Stay Cool In A Pool Near Bend And Sunriver, Oregon

Heading into summer, you are probably looking for ways to keep cool while on your summer vacation adventures. The Central Oregon (Sunriver and Bend, Oregon) area has plenty of options if you need to briefly cool down during a long summer hike. Or enjoy a family day at the swimming pool near Sunriver or Bend, Oregon! Sunriver and Bend, Oregon both have a large collection of natural water features, like rivers and lakes, and a variety of constructed aquatic centers. Village Properties at Sunriver is perfectly equipped to handle your needs this summer. Here are some ways you can stay cool this summer with Village Properties at Sunriver.

Free SHARC Passes

SHARC is the Sunriver Homeowners Association Recreation Center and is the featured water park in Sunriver. SHARC is an all-season center that offers heated indoor aquatics year-round. During the summer season, SHARC has an outdoor pool. It also has 9-hole disc golf, a full basketball court, a water slide, a lazy river, a small park, a picnic pavilion, and a winter tubing hill. Not all vacation rental companies in Sunriver give their guests FREE SHARC passes, which is a premium feature you’ll receive when booking your vacation home with Village Properties at Sunriver. You can find all of the properties that have free SHARC passes here

Whitewater Rafting

Have you ever tried whitewater rafting?  It’s easily one of the most exciting ways to stay cool in the summer. If you’ve never tried it before, you are in for a treat, and if you are a seasoned rafter, you’ll find plenty of challenges and unique scenery to enjoy. With Sun Country Tours, you can take on the Big Eddy Thriller, an exciting section of the Deschutes River. You can also take part in a full-day adventure along a lower section of the Deschutes.

Fishing

If you like to take it easy and enjoy some quiet time on your vacation, Sunriver has some great rivers and lakes for fishing. Suppose you want to try your hand at fly fishing, Fall River is considered world-class. For your information, you will need a fishing license if you are older than 12-years-old. There are plenty of rivers to choose from for fishing:

Canoe, Kayak, Paddle Board

The lakes and rivers mentioned above also make for canoe, kayak, and paddleboard fun areas. Find a spot to launch off and enjoy the beautiful Oregon scenery. But, if you are without your gear, there are many places to rent a canoe, kayak, or paddleboard. Sunriver ToyHouse Toys offers a lot of outdoor gear like canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, floating tubes, floating islands, and more. You’ll need to seek out Paulina Lake, East Lake, Three Creeks, Todd Lake, and Devils Lake for lake fishing.

Cool Off And Get Wet This Summer In Oregon

As you can see, there are many ways to play in the pool and cool off this summer near Sunriver or Bend, Oregon, and you’ll have fun doing it!. If you plan to stay inside, we have many vacation homes that include air conditioning. Whatever you plan to do this summer, Village Properties at Sunriver can help you stay cool and experience something new. To hear more about our accommodations or have us walk you through your summer Oregon getaway, reach out to us at 888-236-9690. Or book with us online.

Sunriver is the Perfect Place For Your Workcation

Have you spent the last few months (or even years) working from home and find yourself craving a change of scenery, a change in your routine or just feel cramped in your home? If so, then it may be time for you to take a workcation. What is a workcation? It’s an opportunity to travel somewhere while keeping up with your work projects.

You may have already experienced something like a workcation in the past. Have you ever brought along your laptop when visiting family over the holidays or wrapped up a project while on the road? These situations are like a workcation but with one huge difference, you’ll be working.  In the past when you’ve brought along your laptop or work phone you were not certain whether you’d have to work while you are away. Simply having your work devices with you creates anxiety that can loom over your vacation and essentially negate the positive benefit of taking time off.

When you take a workcation, you already know that you’ll be working during your normal work hours and anything that ‘comes up’ can be addressed in the same manner you normally would while working from home. However, the big difference is that your downtime or off work hours is spent exploring a destination of your choice with the convenience of already being in that location at the end of the workday.

Riverfront patio of 16795 Pony Express Way

 

It’s no secret that a change of scenery is likely to increase your productivity, creativity, and motivation.  In a recent Nature Neuroscience paper (mentioned in this NYU article) subjects reported that “on days when people had more variability in their physical location—visiting more locations in a day and spending proportionately equitable time across these locations—they reported feeling more positive: ‘happy,’ ‘excited,’ ‘strong,’ ‘relaxed,’ and/or ‘attentive.’”

Benefits of taking a workcation

Increased productivity, creativity, and motivation.

Return home feeling refreshed and full of energy.

See places you’ve dreamed of going to.

Easily take advantage of downtime to relax or explore.

