Hot tub, cold plunge & fire pit · mountain views

FALL ON AUBREY BUTTE — A 3,000 SQ FT LODGE FOR TEN, ABOVE BEND'S WEST SIDE

There is a particular moment this house was built for, and it arrives in October. The light goes long and gold through the ponderosas, the deck gets too cold without a blanket, and the two things you were not thinking about in July — the 9-person hot tub and the gas fire pit beside it — become the point of the trip.

One guest put it better than we can: The double sized rectangular hot tub with gas fireplace next to it was magical after being out in the cold.

WHO THIS HOUSE IS FOR

Groups of ten. Across 205 reviews the word group appears seventy-five times, and that is the layout talking: five separate bedrooms over two levels, three full bathrooms, and a bunk room far enough from the primary that early risers and night owls never collide. College reunions, families travelling together, golf groups, ski weekends, Thanksgivings.

Most large houses in Bend sell you walkability — a downtown block, a stroll to a brewery, a small yard with neighbours on three sides. Fine if downtown is the whole trip; poor in the fall, when what you want is somewhere to come back TO: quiet, a view, a fire, hot water outside. We are two minutes' drive from downtown and two-thirds of an acre from anyone else, atop Aubrey Butte. That is the trade, plainly.

THE HOT TUB, THE COLD PLUNGE, AND THE FIRE

The hot tub is oversized — a double-width rectangular tub that genuinely seats nine, not a four-person barrel with an optimistic description. Beside it sits a dedicated cold plunge, and steps away a natural-gas fire pit throws real heat, with no wood to haul and no ash to shovel.

The combination is the thing: hot water, cold water and fire within a few steps of each other, in forty-degree mountain air.

One note on timing — the hot tub and decks go quiet at 10pm under Bend's noise ordinance. Plan the long soak for nine, not eleven.

THE GREAT ROOM

Vaulted ceilings with exposed timber beams, and a free-standing gas stove with a direct-vent blower that heats the room from a switch. Three sofas, the leather ones reclining electrically, a dining table seating ten, and a kitchen bar with room for six more.

A guest staying in October wrote: We had a cooler than expected fall weekend so we loved the hot tub and flip-a-switch wood stove that puts out a lot of heat. This room is why the house works for ten in cold weather — nobody is scattered into corners for want of somewhere to sit.

THE KITCHEN

A serious cook's kitchen, stocked like someone actually cooks in it. Large gas cooktop, four burners with a built-in griddle, full-size oven, dishwasher, and a proper set of cookware and bakeware. Coffee three ways — Keurig, twelve-cup drip or fresh-ground. A blender, rice maker, toaster, kettle, wine glasses, a complete rack of spices and oils, and a waffle bar with toppings and mix.

Guests mention the stocking constantly, usually about holiday cooking: There were spices, condiments, coffee, tea, bakeware etc that was provided which was great! Another family reported making the best Christmas dinner we have ever made here. If your group cooks a big Thanksgiving, this kitchen will not be the limiting factor.

THE BEDROOMS

BEDROOM 1 — King, main floor. Plush linens, extra pillows and blankets, walk-in closet, TV, desk and room-darkening shades. The bathroom with the Japanese soaker tub is steps away.

BEDROOM 2 — Queen, downstairs, with soft lighting and a full-length mirror, even an electric back massager.
BEDROOM 3 — King, downstairs, bright, with a desk.
BEDROOM 4 — Queen, downstairs, with drawer space.
These three share a hallway bathroom with tub/shower and a stocked medicine cabinet.

BEDROOM 5 — The bunk room, downstairs. Queen-over-queen bunks, twin bunks and a lounge with sofa and TV, a world-map mural, and its own bathroom with shower. The room the kids fight over, and the one the adults end up playing cards in.

THE OUTDOOR SPACE

Three decks across two-thirds of a landscaped acre. The UPPER DECK runs off the kitchen with lounge seating, a dining table and the Traeger, looking over the trees toward the mountains. The COZY CORNER is cushioned seating built for coffee at seven in the morning, when the light is coming up over the butte. The FRONT DECK has its own seating and a fire-pit table.


Onsite Caretakers

Here is the thing most listings would bury, and we would rather lead with: Craig and Kathy live on site, in the attached mother-in-law unit next door. It is not part of your rental — the entire main house is yours.

