Family Vacation in Central Oregon

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Family vacation isn’t exactly a topic you’d expect from a finance blog, but hear me out. My focus for this blog is not to just throw finance tips and words of wisdom at you in hopes you’ll end up wealthy. I also try to get you to adopt a LIFESTYLE of good financial habits, which includes how to have fun on any income. If you’ve read my budget article, you may feel like there’s no room for fun, but that’s not what I’m promoting at all! I’ve made a lot less money before and have still been able to take some spectacular trips (without putting it on a credit card), and I want you to be able to, too!

Drive vs. Fly

For starters, being able to drive for your vacation is a lot less expensive than flying, in most cases. It certainly is if you’re going to be taking a local vacation. Living in Oregon, we are lucky to be so close to many beautiful places within driving distance. One of our favorite things to do to refresh ourselves is to take quick little family trips to Central Oregon. It is our way of getting a vacation without spending a lot of money!

Where To Stay On Family Vacation

Our go-to is Sunriver, a few miles south of Bend, OR. When we go, we always stay in a condo. These residential rentals are pretty common. If you stay in a home, it’s usually more affordable if you have a larger family or multiple families. For just our small family, a small condo is just right.

We have access to a timeshare so only pay a $20 booking fee, which is awesome! If you don’t have this kind of deal, Expedia, Airbnb, Vrbo, and Vacasa are all great ways to find reasonable rentals in Sunriver. Check out the amenities each one provides because that could be a deciding factor, depending on the activities you plan to do while there.

I am so sold on staying in homes/condos as a family no matter where we travel. It’s not just because it’s more comfortable as far as sleeping arrangements and having space to spread out, but they come with full kitchens so you don’t have to go out to eat for every meal! Most residential rentals provide cooking and eating utensils, so you don’t have to pack those things.

We didn’t eat out at all on our last three-day trip. I plan ahead what we’ll eat, pack the groceries with us, and then maybe we go out for a beer or ice cream. You could go grocery shopping in Bend, but I find it’s easier to pack the groceries. If you figure about $10 per meal- and we know that’s on the low side anymore- for one person is about $90 for three days! There isn’t a McDonald’s or anything like that in Sunriver so bringing your own food is definitely a money saver for families. Bonus if you pack freezer meals or other easy things so mama doesn’t have to cook!

Activities In Sunriver

Of course, COVID-19 has restricted some of the attractions that are available. The High Desert Museum nearby would be a must-see usually, and the Sunriver water park is closed for the season. We’ve gone to Sunriver a couple of times since the state started reopening, and the limited access hasn’t actually hampered us at all. There are still plenty of fun things to do that are also FREE!

First off, my favorite thing to do is the biking! Sunriver (as well as other Central Oregon resorts) has a lovely, paved trail system. We stay in properties that provide free one-speed cruiser bikes (there are cruiser bikes all over), as well as bring our baby bike trailer, so we don’t have to rent anything. If you are able, you could bring your own bikes so you wouldn’t have to rent either, just depends how much you want to pack with you. More savings there!

Taking advantage of those free bikes, we took a bike ride out to Benham Falls. It’s about 14 miles round trip, there are a few little hills, but it’s totally doable with the cruiser bikes. We packed a lunch and rode on out. What a way to spend the day!

We stay in a place that provides a pool, as well. If you have kids, you know they can entertain themselves for a long time in a pool. While this resort does have a water park, you would have to pay for it (unless you’re in a condo that provides passes!) and it is shut down for the season. So having a pool, and free access, is a bonus.

Thankfully, a certain number of people were allowed to be in the pool area so we took advantage of that this time around. Usually, we stay busy doing other things that we hardly use the pool! My husband does, however, makes sure to use the hot tub.

Another place close by that is a free activity is going to Paulina Lake. Seriously, this place is beautiful! It reminds me a little Lake Tahoe. I personally like hiking, but my husband kind of died inside when I told him we were going to do a seven-mile hike. Ha ha! Honestly, it’s not that bad, and even he said it was a gentle hike. He couldn’t stop taking pictures!

Kids may not be up for such a long hike, but there are plenty of spots to just hang out for the day to picnic, swim, etc. You could take a somewhat short hike to the natural hot springs that are right off the trail, and not far from the trail head. Grab a map when you arrive so you know where to park, and pack a swimsuit!

If you’re willing to drive a little bit farther north from Sunriver, go check out Smith Rock! It’s beautiful to look at, and has been featured in several films (most recently Wild with Reese Witherspoon). If you’re feeling adventurous, take the Misery Ridge hike, I dare you! I did at five months pregnant so it can’t be that bad!

If you have kids and choose to not torture your family with that kind of a hike, you can get down to the river for a picnic or let kids play in the water. Besides paying for parking (very cheap), this is an inexpensive family outing.

Closing Thoughts

So for our little family, besides paying a few bucks for parking and the gas, it was almost no cost to us! There are plenty of other free things to do or see in Central Oregon, and just even in Sunriver. This is just scratching the surface, and I hope I’ll be able to highlight other attractions in the area in the future when they are open and we return again.

So biking, swimming, hiking… sounds like a pretty awesome, cheap family vacation. Your kids will thank you! It just shows that it is possible to be able to take your family on a vacation without it being overly expensive.

What are some of your favorite local family getaways?

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See this post for saving for things like a vacation, big or small.

See this post for getting your savings started.

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