Our Recent Adventure To Bend, Oregon | Live Lovely Travel

My brother recently moved out to Bend, Oregon a few months ago with his lovely family. Several weeks ago we made the journey to Bend (stopping in San Diego, CA on our way to see Matthew’s cousin for a couple days before catching our next flight). We flew into Portland and drove the 4.5 hours to Bend with a rental car, which we are so happy we decided to do! It is amazing how quickly the landscape changes and seeing it all by car was a truly memorable road trip experience. 

Right outside of Portland is Multnomah Falls, one of the U.S.’s most famous and photographed waterfalls. You park right off the highway and walk under a tunnel to get to the entrance. There is a large stone restaurant at the base, as well as a little coffee shack for warm drinks and snacks. We arrived just in time for breakfast. After walking up the trails to the bridge, we bought a couple muffins and a hot tea and were back on the road. The waterfall itself is stunning, but the views form the top are just as amazing. 

We made our way along the Columbia River (it felt more like a large lake!) towards Mount Hood. As we trekked up Mount Hood we drove by apple orchard after apple orchard and eventually found ourselves in misty mountains. I have heard that at the bottom of Mount Hood there are incredible lavender fields during the summer. I hope that the next time we return to Oregon for a visit we can stop by to see them. 

We got out of the car for a little roadside fun and to stretch our legs. 

If you decide to make the drive, especially in the winter season, make sure your rental can handle snow because you never know what you’re going to come across. 

The wall of snow on the side of the road was a few feet high, but later in the winter season it can become a complete road block. If the snow is coming down in a light flurry at the bottom, you can bet it is falling in buckets the the top of the mountain. If you’re planning to make the drive, pay close attention to the weather every step of the way. 

Just fifteen minutes later we found ourselves in a winter wonderland! 

It looks like a whole new world. 

Time to bundle up. 

These trees look like the fake Christmas trees covered in pretend snow that you see in the stores during the holidays. 

Matthew decided to pull out the drone for some magical winter shots. 

Less than twenty minutes later we were in the high desert. And just like that, the snowy mountains were replaced with flat lands and even a canyon that we crossed! 

The land got progressively flatter as we traveled forward and then we came across some large rocks. It is amazing that in Oregon that within four hours or so you can go from the coast along the ocean to the mountains covered in snow, to waterfalls, lakes, the high desert, canyons, and eventually cozy woodland. 

We made it to my brother’s house in Bend by the late afternoon. We spent the evening catching up. The next morning I got up early to explore Bend and found this lovely bookshop cafe. I will share a blog post all about it soon because this cozy shop became my go-to place. 

My little niece Piper is already two years old! We had so much fun catching up for lost time. 

Day two while everyone was out, Matthew and I drove into the local parks for some exploring. It was our only sunny day in Bend, as it was rainy throughout most of our trip. 

My best adventure partner. 

Day four we took a trip to Smith Rock with Dylan and Piper. 

Then on day five it was time to drive back to Portland. Because we didn’t want to drive super early the morning before our flight, we drove up the day before and spend an afternoon exploring Portland. We made a few fun stops along the way there. 

Our trip to Bend was truly magical. I will be sharing all the best places to visit and things to do in Bend on the blog very soon, including the best places for snowshoeing and winter sports, relaxing activities, and places to eat. I also have a couple fun surprises on that list!