We say it up front because a few guests have told us they wished they had known in advance — and because it turns out to be the best thing about staying here. Craig is named in 154 of our 205 reviews, more often than the hot tub, and more often than the view and kitchen combined. He is often available if there is an urgent need, but we , as your hosts, handle any of your questions immediately and help you get settled in.

WHAT TO DO IN BEND IN THE FALL

SMITH ROCK, 35 minutes. Autumn is the real climbing season here; summer is too hot on that rock. It is also one of the best hikes in Oregon in October, once the light drops and the crowds have gone.

PEAK COLOUR, from roughly October 1st. Central Oregon's fall colour follows the water and the drives rather than the hillsides: aspen groves along Highway 20 near Sisters, riparian gold on Whychus Creek and the Metolius, and western larch turning across the Cascade slopes for about two weeks in mid-to-late October before the needles drop.

THE OLD MCKENZIE PASS (OR-242), the classic drive from Sisters to McKenzie Bridge past the Dee Wright Observatory and its lava fields. This one has a deadline — the gates shut for winter in early November — so October is the month.

BEND FALL FESTIVAL, the first weekend of October: downtown, free, three days of it.

Plus THE METOLIUS for spring-fed fly fishing, MOUNTAIN BIKING at its best once the dust settles, GOLF at Aspen Lakes until the weather turns, and MT. BACHELOR 30 minutes up the road once the season opens in late November.

DRIVE TIMES

Downtown Bend — 2 min · Central Oregon Community College — 3 min · Drake Park — 5 min · Bend River Promenade and Market of Choice — 8 min · Old Mill District — 9 min · Deschutes River Trail — 11 min · Bend Municipal Airport (KBDN) — 18 min · Redmond, Roberts Field (RDM) — 22 min · Mt. Bachelor — about 30 min · Smith Rock State Park — 35 min

EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE HOUSE

In-unit washer and dryer. Central air and heating plus two ductless units. A full office with an Apple computer, dual monitors and a printer, and gigabit wifi reliable enough to work on. Four flat-screen TVs. Board games, books and children's toys. Baby safety gates and a travel crib. Iron, hair dryer and hangers. Towels for the hot tub, with linens, toiletries and paper goods stocked before you arrive.

A FEW HONEST NOTES

The house has two independent heating systems, upstairs and down, and the lower level can run cooler on a cold night. We can help you to set the balance — just ask.

The entry steps are stone with metal caps and get slick when wet or icy. Take them slowly, especially with a bag in each hand.

We sit at the top of a butte. The views are the reason — but when it snows, all-wheel drive or chains are a genuinely good idea for getting back up the hill.

COME FOR THE QUIET SEASON

Summer in Bend is wonderful and crowded. Fall is wonderful and empty — the trails clear, the rock cools, the larch turns gold, and the hot tub stops being a nice extra and becomes the reason you booked.

Bring nine friends. We will have the fire on.

Cancellation Policy: We follow the policy in place at the time you booked, as shown in your confirmation. If there is any chance you may need to cancel, we recommend travel insurance at checkout. Refunds are not provided outside the booked policy for weather, illness or travel disruption.

Pets: Small dogs are welcome. Pet stays must be approved in advance and every pet registered before arrival. A pet fee covering the additional cleaning is charged at checkout; it does not cover pet damage, which remains the guest's responsibility. Dogs must be leashed and waste picked up immediately. We also ask that the dogs stay off the furniture and that they are crated if they are left alone.

Smoking: This is a non-smoking house. If you smoke, please do so outside only, using the ashtrays provided on the front entry deck and the back deck.

Quiet Hours: Bend has a firm city noise ordinance. The hot tub and all decks go quiet at 10pm — this protects our neighbours and our city permit.

On-Site Caretakers: Craig and Kathy live in the attached mother-in-law unit next door. It is not part of this rental and the main house is entirely yours.

Outdoor Cameras: Exterior security cameras cover the entrance for your safety and may record video and audio. There are no cameras inside the home.

Rental Agreement: A link to our rental agreement is sent to you to sign before check-in. You may also be asked to verify your identity through a third-party two-factor process; we store none of your personal data.