[alx9898]

Hello Bend/Oregon friends,

Heading to Oregon the first weekend of March. Looking to hit Bachelor for a few days. My question is, where to stay? This question looks like it was answered a few different ways over the years on here, so I thought I'd refresh it for up to date info.

Renting a vehicle, so to and from the mountain shouldn't be an issue. Does it make sense to just stay in Bend? Is there any advantage to stay up toward the mountain at all, or in a different area (sun river, etc.)? Leaning toward renting a house on vrbo/airbnb. Apres is important as well as alternative outdoor activities (some people who will be staying with us don't ski or snowboard).

I'm thinking these prerequisites make staying in Bend proper the correct choice, but I just wanted to hear from any locals about other factors or things I may not be thinking about.

Thanks all in advance!

 

[Argo]

How heavy of apre? What kind of other out door activities are you hoping for?

 

[alx9898]

How heavy of apre? What kind of other out door activities are you hoping for?

Honestly, probably not too heavy. A couple good bars would do it. A "night club" would probably be too much.


Other activities I was thinking of would be snowshoeing, XC Skiing, and other stuff like that.

 

[Argo]

All of the snowshoeing and cross country stuff will be up towards bachelor. There are ice rinks in bend and sunriver. You could possibly bike ride around either place depending on prior weeks snowfall... could also rent fat tire bikes and ride on the snow.

Bend has an endless supply of restaurants/bars/breweries where sunriver has a more limited supply.

Traffic to bachelor is usually preyy backed up on weekends, holidays or any powder day, usually because of bad drivers. Traffic to the mountain from sunriver is rare, that is why i moved there.

There is limited grocery shopping available in sunriver but it can be had at a couple local stores. The sunriver mall has stuff there for shops, buying souvenirs.

You can rent snowmobiles in sunriver, up by paulina lake there is a rental spot too and that place is beautiful, similar to crater lake but about 10 minutes from sunriver.

If you stay in bend there is no reason to visit sunriver. If you stay in sunriver you would probably want to take a trip into bend for a visit though. Houses are probably less expensive in sunriver, if you stay in sunriver get a place as close to the Sunriver mall area as possible, going to deep in the neighborhood makes for a longer drive with the maze of roads and low speed limits.

If you stay in bend stay closer to the west side of town, old mill, Galveston rd, Tethero, Widgi Creek, 10th mtn resort areas.

 

[alx9898]

All of the snowshoeing and cross country stuff will be up towards bachelor. There are ice rinks in bend and sunriver. You could possibly bike ride around either place depending on prior weeks snowfall... could also rent fat tire bikes and ride on the snow.

Bend has an endless supply of restaurants/bars/breweries where sunriver has a more limited supply.

Traffic to bachelor is usually preyy backed up on weekends, holidays or any powder day, usually because of bad drivers. Traffic to the mountain from sunriver is rare, that is why i moved there.

There is limited grocery shopping available in sunriver but it can be had at a couple local stores. The sunriver mall has stuff there for shops, buying souvenirs.

You can rent snowmobiles in sunriver, up by paulina lake there is a rental spot too and that place is beautiful, similar to crater lake but about 10 minutes from sunriver.

If you stay in bend there is no reason to visit sunriver. If you stay in sunriver you would probably want to take a trip into bend for a visit though. Houses are probably less expensive in sunriver, if you stay in sunriver get a place as close to the Sunriver mall area as possible, going to deep in the neighborhood makes for a longer drive with the maze of roads and low speed limits.

If you stay in bend stay closer to the west side of town, old mill, Galveston rd, Tethero, Widgi Creek, 10th mtn resort areas.

Awesome info. Thank you!!

I was wondering about traffic. Is there a reasonable point in time where you could leave Bend and beat traffic? I suppose that all depends on the day and snowfall. Just curious if that time would be 4 AM vs 7 AM, etc..

Thanks again.

 

[Argo]

Awesome info. Thank you!!

I was wondering about traffic. Is there a reasonable point in time where you could leave Bend and beat traffic? I suppose that all depends on the day and snowfall. Just curious if that time would be 4 AM vs 7 AM, etc..

Thanks again.

You want to be past the furthest west roundabout by 730/745, there is heavy school traffic and mountain traffic by 745-800. Just take coffee or grab breakfast in west village lodge. We usually hop in line around 830 or earlier if its a powder day.

 

[alx9898]

You want to be past the furthest west roundabout by 730/745, there is heavy school traffic and mountain traffic by 745-800. Just take coffee or grab breakfast in west village lodge. We usually hop in line around 830 or earlier if its a powder day.

Perfect. That doesn't sound too bad then. I think we landed on a cottage in the River Camp community at Mt. Bachelor Village. It looked to be one of the more western properties available in Bend. Not sure how far back it is from Century, but I'm thinking it should be okay. Thanks again for the help. I'll circle back to this thread and update on how everything goes for people looking in the future.

