We absolutely love our guests! Each month, we feature one reader who has come on a recent tour with Wanderlust. Justine and her husband Henry joined us for Bonfire Snowshoe Tour last month. We asked her to share a little about their trip.
Hometown:
We roadtripped from Los Angeles, but we're both originally from the east coast (New York and Pennsylvania).
Age: 32
Favorite spring time activity:
Rock climbing outside in Los Angeles before it gets too hot!
Have you been to Bend, OR before?
No, this was our first time. We planned our 9-day camper van roadtrip specifically with Bend, OR as a destination.
What tour did you join and what made you want to do it?
We did the moonlight snowshoe tour which ended up being upgraded to the bonfire snowshoe tour (which was awesome). We're always looking for fun, adventure-y things to do when we vacation - we've rock climbed in Acadia, ME, ziplined in Hawaii and hiked a glacier in Alaska - snowshoeing on Mt. Bachelor seemed like a perfect "only in Bend" activity, especially because we've never been snowshoeing!
The tour was just strenuous enough. It felt amazing to be breaking trails in fresh snow and be in the woods at night. I felt honored to be standing on 8 feet of snowpack with trees that were hundreds of years old. Our guides Courtney & Nick were amazing - they were full of information about Bend's natural history, rock climbing, kayaking and hiking. They made our tour fun, interesting and totally worth the money. (The hazelnut vodka and hot chocolate didn't hurt either).
What else did you do in Bend while you were here?
Not enough! Because of our tight roadtrip schedule, we had about 48 hrs in Bend. We camped at Tumalo State Park for 2 nights in our Escape camper van. We stopped in at REI in the Old Mill District (the REI is actually inside an old lumber mill building) for some Smith Rock climbing beta. We sampled beers and ate dinner at the Deschutes Brewery and Public House on Bond Street (love the Black Butte Porter so much). And we ate breakfast and fell in love with the scones at McKay Cottage (thanks to Wanderlust tour guide Courtney for that tip!).
Any recommendations for visitors coming to Bend in the spring?
What I mentioned above is all awesome. Extra plug for climbing or hiking at Smith Rock - that place is gorgeous. I would definitely recommend people sign up for any Wanderlust tour that catches their eye. I know I would love to come back and kayak the Deschutes River.
Follow more of Justine's adventures!
Instagram: @jtaormino21
Blog: allowingmyself.com
