Great Dates!

We are very thankful to live in a city where romance can bloom at every price point. Steve and I lived in Nebraska for awhile and trust me when I say: Omaha is not the romance capital of the world. So, we made a list of awesome things to do in Bend on a date or on a family adventure and then I asked my wonderful co-workers to weigh in as well. Click on anything in color for more information on that location or event.

A Night on the Town

Steve and I love Zydeco. In fact, if I had one day to live and one meal to eat, I would choose salmon from Zydeco. It’s just that good. Also, it’s fascinating that a restaurant that serves food this great used to be the home to Skipper’s Fish & Chips.

Jim S. recommends – and I couldn’t agree more – Anthony’s as a fun place for a romantic evening. The Sunset Dinners (from 4-6, M-F) are one of the best values in town. However, when the clock strikes 6, the prices soar. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Lisa E. loves to take her daughter on dates to Pine Tavern. I would enjoy being Lisa’s daughter because I love Pine Tavern. It’s upscale, yet homey and it still serves a full meal rather than charging course-by-course. You haven’t really experienced Bend til you’ve had a Pine Tavern scone.

I haven’t been there yet, but Bev G. and several others highly recommend a romantic dinner at Staccato at the Fire Hall.

Fair warning for all nice restaurants in Bend: don’t even think of showing up without a reservation on the weekend. They’ll laugh and send you away to the land of drive-throughs and Extra Value Meals.

Fun in the Great Outdoors

Drake Park: all-season fun, but the summer is especially entertaining because there is so much people-watching potential. Grab a cup of coffee at Bellatazza or -if you’re Tony and Loren – a strawberry soda at Goodies and enjoy a walk on the trails by the river. Truly wonderful fun.

Leanne W’s family loves to snowshoe or just walk the trails at Shevlin Park. It’s always beautiful, but be sure to take a camera in the fall because the colors are outrageous.

Craig and Debbie enjoy hiking at Benham Falls and – yes – they DO recommend the whole trail in which you will cover ELEVEN miles! I happen to know that they also enjoy the occasional moonlit kayaking excursion which sounds awesome to me – but a little scary since I can’t actually swim.

Smith Rock has been recommended as a lovely place for a hike by Jay S and others. You’ll find a detailed hiking map here.

Pine Mountain Observatory: Nancy R. says this is super cool (and only a $3 donation for admission)! She also recommends a moonlit snowmobile trip, dinner at Elk Lake or a visit to the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. I would add that it would be a shame to drive all the way to Camp Sherman and not pay a visit to the Kokanee Cafe – a truly wonderful restaurant (though you’ll want to take along some cash for that little excursion because the Kokanee is definitely a fine dining experience.)

Jim S. also recommended a drive up to the mountains west of town on old Crown Pacific roads and a picnic in the forest. This, of course, will be a more successful and pleasant date if you wait til the snow melts. If you have a GPS, a sense of adventure and a curious nature, then geocoaching just may be the perfect date for you.

Eagle Crest Putting Course: This course is super fun – even for non-golfers. It’s a full 18 holes and has cool stuff like water hazards, sand traps and wild animals roaming the greens. Okay, not the wild animals…but it’s still a lot of excitement for 10 bucks.

Fun in the City

First Friday/Art Walk: Linda J and lots of others recommended this fun idea. Galleries and businesses downtown throw open their doors and welcome the masses in with great art and sometimes even free food.

Farmer’s Market: OH, how I LOVE Farmer’s Market! Held every Wednesday and Friday, June – October, it is THE place for fresh produce, baked goods and the best lemonade in the whole, wide world (my heart belongs to the raspberry-orange.)

Thump. Just a really fun coffee shop that’s artsy without being too aloof.

The Tower Theater. All kinds of stuff happens at the Tower in every possible price range. Jim and Jean S. recently saw Ladysmith Black Mombazo there and loved it. Eric and Lindsay got married there and also loved it. Keep tabs on the happenings at the Tower here.

McMenamins. Okay, this was far-and-away THE date spot of choice for our staff (shout-out to Jasper, Joann, Jennifer, Jon and others who’s names don’t start with J). Many, many people recommended the $3 movies (one of them strongly emphasizing the difference between the word “cheap” and “thrifty” in the process). You can even order dinner while you watch a movie on one of their cushy couches. In addition, the Happy Hour menu is a great value, though the burger – I’m warning you – is a hard habit to break. McMenamins also has a Turkish Bath which I’m told is not nearly as creepy as it sounds and you can sit there for as long as it takes to soak your cares away for $5.

The Fests. Bend has a Fest fetish. The big ones are held every summer and winter downtown and a lot of smaller ones are sprinkled in between. Maybe I’m jaded, or I just don’t like how it messes up the parking situation, but I’ve found each ‘fest to be much like the other ‘fests. However, I know a lot of people really enjoy them so mark your calendar because Summerfest is coming up on July 14 & 15.

