Bend, located in the Cascade Mountain range, is the largest city in central Oregon. Bend Oregon, which has a population of over 80,000, was ranked the eighth-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States in 2010.http://www.census.gov/compendia/databooks/2010/www/population.html Bend is the county seat of Deschutes County and provides year-long access to outdoor recreational activities.http://www.edcoinfo.com/communities/bend-profile/default.aspx

Outdoor activities in Bend include skiing and snow boarding, boating, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, river rafting, and golf. Bend, Oregon has an award-wining parks system. A variety of music and arts festivals occur throughout the year. Top rated restaurants and boutique style shopping are both found in downtown Bend.http://www.edcoinfo.com/communities/bend-profile/default.aspx

The city of Bend, originally known as "Farewell Bend", began as a logging town in the early 1900s.http://www.ci.bend.or.us/about_bend/index.html In 1911 a rail line was added to Bend which allowed the town to thrive as a service center for lumber and agricultural products. When the economy hit a low point in the 80s, community leaders began pursuing tourism development. http://www.edcoinfo.com/communities/bend-profile/default.aspx

Bend, Oregon sits at an elevation of 3,625 feet and has an area of 32 square miles.http://www.ci.bend.or.us/about_bend/index.html The city is situated at 44º 03' N latitude and 121º 18' W longitude.http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/orlatlog.htm Bend is located 160 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon and 496 miles northeast of San Francisco, California. The Deschutes river runs through the city of Bend. http://www.bendchamber.com/ Bend features a mild desert climate and sits at the base of the Cascade mountain range.http://www.bendchamber.com/

1. Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort— A ski resort offering 71 different trails for skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. http://www.mtbachelor.com/winter/index.html
2. Downtown Bend— Historic downtown area that includes 375 different businesses such as boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries.http://www.downtownbend.org
3. The Bend Ale Trail— Seven downtown breweries that can be toured on foot, or by bus or horse drawn carriage.http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/Bend-Ale-Trail/
4. Lava Lands Visitor Center— Educational exhibit center, featuring hands on activities, located near the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/newberrynvm/lavalands.shtml
5. High Desert Museum— Interactive museum featuring indoor and outdoor wildlife and living history exhibits.http://www.highdesertmuseum.org/

1. Ellary Porterfield - Actress
2. Brian Malarkey - from TV's Top Chef
3. Lesllie Bovee - Actress
4. Rob Powell - Actor
5. Matthew Janzen - Director
6. Andrea Groener - Actresshttp://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=Bend,%20Oregon,%20USA