Volume 17 Issue 1 » 89 share the shade , and iconic farms where red barns are surrounded by rows of fruit trees . After lunch at The Gorge White House we bike to the manicured grounds of Mt . Hood Winery for tastings of pinot noir and rosé , and finish our ride with glasses of chardonnay in the shade of a climbing vine at Wy ’ East Vineyards . The harvest of the Hood River embraces us and its scent and flavour are nothing short of exquisite .
We stop for ice cream at the town of Hood River , watching from the banks of the Columbia River as windsurfers harness the wind on the choppy river . The natural wind tunnel created by the Columbia River Gorge is a magnet for adventure seekers on paddleboards , kiteboards and kitefoils , and they twist and turn on the water like giant , colourful butterflies .
Central Oregon is a place of stark contrasts , and you only have to drive a few miles out of the Hood River Valley to find yourself in the high desert . Here , the tectonic forces that shaped the landscape with fierce volcanoes and far-reaching lava flows have left a region striking in its stark beauty . Mountain ranges stretch one into the other , dipping into valleys where whitewater rafts ply the rapids .
Our destination two hours south is Bend , a gem of a small town that ’ s fast becoming a bustling city . Home to just 20,000 in 1990 , it has grown to 125,000 in the past three decades . “ We ’ re one of the most movedto cities in the United States ,” says Bret Graham , owner of The Bend Tour Company , as he zips around the city in his electric cruiser , a longer version of a golf cart .
Graham drives us through Whisky Flats , a neighbourhood settled by Bend labourers who worked the city ’ s timber mills in the early 1900s , and along Congress Street , where impeccable flower gardens line stately , historic homes built by mill managers and supervisors . At every turn it ’ s easy to see why Bend is so highly sought after by the 4.5 million visitors that travel this way each year , and by the increasing number of newcomers .
An intelligently designed city , Bend is a mix of meticulously landscaped parks and tons of public art . It boasts a rich entertainment and dining scene , is bursting at the seams with craft breweries , and has multiple adventure recreational options in a short radius , from mountain biking