Non-Vegas TR: A couple weeks in Oregon

[ken2v]

In no particular order:

Watching an NCAA FB game from a suite is the only way to go. And Autzen literally rocks. I remember the days when 20,000 would show up to watch 0-68 blowouts and stunning 0-0 thrillers in the pouring rain. I think Phil Knight's money, and Coach B, have made a BIG difference. Go Ducks!

Tetherow's a just opened course in Bend and it could be the toughest on the planet. It's a heathland course in the high desert with stunning Cascade views. The greens gotta average 15,000 s.f. with multiple levels/tiers/mounds and false edges most of the way around. Savage. Blind shots. Crap in the middle of fairways. Forced carries. Wind. I loved it. lol

Crosswater (Sunriver) is every bit the top-tier course the pundits have been saying it is. It's a place I could play daily and never tire of it.

I also played Tokatee, Emerald River and Diamond Woods on the west side o' the Cascades. Diamond Woods is a cool story. One of the owners had a cup of copy in the Show, then played in Japan for a few years, where he put together the coin needed to buy and build the course.

Being allowed to walk three of five course played would only be bettered if it was a sweep. Unfortunately some developers don’t get that golf is a good walk spoiled by a design that makes carts mandatory.

Walking a couple courses, playing rounds with an old dear friend I haven't seen in years is, truly, priceless. Come to think of it, our last get together was at Sandpines.

Tallying scores from the 80s to uncountable is … golf.

20 years removed … Eugene really hasn’t changed that much. OK, the symphony is bigger and far better. But all the old haunts appear to be intact. And walking/driving around town for a week I was reminded how itinerate is the life of a vagabonding some time college student, as I seemed to have lived in 30 places over nine years in town.

20 years removed … Bend has changed, and for the better.

Terri likes spa. Who woulda thunk?!?!?

Deschutes Brewery could be the best craft beer palace, overall, anywhere. And Bend in general is simply beer mad. Per capita, they could have Portland nailed. There are five places in town where beer is made -- Deschutes' brewery is there as is the original Deschutes public house, where batch beers are still made, Bend Brewing, SilverMoon and JC's Lounge does Wildfire (so so stuff) -- and McMen's has an outlet as well as Cascade. Most in the west can get Deschutes' Mirror Pond and Black Butte Porter; both good brews. Some of the seasonal stuff was even better. They just released a fresh hop brew and there's some of the summertime extra pale still out. Cascade's 20" Brown (brown ale) went down nicely, too. It was a very beery trip!!!!

They distill VODKA in Bend!!!! Really good vodka. Diamond 100 and Crater Lake are the labels. You can't freakin' buy booze outside the state monopoly stores but Bendistillery must have some kinda payola racket going 'cause you can takeaway from its martini bar. (The state booze stores are like the no self-pump gas scam.)

Ninkasi IPA is manna. Seriously. We both adore Stone IPA. Then we discovered Total Gravity up north. Then we discovered Ninkasi, which is cooked up in Track Town USA. I think the hierarchy is sex, dealt RFs and then Ninkasi. Or maybe Ninkasi is #2.

They do turn out some amazing wine in Oregon.

Hikng, canoeing and kayaking in the Cascades is the bomb.

Downtown Reno is a toilet, the Peppermill Casino is an eyesore and the disconnect between the old and the new is more jarring than a presidential ticket of Ron Paul and Britney Spears, and while the casino is nice, Silver Legacy's hotel, given its relatively young age, might get stiff competition from some of downandouttown Vegas' soiled doves. WTF was MGM Mirage thinking???

Getting four quads in 20 minutes on DDB does NOT suck.

Playing blackjack with a table full of non-English speakers who think basic strategy is B.S. proves that no matter what people do that is "wrong," it balances out. Yet flopping ace-face is universally understood!! (How does one say "high five" in Korean??) And shame on the Silver Legacy dealers who were put off by said non-English speakers. Ugly Americans IN America. Special. Actually, shame on the pit boss who didn't see that my concern over this matter was at all warranted.

The Sierras really are the Range of Light.

Schat’s Bakery is as good as ever.

We’re moving to Bend. Some day, some way, some how. And we're getting a big black lab. His name will be Mazama. The golden lab will be Scout.