 

[Argo]

Villages are fine. You can leave there at 745, hop on centurey west of the last roundabout and be find. 20-25 minutes to the lot. The road can get bad, have awd, 4wd or front wheel and chains(thats required by oregon law and they will enforce it).

 

[alx9898]

Villages are fine. You can leave there at 745, hop on centurey west of the last roundabout and be find. 20-25 minutes to the lot. The road can get bad, have awd, 4wd or front wheel and chains(thats required by Oregon law and they will enforce it).

Yep, shooting to rent a 4wd/awd from PDX. Will have family coming over from Salem with appropriate vehicles that we could use if needed as well. I don't really want to mess around for the drive from PDX to Bend either, though.

 

[chomps1211]

Yep, shooting to rent a 4wd/awd from PDX. Will have family coming over from Salem with appropriate vehicles that we could use if needed as well. I don't really want to mess around for the drive from PDX to Bend either, though.

If you can fly in to Bend or get a ride from PDX to Bend and then rent your ride in town and not the airport?? You can save yourself several hundred dollars. I shit you not.

Go to or google a site called Autoslash.com. Get quotes for both, an at the airport rental and a Bend rental. You don't need to give credit info to get the quote or even reserve the veh.

Ive used this site for 3-4 different SB trips including my trip to OR/WA in '17. I saved a fortune. Even with paying for shuttles from the airports.

IIR,.. the local airport to Bend is Redmond? @Argo will correct me if wrong. It cost me $35+ tip from the airport to downtown Bend. I saved $300--$400 off the cost of the veh rental. Airport rental had over $150-$200 in extra fees that the in town one didn't.

Check it out. :thumbsup:

 

[Argo]

Its not bad but if there is a storm, and they live central, west or south portland, go through salem and over santiam pass rather than by mt hood. Less snowy driving conditions going south first.

If they live out east of portland its still faster going the hood route though...

 

[alx9898]

If you can fly in to Bend or get a ride from PDX to Bend and then rent your ride in town and not the airport?? You can save yourself several hundred dollars. I shit you not.

Go to or google a site called Autoslash.com. Get quotes for both, an at the airport rental and a Bend rental. You don't need to give credit info to get the quote or even reserve the veh.

Ive used this site for 3-4 different SB trips including my trip to OR/WA in '17. I saved a fortune. Even with paying for shuttles from the airports.

IIR,.. the local airport to Bend is Redmond? @Argo will correct me if wrong. It cost me $35+ tip from the airport to downtown Bend. I saved $300--$400 off the cost of the veh rental. Airport rental had over $150-$200 in extra fees that the in town one didn't.

Check it out. :thumbsup:

Good looking out. Turns out its not much different in airfare to fly into Richmond vs PDX from where I'll be coming from (SFO).

 

[chomps1211]

Good looking out. Turns out its not much different in airfare to fly into Richmond vs PDX from where I'll be coming from (SFO).

"Redmond" (RDM) is the Bend local airport. (...unless Richmond is another Im unaware of?) :blink: lol


-edit-
Here's the link to Autoslash. This site really will save you $$$ on car rentals. :grin:

 

[Argo]

Good looking out. Turns out its not much different in airfare to fly into Richmond vs PDX from where I'll be coming from (SFO).

Sfo to rdm is direct on united. From 250 to 500 round trip.

Redmond is not Richmond. You want rdm

 

[alx9898]

Yeah, Redmond. Brain isn't working yet this morning. Bummer that Delta doesn't fly direct. Hmm.

 

[Argo]

If you need a car, just rent in sfo and drive up. Its about 7.5 hour drive. I've done it a couple times a month for 3 years, contract ends in Mid January though....

 

[alx9898]

If you need a car, just rent in sfo and drive up. Its about 7.5 hour drive. I've done it a couple times a month for 3 years, contract ends in Mid January though....

I honestly wouldn't mind that drive and might even enjoy it. Something I may consider. There's a lot of moving parts for us on the getting to Bend part, unfortunately. Wife coming from Michigan, Me coming from SFO, Both going home to Michigan after, other family coming from Salem... I'll get it figured out though. It may also happen that our family in Salem picks us up from PDX on the way to Bend and we fly back to michigan out of RDM.

 

[Argo]

PDX is not on the way to bend from salem. It would be way easier for them to get you in Redmond, probably save them 2 hours of drive time.

 

[alx9898]

PDX is not on the way to bend from salem. It would be way easier for them to get you in Redmond, probably save them 2 hours of drive time.

Ah i see. For some reason I thought it was comparable drive times going up and over. I think I was getting confused with the drive times from PDX to Bend (26 vs 5 through Salem).

 

[Argo]

They have to go north to pdx, opposite direction of travel from bend/salem route, then either go 26 route or backtrack south for I5/santiam pass route.