A TRIP Under the Sun

A little more than three months ago, I sat in a meeting that set the stage for this magazine … and realized I’ve been missing out.

I moved to Bend almost eight years ago, and I’m proud to say that I’ve done my share of exploring. Central Oregon is basically a series of adventures, and for each one that you experience, another takes its place. In other words, I like to think of myself as “in the know” when it comes to stuff to do.

However, of the eight people in that meeting in May, I was the only one to shamefully confess that I’d never visited Sunriver. Never rented a bike for a trip to Benham Falls. Never taken a stroll among the pines at La Pine State Park. Never gone shopping at The Village at Sunriver. Never visited the Great Hall and admired its stately log-cabin design. Never enjoyed a drink in the sunshine while gazing at the river as it winds through Meadows Golf Course. Never splashed my way through a hot summer day at Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic & Recreation Center. Never taken in the closeness of nature while riding a horse from Sunriver Stables.

All those “nevers” prompted me to take a trip to Sunriver recently and experience the lifestyle that was talked about so much in that meeting. It was a short trip, but even during that brief afternoon, I was enticed, ensnared… engaged.

I took a stroll in The Village, chatted with a few gregarious residents who were more than willing to share a few laughs, gazed at the scenery bathed in warm sunlight and even contemplated — despite my lack of good footwear — renting a bike.

And that’s when I had my second epiphany: This slice of heaven south of Bend shouldn’t be missed!

We here at The Bulletin’s Special Projects division don’t want you to be encumbered with a list of “nevers.” And that’s the essence of Under the Sun: The Sunriver Area Lifestyle. A magazine that highlights local events as well as the people behind the scenes, Under the Sun gives you an inside look at the community, character and recreation that make up this slice of Central Oregon.

So read on, dear readers, and see what the Sunriver area is all about.

I’ll be reading and planning my next trip right along with you.