I have always thought Oregon was a beautiful state, but oh my goodness... this area surpassed my expectations. Big, beautiful trees, scenic landscape with mountains, rolling hills with golden tall grass and flowers, and beautiful rivers & lakes. This part of Oregon is called the High Desert, but it had far more water then our drought stricken Northern California area.
Sunriver in particular is amazing. They have 35 miles of paved, mostly flat bike trails that are well mapped out and take you everywhere, horse stables, rivers with rafting, paddle boarding, and canoeing. You can fish, run, bike, swim, and relax all in one place. The house we stayed in was spacious and livable. It worked perfectly with the 5 kids and 8 adults in our group (my parents, sisters, brother-in-laws, and niece & nephews). It backed up to the trails for easy access and was a quick 5 minute bike ride to the lodge and pool and an 8-10 minute bike ride to the Village, which is filled with things to do (coffee shops, grocery store, train rides for the kids, boutiques, and bike & outdoor rentals). The house backed up to one of the 4 golf courses and had sweeping views of the mountains... it was beautiful. You can't go wrong with any of the homes or rentals in this place... everywhere you look is beautiful!
We spent a lot of our time outside. The kids were pooped at the end of everyday because they were going 100 miles an hour running, flying kites, swimming at The Cove (their brand new pool area, which also has a water slide), riding bikes, playing games, etc. They also had so much fun in the Village riding the train. Tim and I rode bikes and brought the Burley and the kids took turns riding in that. My nephew, Ryan, and Andie had the best time riding around to play at the park then riding ponies at the stables on the last day. The wonderful thing about Sunriver is that if you have a family... kids are welcome everywhere. They even have a play area for kids in the Sunriver Brewing Company (which has good food). There really is something for everyone to do - even if you just like to relax on the patio with a book and enjoy the scenery.
My parents are extremely generous and rented the home for all of us to stay in and made a huge costco trip. We made priceless memories that I will never forget. It was wonderful to watch everyone interact, especially the kids, and the last night I sat on the patio and watched our kids run, play and enjoy it all. These are the times I dreamed of when I imagined having babies... and this trip was incredible. I feel unbelievably blessed and grateful to have the opportunity to travel to a beautiful place with the people I love. Thanks mom & dad!
((caution: picture overload ahead))