Bend is a small city on the Deschutes River, in Central Oregon with about 100,000 year round residents. This popular city is in the high desert just east of the Cascade Mountains with ski resorts and multi-use trails. The city of Bend encapsulates Pilot Butte, an extinct volcano, which the residents enjoy hiking on the trail to the top and the spectacular firework shows shot from the top of the butte. To the south, the High Desert Museum is a “must visit” to truly understand how the “high desert” environment thrives.