A Week in Central Oregon: Why We Chose Powell Butte Instead of Bend
Seven nights, one must-see destination, and plenty of room for whatever caught our attention.
We Weren't Trying to See All of Oregon
We have something resembling a goal of visiting all 50 states. Not necessarily a bucket list with boxes to check, but a desire to actually experience different parts of the country.
And no, a two-hour layover in Minneapolis doesn't mean we've visited Minnesota.
We love the mountains. We have a cabin in North Carolina that we thoroughly enjoy, but every once in a while, it's nice to get away for a week and discover somewhere entirely different.
Oregon had been on our radar, particularly Crater Lake National Park. We considered including the Pacific Coast, but quickly realized we didn't need to explore the entire state in one trip.
The mountains and High Desert around Bend and Redmond looked like a good combination. There were scenic drives, easy hiking opportunities, small towns, restaurants, and enough variety to keep us interested without requiring a carefully choreographed itinerary.
We booked seven nights, May 27 through June 3, 2025.
Crater Lake was the only attraction we knew we wanted to visit.
Everything else? We'd figure it out when we got there.
Why We Looked Beyond Bend
When we started searching for accommodations, we weren't necessarily looking for Powell Butte. We were looking for a particular kind of place.
We wanted a house or apartment rather than a hotel room. A king bed, a comfortable living area, a kitchen, a hot tub, and preferably a spectacular view.
We also wanted somewhere peaceful.
There's nothing wrong with staying in a hotel in Bend. But for a weeklong vacation, we generally prefer having somewhere that feels a little more like home. We don't particularly want to spend seven nights being the people in room 435, even if there's complimentary coffee and a make-your-own waffle station downstairs.
We searched Airbnb for properties around Bend and Redmond, paying particular attention to reviews, the hosts, and what the accommodations actually offered.
Eventually, we found a private apartment above the owners' garage near Powell Butte.
The arrangement was a little different from a typical vacation rental, but the listing checked nearly every box.
The property sat on several acres, with expansive views toward the Cascade Mountains. The apartment had a private bedroom with a king bed, an attached bathroom, a full kitchen, dining space, and a comfortable living area. There was also a hot tub available for guests.
The photographs looked promising.
As it turned out, they didn't do the place justice.
We'll get into the details of the accommodation, what we paid, and what we'd tell someone considering a reservation in Our Full Powell Butte Airbnb Review.
The Vacation Started on the Drive
We flew into Portland and rented a Jeep.
Why a Jeep? Partly because it sounded fun, and partly because we figured four-wheel drive might come in handy if we found ourselves exploring somewhere less conventional.
The roof could be partially opened if the mood struck.
It never did.
But we enjoyed having the Jeep, and later in the week, its four-wheel-drive capability proved useful around some of the snow-covered mountain areas.
We weren't in any particular hurry to reach Powell Butte, so we took advantage of the drive to explore a little.
One memorable stop was Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood.
If you've seen Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, you've seen the exterior of Timberline Lodge. It portrayed the fictional Overlook Hotel.
REDRUM!
We stopped, took photographs, wandered inside, and stretched our legs. There was still plenty of snow, and people were skiing.
One detail caught our attention: an enclosed access area where skiers could enter the lodge and leave their skis and snowboards. That certainly wasn't part of the movie version we remembered.
It wasn't a major excursion, and we didn't need it to be.
It was simply an interesting stop along a beautiful drive.
That's something we've learned about traveling. Not every place needs a two-hour tour, a reservation, or a ticket. Sometimes stopping for a few photographs and a look around is exactly enough.
We'd experienced High Desert scenery before, particularly while traveling through Arizona between Sedona and the Grand Canyon. There's something majestic about that openness.
Back home, it sometimes seems that every available parcel of land is destined to become another subdivision.
Out here, properties were measured in acres, and the surrounding landscape seemed to stretch forever.
Although the Airbnb was in a residential area, it didn't feel crowded. The neighboring properties had room to breathe.
The apartment itself offered plenty of room for the two of us. We had a full kitchen, but that didn't mean we intended to spend our vacation cooking.
Coffee every morning was nonnegotiable. We're not heathens.
Sometimes we'd pick up pastries for the following morning. Other days we'd head out for pancakes or simply have coffee before enjoying a larger lunch.
We ate when we were hungry, went where we felt like going, and didn't worry about maintaining a schedule.
The apartment even had a pinball machine.
Unfortunately, it wasn't working.
Since we hadn't booked the place for its pinball machine, that hardly qualified as a vacation disaster.
Everything else was as advertised or better.
When the Photographs Don't Do It Justice
Our first impression of the Powell Butte property was that someone had put considerable thought into building and finishing it.
The apartment and the main house had the look and feel of custom construction. Everything was comfortable, thoughtfully arranged, and well maintained.
And then there was the view.
The landscape opened toward the Cascade Mountains, with snow-covered peaks rising beyond the High Desert. We could see the Three Sisters and Mount Bachelor among the surrounding mountains.
A Home Base, Not a Headquarters
We chose the Bend and Redmond area because there was plenty to explore without having to change accommodations every night.
Powell Butte worked beautifully for that.
We could head out for the day, explore whatever interested us, enjoy a restaurant somewhere along the way, and return to a peaceful place in the evening.
We visited Crater Lake, explored volcanic landscapes, ventured underground into a lava cave, wandered around waterfalls, and drove into the mountains where snow was still very much part of the scenery.
