Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Two of the Three Sisters and Black Crater are seen from the top of Black Butte.

The shoulder season in Oregon is so often defined by what it isn't – no longer summer, not yet ski season – that it can easily be overlooked. But if you ignore that conventional thinking and head out on the road, you may be handsomely rewarded.



That was my experience this fall around Bend, when I decided to spend a few days exploring the central Oregon region best known for skiing and summer recreation – not to mention craft beer and good food. How busy would the town be this time of year? What would surrounding trails and state parks look like?



I scheduled my trip for a Monday through Wednesday in early November, my itinerary full of hikes and attractions, and set off to find out.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

DAY ONE

Richardson's Rock Ranch

After more than two hours on the road from Portland – crossing the Cascade Mountains and descending into the high desert – I pulled off the highway at Richardson's Rock Ranch, a popular roadside attraction near Madras. Owners used to allow visitors to dig their own thundereggs from an on-site mine, but this summer they discontinued the practice, leaving the rock shop as the sole attraction.



The shop is still worth a stop on its own. There, casual collectors can buy polished stones, geodes and fossils at incredibly affordable prices, while hardcore rockhounds can get raw material from around the world in bulk (petrified wood for only $1.25 per pound!). Restraining myself, I walked away with three thundereggs and a fossilized squid shell before continuing down the road.



Richardson's Rock Ranch is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Tuesday for the winter. It's at 6683 Hay Creek Road, Madras. Find more information at richardsonrockranch.com or call 541-475-2680.





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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Cove Palisades

There's nothing quite like The Cove Palisades. The Oregon state park is built up around the edges of Lake Billy Chinook, an artificial lake created by a dam that flooded a canyon where three rivers (Deschutes, Crooked and Metolius) converge. During the summer, the park is a haven for boaters, but in the off-season it's much quieter. I practically had the park to myself, allowing me to take in the many spectacular canyon views in near silence.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Round Butte

I drove the road that rims the eastern edge of the The Cove Palisades to find four great viewpoints overlooking Lake Billy Chinook, then, as late afternoon turned into dusk, continued in the direction of Round Butte Overlook Park. I missed a turn west to the park, finding myself instead driving due north and suddenly uphill. The road soon ended at the top of Round Butte itself, not marked on the map as a public park, but clearly used as such. There were broken bottles and litter in the brush, but views looking west to the Cascades were phenomenal.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Deluxe cabins

Back at The Cove Palisades, I checked into a cabin I had rented for the night. The park is home to two sizable campgrounds (one of which is partially open year-round), but I decided to skip tent camping for a night of relative luxury in a deluxe cabin. Unlike the regular cabins found at most state parks, deluxe cabins come with their own private bathrooms and showers, as well as a basic kitchen area.



The three deluxe cabins at The Cove Palisades are next to the marina, which is closed from the end of September to May. Booking a cabin in that off-season (let alone a weekday) gives you unparalleled quiet in what is otherwise a very busy spot. After dark, I made a campfire in a ring by the lakeshore, listening to fish splashing in the shallows, and watching as the half-moon slowly fell across the sky.



Deluxe cabins are $97 per night at The Cove Palisades, book online at oregonstateparks.org.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

DAY TWO

Mother's Downtown Kitchen

After watching the sun rise at Lake Billy Chinook, I quickly packed up and drove down the highway to Bend. The meal bar I ate for breakfast didn't satiate, so I stopped off at Mother's Downtown Kitchen in Bend for something a little more filling. The small juice cafe and restaurant focuses on healthy, organic food – great before a day of exploring. I ordered a dish called the Perfectly Sunny, with two eggs over a kale and sweet potato hash, avocado, grilled onions and tomatoes.



Mother's Downtown Kitchen is open daily for breakfast and lunch. It's at 10 N.W. Minnesota Ave. in Bend. Find more information at mothersjuicecafe.com or call 541-382-1870.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

High Desert Museum

In all the times I'd been through Bend, I had never made it out to the High Desert Museum. This time, I remedied that oversight by stopping by in the morning, joining older couples and young parents pushing strollers. The indoor/outdoor museum is expansive, including sections on local Native American culture, modern history and wildlife in the high desert. Several exhibits house live animals, from snakes and turtles to otters and owls.



