CHANCES ARE, you already have a good idea of what the Central Oregon lifestyle is all aboutYou've seen the pictures of pristine mountain lakes. You've read about the sunny skies, the powder snow and the crystal clear rivers. You've had a little taste of the local lifestyle. Two words sum it up. Accessibility and memorability. You have easy access to just about any sport or pastime you want to pursue. Hiking, rock hounding, fishing, skiing golf. It's all right here.

As for being memorable... We're not talking any old fishing spot. We're talking fly-fishing on the Metolius River. The local ski area isn't some rinky dink operation with rope tows and T-bars. It's Mt. Bachelor, one of the top ten destination ski resorts in the country. Many of the local hot spots are legendary in their own rights. Take Smith Rock for example. Twelve years ago no one outside Redmond even knew the place existed. Today climbers from all over the world line up for the chance to say they conquered it.

You see, it's more than just a variety of things to do. It's the quality of the experience. And it goes beyond our favorite pastime. It's the outstanding local medical care. (For some strange reason this area attracts a lot of doctors.) It's the affordable real estate. (The average price for a home in Bend in 1995 was $119,000; in Redmond $96,500.) It's the shopping. Sunriver, with it's large collection of boutiques, boasts some of the best shopping in the area. In Bend there are malls, hundreds of retail outlets, and quaint Downtown.

It's the culture, which varies dramatically from town to town. In Crook and Jefferson Counties people are apt to wear cowboy boots and jeans. In Sunriver it's dockers and a sports shirt. It's annual events such as the Sisters Quilt Show, the Cascade Festival of Music, the Cascade Cycling Classic, Pole, Pedal, Paddle, the Crooked River Roundup, and County Fairs.

It's the big picture that makes Central Oregon so attractive: To discover more, just follow any of the links below:

• City Links
• Government, Education, Medical Facilities
• Event Calendars
• Bend and Central Oregon Dining
• Bend and Central Oregon Galleries & Museums
• Lodging and Vacation Links
• Bend Weather

The Gardner Team
1-541-389-7369
1-800-464-2363
Fax: 541-317-0513
Linda Gardner, Real Estate Principal Broker,
CRS, ABR, GRI

Tom Gardner, Real Estate Principal Broker,
CRS, ABR, GRI
Doctorate of Jurisprudence
E-Mail: gardnerteam@bendcable.com