Crater Lake in Late Spring deserves a story of its own. We'd expected spectacular scenery, but the combination of snow and that extraordinary blue water made the experience even more memorable.
The lava fields were another surprise. In Beneath the Lava and Above the Clouds: Exploring Oregon's Volcanic Landscape, we'll share what it was like to walk through an ancient lava tube and explore the volcanic terrain around Bend.
We visited a couple of small local wineries.
We also found an alpaca ranch near Terrebonne.
At Crescent Moon Ranch, we wandered through the gift shop, bought some alpaca food, and spent an enjoyable hour feeding animals that looked suspiciously like Ewoks.
Nothing fancy. No elaborate attraction. Just some entertaining animals and beautiful scenery.
Another day, we drove toward Mount Bachelor because the mountain roads looked interesting.
We discovered small lakes, trailheads, forest scenery, and enough snow that snowshoes would have been useful in some places.
The ski area had recently closed for the season. A few determined individuals were carrying snowboards uphill to squeeze in another run.
We spoke with employees who were helping close things down. They explained that the lifts were no longer operating, although we were welcome to walk up the mountain ourselves.
We declined.
Apparently, our enthusiasm for snowboarding didn't quite match theirs.
We'll explore more of those unexpected stops in Beyond Bend: Waterfalls, River Walks, and the Stops Worth Making.
There were excellent meals, a few mediocre ones, and plenty of interesting places discovered simply by looking around online in the evenings. Some of the restaurants were worth remembering, while others reminded us that even a well-reviewed place can have an off day. We'll share those experiences in Eating Our Way Around Bend and Redmond.
The only attraction reservation we made during the week was for Lava River Cave, and we booked that the night before visiting.
We didn't need a trail of breadcrumbs telling us where to go next.
We had a rental Jeep, a comfortable home base, and an entire region to explore.
That was enough.
The Best Part of the Day Was Often the Evening
After a day exploring, we'd usually return to the apartment following dinner.
Maybe we'd pour a glass of wine.
Then we'd head for the hot tub.
We used it every evening.
From there, we could look out across the landscape toward the lights of the city below. In the distance, we could watch airplanes arriving and departing from an airport.
Above us were the stars.
Otherwise, it was wonderfully quiet.
We'd talk about what we'd seen that day, the restaurants we'd enjoyed, and the places we might want to explore tomorrow.
Those evenings became one of our favorite parts of the trip.
When it's just the two of us traveling, we have a rule. Four subjects are generally off the table: work, kids, parents, and our animals.
Not because those parts of our lives aren't important. They are.
But sometimes a couple needs time that belongs to the two of them.
For us, that means focusing on our relationship with God and with each other.
A beautiful place to stay doesn't create that connection by itself. But a peaceful setting, a relaxed schedule, and the freedom to enjoy one another's company certainly help.
And that was exactly the kind of vacation we'd hoped to have.
Seven Nights for $1,114.50
Our seven-night Airbnb reservation cost $1,114.50, including taxes and fees, after the discounts for a week-long stay applied to our booking.
That worked out to approximately $159 per night, all-in, in May and June 2025.
We could have found hotel rooms in the area for comparable prices.
But we weren't looking for the cheapest possible accommodation.
We wanted space, comfort, privacy, views, and a hot tub. We wanted somewhere we'd enjoy returning to each evening.
And that's what we received.
When choosing an Airbnb, we generally look for individual owners rather than large property-management companies. We pay attention to Superhost status, ratings, and especially the content of reviews.
A property doesn't need a perfect 5.0 rating to interest us.
One unreasonable review doesn't necessarily tell us much. But repeated complaints about cleanliness, maintenance, or poor communication certainly get our attention.
We also read the house rules. Taking out the trash or washing dishes isn't unreasonable. A long list of potential financial penalties for minor infractions is another matter.
Our Powell Butte hosts lived on the property, but we never interacted with them during our stay.
That was perfectly fine.
We've stayed at other properties where we became friendly with the owners and remained in contact long after returning home.
Both experiences can be wonderful.
We don't need a host to become our new best friend. We simply appreciate a property that delivers what was promised and hosts who have thought about their guests' needs.
Powell Butte delivered.
For the full property details, photographs, and our assessment of its value, see Our Full Powell Butte Airbnb Review.
Would We Stay There Again?
Probably not.
And that isn't a criticism.
We thoroughly enjoyed the apartment. We'd recommend it to other travelers looking for a peaceful place to stay while exploring Central Oregon.
But we've experienced it now.
There are other places we'd like to visit, other accommodations to discover, and more adventures waiting.
That's how we generally approach travel.
We don't arrive somewhere determined to see every attraction, visit every restaurant, and return home with a completed checklist.
We want to experience a place, enjoy our time together, and leave with good memories.
We certainly didn't see everything Oregon had to offer.
We would have liked to explore the Pacific Coast and perhaps see some of California's redwoods or giant sequoias. In fact, that unfinished curiosity has already inspired thoughts of another trip.
And we're perfectly happy with that.
A great vacation should leave you satisfied with what you've experienced, not frustrated by everything you missed.
It's a little like playing golf.
You can have a rough round, but then you make par on the eighteenth hole, and suddenly you're thinking about the next course you'd like to play.
Oregon gave us much more than one good hole.
We came home with a week's worth of memories, a deeper appreciation for Central Oregon, and plenty of reasons to keep exploring.
That's our idea of a successful vacation.
Not seeing everything.
Just seeing enough to remind us how much more there is to discover.