Discover the charming downtown of Bend where streets are lined with boutique shops, art galleries, and inviting, dog-friendly cafes.
Bend boasts consistently beautiful summer weather, with sunny days, picturesque white clouds against a blue sky, and vibrant green landscapes. Unable to resist the allure of the outdoors, we decided to spend the afternoon picnicking and working al fresco.
Our Afternoon in Downtown Bend
I have several favorite restaurants in downtown Bend. For lunch, I decided to grab some food from Wild Rose Northern Thai Eats. They offer an amazing variety of Thai cuisine. Not only is their service very fast, but the food is absolutely delicious. The lunch menu is well-priced as well. Another restaurant I enjoy is Spork. It’s located on the other side of the pond, not exactly in the main downtown area, but they also offer a very interesting menu inspired by Mexican cuisine. This is another great choice as well!
I picked up my lunch order from Wild Rose, and we walked down NW Oregon Avenue towards Drake Park. Drake Park is a pretty large park with lots of green areas and trees along Mirror Pond. There is no dedicated parking lot for the park, but there is plenty of street parking along the park. The park has many picnic tables scattered throughout, making it really nice to sit and eat. However, the tables are not covered, so the sun can get pretty hot. Therefore, we decided to sit on the grass under the shade of a large tree to relax and eat our lunch. Toby took a nice short nap while I ate. After finishing, we packed up and walked along Mirror Pond back towards downtown Bend.
If you’re seeking a quieter spot away from the crowds of the main downtown area, consider Pioneer Park. It’s a lovely park with picnic tables and plenty of space to relax on the fresh grass and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
We headed to our favorite coffee shop, Looney Bean of Bend. The coffee here is great, and the service is amazing. Best of all, it has a nice backyard patio area with grass and tables and chairs where you can just enjoy a cup of coffee and relax or work, using the cafe-provided WiFi. They also offer a pup cup if you want to spoil your dog with a small cup of whipped cream. Toby loves these! While I worked on my laptop, Toby relaxed and took a nice nap, enjoying the afternoon breeze and the fresh smell of grass.
Summer in Bend is too beautiful to spend indoors. I highly recommend getting outside, enjoying a picnic lunch, and working in the fresh air with your furry companion if you can!