Review site names Bend the best ski town in America
Bend is no stranger to “best-of” lists, and on Wednesday it made two more — topping an online review site’s ranking of the “Best Ski Towns in America,” while the Bend-Redmond metro area came in third on another list of the “Most Fitness-Friendly Places of 2019.”
Eugene-based RAVE Reviews, which calls itself “the innovative site that publishes entertaining rankings based on advanced data-driven analysis,” just placed Bend atop its ranking of the “10 Best Ski Towns in America,” available for review at https://www.ravereviews.org/travel/best-ski-towns-in-america/.
The organization said it compiled its list by “triangulating” similar lists from Travel + Leisure, Forbes, Sunset.com, regional travel websites and more. They then gave each town a “Shred-o-meter” from 1-10, with 10 — Bend’s ranking — “being, like, ski and snowboarder nirvana.”
Each city earned points based on how frequently it made other lists, including the best places to stay, eat, ski and overall terrain and snow conditions.
In the Bend top-spot ranking, it lists the Oxford Hotel as the best place to stay, Spork as the best place to eat and Mt. Bachelor as the best place to ski.
Here’s their news release:
It’s that time of year again everyone. The time to pack a lunch, fill up our gas tanks, and maybe stash a few goodies in the jacket for the lift up, or the ride down. The snow has begun to fall (surprisingly, considering the most recent climate change report) and it’s time to hit the slopes once again. Some of us are fortunate enough that our mountaintop adventure is only a short distance away. For others, finding a decent slope to hit is a once a season event that must be strategically planned.
This is where RAVE comes in. Skill levels range drastically, and RAVE realized this. Included in the article is something for everyone; for the beginners who will spend the majority of their time on their butt (or face), and for the pros who scoff at anything less than a black diamond. If you are looking for a multi-day trip, RAVE came through with food and lodging recommendations as well.
“Hitting the slopes is more than just a hobby for some, it’s an outlet or an easy way to leave their worries behind. We want it to be easier for everyone to experience that,” said Hillary Miller, Managing Editor for RAVE Reviews.
When determining which towns to feature, RAVE compared similar rankings from multiple credible sources across the internet and focused on factors such as skill level, convenience, accessibility, and pricing.
The full list of featured towns, places to stay, grub to eat, and mountains to shred includes:
Bend, OR – Oxford Hotel- Spork – Mt. Bachelor
Telluride, CO – New Sheridan Hotel – Brown Dog Pizza – Telluride Ski Resort
Sandpoint, ID – Dover Bay Resort – Baxters On Cedar – Schweitzer Mountain
Jackson Hole, WY – Cowboy Village Resort – Snake River Brewery – Jackson Hole Resort
Truckee, CA – Cedar House Sport Hotel – Squeeze In – Northstar
Park City, UT – Washington School House Hotel – El Chubasco – Park City Mountain
Taos, NM – Taos Inn – The Bavarian – Taos Ski Valley
Valdez, AK – Totem Hotel and Suites – Roadside Potatohead Valdez – Chugach Mountains
Burke, VT – WilloBurke Boutique Inn + Nordic Spa – Foggy Goggle Osteria – Burke Resort
Bethel, ME – Snow Cap Inn – Cafe Di Cocoa – Sunday River
“RAVE Reviews is an authoritative and entertaining guide for consumer goods, entertainment, and travel,” the release said. “It’s not a product review site or a lifestyle magazine. But if those two met on an online dating site, 9 months later you’d have RAVE Reviews.”
Meanwhile, a financial planning Website, SmartAsset, ranked the Bend-Redmond metro area (all of Deschutes County) No. 3 on its list of The Most Fitness-Friendly Places for 2019, behind La Cross-Onalaska Wisconsin-Minnesota and Missoula, Montana but ahead of Pittsfield, Mass., and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
It showed that 5 percent of commuters in the metro area walk or bike to work and ranked the concentration of fitness professionals at 43.3 (number of people employed in jobs like nutritiuonist and aerobics instructor per 10,000 workforce members).
A similar figure, concentration of fitness businesses, was 114.7 *number of sporting goods stores, recreation and fitness centers per 10,000 businesses.
Then there’s the 35 percent “fast food ratio” (percentage of all restaurants that are classified as fast food or limited-service restaurants).
The list also shows Bend-Redmond personal trainers making an average $18.63 an hour, for an overall index of 96.88 (when No. 1 is measured at 100).
“One benefit to living here is the lack of temptation to eat unhealthy foods,” the Bend listing stated. “Only 35% of restaurants here qualify as fast food establishments, a top-35 rate.
“This metro also ranks in the top 15 for density of fitness professionals and density of fitness establishments. The Bend metro area could possibly secure the top spot in the future if personal trainers become more affordable. Bend ranks 192 for average cost of personal trainers.”
