If you celebrate Christmas, you know the feeling: You’re eight years old as you crash breathless through the living room, heart pounding in your ears and twinkle lights dancing in your eyes. 

Santa left crumbs on the cookie plate and mountains of brightly-wrapped gifts. You are in heaven.

Some of us spend our whole lives chasing that feeling. Lucky for you, there are three ways to grab it in Bend, Oregon.

Catch the fresh snow first

Few things compare with the splendor of being first to plunge through shimmering waves of fresh powder.

For skiers and snowboarders, that means arriving extra early at Mt. Bachelor or Hoodoo the morning after fresh snowfall. Bonus: An early arrival ensures you’ll beat the crowds and have first dibs on parking.

If your tastes run more to snowshoeing, snowmobiling, or an old fashioned family snowball fight, discover the perfect Sno-Park or tour guide when you browse our winter fun page.

Then bundle up, baby. It’s time to chase your bliss.

Plan the perfect first bite

You’ve played hard in the snow all day, and your belly’s rumbling in protest. You sling your bones in a booth at the brewpub and devour the menu like a prisoner released from six years in solitary. Nachos! Tater tots! A juicy burger dripping with bacon and tomato!

You want it all, and you want it badly.

The anticipation. The slow sips of crisp lager as your server carries the bounty to the table and lays it before you. Then—that first, mouthwatering, moan-inducing bite.

Oh, yes. Food nirvana is a thing, and you’ll find it in countless Bend restaurants and breweries along the Bend Ale Trail.

Pro tip: If you’ve got your eye on a spot that takes reservations, book well in advance on holiday weekends so you won’t resort to gnawing the keys off the cash register while waiting for your table.

Embrace the physical bliss

There’s nothing like sinking into the warm, turquoise-tiled bliss of the soaking tub at McMenamins Old Saint Francis as you sip from your plastic cup of IPA and tip your head back to see the stars.

Or maybe you crave the hands-on ecstasy of a deep tissue massage in the soothing oasis of a Bend day spa.

Is it physical exertion your muscles long for? Treat your body to its favorite form of pleasure on the hiking trails or yoga studios or bike paths of Bend’s outdoor nirvana.

From floating to facials, you’re bound to find your favorite form of physical euphoria in Bend.