Summertime adventuring is what we live for in Central Oregon. The lakeside strolls, river wading, tadpole catching and lazy paddles fill our idyllic summer days. If your kids are anything like mine, they can often be found rock jumping, traipsing barefoot around campsites and scrambling up any tree in their path. As we let kids […]
Roseann Dennery
Posted inThings I've Learned
Kirstin Vlodica, Chidlren’s Pastor at New Hope Church
Interview by Roseann Dennery
Kirstin is a wife, mom and a pastor at New Hope Church in Bend, where she has worked in family ministry for 16 years. She and her husband, Tyler, have two daughters, Avaree (14) and Maycie (11). When she doesn’t have her nose stuck in a book, she loves family time, riding bikes on the […]
Posted inNest News
Central Oregon Junior Golf Association Expands Offerings
The Central Oregon Junior Golf Association just unveiled its 2024 development programs for youth, ages 4-18
The Central Oregon Junior Golf Association just unveiled its 2024 development programs for youth, ages 4-18. Through interactive and social games, movement and play, young golfers will learn foundational skills necessary for the game, as well as gain valuable life lessons. As golfers grow, COJGA builds on this foundation with strategy-driven tasks and cooperative learning, […]
Posted inNest News
Bend La-Pine School District Brings Back Free Summer Lunch Program
The Bend-La Pine School District announced it will offer healthy meals at no charge to those 18 and younger at four Central Oregon locations this summer
The Bend-La Pine School District announced it will offer healthy meals at no charge to those 18 and younger at four Central Oregon locations this summer. There is no registration or fee to receive a free lunch through the program that begins June 24 and continues through August 23 (closed July 4 and 5). All […]
Posted inNest News
Family-Friendly Food Park Opens in Redmond
Family-Friendly Food Park Opens in Redmond
A new family-friendly food cart pod focused on good food and no alcohol recently opened in Redmond. The pod, called Redmond Food Park, is located at 122 SW 5th St. in downtown Redmond and creates a space for guests to eat, play cornhole and relax with friends and family in a non-drinking atmosphere. The park currently […]
Posted inOutside
Snowy Adventures
Outdoor family enjoyment away from the weekend Mt. Bachelor hustle
Need a break from the downhill slopes? Finding day outings that everyone can enjoy is essential to embracing the extended winter season here in Central Oregon. It’s time to take advantage of the hundreds of miles of marked trails, charming warming huts and pillowy powder found in our backyard Cascades. After all, that’s why we […]
Posted inOutside
Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls
Actually, yes go. Because Central Oregon has some epic ones!
It’s September. The crowds are thinning, the day-hike permits are ending, and the warm summer nights are lazily giving way to the crisp morning air. As school is in full swing and we indulge in all the pumpkin-flavored pastries we can stand, fall is the perfect time to explore Central Oregon. Because everyone loves a […]
Posted inNews
Wildflowers Abound for Early Summer Hiking
Hike with the family or go it solo, but check out these locales while the bloom is still on
The snow has thawed, the highway is open. It’s time to dust off those La Sportiva boots and get your day bag packed; summer hiking season has arrived. Welcome! We’ve been waiting for you. And with all the additional precipitation we grumbled about this spring, the reward to now reap is wildflowers – lots of […]
Posted inNews
Day Outings for Moms, and Everyone, Really
Mother’s Day is coming. These three outings offer plenty for families to enjoy
In Central Oregon, spring is the blurred season that happens somewhere between those bluebird, powder-filled days and the lazy Cascade lake afternoons. Although it’s tempting to blaze right through May toward summertime, let’s not overlook planning something remarkable for the leading lady in our lives on Mother’s Day. If she’s a Bendite, chances are she’ll […]