Slick the Australian Sand Monitor was one of dozens of guests at the Bend Visitor Center this week. It appears he enjoys our selection of Bend Ale Trail merchandise.

Judging from the volume of traffic in the Bend Visitor Center this week, a whole lot of you have come to Bend for the holidays.

Either that, or you got lost en route to the North Pole.

Welcome to all of you, whether you’ve arrived by car or or by plane, with an assortment of kids or furry friends or imaginary pals in your trunk.

Now that you’re here, what do you plan to do?  There are literally hundreds of options, and it’s up to you to decide. Here are five places you can go to get ideas, schedules, and more:

Everyone’s favorite resource: Visitbend.com

At the risk of sounding like a marketing geek, I’ll tell you nearly half the traffic to Visit Bend’s website comes from mobile devices. It’s a dramatic shift we’ve seen in recent years, and it signals more and more guests are using their smartphones to plan vacation activities once they’ve already arrived.

So what does that mean for you?

Assuming you  have a smartphone, you have a magnificent array of travel ideas at your fingertips when you hop on phpstack-307602-2580524.cloudwaysapps.com.

Not a mobile user? Not a problem! The site is accessible from your laptop or desktop computer, and you can visit it from home or after you’ve arrived in Bend.

Either way, you’ll find plenty of handy info under the “What to do” tab, which will lead you to info about winter recreation, family fun, restaurants and dining, The Bend Ale Trail, and much more.

But what if I’m looking for a special event?

Maybe you’re already aware of all your options for snowshoeing, mountain biking, or shopping in Bend. Maybe you’re looking for something extra special that’s only happening right now. No problem! Visit Bend’s Event Calendar is one of our most popular web pages, and for good reason.  Just plug in the date range of your visit and voila! The calendar will show you what’s happening around town during your vacation. You can also search for specific kinds of events or activities, ranging from sports to art to educational offerings.

I’m here for the snow. Gimme.

We’ve got yer snow right here! Thank you to Mt. Bachelor for the white stuff, and to Pete Alport for the pic.

No problem. We’ve got it. Well, Mt. Bachelor has it, and it’s looking pretty nice so far this year. Though the mountain won’t be open on Thanksgiving this year, they have oodles of lifts and terrain operating the very next day and beyond. To check up-to-the-minute snow conditions and operation schedules, go here for the current snow report.

Wanna be our friend?

We’re always looking for new friends, especially in the social media world. If you’re a Facebook user, keep an eye on Visit Bend’s Facebook page where we’re posting a minimum of two times daily (and usually more like four or five) with updates about activities, weather conditions, events, and oodles of scenic photos guaranteed to leave you drooling and planning your next Bend vacation before you’ve even concluded this one.

Hang out with us on Facebook and you’ll see tons of pretty photos like this one (snapped by Visit Bend Marketing Director Nate Wyeth a few weeks ago).

Prefer to get your info in 140 characters or less? No problem! You’ll find us on Twitter at @VisitBendOR. We’re also on Instagram at @VisitBend or on YouTube here.

If you’re craving a cold brew and specific updates about the Bend Ale Trail, keep an eye on the Twitter handle @BendAleTrail or on the Bend Ale Trail Facebook page.

Hey, this blog is kinda cool…

Thanks! We’re glad you like it. Did you know it’s searchable? We’ve been racking up weekly posts for nearly four years, so there’s a pretty good archive of info here at the Bend Buzz Blog. There’s a drop-down menu that lists “categories,” and from there, you can choose to scroll through posts about outdoor recreation, family fun, shopping, or whatever rolls your socks up.

Want to make sure you’re always in-the-know about new posts? Just plug your email address into the “subscribe” field for the Bend Buzz Blog and we’ll make sure you never miss another post.