The champagne is gone, the noisemakers are stashed, and it’s time to get serious about those pesky New Year’s resolutions.

Trail running in Bend is a great way to get a jump on your fitness goals.

Some good news: this is the year you’re finally going to achieve all those goals you set for yourself. Your secret weapon? A vacation in Bend, Oregon.

Here’s how a Bend vacation can help you achieve six of the most common New Year’s resolutions.

If you’ve resolved to get fit…

Dubbed “the outdoor playground of the west,” Bend is the place to be if fitness and recreation are part of your plans for the New Year. No matter what form of fitness you prefer, Bend offers the best playground to do it. Is snowplay your thing? National Geographic listed Bend as one of the world’s top 25 ski towns. Fond of hunting and fishing? Outdoor Life named Bend the nation’s #1 town for sportsmen. Both Competitor and Outside magazine named Bend the top town for trail running, while Mountain Bike Action spotlighted the city as America’s #1 mountain biking town.

If you’re new to fitness and all this sounds a little too expert-level for your taste, don’t worry! You’ll find plenty of help for newbies just looking to get started. Try a basic mountain biking tour with Cog Wild, or scope out Visit Bend’s hiking page or Cascade Hiking Adventures to choose a good starter hike that’s more your pace.

If you tend to be more goal-oriented with your fitness, skim our event calendar for upcoming races like the Pole, Peddle, Paddle in May, the Dirty Half Marathon in June, the Deschutes Dash in July, or the Haulin’ Aspen in August. Then start your training program now so you’re ready to compete on race day.

If you’ve resolved to spend more time with family…

When it comes to family fun, no one does it better than Bend. Grab a bottle of bubbles at the Dollar Tree before you head out for a family-friendly hike up Pilot Butte. When you reach the top, blow bubbles for the kids to chase.

A hike up Pilot Butte (complete with bubbles for the kids to chase) is a great way to get some healthy family time.

If snow-play is your scene, Mt.Bachelor offers the ultimate family-friendly package with their kids ski free offer that allows kids 12 and under to ski free with the purchase of an adult lift ticket. You can also opt for an afternoon at the SnowBlast Tubing Park or a truly special experience with a family sled dog rides with Oregon Trail of Dreams.

For a guided outing you’ll all remember, try a cave tour or a snowshoe outing with Wanderlust Tours.

Feeling more indoorsy? Enjoy an evening of arcade games and bowling at Sun Mountain Fun Center. For the consummate Central Oregon experience, check out the High Desert Museum where you’ll enjoy artful exhibits, history, culture, and cool local critters like the bobcat, lynx, badger, and porcupine.

Do the kids still have energy to burn? Bend has nearly 70 public parks scattered all over town where you can run, cavort, slide, swing, and frolic ‘til everyone’s tuckered.

If you’ve resolved to have a better work/life balance…

This is what working from home looks like in Bend.

In 2012, Entrepreneur magazine touted Bend as “the most entrepreneurial city in America.” If you’re tired of the rat race in your current city of residence, now might be the time to consider a move to Bend. As any HR director will tell you, employees are more productive when they’re happy, healthy, and inspired by the natural beauty around them.

If you’re thinking of relocating a business to Bend, the city has plenty of competitive advantages, including an affordable cost of living and business-friendly infrastructure. Bend also offers fast access to major business markets, with direct flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Denver, and Salt Lake City.

Go here to learn more about moving your business to Bend.

If you’ve resolved to be smarter with money…

OK, I can’t claim you’ll actually save money with a Bend vacation if you’re choosing between that and staying home on your sofa. But if you’re scheduling a vacation anyway and considering options like Vail or Tahoe, Bend wins hands-down on the affordability scale.

Whether you’re analyzing prices on Bend hotels and vacation rentals or checking out the price of activities, you’ll find Bend to be one of the least expensive mountain destinations in the region. Just ask TripAdvisor (the world’s largest travel site) which recently analyzed the most popular ski destinations in the U.S. based on common ski trip expenses like hotel stay, lift ticket, rental equipment pricing, food, and beer. Bend was named the #2 value in all of the U.S. and Canada. Not too shabby!

Eating in Bend can be both healthy and inexpensive with meals like this pistachio seared king salmon salad at Broken Top Bottle Shop.

For even more tips on saving money in Bend, keep your eyes on the Bend Buzz Blog. Posts like Cheapskates, Rejoice! Bend has great lunch options for $6 or less as well as Your guide to finding Bend’s best cheap eats for $3.50, $2.50, $1.50, or (*gasp*) FREE! can help you stretch your vacation dollars to the max.

If you’ve resolved to eat better…

No matter what your culinary resolutions entail, you’ll find a great support system in Bend. Going gluten-free? Bend is teeming with restaurants catering to your culinary needs, and you’ll find a roundup of them here.

You’ll find a bounty of nutritious offerings at Sara’s Raw & Vegan Café, which features handcrafted smoothies, daily lunch specials, yummy vegan snacks, raw desserts, and more. If you’ve pledged to focus on locally-sourced foods, check out the selections at Chow or Jackson’s Corner, where they make it their mission to incorporate as much local food as possible into their meals.

If you’ve resolved to master a new skill…

There are plenty of things you can learn in Bend, depending on what interests you. Hook up with a local fly fishing outfitter to learn casting techniques or the best place to find big, fat trout.

A cooking class with the Well Traveled Fork is a great way to pick up a new skill in the New Year.

You’ll also find an array of community learning classes offered through Central Oregon Community College. Choose from professional development classes like foreign language or computer skills, or opt for continuing ed courses ranging from yoga to art to gardening.

Want to try your hand at photography? Cascade Center of Photography offers a variety of workshops to nurture your inner shutterbug, or embark on an outdoor photo adventure with a guided tour from Extreme Oregon.

Believe it or not, winter is a great time to learn to kayak. Rather than dunking you in a frigid river, Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe makes it simple for you to learn basic techniques in their shop and a swimming pool before you head out on the open water. Go here to learn about classes offered now, including their three-hour brace and roll class offered most weekends throughout the winter.

So what’s your New Year’s resolution this year? And more importantly, when will we see you in Bend so you can start fulfilling it?