Bend, OR

Bend, OR is a city in central Oregon and is the county seat of Deschutes county.  It is central Oregon's largest city with a population of 82,500 and a median income of $40,800 and a median age of 35.  It is located on the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountain range along the Deschutes river.  it is where the Ponderosa Pine forest transitions to the high desert.  It was originally a crossing point on the river then a settlement began in the early 1900s.  By 1905 Bend was Incorporated.  Bend started as a logging town but it's economy is  now tourism and considered the gateway for many outdoor sports including mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, rock climbing, white water rafting, skiing and golf.  The name Bend came from "Farewell Bend" which was the destination used by the early settlers on the Deschutes river where it is one of the few fordable points along the river.  
We are staying at the Bend/Sunriver Thousand Trails and even though it has a Bend address it is really located in Sunriver.  The RV resort is very nice with ponderosa pines towering over the campsites and views of the Cascades.  As a resort, it does not have all the amenities that a lot of the TT do but it doesn't really need them because there is so much to do around the area. 
We spent most of the day in Bend checking out the town.  I got my haircut and we did a huge Grocery shop.  We expected the weather to be terrible due to the wind and dust advisories but it ended up being a nice day.  Sunny, warm and a wind from the SW so we did not have any smoke to deal with.  We are not far from the Oregon fires so smoke could become a problem if the wind shifts and blows from the East.  As long as we have a western wind we will be in good shape.