Three Things to Do in Bend Oregon
Are you looking for fun things to do in Bend? We got you covered! Here are three things to do in Bend Oregon: 1) Free wine pairings at the Grocery Outlet, 2) Hiking and people watching at Smith Rock State Park, 3) Barrel Warehouse Specialty Tour at Deschutes Brewery. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later!
Grocery Outlet - Wine Tastings with Pairings
The Grocery Outlet in Bend has wine tastings with pairings called 5 @ 4. These pairings occur from 4 pm to 6 pm on Saturdays (Updated 1/9/2019-Use to be Fridays but changed to Saturday). They are FREE and a lot of fun! Corey pairs five wines with little tastes. The wine and tastes are available for purchase at Grocery Outlet and everything is very reasonable.
We loved these wine pairings so much that we went every week we were in Bend. The best way to get the latest information is to follow the Bend Grocery Outlet store on Facebook. According to their Facebook page, they even did a "Game Day Beer Day" pairing with hearty beers and jerky.
These wine pairings are a great way to find a wine you love at a great price and get appetizer ideas for your next party. We loved the Masso Antico Primitivo and the Cru Pinot Noir. Penguin liked the Snofisk Fresh Spreadable Cheese on Kii Raisin Pumpkin Seed Crackers.
Check out our pictures for the pairing menus.
Things To Do in Bend
Smith Rock State Park - Misery Ridge and River Trail
The name says it all! Misery Ridge Trail at Smith Rock State Park is an intense hike but worth it! The views once you reach the 3,360-foot summit are beautiful and there is great people watching. Along your hike, you will likely see rock climbers which can help distract your brain for a few seconds from the misery you are putting your body through :)
Not far from the top of the summit is Monkey Face (Yes! it sort of looks like a monkey’s face) where we watched a tight rope walker do a flip! Take a look at our video below.
At the recommendation of a friend we had recently watched Free Solo where “Alex Honnold attempts to conquer the first free solo climb of famed El Capitan's 900-meter vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park”. I didn’t know much about rock climbing before that movie so the timing was perfect. I had a lot more appreciation for the rock climbers we saw on our hike because of that movie.
Parking can be tough at Smith Rock State Park. We went on a beautiful Saturday in November and it was very busy but with some time we found a spot. It costs $5 to park.
Tight rope walker does a flip near Monkey Face on Misery Ridge Trail in Bend, Oregon
Deschutes Brewery - Barrel Warehouse Specialty Tour
Do you like beer? Do you like seeing how beer is made? We recommend the Deschutes Brewery Barrel Warehouse Specialty Tour. This specialty tour includes a tour of the barrel warehouse and samples of their reserve beers. It is one hour long, on select weekends, and costs $25/pp but it’s a great deal and a fun experience!
Our first sample was the experimental beer, Conflux. We sipped this as we walked through the warehouse learning about the brewing process. After touring the production floor we sat at old barrels set up as tables inside the warehouse and sampled four beers. Those beers included Fresh Funk Wild IPA, The Ages, Black Butte Porter, and The Abyss 2018 Reserve.
Besides the samples, each person gets to take home one bottle. The bottles average between $12-$15, so the tour is almost free after that and all the tastings. You can select almost any beer but there are a few that are excluded, and it doesn't have to be a beer you tasted on the tour. Penguin chooses The Ages and I selected The Dissident.
Since the tour takes you through the production floor you have to wear the necessary health and safety gear. You must wear pants and closed-toe shoes. If you forget you get to rock disposable coveralls with booties and I doubt you want that! TIP: Wear a hat so you don’t have to wear a hair net or loaner hat.
Looking for something more unique? Check out Unique Things to Do in Bend Oregon. Interested in things to do in Oregon? Take a look at our Oregon articles. Where are we going next? Don’t miss an adventure, subscribe today.
