what makes Bend one of the fastest growing towns in the USA ?
Population now about 85,000 . It was 14, 000 in 1977 when we moved here .
Weather : 300 days of sunshine.
Low humidity . 3600 feet ASL .
In summer it gets to 85 mid July to mid Sep and cools down to 55 at night .
You do not sweat profusely .
It rains about 12 inches per year total .
There are zero hurricanes or tornadoes .
There is no mold or moss . Everything such as wet camp gear dry out very quickly .
It does not go below zero for longer than a week or so .
In winter the sun comes out before and after the snow and the radiant heat gain at 3600' ASL warms your body .
The snow that falls is the powder stuff mostly and not the wet kind you cannot move .
They do not use salt on the roads to rust out your car .
The Cascade Mountains are very close and the clouds get hung up on the mountains .
No water shortage because the mountain streams come east toward Bend .
The closest freeway is 140 miles away .
No houses or car lots have wrought iron gates / bars installed .
World class skiing at Mount Bachelor just 22 miles from town .
Multitudes of free " dispersed camping " within a 90 minute drive in every direction .
Bend is a mecca for retired pro athletes and olympians .
Quaint downtown .
About a dozen world class Brewerys , Deschutes Brewery , etc .
Some athletic event going on every other weekend all year long .
Bike racing , road racing , Pole Paddle Pedal , Heaven Can Wait , Ski racing , TrackTown USA is 2.5 hours away .
Got a fast car ? Eastbound the population is less than 2 per square mile .
US Hiways 2 lane across the desert with good visibility . Don't hit a cow .
Very active Porsche Club .
People in Bend are fit . They run , walk, ski , bike , hike , kayak , paddleboard .
Other than that there is no good reason why folks vacation / live in Bend .
