might find your mom welling up with tears of gratitude and excitement. You can thank us later. 

If you forgot to make your mom a card this year, download one of these! 

Under the Full Moon

We absolutely love our guests! Each month, we feature one reader who has come on a recent tour with Wanderlust. Justine and her husband Henry joined us for Bonfire Snowshoe Tour last month. We asked her to share a little about their trip.

Hometown:
We roadtripped from Los Angeles, but we're both originally from the east coast (New York and Pennsylvania).

Age: 32

Favorite spring time activity:
Rock climbing outside in Los Angeles before it gets too hot!

Have you been to Bend, OR before?
No, this was our first time. We planned our 9-day camper van roadtrip specifically with Bend, OR as a destination.

What tour did you join and what made you want to do it?
We did the moonlight snowshoe tour which ended up being upgraded to the bonfire snowshoe tour (which was awesome). We're always looking for fun, adventure-y things to do when we vacation - we've rock climbed in Acadia, ME, ziplined in Hawaii and hiked a glacier in Alaska - snowshoeing on Mt. Bachelor seemed like a perfect "only in Bend" activity, especially because we've never been snowshoeing!

The tour was just strenuous enough. It felt amazing to be breaking trails in fresh snow and be in the woods at night. I felt honored to be standing on 8 feet of snowpack with trees that were hundreds of years old. Our guides Courtney & Nick were amazing - they were full of information about Bend's natural history, rock climbing, kayaking and hiking. They made our tour fun, interesting and totally worth the money. (The hazelnut vodka and hot chocolate didn't hurt either).

What else did you do in Bend while you were here?
Not enough! Because of our tight roadtrip schedule, we had about 48 hrs in Bend. We camped at Tumalo State Park for 2 nights in our Escape camper van. We stopped in at REI in the Old Mill District (the REI is actually inside an old lumber mill building) for some Smith Rock climbing beta. We sampled beers and ate dinner at the Deschutes Brewery and Public House on Bond Street (love the Black Butte Porter so much). And we ate breakfast and fell in love with the scones at McKay Cottage (thanks to Wanderlust tour guide Courtney for that tip!).

Any recommendations for visitors coming to Bend in the spring?
What I mentioned above is all awesome. Extra plug for climbing or hiking at Smith Rock - that place is gorgeous. I would definitely recommend people sign up for any Wanderlust tour that catches their eye. I know I would love to come back and kayak the Deschutes River.

Follow more of Justine's adventures! 
Instagram: @jtaormino21
Blog: allowingmyself.com