TREEHOUSE LIVING IN BEND, OREGON

Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose when renting through Airbnb. This my friend was a winner.

While planning my 2016 3-day road trip through Oregon, my goal was to find places to stay that were both unique and worthy of sharing. That goal was easily met. Let’s review, shall we?

Night #1 – The Treehouse

Night #2 – A cozy cabin along the edge of an alkali lake at Summer Lake Hot Springs, featuring natural artesian hot mineral springs on 145 acres in the Oregon Outback.

Night #3 – Primitive camping at Priest Hole near Painted Hills National Monument along the John Day River, the third longest free-flowing river in the contiguous United States. Yeah, I did good.

After a full day of exploring and hiking, we were looking forward to spending our first night in Central Oregon’s largest city. Listed as the “Only Treehouse In Bend Oregon”, this Airbnb find didn’t disappoint. The lower section came complete with…

…a rustic kitchen…

…dining area…

…shower with hot water…

…and a composting toilet…

…with instructions on how to use it posted nearby.

There was also an awesome backyard…

…with floating chairs…

…and original graphic art windows created by the owner.

One of the biggest selling points however was the location next to the ‘river’ which is actually a canal. Water diverted from the Deschutes River travels southeast of the city to irrigate crops. Note: This is a seasonal canal which usually only runs from March to October, so if you stay at the treehouse outside those times, the canal may be dry. This shouldn’t be a problem though since they only rent it out during the warmer months.

The owners actually live on the property but don’t worry, they’re cool and keep to themselves.

There’s still plenty of privacy if you need it.

More magic can be found upstairs.

The 10×10 treehouse may seem small but it’s quite comfortable inside.

The wooden walls and heater did a good job of keeping the place warm and cozy during the chilly October night we were there and in the unlikely event you get bored with your surroundings, a radio, small television and wifi are also available.

There’s also a small seating area located underneath the sleeping loft which includes a full size air mattress.

While the actual treehouse is small, there’s plenty of other spaces to use during your stay.

A short walk across a narrow bridge connects to the other space located on the second level – the 12×18 “High Deck”.

This open-air section includes a swinging/floating queen size bed and chairs…

…which are perfect for taking in the lovely views that surround the property.

Factoid – Constructed between 1905 and 1910, the original length of the Arnold canal was 17 miles long.

The owner, who built the treehouse himself, is a retired graphic artist who also designs/sells computer fonts and raises chickens for fun.

After grabbing dinner and picking up some groceries in downtown Bend (a short 15 minute drive away), we headed back to get some much needed rest.

The Airbnb listing is very upfront about the natural alarm clock that goes off each morning on the property but there’s still people who complain about it when they write their reviews. I grew up with hens and roosters, so their crowing doesn’t really bother me but if you happen to be sensitive to noise, bring a pair of earplugs because they will wake your ass up. 

If the hens produce by morning, guests are provided with fresh eggs for breakfast. While the offer was tempting, the thought of doing dishes that early in the morning was not, so we kept it simple and just had coffee.

Before heading out to explore some caves south of Bend, we were greeted by a doe. Mule deer migrate through the area twice a year, May 9 – Jun 24 and Oct 8 – Nov 17.  If you happen to be traveling through Central Oregon during these times, drive safely, hitting one of them is not a good way to begin or end your vacation.

Just like the doe, it was time for us to go. While it was hard to say goodbye, we knew we had a long jam packed two days ahead of us on our epic road trip, so off we went. Until next time Bend!