News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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Part of the spirit of Central Oregon is the enjoyment of actual spirits. Oregon Spirit Distillers (OSD) is known for high-end spirits, encompassing locally sourced materials and grains from here in Oregon. Their website states, "Our mission is to distill with a commitment to local agriculture and Oregon's bold, independent personality. To bring quality, premium spirit brands unique, interesting, and outstanding in their class to the world market." Owners Brad and Kathy Irwin s...
Mushrooms - fungi to the enthusiast - are all around us. Aficionados of all ages delight in hunting the sometimes otherworldly looking organisms, many of which are edible for humans (some are deadly). A few are prized delicacies served in the world's finest eateries. A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. Toadstools are generally poisonous to humans. In Central Oregon,...
Central Oregon is a dream destination for people from around the world. Paradoxically, the region is also full of people who love to travel. Maybe the spirit of adventure is what brought them here in the first place - and it continues to burn brightly. When we think of "adventure travel" we tend to imagine zip-lining across mountain canyons, or trekking into deserts and rainforests in some remote part of the globe. And if climbing mountains, rafting streams, and trekking in re...
It's the classic entrepreneurial scenario: a man with a certain set of skills sees a need and sets about filling it. It was all Ginger's doing. Ginger was John Acree's English Bulldog. She went through a lot of dog beds. "Ginger was just so hard on them," Acree recalled. He knew that there had to be a way to make dog beds durable enough to stand up to Ginger. "I started tinkering with them and taking the bed apart," he said. Acree had a background well-suited to improving an...
Sue Leek has been dancing for over 20 years. Leek is the type of person who dances to her own beat in many aspects of life - not only on the dance floor competing in dance competitions at the age of 80, but also as the owner of a thriving Sisters business, Mackenzie Creek Mercantile. She has owned and operated the store since purchasing it in 2010. Leek has been a Sisters resident since 1964 and worked for the Cyrus family at Aspen Lakes. Leek grew up dancing as a young girl...
A sunny weekend in early September was perfect for a gathering of the creative, the curious, and the resourceful for an event dubbed "the greatest show-and-tell on earth." Central Oregon Maker Fair was held on the grounds of Deschutes Brewery Tasting Room on Simpson Avenue in Bend. For a cost of entry less than the price of a cup of coffee, festivalgoers witnessed and participated in a wide variety of "making." People shared what they are doing and learning, from art to...
Hood River is a gem of a town located just east of Mt. Hood nestled within the Columbia River Gorge. Mt. Hood looms in the distance, casting its shadow over numerous local farms and vineyards. Hood River is known for its farm scene, fruits, and wines. Some of the best regional grapes come out of the Gorge, Hood River included. From Sisters, the drive is gorgeous, through the mountains, up and over the Mt. Hood pass, and lasts around 3-and-a-half hours. It's an easy day trip...
Whether you're a local or a visitor, there's nothing more enjoyable than setting aside a day or two here and there just to take in the sights. Spirit of Central Oregon offers here a couple of off-beat opportunities to touch Oregon history. Riding the Rails There's something about climbing aboard a historic train that slows the world down, providing the opportunity to truly enjoy the scenery along the rails. Not far from the High Desert is just such an excursion, on the Mount...
When Sanoma Blakeley and her horse Goober crossed the finish line in the grueling Tevis Cup Ride endurance race in 2019, she fulfilled a dream she'd held since childhood. Recounting the dramatic tale of that exceptional victory has opened up other trails and other adventures to the Terrebonne equestrienne. Blakeley was 18 years old when she won the 100-mile Western States Trail Ride endurance race that starts in Tahoe and climbs over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to end in...
Central Oregon is well-known for its multitude of outdoor activities - hiking, camping, snow sports, fishing, river rafting, biking, horseback riding. A newer, less-well-known attraction is agritourism, with local farmers and ranchers opening their properties to visitors and offering a wide variety of locally grown products and crafted wares. The High Desert Food Trail is a year-round self-guided adventure designed to be taken at your own pace through the awe-inspiring landsca...
The Metolius River is a wild and scenic place that holds many memories for many people. The river that runs through Camp Sherman is the centerpiece to an area filled with rich history and no shortage of places to escape into the forest. Camp Sherman, 14 miles west of Sisters, got its name from Sherman County farmers who trekked to the area to relax, hunt, and fish after a long season's harvest. It was settled between 1917-1918. For many families, it has been a fishing and...
"No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!" That's the slogan for Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a 10-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 330 chapters in 45 states including one in Bend, helping children in need sleep better. SHP is a Platinum-Level GuideStar charity. They believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads, SHP says. Across the U.S. too many...
"Blessed beyond what I deserve," is the way retired KTVZ meteorologist Bob Shaw describes it. After 24 years in front of the camera, 21 as the "Most Popular TV Personality in Central Oregon," Shaw plans to do some traveling with his wife, Cheryl, and some teaching. His is an engaging story that began in Anchorage, Alaska, expanded across the U.S., and came to rest here in Bend, Oregon in 1983. Weather wasn't always Shaw's forte, and his worklife has been full of variety. Born...
Hank Minor is a master falconer. While he understands the mythical lore and occasional romanticism of falconry, he is very clear what the sport is all about - capturing and training a bird to hunt and kill other animals. Falconry has been practiced for 3-4,000 years - maybe longer - and was, and is, often the sport of nobility especially in the Middle East. Originally, a falconer only flew a falcon, primarily the peregrine falcon, and those flying hawks were "hawking" or...
