4 Reasons to Visit Bend, Oregon (And How the Bend Soap Story Began)

October 13, 2025

Marilee here! We spent the entire summer back in Bend, Oregon and I was reminded of all the reasons we just love the area. Bend isn’t just a beautiful place to visit—it’s where our story began. It’s where Dwight and I raised our children on a small goat farm, built Bend Soap Company from the ground up, and experienced what simple, faith-filled living looks like.

Even though our family now calls Tennessee home (and we truly love it here), we return to Bend for visits often. It’s the place that shaped us as both a family and a company. We’ve gotten a lot of questions about our namesake over the years, and it’s a topic I’m always happy to talk about.

There are so many things we love about this high-desert town—things that also make it one of the best places to visit in Oregon. So whether you’re planning a trip to Bend this winter or simply daydreaming about your next family getaway, here’s why you should pack your bags.

How Bend, Oregon Became Our Hometown and Legacy

Our journey to Bend began years before our business ever existed. Dwight’s mother, Paula, was originally from Oregon. After decades in Southern California, their family finally returned home. Not long behind him came me—a young girl with a love for the country, a desire for family, and a hope of simple living.

We were married just outside Bend beneath that famous Oregon sunshine. Life here was shaped by green hay fields, hardworking neighbors, and the kind of community where everyone knew how to lend a hand. Most of our neighbors were ranchers, equestrians, or homesteaders, raising cattle, horses, alpacas, or hay.

That lifestyle taught us what it meant to build something honest and lasting.

When our son was struggling with eczema, that same farm life led us to an unexpected discovery. We started using the raw goat milk from our own goats to craft a gentle, nourishing, and life-changing soap. To our delight, it worked! After sharing the soap with neighbors, friends, and folks all over town, the word kept coming back that they wanted more —and Bend Soap Company was born right there.

Naming our company after the town where it began seemed fitting. Bend is a tourist town full of fun, adventure, and families that love to build and share their lives together. It represents hard work, integrity, and purity in both life and product.

4 Reasons to Visit Bend, Oregon

Even though our family now calls Tennessee home, Bend will always be part of our roots. Every time we come back to visit, we’re reminded of just how much this community has encouraged and supported us and how much we enjoy our time spent in the Central Oregon beauty.

Here are my top four reasons why visiting Bend could be a win for you and your family.

1. A Community That Supports Small Business Dreams

In Bend, supporting local is a way of life. This Central Oregon community has sparked countless entrepreneur stories, from Hydro Flask and Laird Superfood to Cairn and Picky Bars and many others. When we started selling our goat milk soap at the Northwest Crossing Farmers Market, we felt that same spirit: locals who loved natural products and travelers eager to take a piece of Oregon home.

Bend’s strong sense of support gave us our start. That passion is behind every bar of goat milk soap we make today. Local stores began carrying our products right away, helping our soap reach more hands and homes. Before long, the local news stopped by for interviews, and customers and community groups came out for tours and to shop our little storefront—a reminder of how deeply this town rallies behind its own.

Here are a few of our favorite home-grown businesses to visit:

Northwest Crossing Farmer's Market -- The West-side haven for budding entrepreneurs and locals to present their home made goods, where Bend Soap originally started.
Hope Springs Dairy - our sister farm where you can enjoy a sweet time of enjoying cows and goats and the richness of farm life (maybe even getting to milk one yourself!)
Kevista Coffee – A west-side gem started by a husband-and-wife duo, perfect for a cozy latte and good conversation.
Bend Burger Company -- The BEST burgers and shakes in town, started by our very own wedding photographer and her husband.
McKay's Cottage -- the best place for a quiet and elegant breakfast or lunch with friends. Started and ran by some of our friends, its now a bustling place in town.
Local Acres - the family-owned grocery store that was one of the first places to carry Bend Soap products.

2. Mountains and Rivers That Remind Us of God’s Beauty

If you’ve ever stood at the top of Smith Rock State Park at sunset, you know why this land feels majestic. The way the Sisters Mountains rise in the distance, the way the light dances across the fields, and the quiet that settles over the high desert—it all whispers of God’s glory.

Dwight actually proposed to me at sunset at Smith Rock, and every time I go back, it’s like I’m stepping back into that precious moment. From the Deschutes River winding through town to the wide blue skies overhead, Bend’s natural beauty has a way of wowing you.

If you’re wondering why you should visit Bend, it’s for the chance to slow down and be reminded of how mighty God is and how beautiful life can be.

Here are some of our favorite places to adventure in and around Bend:

Drake Park - Grab a kayak or float the Deschutes river in this lovely park in the middle of town
Pine Nursery Park – A go-to for pickleball, sand volleyball, frisbee golf, and wide-open spaces the whole family will love.
Cascade Lakes Highway – This scenic drive is packed with stunning views and crystal-clear lakes like Sparks, Elk, and Cultus. Great for a day visit or a camping weekend.
Smith Rocks State Park - Beautiful hiking trails up to the top of Smith Rocks where you can see the entire Central Oregon valley and trail walking along the Deschutes River. This place is also known for its world class climbing spots.
Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort – Just a short drive from town, this is where our oldest seven children learned to ski!
Steelhead Falls - the boys favorite cliff-jumping spot.
Lucky Lake - Not for the faint of heart, but a reward at the top. The crystal clear cool waters at the private high mountain lake make it worth the adventure.

3. Fall Harvest & Sunsets

There’s nothing quite like a fall trip to Bend, Oregon. The air gets crisp and every sunset gets longer and longer as it sheds its rich colorful beauty across the land. On the farm, fall was one of our favorite seasons: a time of harvest, a time to bale up the last of the hay crop, a time to enjoy family dinners and lots of gratitude.

I can still picture the sprinklers glimmering over the hayfields at sunset, or being covered in frost from an early freeze—it’s a beauty that never gets old. If you’re planning an Oregon fall trip, don’t miss:

The Deschutes River Trail for scenic hikes and photo-worthy views.
Well-Rooted Farms - UPick Flowers and UPick Vegetables for the community are in full bloom
Outings at Smith Rock Pumpkin Patch and the Bend Fall Festival.
Peaceful evenings that remind you to be still and give thanks.

4. Hayfields & Irrigation

The high desert here in Bend is an arid and dry climate, with the original topography laden with sagebrush and juniper trees. However, with the use of a complex web of irrigation canals and ponds, the land is instead rich with production and harvest. This cyclical patterns of launching the irrigation in the spring, moving wheel lines in the summer and harvesting large crops throughout the season, makes the Central Oregon basin a land full of agriculture and production when it otherwise wouldn't be.

The extensive canals and ponds nurture the animal kingdom as well, with their moisture and growth fostering otherwise non-existent nesting grounds and safe havens for geese, duck, deer, and even elk.

Bend’s Lasting Imprint on Bend Soap’s Story

We never could have imagined the story that was written in those 20 years in Bend. From our beginnings as a couple, to building a family, to starting Bend Soap Co, and then experiencing its growth over 12 years. These roots ran deep! Looking back has been such a joy - as we see how far the Lord took us, and how good his provision is. I love that you were a part of that journey, too!

Looking back, it’s easy to see how God used our time in Bend to prepare us for everything that came next. From the entrepreneurs and supportive community to the rugged beauty and places to adventure, it was the perfect place to learn, grow, and develop the calling that would become Bend Soap Company.