 

Imagine having a Zoom meeting from your vacation rental’s deck that overlooks the mighty Deschutes River. Have a conference call while wildlife frolic in the woods in your peripheral vision. Simply taking a walk or bike ride on your break could be what you need to inspire your next great idea. After work, you’ll be able to switch from work to play with ease because you are already physically located in the destination of your choice!  Whether you’re craving an evening of mountain biking, stargazing, hot tubing, tubing, hiking or simply letting the day take you, your workcation destination doesn’t get any better than Sunriver, Oregon.

Riverfront deck of vacation rental 56079 Snow Goose Ct.
View from deck of 56079 Snow Goose Ct.

 

Reasons why Sunriver, Oregon is the perfect destination for your workcation!

 

It’s easy to get here. For many major cities in the Pacific Northwest such as: Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Boise you can drive to Sunriver within 7 hours, making it the perfect drive-to workcation destination.

No plane ticket necessary. You don’t need to buy a plane ticket to get here! Conveniently located in Central Oregon, Sunriver is easily reached by car all over the pacific northwest. However, if you do want to fly in the Redmond Airport (RDM) is just a short drive away!

There’s so much to do! Central Oregon and Sunriver is widely considered “Oregon’s Outdoor Playground” and offers many family-friendly and pet-friendly outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, swimming, spelunking,  skiing/boarding, and a local waterpark with lazy river!

The Lazy River at SHARC (Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic & Recreation Center)

 

Sunriver is perfect for families and pets! Bring the whole family along (including your furry family members) and enjoy the most kid/pet friendly town you’ve experienced! Many of our vacation rental homes are pet-friendly so no one has to be left behind!

Fort Rock Park – Sunriver, OR

 

Don’t sweat it if you forgot to bring something.  We have a local grocery store. If you forget to pack an essential ingredient for your meal or you’d rather not eat out for every meal, we’ve got two grocery stores in town to grab what you need.

Sunriver is the only Dark Sky Friendly city in Oregon. Visit the Nature Center and Observatory. Sunriver was recently named Oregon’s only Dark Sky Place in Oregon (see the report). Our observatory also has the most outdoor telescopes accessible to the public and a retractable ceiling for an experience you’re sure to remember for a lifetime.

Sunriver Observatory and Nature Center

 

Shop & Dine! Go shopping or dine at The Village Mall in the heart of Sunriver.

The Village Mall located in the heart of Sunriver

 

Love golf? We’ve got 3 golf courses right in Sunriver and many more in the surrounding area for you to enjoy!

 

Once you’ve decided on the dates for your Sunriver workcation, you’ll need to consider homes that have workspaces in them to seamlessly allow you to work and play. We’ve curated a list of all our workcation ready homes here. You’ll also need to ensure that the home you choose to stay in during your workcation includes excellent Wi-Fi which is offered for FREE at all of our homes.  Below are the workcation essentials you can expect when you book a vacation rental home with Village Properties at Sunriver:

Benefits of booking your workcation with
Village Properties at Sunriver

 

Custom 12 person hot tub at Sable Rock Manor vacation home

ALL our vacation homes come with FREE Wi-Fi. We’re not going to nickel and dime you while you’re on your workcation like most hotels will. Any home you book with us will give you access to FREE WIFI, so you don’t have to worry about your video freezing or losing your work due to sketchy internet service.

Choose your view. Are you interested in a mountain, golf course, or river view? Click on the links to the view you prefer, and you’ll get a curated list of homes that speak to you.

Room to roam. When you rent a vacation home the entire home is at your disposal to work from. Start your morning on the deck while you answer your emails. Mid-morning switch to the livingroom where the cozy fireplace eases you into the busiest part of your day. At lunch, grab a bike and ride to one of our local restaurants. Mid-afternoon, finish your workday strong while seated at the desk in your rental and get excited for what the evening holds in store for you.

You get FREE SHARC passes when you book any of our homes. SHARC is the Sunriver Homes Owner’s Aquatic and Recreation Center which boasts, a lazy river, outdoor waterslide, indoor pools, kiddie pools, music on the lawn (summer only), and a winter tubing hill!

Need a list of homes that have built in workspaces just for workcations? You’ll find it here!

Now that you’re ready to take your workcation, be sure to use this handy list of items you’ll need to bring with you to have a productive and fun time!

Your laptop
Charging cables for your phone and laptop
Headphones
Foldable laptop table if you have one
External hard drive if you don’t use cloud storage
Power bank
Documents or other papers that are essential for your current projects (and maybe even upcoming projects).
Your phone
Credit cards/cash
Masks and hand sanitizer
Your toys! Bikes, skis, boards, paddle boards, kayak, tennis racquets, etc.
Sunscreen to protect you from those 300 days of sunshine!
Sunglasses because your future is bright and sunny!

What is the SHARC?

