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Sunriver, OR

Almost missed some more sightseeing before I leave! I went over to the thrift store in Sunriver again for the heck of it and then went into Sunriver to the mall there. Interesting area. It is easy to get lost there with 4 circles routing traffic everywhere. The houses all look like summer cabins and there is a big fancy resort with lots of rooms to stay in. Bike riding is HUGE there with bike paths and bike rentals everywhere.

The “mall” is more like a tourist plaza with lots of cute little stores full of tee shirts, knick knacks, sporting goods, books, restaurants, and of course ice cream and popcorn. Toward the back is the pavilion where during the summer they have bumper cars and miniature golf. In the winter, those are cleared away and they ice it over for ice skating. This is definitely an all year resort and it’s not very far from excellent skiing on Mt. Bachelor or kayaking on the river. There is a colorful little train around for the kids to ride and a very interesting seating area. At the front of the mall is a full IGA grocery store with hot BBQ being cooked and served on the patio. Bicycle rentals are in the back of the mall.

Sunriver bumper carsSunriver miniature golfSunriver mall train

Recently, they opened a new aquatic center known as SHARC. Folks seem to love it as it is full every weekend. They have one pool with a climbing net over part of it and another pool where giant tube slides empty into it. There are ground fountains for the kiddies and a dry tubing run up a hill to the side. Food is available as well as picnic tables outside. They also have a couple of small climbing walls and a kids slide. For their winter visitors, they have an indoor pool to keep the party going. Costs Memorial Day to Labor Day are $25 for adults and $20 for kids (4-17 yrs). Off season rates are $18 for adults and $15 for kids. Location is 57250 Overlook Rd.

SHARC pool netSHARC slides and fountainsSHARC Tubing Run

Nearby is the Sunriver Observatory and Nature Center. The Observatory is very small but still worth seeing. It is free during the day and they have telescopes setup with filters to look at the sun and see sun spots and solar flares. At night, they charge $6 for star gazing. They have a roof that rolls back on one side and a dome that opens above the big telescope. Be sure to read the colorful displays and learn something while you are there. I didn’t go into the Nature Center next door but even the walk up to it was educational.

Sunriver Observatory telescopeViewing the sun

West of Sunriver is Mt. Bachelor which is a lovely drive on a sunny day and I highly recommend it. That day, there was a national bike race going on so I passed one cyclist after another. I realize that somehow riding a bike a hundred miles up and down a mountain is supposed to be fun but after seeing the faces of those coming up the rear, I have NO desire to experience that kind of “fun”. The lakes and surrounding mountains were pretty awesome though. I stopped at one day use area on the lake to get a picture of the lake and watch the sailboats skimming across the water in a playful dance with each other and the wind.

Cascades Lakes

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