Best of the Nest

Artist and curator, Marlene Alexander, has been teaching children art in Central Oregon for 37 years. She recently shared about how the program began and what kinds of art she teaches today. How did you get started teaching art to kids? It came up one day when a group of us (former members of Art […]

Family Access Network began meeting the needs of Oregon families in 1993. Since then, the organization has expanded its scope from Deschutes County to greater Central Oregon, now serving almost every school district in Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook Counties. FAN Executive Director Julie Lyche tells Bend Nest more about the program. How did Family Access […]

There’s a very good reason that Crux has become known as the best family-friendly pub – it was by design. Founder and Brewmaster, Larry Sidor, describes how a family-oriented philosophy steered the direction of the space. Crux has a family-friendly vibe, even as you’re walking up to the lot. Is it the open-space seating in […]

Best Children’s Consignment Store – Stone Soup Kids, Juli Parlan, Owner What kinds of things will customers find at Stone Soup? We’re all about what kids need most. We also cater to what parents are looking for, which is quality merchandise: wooden educational toys, upper brands, good books, all those things kids need growing up. […]

Best Place for a Child’s Birthday Party – Mountain Air Trampoline Park, Eliot Collins, Manager There are some crazy-fun activities listed on the mountainairbend.com, for example, what can you tell us about Extreme Dodgeball? In the Extreme game, each team has six added targets, so points are scored when you either hit someone with the […]

Best Learning Specialist – Sylvan Learning Center, Audra Bohn, Director Can you describe in a nutshell how Sylvan helps students to succeed? Our guiding philosophy is that every student can learn, and that each student learns differently. We have only expert teachers, trained to be successful with students. Many other tutoring centers utilize grad students […]

Best Children’s Orthodontist Practice – Struble Orthodontics, Blair Struble, Owner How did you come to establish your practice here in Central Oregon? I actually grew up in Bend. I went to school and did my orthodontic training all in the PNW. I worked for another provider for a few years, then started my own practice […]

Best Family Takeout – Wild Rose Northern Thai Eats, Rosie Westlund, Owner What led to your decision to open Wild Rose in downtown Bend? We came here from Port Townsend, Washington, where our restaurant has been open 32 years now. We enjoyed Bend whenever we visited, and we saw that it could use a Northern […]