Have you rented your vacation home with us and were told that you get some SHARC passes? Are you wondering what the SHARC is anyway? We’ve got your answer.

How did the SHARC get its name? Why is it spelled wrong?
We promise there’s a reason that the name isn’t spelled shark, like the animal. SHARC is the: Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic & Recreation Center (SHARC). Make sense?

What will we find at the SHARC? What do my passes get me?
SWIMMING! An indoor pool offers a shallow play area for little ones, lap lanes, and even a whirlpool and a basketball hoop. The indoor pool and the outdoor adult hot tub are available year-round. There is a large outdoor aquatic park as well. This is THE place to be in the hot summer months. With waterslides, a lazy river, sunbathing spots, and a tot pool and sand area, your summer days will already be planned for your Sunriver visit.

Each SHARC pass in your vacation rental will provide admission for one person. So you can ride your bikes on over, show your pass and swim to your hearts content. Just be sure to BYOT (Bring Your Own Towel) and to read up on other safety and access requirements.

EAT! There is even a cafe; SHARC cafe offers meal options for all ages and a variety of beverages.

While SHARC is known for swimming, you’ll find a variety of other things as well. There is a 9-hole disc golf course that weaves through the beautiful surrounding landscape. This is Sunriver’s only disc golf course. Nearby, find Paulina Park and practice your rock climbing skills on the rock walls, bring a picnic to enjoy at one of the many tables or in the green grass or take advantage of the bocce ball court. Around the building from the park you will find an onsite basketball court so you can shoot some hoops before heading back to your vacation rental for dinner.

Turf Tunes, a summer concert series held at the John Gray Amphitheater at SHARC is fantastic entertainment to enjoy during your Sunriver vacation!  Experience live music from nationally recognized musicians for free on select Sundays in June and July.  SHARC also features one premiere musical act via a ticketed concert during the summer lineup.

If you are having an event of any kind, be sure to check in here to see if the SHARC is the right venue for you. There are event spaces for weddings or a pavilion for a smaller gathering.

Why was the SHARC built in Sunriver?
This premier facility was funded by Sunriver property owners, and the Sunriver Owners Association (SROA) operates the space. Before SHARC, Sunriver featured a great pool on the community’s south end. The South Pool was always full and eventually needed some major updates. At this time, the SROA board received lots of input from the community via surveys and meetings and found that a facility such as this seemed to be the desired outcome. In August 2010, the community voted in favor and construction began. SHARC opened its doors in May 2012 and has welcomed millions of visitors.

Okay, how do I get there?
You’ll find the SHARC right off of Circle 2, on Overlook Road in Sunriver. You won’t be able to miss it. Follow the cheerful screams and the giddy laughter and you’ll find the SHARC.

Why You Must Visit SHARC While You’re In Sunriver

Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic & Recreation Center—otherwise known as SHARC—is a popular swimming and outdoor destination in Sunriver, Oregon. Here are some of the reasons to visit SHARC this summer:

Stay Cool at the Water Park

Situated on more than 22 acres, SHARC is best known for their expansive water park featuring indoor and outdoor recreation pools, water slides, a water playground, a lazy river, and an adults-only hot tub. Children can take swimming lessons in one of SHARC’s many recreation pools, and health-conscious adults can take aqua fitness classes or swim laps in the lap pools. Additionally, there is a living room as well as outdoor patio spaces for Sunriver Owners Association (SROA) members and their guests.

Play Sports at the Recreation Center

Guests of SHARC can also enjoy a rock climbing walls and a slide for kiddos alongside a grassed picnic area. There is a basketball court and a complete 9-hole disc golf course. SHARC has everything you need to fuel your adventure including a complete disc golf quiver so you can play a game of disc golf with your friends.

Go Tubing in the Winter

For those guests in town for the winter, SHARC’s sledding hill opens November through February for the best tubing in all of Sunriver. Three runs provide gentle, steep, and even steeper terrain for the beginning through advanced tuber ages 4 and up. Stick around for Black Light Blast when night runs become aglow with black lights and laser beams.

Treat Yourself at the Cafe

While you’re playing at SHARC, be sure to grab lunch at the SHARC Bite Cafe, serving burgers, wraps, salads, beer, and wine. Then treat yourself to either a one-hour or ninety-minute massage treatment.

Rent Space for Your Event

With more than 5,000 square feet of meeting and event space, SHARC is also the perfect destination for your family reunion, wedding or reception, corporate event, or social gathering. With several indoor and outdoor spaces to choose from, SHARC provides the perfect venue for a fun and affordable event your entire party will enjoy. Plus, events can be paired with lodging at Village Properties to accommodate your party.

Many Village Properties homes and condominiums include free admission to SHARC throughout the duration of your stay. Call Village Properties today to learn more.

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