Fall is the season to recharge before the holidays hit full swing, and Bend is a perfect place to escape your screen and fill your cup. Crisp hikes, brewery flights, and mornings that start with yoga instead of Advil.

Here’s your fall-in-Bend playbook, as carefully curated as an iPod playlist.

Bend has it all — from RV parks to vacation rentals — but if you are going solo or duo, hotels with personality shine. The Hilton Garden Inn and the Hampton Inn & Suites Bend sit on the edge of the Old Mill District, close to shopping, wine, and river front walks. Want camp vibes without roughing it? Opt for the Campfire Hotel. For outdoorsy energy, stay at LOGE Bend, only 18 minutes from Mt. Bachelor and the Three Sisters Wilderness.

And yes, mom and dad, pets are welcome at My Place Hotel.

Wander downtown for indie gems at Bronwen Jewelry or sustainable style at Found Natural Goods. Cozy up at Dudley’s Bookshop Café with caffeine and creaky floors. For a picnic in Drake Park, grab a green chile chicken caesar salad at Bodega Market. Then stroll to the Old Mill District for some recreational shopping at places like Budd + Finn. Across the river, don’t miss the Deschutes Brewing Tasting Room + Tour: part beer, part history, all Bend.

For dinner, Bosa offers housemade pasta like cacio e pepe, while Hasta que Olvidemos pours small-batch wine. Sen Thai Noodles & Hot Pot plates savory guay teow neau made with local beef from Well Rooted Farms, ten miles away. It also has awesome riverside dining views.

Prefer pints? Bend Brewing Company, Bend’s second-oldest brew pub, also has those views as well as chewy Trade War Export stouts. Dez Lounge and Hosmer Bar have zero proof hot toddies and pineapple chill margaritas, while Dogwood and Velvet mix up seasonal N/A cocktails. For something quirky, head to McMenamins Pub at Old St. Francis School and find the hidden Broom Closet bar. (Hint: Roam the hotel looking for a broom closet and feel along the walls for a secret door.) Otherwise post up at Modern Games for board games that will put your old Monopoly nights to shame.

Today’s your day for adventure! Kick start it at Sisters Coffee in the Old Mill with an espresso and flaky almond croissant from M’s Bakery or fill up the tank with the breakfast chimichanga at J Dub.  

Fall’s cooler temps make Smith Rock State Park irresistible. This is the birthplace of American sport climbing and you’ll find hundreds of spectacular climbing routes stitched up golden volcanic tuff. Smith Rock Climbing Guides can introduce you to the sport safely. Hikers should try the aptly named Misery Ridge loop, a four-mile grind up about 1,000 vertical feet. For a four-legged adventure, sign up for a horseback ride through the otherworldly rock formations with Smith Rock Trail Rides. For something different: Ask them about doing a guided hike with your own alpaca. 

For adrenaline without the ropes, I’d spend a few hours roaring around the lava fields near Bend on a guided, self-driving UTV tour with Outriders Northwest. Fall mountain biking is exceptional, too, with more than 600 miles of trails to choose from. Cog Wild can guide you around or run shuttles. Trail running this time of year is primo. The Deschutes River Trail between Benham Falls and Dillon Falls is mostly flat or go big and at Horse Ridge on a ten-mile loop with about 1,500 feet of elevation gain—nearly all of which is runnable.

You’re hungry no doubt, so grab dry-aged beef tartare or ricotta gnocchi at Lady Bird Cultural Society or head to my favorite spot, Prost, for weissbier and some wienerschnitzel or gulasch! (Time your visit for Oktoberfest on September 20.) Otherwise, catch a show at the Domino Room or Volcanic Theater Pub or keep it mellow with an indie flick at Tin Pan Theater.

Start off with a “bright eyes” pineapple, beet, mint juice and get all bushy tailed at Mother’s Juice Cafe or head to Jackson’s Corner for avocado toast and eggs benedict. Bowls are always great for breakfast, too; Active Culture makes hearty bowls from scratch, including the sauces.

After yesterday, you may want to stretch it out at Namaspa Yoga, Bend Hot Yoga, or Yoga Shala. For a morning workout that doesn’t feel like a workout, hike the mile-long Nature Trail up Pilot Butte for 360 degree views of the Cascades and high desert. You might even spot Mount Saint Helens, 3 hours away. For all the skaters, drop into Ponderosa Skate Park to shred the rails and half pipes. Climbers can kill some time by testing your grip strength at The Circuit or Bend Rock Gym. If you want to be really low key, wander back downtown for the last of Bend’s farmer markets.

That’s Bend in the fall, y’all. So pack your adventure pants and enjoy the ride. The Advil is up to you.