Welcome to our fourth and final blog featuring fun, family activities and attractions in Central Oregon. This one will lead us to beautiful Mt. Bachelor. Mt Bachelor is known as one of the country’s premier winter ski resorts. What happens upon this majestic mountain come summertime, you ask? Well the answer is, “Plenty!”. Serving as the awe inspiring backdrop to Central Oregon, Mt. Bachelor is 9,068 feet tall, jutting up into the beautiful blue Central Oregon skies. In the summer, hikers come from all around to summit the mountain on foot. If you’re not feeling quite that ambitious, you and the family can ride the chairlift up to the Pine Marten Lodge at 7,775 feet. Here you can enjoy a fantastic lunch featuring wood-fired pizza’s and local microbrews, while you take in the breathtaking panoramic views of the Three Sisters, Broken Top and the gorgeous Cascade Lakes. How about a summer sled-dog ride in a dry-land cart by Bend’s own pro sled dog racer, Rachael Scdoris, and her team of racing pups. Rachel was born with Congenital Achromatopsia, a rare vision disorder causing near sightedness, far sightedness and colorblindness. Her dream was always to compete in the Iditarod, the world famous 1,200 mile annual race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. She has never allowed her visual impairment to stand in the way of her dreams, and she has been racing sled dogs since she was 11 years old. In 2006, she became the first legally blind person to complete the Iditarod. Mt. Bachelor also boasts an 18 hole disc golf course in the summertime. These 18 holes run from the Outback area to the West Village base. Here, disc golf enthusiasts will enjoy the challenge of varied terrain in a wilderness setting. This is a Professional Disc Golf Association listed course. According to visitbend.com, “One of Mt. Bachelor’s signature summer offerings is a “Sunset Dinner” on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in Pine Marten Lodge. Reservations are highly recommended. Sample the Shrimp and Zucchini Fritters and Oregon Chevre while taking in the ethereal oranges and purples of the sunset over Broken Top. For the main course, stay local with Pacific Halibut or Painted Hills Prime Rib. The perfect way to end a romantic evening is the moonlit ride down on the chairlift under the starry skies of Central Oregon.” Overnight RV Parking is available at Mt. Bachelor at the West Village Parking lot ONLY. Permits are required and may be purchased at the Sales & Service Center inside the Mountain Gateway Building in the West Village between 8:30am and 4:00pm daily. This is parking lot camping only – there are no hook-ups. For a list of Central Oregon RV parks, click here. We hope that you’ve enjoyed this mini-blog series on Central Oregon, and of course we’d love to hear your favorite things to do when you’re visiting the area. Please feel free to share your comments, stories, or photos with us here, or on our Facebook page.
