After the Tour...

When it comes to Bend, the general feeling is that whatever you choose to do with your time, you've likely made a good choice. From epic hikes to mellow floats, to multiple options of amazing Thai food, we believe that just by being here you're going to have a great time. So when people ask for dinner recommendations, or favorite bike trails, or the best beer, I often find myself just saying, "Yes." Yes to all of it because you can't go wrong. I gladly give Bend two thumbs up. 

When pressed, I'll give a more specific answer.

At the end of a Wanderlust Tour, what do people want? I'll tell you. They want dinner, drinks, ice cream, a place for the kids to play, and a place to buy their own canoe/kayak/snowshoes because their life has just been changed!!

One stellar area that I've added to my list recently is just one exit north of our Wanderlust office and the home to quite a few great spots, both old and new. The best thing is that all of these places are SUPER close to one another. 

Grab dinner and beer at Immersion Brewing or Crux Fermentation Project. Crux even has a sweet lawn where kids of all ages are free to run and play.

Photo by 1859 Oregon Magazine

Drinks: Both of the above serve remarkable beer and Atlas Cider is your place for hard cider. They also have indoor and outdoor games. 

Get any used gear for your newest obsession at the Gear Fix next door. They can also repair your shoes, bikes, tents etc! 

Thankfully, the greatest mobile ice cream truck has found a permanent location. Find the adorable Addy Mac's refurbished truck outside Spoken Moto because motorcycles and ice cream, yes. Oh and they serve coffee. And beer. I told you this place was the best. Check out their grand opening on August 27th! 

So there you have it! And now you know what we like to do at the end of the day... 

Animal of the Month

Beavers are herbivores! The love aquatic plants and the soft middle of tree bark.  

As naturalists, we at Wanderlust Tours are interested in every part of the natural world. We love to learn the species of plants, each type of rock formation, and of course every variety of beer crafted in our home state. We'd therefore like to start this beautiful Tuesday morning by sharing some things we've learned about North America's largest rodent and Oregon's state animal: the beaver. 

Oregon got on its feet with much thanks to the beaver. The fur trade was economically vital to the state's growth and stability. Years later, we Oregonians don't rely on beavers for fur, but instead for their cuteness! Just kidding. They help to provide adequate habitats for many other creatures as well as create a diversity of plant-life. 

Above: The beaver here was seen on Sparks Lake at the beginning of June 2016. He or she didn't like the canoe (and dog) approaching near her home on the lake. 

Above: Adorable internet beaver

Above: Benny Beaver is the official mascot of Oregon State University and winner of the 2011 Capital One Mascot of the Year write-in campaign.

More interesting facts about beavers:

• The world’s largest beaver dam is located on the southern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta, Canada.  At 2,790 feet long it was discovered through satellite imagery and is twice the length of the Hoover Dam, at 1,244 feet long.
• Beavers store green branches underwater so they can eat them throughout the winter.
• They can hold their breath underwater for up to 15 minutes.
• The beaver is featured on the reverse of the Oregon state flag.

Don't worry, we'll feature Oregon's other favorite animal next month. 

Upcoming Events in Bend

August is such an exciting month! The weather in Bend is perfect for all your favorite summer activities (especially if you love the heat)! If hot is not your thing, we strongly suggest caving in the middle of the day which means escaping to the underground world for some exciting exploration! Or, take a kayak tour to one of the Cascade Lakes where you can jump in the water to cool off. 

The Perseid Meteor Shower is coming up the second weekend in August! If we're lucky with clear skies, we hope to catch some great views of shooting stars. 

One of our other favorite events of the summer is the Bend Brewfest! It's seriously so much fun to see everybody out at the Old Mill District sipping samples of the tastiest beer you've ever had. You can buy tickets at the door or ahead of time! Don't miss out on the multiple days of fun (and beer, always beer)!

Foot Zone will put on The Deschutes Twilight Walk/Run in the Old Mill District on August 11th this year! This is a great way to really "earn your beer." Twilight beer will be served to race participants at the end of the 5K. Also cool, a portion of the proceeds from the race go to the Bend Ronald McDonald House.