One of my favorite Bend events is Wine by the River this year being held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 6 and 7. This is a festival that features more than 30 Italian wineries in a two-day festival that benefits the Children of Hospice Center in Central Oregon. Every year we gather at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend for this important fund raiser, but this year we are doubly excited about the Friday night, October 5th pre-event, the Tre Bicchieri at the Five Pine Lodge & Convention Center in Sisters, Oregon. This judging and tasting is the ultimate celebration of Italy. At Tre Bicchieri, which means “three glasses,” you can taste 15 wines that represent the pinnacle of Italian wine making.  This is an event no wine lover should miss!!

When I am on vacation, what I want most is privacy and comfort. At my favorite place to stay in Central Oregon, the Cricketwood Country Bed and Breakfast, comfort comes with a capital “C.” It doesn’t feel like a hotel because the rooms come with comfortable loveseats or couch recliners. And the grounds are so lovely — 10 acres of peace & quiet. Nature and beauty up close and personal, just how I like it. When I’m not out bird watching, I can relax with a good book or a glass of wine. They have a fantastic outdoor spa. One of my favorite things to do is just float on my back and count the stars. The scent of juniper all around is heavenly!

When we were planning our wedding reception, we knew we wanted an outdoor reception where we could smell the pine and juniper. We are fanatics about Bend Oregon, so what other place would we choose? For us, the perfect choice was the Riverhouse Resort Hotel. They helped us with a reception out on the deck, along the banks of the gorgeous Deschutes River. After the wedding we spent a fantastic week, me on their beautiful golf course, and my husband fly fishing the Deschutes. They have a scrumptious steak house right there, and room service was awesome. I you love Central Oregon the way we do, you can’t go wrong having your reception at the Riverhouse Resort.

Bend’s Adventure Fitness Boot Camp for Women is a four-week program that offers world-class fitness instruction & motivational tools - packed with fun and energizing activities designed to help you reach your fitness goals fast in a women’s only fitness program. The Adventure Fitness Boot Camp is now registering for Oct 15th  at Bend’s Indoor Sports Center on the corner of Empire and High Desert Lane. For more information see their web site.

Central Oregon’s High Desert Museum is exhibiting works from Andy Warhol’s athlete series to Bend’s Praegitzer Gallery. Their faces are familiar: Muhammad Ali, Pele, Jack Nicklaus, Dorothy Hamill, O.J. Simpson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tom Seaver, Willie Shoemaker, Rod Gilbert, and Chris Evert are immortalized in Warhol’s signature silkscreens. The Praegitzer Gallery in downtown Bend is a branch of the High Desert Museum. The gallery is open Tues.-Sat. 11am-6pm. The exhibit runs through Oct. 7, and is free. The address is 916 NW Wall St.

Kids in Bend never had it so good. The new Working Wonders Children’s Museum allows kids to explore, discover, learn, and most of all, play. The museum has hosted Bend’s Summerfest, wildly popular with kids. Nowhere else in Central Oregon can they enjoy such creative, self-directed play. Located in the Old Mill District, the museum houses 4,400 square feet of exhibits that explore health, fitness, science, the arts, and world culture. Working Wonders has a museum store with educational toys and take-home activities that highlight exhibits.

The Crooked River Dinner Train offers Wild West and Mystery adventures. A Redmond Oregon tourist favorite, the Dinner Train takes visitors back to the past with a variety of dining events. Offering a new play every year, their unique Murder Mystery shows transport travelers back in time to the 1800s days of bandits like Jesse James. Each character establishes relationships with guests. Then minutes before the train departs, a murder is committed. Who did it? It could be any one of the dubious staff members. Kids love looking for clues and trying to solve the mystery. Adults will enjoy the suspense and humor, along with a variety of libations. The Sunday Supper Train includes a real life train robbery. You’ll enjoy the light excursion through awesome Crooked River Vally scenery. Bring your camera and have your picture taken with the James Gang and other infamous outlaws. For reservations call 541-548-8630.