The High Desert Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily for the winter. It's at 59800 U.S. 97 in Bend. Admission is $17 for adults, $14 for seniors and students, and $10 for kids. Find more information at highdesertmuseum.org or call 541-382-4754.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Deschutes River Trail

Hazy gray clouds rolled in as morning turned to noon, right as I reached the Deschutes River Trail. There are several trails called the "Deschutes River Trail" in the area, but this 8.5-mile trail south of Bend might be the best. I started at the Dillon Falls Trailhead and walked north, passing by lovely Dillon Falls and tall canyon cliffs, down to placid stretches of the river through forests of pine. Mountain bikers and runners zoomed by, but otherwise the hike was serene, a quiet slice of high desert paradise.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Old St. Francis School

Bend is known for its funky and fancy vacation rentals, but for this trip I opted to stay downtown at the Old St. Francis School. A true McMenamins property, the former Catholic school has been converted into a hotel, pub and theater, with several bars scattered around the property. After checking in, I had a beer at the "secret" Broom Closet bar, pizza at the pub and a whiskey at the Fireside Bar. My cozy hotel room beckoned, but first I wanted to get out on the town.



Old St. Francis School is located at 700 N.W. Bond St. in Bend. Book a room at tripadvisor.com or mcmenamins.com.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Nightlife in Bend

I didn't expect much from Bend's nightlife, it being late on a Tuesday evening in November. But walking through the streets in the warm fall night, I was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of people out and about. Most seemed to be headed for Deschutes Brewery and Bend Brewing Company, while a few sat scattered at late-night eateries like Barrio­ and Pine Tavern. I stopped off at Ranch Records to browse the vinyl, then wandered over to Bonta, an artisanal gelato spot that had a line out the door.

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Soaking pool

Back at the Old St. Francis School, I decided to end the night with a dip in the hotel's saltwater soaking pool. The pool looks downright magical, built into a space with tiled murals, stained glass, statues and an open-air ceiling. The soaking pool is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for a fee of $5, but hotel guests get in for free and can soak until midnight. I had the place entirely to myself, relaxing in the warm water and gazing up at the stars that peeked through the cloudy night sky.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

DAY THREE

Drake Park

It was a beautiful fall morning in Bend, with clear blue skies and some colorful foliage still left on the trees. I decided to walk from the hotel to one of my favorite breakfast spots in town, Chow, which lies on the other side of Drake Park. Crossing the wooden footbridge bridge over Mirror Pond, I stopped to admire the ducks bobbing for food, as people rode by on bikes and strolled down paths with their dogs. This urban park is one of Oregon's best, for its peaceful beauty if nothing else. Situated in the middle of town on the banks of the Deschutes River, you really can't – and shouldn't – miss it.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Chow

Chow specializes in creative dishes made with local ingredients, and it never seems to disappoint. Funky art greeted me inside the dining room, which glimmered with small rainbows cast through prisms in the morning light. I ordered an egg dish called The Ceasar, which comes with two poached eggs over a cornmeal cake topped with roasted chilies, pickled peppers and avocado. I tacked on a side order of pumpkin spice pancakes for good measure.



Chow is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's located at 1110 N.W. Newport Ave. in Bend. Find more information at bendinspoon.com or call 541-728-0256.

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Tumalo State Park

Before heading out of town, I wanted to stop by Tumalo State Park, a place known for its picnic areas and views along the Deschutes River (as well as the closest campground to Bend). It's a nice place to fish or have lunch, but hikers also flock to the park for the Deschutes River Trail – yes, another Deschutes River Trail – which follows the river south for several quiet miles. The trail soon winds up at the Riley Ranch Nature Reserve, where hikers can continue on and explore. I turned back at the ranch, my eye on a bigger hiking prize to end the day.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Black Butte

About an hour northwest of Bend, through the lovely town of Sisters, a sign on U.S. 20 directs drivers to the Indian Ford Campground. I'm sure it's a nice spot, but I passed it by in favor of winding forest roads that instead led up to the Black Butte Trailhead. From there, a moderate two mile hike took me to the top of Black Butte, an extinct volcano that stands nearly 6,500 feet tall in the shadow of the central Cascades.



Atop the butte, you can see a ton of nearby peaks: Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack, two of the Three Sisters, Broken Top, Mount Hood and sometimes Mount Adams in the distance. Two fire lookouts (one modern, one old) stand at the summit, making it all a feast for the eyes.



As I sat and soaked in the scene, one thought about this fall trip to central Oregon kept crossing my mind: It wasn't long enough. It never is. But graced by gorgeous weather and treated to simply luxuries, I couldn't complain. The mountains that surrounded me felt inviting, beckoning me back to this beautiful place again. I'll definitely be back – this season or another.



--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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