Supermoon 2017

The SUPERmoon is coming! Mark your calendar for November 13th and 14 and be sure to check out the night sky for this stellar event. 

What is a supermoon?
A supermoon occurs when the full moon is the closest to Earth during it's orbit. It's orbit is more oval-shaped than circular so the distance from the Earth varies. 

Why is this one special?
This supermoon will be the largest one that we've seen since 1948. That's 68 years since the moon has appeared this big to us. It's a pretty exciting moment and it's not going to happen again for many more years. It's also interesting to note that this is the second of three supermoons occurring in November, but this one is the biggest. In fact, this supermoon, that some have been calling the super-duper moon, could appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than the standard full moon. 

Beaver Moon?
Have you heard of this called the Beaver Moon? It is said that Native American Tribes called it both the Beaver Moon and the Frost Moon because it was the time of the year they set traps for beavers to make sure they could stay warm for winter... with the beaver fur they collected. Talk about planning ahead. 

What are you going to do about it?
We're going to go canoeing! Yes. Canoeing in November! Grab your blankets and your cameras, we'll provide everything else (including hot cocoa) and we'll jump into a canoe on a Cascade Lake. This time of year the roads are usually closed, but Mother Nature is giving us a treat! We're so excited to canoe under the largest supermoon in almost 70 years! Sign up for our Supermoon Canoe Tour today! We're offering three nights of tours, but Sunday and Monday will have the best moon Space is limited. 

Bend Ale Trail Month

Hands down, November is the month for beer lovers. Here in Bend we celebrate Bend Ale Trail Month throughout the month. It's the perfect way to start fall. Thanks to Visit Bend you can win prizes for drinking beer! Totally serious.

We think the best way to get around the Bend Ale Trail is by taking the Bend Brew Bus! We'll take you to four breweries on the Ale Trail for samples, tours, some appetizers, and stamps, and best of all, we'll drop you off at home at the end of the tour!

We've been working on giving the Brew Bus website a fresh, new look and we're pretty excited about it! If you're interested in learning more about your drink of choice, visit the Beer Knowledge page! If you'd rather learn by experience, hop on the Brew Bus for a tour and taste your way to knowledge. Just don't forget to pick up your Bend Ale Trail map before you go! 

The Brew Bus and Local Pour Tours make a variety of stops throughout Bend. The schedule changes day to day and week to week, but it is always AWESOME!

Call our office or visit the Bend Brew Bus to make reservations for your bachelor party, friend-reunion, or office party! 

Whychus Creek Day Hike

Families who play together stay together. Is that a phrase? Regardless, it's true for our Wanderlust Tours family. Twice a year we close our doors and embark on a wilderness journey together. This past week we made our way through Sisters (by way of Sisters Bakery for delicious donuts) and out to Whychus Creek Trail Head. With our cameras, snacks, and naturalist spirit, we headed out into the wilderness to explore and learn. 

As we hiked the trail to the waterfall, we were reminded of the fires that had come through the area. Though it is currently green and lush, there is no mistaking the long-lasting effect of fires past. Stumps and branches were charred and fallen, and on a grey day, things seemed pretty bleak. However, a closer look revealed new growth popping up all over. Life and death coexisting and making great habitats for the woodland creatures. We continued hiking through the quiet forest, breathing in the fresh air. The end of the trail (about 2 miles) dropped us at the top of the huge waterfall. The Whychus Creek Waterfall is totally stunning. You do have to hike (slide?) down a few hundred feet to get to the bottom, but it's definitely worth it.

We continued to follow the river past the waterfall and up through the forest. The small path took us to more waterfalls, over fallen trees, into gullies, and up to ridges. A word to the wise: wear waterproof shoes or sandals. Crossing the river at one point required some in our party to remove their tennis shoes... and the water was COLD!! The view from the top of our final ridge was spectacular. We even had a mini snowball fight! There were just a few small patches of snow on the ridge. At the top we ate lunch and listened to the wind in the trees before playing a game of "lava" and using the fallen trees as bridges. It's okay if you're jealous. 

After hiking back to the van we realized that we'd gone about 6.5 miles total. Happy hearts and tired feet led us back into Bend and straight to Bend Brewing Company for an early dinner. Most of our group indulged in the Volkssekt - the "Champagne of the North." It pairs well with the fish and chips. I don't know if that's actually true, but that's what I had and I loved every single bite. We finished the night with games like golf (the card game) and drinks from our friends at The Oregon Mead and Cider Company. 

Thanks for letting us close the office for a bit! We had a great time but we missed you!!!