Best Blog 2016 | 1st place | Living the Bend Life | Arts & Culture | Bend

Best Of Central Oregon

Best Blog

1st place | Living the Bend Life

If you're new to town and looking to discover how things work around here, Living the Bend Life is the perfect blog. It features walkthroughs of Munch and Music, Bite of Bend, art exhibitions and tons more from the eyes of someone experiencing Bend's local scene for the first time.

LtBL creator Brenda Menzel and family moved to Bend in March of 2015 after spending five years in Orlando, Fla. Menzel knew if Bend was going to work, she would need to dive right into the deep end of Bend culture.

"I'm not outdoorsy and it wasn't my scene but I thought 'I have to embrace the lifestyle or I'm going to be miserable.' I started using the hashtag 'Living the Bend Life' and that's where I got the idea. For me, this was a major change and I thought a blog could help people by providing information, because there are so many new people moving to Bend and there are so many visitors."

The blog covers local parenting tips (hot tip: Brewfest isn't great for kiddos), info about upcoming events and explorations of the town. For locals and tourists alike, there is much to Living the Bend Life.

livingthebendlife.com

2nd Place: Hack Bend