 

[Sonya]

Sounds like a plan you've got there, Ken! I love Bend so much. Can't really get enough of it since our first visit. I'll make notes for next time we're there. Dan went to try the vodka without me one night, but I'll have to get down there.

How was the hotel in Bend? We're always looking for a new place. Dan wants to try that big resort place by the river.

 

[ken2v]

We rented a one-bedroom rowhouse several blocks SE of downtown. It's the same folks who rehabbed and now rent several houses behind McMen's -- lavabelles. (We also rented a small house in Hendrick's Park in Eugene.) With a week in each town we wanted more room than we'd get in a hotel or B&B. And in both cases the per night charge was about what the average Discomfort Inn wanted. We found both through vrbo.com. But lavabelles has a website that links through the Bend CVA, as well. Nice having a kitchen and real living space. And the laundry facilities in Eugene were very handy.

Big resort? The Riverhouse?

One place I wanted to take a peek at but didn't is the new Ameritel (??) Hotel on the ridge above the gussy Old Mill District (big improvement land-use wise and aesthetically, but it's the same yuppy-fluffy neo-retail you can find anwhere). The west side has full-on views of the Deschutes and everything from Bachelor Butte through the Sisters and Broken Top on to Jefferson. AWESOME views.

Yep, Flag is out and Bend is in. lol

 

[chef]

What form of transport did you use for the commute up and back?

 

[Sonya]

Yes. Riverhouse is the one Dan wants to try. I'm not that excited about it. On our trip earlier this year I didn't notice the big new hotel you're talking about. Hmm.. might have to look that one up. Sounds great!

We've been at the Red Lion on the main highway every time we've been. It's comfortable and has a decent breakfast buffet and a Black Bear Diner in the parking lot for easy food. But it's not all that special. A view of anything around there would be great. Anything other than the Black Bear Diner.

Was the cottage comfy? We've rented a couple cottages and cabins other places and have found them not that much fun to hang out in. We had one with a couch so bad, I was sitting on the floor. My poor back wasn't made better by lumpy bed either.

 

[Coaster Kikky]

The dog's name should be Ninkasi. If I can name a cat after a roller coaster, and not even my favorite one at that (cat or coaster), you can name a dog after a beer.

 

[ken2v]

What form of transport did you use for the commute up and back?

2007 Toyota Solara. Interested in the color? Sirius or XM equipped? lol I would've preferred having the Ridgie but gas mileage won out.

Yes. Riverhouse is the one Dan wants to try. I'm not that excited about it. On our trip earlier this year I didn't notice the big new hotel you're talking about. Hmm.. might have to look that one up. Sounds great!

We've been at the Red Lion on the main highway every time we've been. It's comfortable and has a decent breakfast buffet and a Black Bear Diner in the parking lot for easy food. But it's not all that special. A view of anything around there would be great. Anything other than the Black Bear Diner.

Was the cottage comfy? We've rented a couple cottages and cabins other places and have found them not that much fun to hang out in. We had one with a couch so bad, I was sitting on the floor. My poor back wasn't made better by lumpy bed either.

We'd often bunk at the Riverhouse back in the ski racing days of old. That long ago and in our financial circumstances it looked like the Taj. Doubtless they've kept it current but other than the riverfront setting nothing about it seems too compelling, so I'm all for vetoing Dan on this one.

The Bedrock Bungalows consist of four one-bedroom units in a mid-centuryish u-shaped rowhouse. Some are rental and Lavabelles appears to be intent on buying up as many as they can. They're nicely outfitted in an Ikea-like mid-century chic. The (queen) beds could be bigger and better but most hotels aren't better in that regard, and the living room is comfy. There's satellite and wi-fi, DVD, Ipod/MP3 docking station, full kitchen, small grassed yard with bbq and they are VERY pet friendly, which obviously works perfectly for you guys. Sure, it's not the Ritz, but you know us, not exactly into the whole rustic thing and it worked out fine.

The food options in town are expansive, and being from CA we didn't exactly find the prices high. There're some chain eats that are obviously best avoided, and having so many brew pubs dispensing other than MillerCoorsBudSwillCrap is NEVER a bad thing.

I'll pop you a PM with more thoughts.

 

[ken2v]

The dog's name should be Ninkasi. If I can name a cat after a roller coaster, and not even my favorite one at that (cat or coaster), you can name a dog after a beer.

OK, we'll go Mazama and Ninkasi!!