Lots of people mentioned having quality time with the one they love at Barnes and Noble…where each person can sink into his or her book/hot rod magazine/travel guide of choice and come back together under the loving embrace of a hot beverage and a sugar cookie.

Munch & Movies: Such a fun event in Bend. Movies outside, surrounded by vendors cooking everything from soba noodles to freshly popped kettle corn. The movie is free, the food costs money, but not a whole lot. It only lasts for about a month, so you have to pay attention to the dates here or you’ll miss it.

Restaurant Raves in the Mid-Budget Range

Decoy: Brand new – on the corner of Bond and Greenwood. Steve & I have found this to be a new favorite. Fabulous food, friendly service…and they won my heart with the amazing spin they put on Ranch dressing which, for me, is the fountain of life. Head’s up: the place gets pretty crowded at noon – beat the rush and go early.

Merenda’s Happy Hour: 4-6, M-F. Merenda is a Bend hot spot that features an excellent and affordable happy hour menu. Fun atmosphere, but definitely a different price range after 6:00 so keep an eye on your watch if that matters to you. We’ve been there quite often and it’s usually not a problem getting a table if you show up before 5:00.

Cascade Lakes Brewing Company. Relaxed atmosphere, filled with locals and abundant good food. Whitney highly recommends the Greek Gyros!

La Rosa – is it lunch or a little trip to Cabo San Lucas? You decide.

Early Morning Outings

Our very favorite date is the breakfast date. It’s a little cheaper than dinner and there’s just something so romantic about mornings in Bend. Throw in a trip to Home Depot afterwards, and I’m a happy, happy girl. So, here are the BEST places in town for breakfast with your beloved:

Cafe Sintra: An open, airy restaurant where you can talk at your table without feeling the whole place is listening. They serve Bellatazza coffee and a full breakfast menu which includes an amazing Palmier for about $3.

McKay Cottage. Lots of people recommended this, though I haven’t been there since it changed owners.

Pilot Butte Drive-in: I know, I know. It doesn’t scream romance. But something about the vinyl booths and enormous servings makes me fall in love with Steve a little more every time he takes me there. Warning: it’s a “seat-yourself” restaurant and that’s not easy on the weekends.

Sunriver Lodge: just a 25-minute drive from Bend lives my very favorite breakfast. It’s a magical, miraculous, soul-stirring scramble of smoked salmon, cream cheese and other ingredients too wonderful to mention. This is an especially fun place to go in the winter when it gets wrapped head-to-toe in Christmas decorations. You can even catch a sleigh ride with your sweetheart for about 5 bucks on most Saturdays in December.

Food on the Cheap

If there’s anything more fun than good, cheap food, I sure can’t think of it! Steve and I love Longboard Louie’s. The Halibut Enchilada is just about the best thing you could do with $4 in Bend, Oregon.

Several of my thrifty friends mentioned the Costco Food Court. Maybe not the place to go for an anniversary celebration – but definitely a great place to feed the family on a Saturday. In fact, skip the food court and feed ‘em the samples!

If you’ve got kids in tow, Kari Jo recommends these great kid values: Tuesdays – kids eat for .99 at Applebees. Sundays – kids eat for free at Schlotzsky’s and way cheap at Merenda.

Here’s a great idea from Michelle U: pack a picnic, toss in a blanket and head out for your own Sunset Dinner. If you don’t cook or don’t have time, you can fill a picnic basket with culinary delights at Wild Oats or Sparrow Bakery.

Newlywed Lindsay recommends dinner at home and a movie from the library where FREE is a very good price! And also – I found this fantastic site that has very clear directions for creating a “Meal of Love”…get cookin’!

The most romantic suggestion I received was from Jeanie M, who told me that when she and Ted were newly married and low on funds, they would go to McDonald’s late in the evening with a table cloth, candles and music to enjoy a lovely dinner for two. When the budget permitted, they would take their stuff to Sizzler. Turns out, it’s not the money that makes the marriage because – years later – these are still their treasured memories of true romance.

Investment Dating

You know, every once in awhile you just have to pull out all the stops and shoot the whole wad of cash in one fell swoop. Here are some of our favorite ways to do just that:

The Lodge at Suttle Lake : I took Steve here for his birthday last year and it was fabulous. Small, intimate and breathtakingly beautiful, this lodge is situated on the shores of Suttle Lake just a 30-minute drive from Bend. Enjoy an exquisitely appointed room, complimentary happy hour and walk a romantic, lighted trail to have dinner at the boat house restaurant.

Belknap Hot Springs: Whit and Corey recommend this lovely place located on the McKenzie River pass for a more rustic, but still very romantic, night away from it all. They also love Ameritel for the beautiful rooms, proximity to shopping and fantastic view of the city.

So, there you have it…something for everyone and every budget. But I realize that it’s by no means exhaustive – Bend is filled with other great places to go, things to see and food to eat. Leave a comment and let us know what we missed!

Here’s to Fun,

Bo