Happy belated Memorial Day weekend to you!
Yes, this post is a few weeks old but between all the blogger events and new restaurants I’ve been to lately, my twice-weekly blog posts have gotten a little behind schedule. Nonetheless I still wanted to share my weekend in Bend with you all even if it did happen a few weeks ago now! My friend Kelly was awesome and planned a group trip for Memorial Day weekend. It is sometimes like herding cats trying to get a large group together for something like this. But she organized all 9 of us like a champ and rented a great house right in the heart of Bend.
I grew up going to Sunriver nearly every weekend and continue to visit the Central Oregon area to go skiing, but I haven’t spent a lot of time in Bend itself during the summer, so I was really excited about that. The gorgeous weather and superb house location were perfect for exploring the breweries, restaurants and parks in town. The house also had a huge backyard which was awesome for grilling, making s’mores (duh) and playing some corn hole and other games.
On Saturday after wandering through the Saturday Market complete with the typical odd knicknacks like homemade puppets, we hit up Deschutes Brewery for lunch. The weather was gorgeous so we knew we wanted to continue the day outside, preferably with a beer in hand. We stumbled upon one of the best places. Called “The Lot”, this food cart pod is amazing. It has about 8 food carts, tons of picnic tables and bar stools, a firepit and a bar with 16 rotating beers on tap. Skip the giant crowds at Ten Barrel or Crux and go here instead. Seriously, it is way more enjoyable!
Plus the food was delicious. The Mauna Kea Hawaiian cart has to-die-for pulled chicken. And the fries from The Brown Owl were probably the best food to eat with beers ever. Thick slices of fresh Russet potatoes smothered in some delicious sauce concoction that was highly addicting. We definitely ended up staying at the Lot for hours and got a few orders of those fries… whoops!
I’m even more in favor of this place because I found my new favorite beer, Ten Barrel’s seasonal Swill. I am a terrible Oregonian and really don’t like beer. I just never have. Everyone always tries to convince me that this one will be the one to change my mind and usually I dislike it with all the others. However this “American Radler” is really up my alley. I remember living off of these half lemonade-half beer drinks when we went to the beir gardens in Munich a few years ago and loving them. The Swill is a mix of “American sour and multiple layers of citrus” to make it a little sweeter and a perfect drink for a hot summer afternoon.
We also found my dream bakery! We were walking to The Lot and of course my eyes gravitated toward a large hanging sign that said “Bakery.” Straight and to the point. Baked, which is also the name of my favorite bakery in NYC, is a quaint little “afternoon and evening bakery.” They make handmade breads and pastries from scratch. Since they don’t open until 12 noon, you can sleep in and pick up a just-baked loaf of bread, rather than having to wake up at the crack of dawn. I’m sure their employees love it too.
When we stopped in, they had just pulled another few baguettes fresh out of the oven. It smelled so delicious that we couldn’t help but order one. In retrospect we definitely should have ordered more. They are open until 9pm for you to also get some desserts, like cookies and mini pies. They also sell pre-made pizza and pie crusts.
For some non-eating activities, we went for a hike that was more like a stroll as I got us lost on the way to the actual hike and we ended up on a VERY flat road – whoops.
Alyssa and I went for a walk through Bend and acted like kids running through sprinklers and playing on the tire swing.
We also ran across these goose statues. I announced that I really hate geese (seriously, they are mean and hiss at you, no thanks). So Alyssa told me that I should take a photo showing the goose who was boss. Of course, I obliged.
It was such a fun and relaxing weekend. Especially when I am constantly running around with so many activities and a busy work schedule, it was great to just spend a few days hanging out with friends and enjoying some beautiful weather.
How did you spend your Memorial Day? Hope you also had a wonderful weekend!
rachel Lloyd says
Ha! This is a cute post!!!
Melinda says
I LOVE Bend! We would move there in an instant if my husband could find a good paying job there! It looks like you had a great time!
Meredith {MarthaChartreuse} says
This is so cute!!! The patriotic vodka is a nice touch!
Kristi says
Man I love Bend. You’re pictures remind me of what a relaxing and fun town it is. Need to go back soon.
Marlynn @UrbanBlissLife says
Looks like so much fun! I love Bend, and I can’t believe how much it changes every time we are there. I will have to check out The Lot next time!
Sarah says
Looks like you had fun! Trips with friends can be so complicated to plan but when they work out they are the best.
Laura says
You guys are adorable 🙂