Sunriver Resort, located just 15 miles south of Bend, Ore., is generally considered a family retreat. Read any magazine review, scan the marketing literature for the resort’s new Caldera Springs development, or view the list of Sunriver’s activities — its all about families and kids at Sunriver, which is great, if you have kids, or travel with your children exclusively.
What about those couples who don’t have children yet? Or those that simply want to get away from their kids for a few days to rekindle the spark that dulls from the daily grind? Could Sunriver possibly offer up anything in the way of a romantic, three-day weekend amidst all this family togetherness? I suppose that depends upon how you define your romance.
Let’s say an active, mid-30-year-old, happy couple arrive at Sunriver for a ‘romantic getaway’ in the dark of night, after traveling for a few hours by plane, train or automobile, from wherever, USA. During said travel portion, let’s say the wife snuggled into her husband’s shoulder and purred the majority of the way. And then after check-in, during the walk to the River Cabins, she notices a hot tub glowing between some artsy rock features, gets excited, and runs to the ‘cabin’ to get ready for a soak.
As for the hot-tubing, Sunriver’s tubs are strategically located around each property, so finding an empty one is pretty simple. After a hard afternoon of travel, or play, the tub’s jets offer a welcome blast of air on the lower back, and allow the thoughtful husband an opportunity to receive a massage of his own, while diligently massaging his wife.
After a 20-minute soak the relaxed couple should be warm enough to walk back to their cabin in their bathing suits, sans towels or robes, in spite of the crisp and cold air that permeates Bend at night.
And let’s say this couple spends the rest of the night snuggling, or whatever, in a cozy, king-size feather-bed in front of a warm fireplace. Is that romantic? Does it sustain your definition of romance? Guys, don’t answer that. But seriously!
Once a resort is stereotyped one way or another, can it redefine itself? Can a ‘family resort’ also be considered a ‘romantic resort?’ Can the Greenbriar’s and Broadmoor’s of the world suddenly transform themselves into family destinations? As the economy continues to boil with troil and trouble, resorts might seek to re-brand themselves as catering to all needs, rather than serving a specific specialty.
Sunriver is the tops in the category for family fun, but it is also a place full of romantic possibilities.
After the night prior’s arguably sexy arrival, let’s say that the couple wakes up the next morning, and while the wife is in the shower the observant husband orders up a couple of café lattes, which somehow are delivered to the room for free. Once cleaned up and looking cute, and buzzing from some fresh java, said couple could take a walk around the resort’s lodge and grounds as the Bend and Sunriver valley awakens in a misty orange glow, which for the uninitiated is worth witnessing with a partner.
In the fall, steam arises from the cool and still streams and rivers that wind themselves through the Sunriver valley, and dew sparkles on the perfectly maintained grasses that surround the lodge and cover the 9-hole putting course, which features a wooden-bridge that leads to views of 9,068-foot Mt. Bachelor.
The thin air at Sunriver’s 4,200-foot elevation is crisp and clean, and in the morning’s mist smells of the sage brush that dominates the valley. The skies are remarkably blue, almost azure, and rarely spoiled by the sight of clouds, minus a few wispy types, which often look stretched by the jet-streams that blow above Bend.
After a cozy walk around the property, preferably arm-in-arm, and perhaps some breakfast at the lodge, let’s say a couple interested in continuing down the path of the romantic partook in an activity disguised as “family fun”, such as a slow and nearly private float down the Deschutes River. Six miles worth of mirror-pond-like water, secluded beaches, bursting fall colors and warm sun could translate into two-to-three hour’s worth of romance, right?
The Sunriver marina is typically milling with families lining up kayaks. Opt instead for the slow-floater, the canoe, which not only allows the gentlemanly husband to paddle and guide the craft, but the wife to lean back and relax, soaking in the high-desert’s golden rays. Those in the kayaks will likely pass the canoeing couple early, leaving them behind to float along in a peaceful state of bliss.
And let’s say this smart couple thought ahead and packed a picnic lunch destined for a private beach? Add-in some central-Oregon Pinot Noir, of course, and viola! Would the “family fun float” be at risk of being branded instead a “romantic river rendezvous?”
Once the sun reaches its peak in Bend during the fall, temperatures can reach 80-degrees and the skies are typically crystal clear. By the time the morning float on the Deschutes comes to its conclusion at the pull out point, and our couple has rallied back to the marina, the afternoon is open to any number of family fun activities that could also be construed as romantic by a traveling couple.
There’s bicycling, and lots of it. Miles and miles of trails, both asphalt and dirt, wind through and around Sunriver. And for those looking to put a little more thrill into their mountain biking, Bend and the surrounding area serve up some of the best trails in the world. Like all things romantic, the sauciness of love and lust is generated by the passion of being alone, regardless of the activity. That being said, cycling has a way of getting the heart racing, in more ways than one.
There’s also golf. Some men, and most women laugh at the mere suggestion of spending four-to-five hours playing a maddening game with their spouse. And then there’s some who neither find the game, nor the company maddening, and in fact relish in the experience. Let’s say a golfing couple teed off in a group by themselves in the afternoon, the wife looking super cute, the husband trying to do the same, and played 18 holes of golf on one of America’s Top-100 golf courses.
Crosswater, host of the Champion Tour’s Jen-Weld Tradition, is an immaculate golf course that winds its way around the Little Deschutes River. Playing to over 7,600-yards from the back tees, Crosswater is a beast, but a fair challenge just the same. From the women’s tees, the wife is presented with a fairly easy test, except on the greens.
The sun sets on the 18th at Sunriver's Crosswater Golf Club
Let’s say this couple finishes their round just as the sun sets at Crosswater, and has a chance to stand on the 18th tee box, with no one around, and enjoy the dimming of the warm, orange light and the appearance of the moon and stars under a huge sky. Perhaps, under those conditions, a round of golf at Sunriver’s Crosswater course might be considered romantic?
What if our vacationing couple capped off golf with a pair of heavenly, 50-minute Four Handed Abhyanga Massages at the resort’s Sage Springs Spa? The four-hander, just as it sounds, is just one of many offerings from Sage Springs, but possibly the most intense. The spa is located just minutes from Crosswater, thanks to Sunriver’s handy shuttle system.
And finally, let’s say this couple then finished the night in style with a late, candlelight dinner for two overlooking the Deschutes River at the Trout House Restaurant? Is that a romantic ending to a romantic day, or what? Especially when the option exists for yet another soak in the hot tub and another snuggle by the fire.
Would a trip like that, and take into account this is a description of just one day, move Sunriver on the list of the Top-50, most romantic resorts in the world? It certainly falls into my Top-50, but then, I’ve only been married for two and a half years. Sunriver thrives on the family vacation theme, but also tries to attract couples, offering a few romance packages,, including one for New Year’s called, ‘The Kiss’, worth looking into.
During the Fall, Sunriver is spectacular, but it is just as, if not more emdearomg in the Winter, when the hot tub serves as a sanctuary from days of snowshoeing, snowmobiling and skiing, or snowboarding at nearby Mt. Bachelor.. During the Spring and Summer months, Bend is at its best, open to any and all activities, but perhaps not as romantic as the Fall and Winter. Basically, the snuggle factor kicks in around October.
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