My daughter, the latest of our brood to finish high school, was given the task of choosing a family holiday destination. This would be her last trip with the family before starting life as a young adult entering university. Two years ago, and aided by a wicked sale from Air Canada, her older sister chose Turks and Caicos. “The world lies before you,” we said, “Go anywhere.”
England, Germany, Jamaica…anywhere.
“Oregon,” she replied.
I know. Those raised eyebrows you’re sporting right now? That’s the same response she got from everyone. Why Oregon?
Because Oregon is a state that has it all: scenic coastline, lush forests, snowcapped mountains, cascading falls, glorious rivers that cut through cities and deserts, progressive urban centers, and tiny towns where you expect Festus and Marshall Dillon to be sitting out front the general store, and where both hipsters and cowboys share a love of Pendleton plaid.
And the food: Oregon is a culinary nirvana, where restaurateurs and foodcart vendors lead the cuisine scene with a cultural buffet of quality dishes made from ingredients sourced from local producers.
I was actually thrilled with her choice, having been in love with this particular state for decades, but we needed a destination that could keep five of us (three teenagers, two adults) happy, occupied and free of familial homicide for 14 days. That’s a long time for five people of varying likes and dislikes to holiday together. The grad-girl had one priority: horses – as in to ride, view, pet, and covet. Stepson needed to fish, husband needed 5star digs and good food, I needed tranquility, and stepdaughter was good with anything as long as there was some shopping along the way.
Central Oregon it was.
Known as the High Dessert, central Oregon covers five counties and averages 4,000 feet above sea level. Bend, dubbed “the outdoor playground of the West” is the largest city in the area with a population of approximately 80,000.
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| View of Bend from Pilot Butte |
Our search for accommodation led us to find Brasada Ranch at Powell Butte, approximately 20 miles northeast of Bend.
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| Entrance to Brasada Ranch |
Central Oregon boasts 300 sun-shiny, rain-free days per year. We arrived during a rare downpour but the rain and ensuing sunshine only highlighted the outrageous beauty of the area.
Brasada Ranch occupies 1800 acres of sage-infused, junipered scrubland. A dozen of the Ranch’s horses roam through the grassy paddocks at the front of the property. Beyond the paddocks, a trestle bridge sits like a spaghetti Western centrepiece. Overlooking the bridge is the Ranch House Lodge, home to one restaurant and a handful of hotel rooms. The whole property is a postcard in the making.
To get one thing straight, Brasada Ranch is not a dude ranch. You will be hard pressed to find any vehicle older than 2011 on the property, and you sure as heck won’t see any rusted out pickup trucks. You willsee BMWs, Cadillacs and a Range Rover or two. Brasada Ranch is pretty frou-frou shi-shi.
Now before you brand me with a scarlet “S” for snob, you must know this: we don’t camp (tried it once, still in therapy), and we don’t eat crap food. We’re full-fledged, unabashed Glampers – much to the dismay of our children who would love nothing better than to climb into sleeping bags at night inside tents and drift off smelling of campfire smoke. Brasada Ranch – rustic yet luxurious – was the perfect solution, and despite all the amenities (athletic centre, tennis courts, pools, world-class golf course, spa and two very fine restaurants), not outrageously priced.
We reserved one of Brasada’s cabins as our accommodations. Just like the ranch isn’t really a ranch, the cabins aren’t really cabins – at least not the kind of cabins you camping purists would consider a cabin to be.
Our cabin was a 1,800 square foot house complete with wraparound deck, impressive barbecue, and hot tub. The interior had leather furniture, hardwood floors, four fireplaces, just as many flat-screened TVs, three bedrooms with king-size beds, and a quasi-gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
The Ranch was recently accepted into American Express’ Preferred Hotels Group – mostly for its spectacular golf course, which I understand is an awesome course (if you’re into golf). We opted to leave the swinging to the nattily dressed, visored men and women walking the course, and spent our time, instead, at the pool.
There are three pools at the athletic centre: one indoor, and two outside. Of the two open air pools, one is a calm, uninspired type good for toddlers and doting parents. The second pool, with its “lazy” river, is for thrill seeking masochists. Turbo jets placed at odd angles knock unsuspecting swimmers into the pumice-like faux rocks along the lazy river route, and until you get the hang of the current, you will be guaranteed to receive a minor abrasion, or two.
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| Lazy River Pool |
We learned to conquer the mighty current by banking our bodies like balls on a billiards table, using pool noodles as buffers against the boulders. The fun part, then, was watching newcomers careen into the rocks like we did before we got smart. What’s a holiday without a few knee and shoulder scrapes?
I came to love the early hours while the rest of the family slept. This was my time, and each morning just as the sun was rising, I would slip out the back door and explore the property. Mourning doves cooed; tiny lizards basked on rocks, but other than that, the only other things moving were a a few staff members and desert bunnies. I would make my way to the trestle bridge, sit a spell and inhale the scent of sage and pine as the sun heated up the scrub. Bliss.
We stocked our kitchen with groceries bought in Bend, but did eat at the two restaurants at the ranch. The more informal Ranch House was a great place to grab breakfast or lunch.
A tip of the hat to the chefs at Brasada Ranch who create dishes from locally sourced products. The food (and the serving staff) was probably some of the best we’ve ever experienced at any hotel or resort we’ve been to.
The Range, as well, which we saved for one night of high-end dining, was spectacular: the food, cocktails and wine list, all top notch.
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| Popcorn Shrimp with Pickled Fiddleheads |
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| Braised Goat on Pappardelle |
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| The Range Bar |
Many of our meals were taken off site while we explored the area. (I’ll talk about all that in a separate post.)
If you want peace, you can find it here. If you want activities, they’ve got ‘em by the heaps.
The staff will help you arrange excursions for: whitewater rafting, fly fishing, cycling, horse riding, tennis, golf, kayaking, tubing, and anything else your heart desires. Staff member at the ranch have a “yes attitude” and questions they don’t have the answers to, they find out in a hurry.
Central Oregon afforded tranquility when we needed it, and adventure when we wanted it. One day we were sitting in a field surrounded by 100 alpacas, the next we were whitewater rafting down the Mackenzie River.
My love affair with Oregon continues; my daughter’s has just begun.
