After our late morning hikes around Smith Rock State Park, we were ready for lunch – and Brian had researched the perfect spot in Sisters, Oregon!

Sisters, Oregon

A short and speedy ride from the park, we arrived in Sisters to find an extremely popular downtown strip. We quickly turned off the main drag and drove along a much calmer parallel route to some shaded parking where we could leave our gear and the bikes before walking over to the Sno Cap Drive In for old fashioned burgers.

There was quite a line despite our early afternoon arrival – I was so focused on lunch I forgot that people might be grabbing ice cream treats any time of day! It was ultimately worth the wait, and we enjoyed our burgers, fries, and onion rings under the umbrella of a nearby picnic table before taking a stroll around town.

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Named for the trio of towering peaks to its west, Sisters is a vibrant, artsy community with a charming 1880s facades and small-town ambience.

https://traveloregon.com/places-to-go/cities/sisters

I found Sisters’ old west style equal parts quaint and kitschy. Our walk up and down main street took us past some interesting buildings as well as some touristy shops. We didn’t go in anywhere or buy anything, but we did send my mom a picture of the upcoming outdoor quilt show, which is one of the town’s stand-out events.

Probably my favorite thing about Sisters was actually seeing the Three Sisters peaks in the distance. I don’t seem to get tired of admiring the volcanoes along the Cascade Mountain range!

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Bend, Oregon

We took a short drive from Sisters to our AirBnB in Bend, which was a reasonable walking distance from the downtown area.

This was our second time in Bend and I have to be honest – it is not our scene. The downtown area is packed with people, it all seems overdone and overdressed, and we’ve nearly been run over by bachelorette/bachelor parties pedaling those drinking rigs around town each time.

After learning about the excessive wait times at the couple restaurants I had tagged, we ended up grabbing some appetizers and a drink at Stihl Whiskey Bar, which was mercifully uncrowded. However, even this stop was steeped in drama as we watched a girl pass out of her chair and hit the ground hard after getting too much sun (and probably too much of a few other things) while out tubing with her friends. They picked her up and carted her off, and we paid our bill and headed back to our AirBnB disappointed and disillusioned.

Until we found Silver Moon Brewing.

This place single-handedly redeemed all of our Bend experiences. I cannot say enough good things about it. And we didn’t even know it existed!

A couple blocks from our AirBnB in a quieter neighborhood, this gem is among old warehouse buildings and we would have completely missed it had we not heard music and spotted a guy painting a mural down an otherwise empty alleyway.

We wandered back the alley, admiring the incredible artwork, and came out into a huge outdoor space replete with food trucks, cornhole setups, piles of comfy seating under big canopies, and the gentle hum of people relaxing and socializing. It had the best energy (and beer!) and we enjoyed everything about it.

AND, if that wasn’t enough:

Silver Moon’s F*Cancer campaign is dedicated to supporting cancer research and the well being of cancer fighters across the world. The F*Cancer IPA is the backbone of what we do. Brewed as a seasonal summer release, we donate a portion from every sale to cancer nonprofits that support communities across the country. With merchandise, events, and other fundraising methods included, we have raised over $175,000 for cancer research since the beginning of the program in 2014.

https://www.silvermoonbrewing.com/f-cancer

Amazing. I would head back to Bend just to hangout in their outdoor space again. Highly recommend!

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Our first full day of our road trip found us riding the bikes 160+ miles from Carson, Washington to Bend, Oregon with stops at Hood River, Smith Rock State Park, and Sisters along the way. Lots of high points and a great start to our adventure!