Moving from Eugene to Bend..What to consider?

[MountainBear]

I moved here when the pop sign said around 15,000 (this was in 1987). The BEND berm on the north end was well out of town. The old Mtn. View Mall was WAY out of town. The Old Mill was still a log deck. I miss those days. Bend hasn't become completely liberal, although we have our fair share. Seems we have morphed into a finger in the wind type place. When the pendulum swings towards liberalism (see Obama election year) we tend to vote in people like Judy Stiegler. A few years later, when the attitude is more conservative, we replace her. I wish it was just common sense all the time, but that's just not the case...

 

[RVTECH]

I remember when Mt. Bachelor was totally diesel powered and an all day lift ticket was $7.00 (about 1978 - 80) then it started it's climb. I believe it went double digit to $11.00 in 1982.

 

[mjn]

Great answers y'all... without a doubt. The statement "When the SHTF" to me... means when everything comes apart at the seams... Glad to hear we have varying degrees of "shtf" outlooks.. The bulge on South Sister has been a concern for awhile now.. and I agree, it could be ugly if the worst case senario came forth.

I'm a displaced Central Oregonian.. attended high school in Culver.. Love the smell of juniper and sage like nothing else. I am seriously jealous of you turkeys that enjoy it (and take it for granted) every day.

The reason for my post was that "SHTF" senarios conjure up certain mindsets.. ie; all a person thinks about is survival.. all I was attempting to do is point out the importance of making the best of what you have NOW. Take time for your family, MAKE time for your family.. enjoy life. Prepare for the possible.. but now is now.

 

[joken]

You will be right at home in Bend. It's every bit as liberal as Eugene. Housing prices in Bend are way down right now.

 

[Mark W.]

Hippies ----- Yuppies

Wet --------Dry (your lips will be chapping a lot until you get used to it)

 

[RVTECH]

Bend has no doubt become a strange place over the years. I meet people all day long and can hardly believe some of the things is see and hear. Another interesting aspect of Bend is how many Europeans live here and they are a nosy, pushy and arrogant lot. Spend some time down town and you will think you are overseas. The upside is while the slant is very liberal there is still a large population of longtime residents who are conservative and enjoy outdoor sports and activities. Ten minutes out of Bend and life returns to normal.

 

[MA Duce]

Bend has no doubt become a strange place over the years. I meet people all day long and can hardly believe some of the things is see and hear. Another interesting aspect of Bend is how many Europeans live here and they are a nosy, pushy and arrogant lot. Spend some time down town and you will think you are overseas. The upside is while the slant is very liberal there is still a large population of longtime residents who are conservative and enjoy outdoor sports and activities. Ten minutes out of Bend and life returns to normal.

You are correct in that estimation, Bend/Sunriver is becoming Oregon's Sun Valley/Vale/Aspen. Downtown Bend is a great spot for dining, and looking at the totally overpriced art and kitsch items in the many little shops with the typically cutesy names. I enjoy the good food, and pass on the kitsch. Luckily some things never change. Pizza Mondo is still going strong, as is the Pilot Butte Drive Inn and Dandy's.

 

[lunalupis]

The color of your camo.... Bend has a more "high planes tone to it, whereas, Eugene has deeper greens.... just a minor thing, but when covering those gas cans, water jugs, and other stuff,.. it is important to blend right, eh?

 

[jimwsea]

ticks

 

[Ought Six]

A major danger is drinking too much Hop Venom IPA at Boneyard Brewery.

There are occasional forest fires in the area. If you are out in the woods, I would recommend building with non-flammable materials; cement-based siding, metal roof system, etcetera. Also make sure you have good fire insurance.

So far as vulcanism, the Three Sisters area is an active caldera, or supervolcano. Those erupt very, very infrequently. If it does, you will not have to worry about it, as it will destroy the entire region. But FWIW, the ground is rising there, indicating the magma chamber below is filling.

There are other more mundane dangers. Black ice on the roads. Black bears coming into your backyard to get into your trash cans. Sometimes there is hail damage to roofs, skylights, solar panels and cars. If you are in the Deschutes River floodplain, it does not flood often, but it does happen.

 

[drew]

There are occasional forest fires in the area. If you are out in the woods, I would recommend building with non-flammable materials; cement-based siding, metal roof system, etcetera. Also make sure you have good fire insurance.

Also make sure you have some gas when you're in the woods. I ended up taking a detour on forest service roads due to a fire. It was about an extra 100 miles before we made it back to a town.

 

[Sabertooth]

Valcanoes around Bend?? I've been to the top of Little Belknap and Big Belknap peak and found no recent sign of anything except snow. Same for the North Sister, Middle Sister, South Sister and the Husband. No hot spots just Glacers, snow and nasty cold wind on a bad day. The lava beds on the McKienze pass have a lot of realy cool caves to hide in. One is about a mile long and 100 feet under the lava bed. No hiking in the lava beds unless you have the heavest real leather boots you can get. Lava is really sharp and will shred tennis shoe real fast. Check out the county roads south east of Bend. Take a paper Map. Next would be east on the county roads then north east. West is all hiking trails. Nice high mountian lakes, some have trout in them. If you plan on navigating with a gps unit,, good luck in the bush, your gps goodie will tell you that you are not on a road!

 

[kenno]

Take a horse,,,to carry your beer,,,if you have beer,and a horse, you'll always find water and and someone looking for beer.