Redmond

Redmond sits at the western end of Oregon's high desert, 4 mi from the Deschutes River and within minutes of several lakes. It is a place where desert ranches meet runways, as it serves as the regional hub for air travel. Its compact, historic downtown has been girdled—some would say strangled—by one-way highway couplets that slingshot travelers north to Hood River and south to Bend and Sunriver. It is the town nearest to Eagle Crest Resortand Smith Rock, a magnet for rock climbers. As with Deschutes County, Redmond has experienced some of the most rapid growth in the state during the past 10 years, largely owing to a dry and mild climate and year-round downhill and cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and rock hounding. Still, this is no gentrified resort town à la Bend, as a stroll through downtown will attest. A few blocks of vintage buildings remain, but north-south traffic hustles through the city core, with most residents in neighborhoods strung out to the west. Centennial Park, a small-but-attractive open space with fountains and an expansive lawn, opened downtown in the summer of 2010.