The Experience: The best thing about Sunriver, other than 300 sunny days a year on average, is that there’s so much to do for all tastes and styles. It’s one-stop outdoorsy vacationing. Low-key sorts could while away days just relaxing in a hot tub, exploring the Village and playing games in the evening. But if you’re looking for family-friendly action, you have loads of choices:
-
* Frolic in one of three swimming pools, one with a 50-foot slide. (A new outdoor aquatic center and amphitheatre will open in 2012.)
* Rent a canoe, kayak raft or stand-up paddle-board at the marina and spend the day playing on some of the Deschutes’ mellower waters.
* Sign up for mini tennis clinics ($12-$15 per kid; $35 adults) and then have a family tournament on one of the many public courts ($20/hour).
* If tennis is too highbrow, rent pickleball equipment at Fort Rock Park or reserve the park’s sand volleyball, basketball, softball horseshoe, bocce ball or picnic facilities. The park also has a large playground.
* Walk, run or bike 35 miles of paths that weave throughout Sunriver. (Most rental homes include bikes; Bike Barn rents them.)
* Hoof it over to Sunriver Stables for trail rides (7 and up) or pony rides.
* Sign your kids up for weekly summer camps (ages 3-12) that include tennis or swimming instruction, playtime at the South swimming pool, weekly field trips and other enrichment.
Inside information: Lodging ranges from rooms and suites at Sunriver Resort Lodge to condos or homes you can rent from the resort or directly from owners. Check Sunriver-resort.com, VRBO.com or any number of other sites available if you Google “inexpensive Sunriver lodging.” You can also camp nearby; a private campground called Thousand Trails rents campsites, yurts and cabins only 4 miles from Sunriver. One note: if you’re planning on swimming, check that your lodging includes free passes to the pools (which aren’t cheap).
The 411
Seasons: Sunriver is open year-round. In winter, you can ski at nearby Mt. Bachelor, snowshoe, go ice-skating or even enjoy sleigh rides. Check Sunriver’s online calendar of events. Cost: Rates for a stay in Sunriver range from the low hundreds to several hundreds for either a lodge room or a rental home. Check for lodging specials. Camping or sharing a larger home with friends is often the most economical way to stay. Location: About 15 miles south of Bend on Highway 97.
Contact information: 800-801-8765, sunriver-resort.com.
— Sarah Pagliasotti
