Nice Places to Visit, Great Places to Live

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BEST PLACE TO STAY: Lathrop House, a Victorian bed-and-breakfast two blocks from the historic downtown

Blue Sky and Snow in Bend
Look at it today," says dave tilley, 80, pointing to the blue sky. "There's not a cloud, and it's been like that for about two or three weeks." This observation would be remarkable in most of western Oregon, where much of the year it is overcast, gray and drizzly. But Tilley lives in Bend, which is protected by the Cascade Mountain range. The high-desert climate, with an annual average of 263 clear or partly cloudy days, is only one reason vacationers and retirees put this central Oregon town on their itinerary.

Bend's center is Drake Park, a greensward surrounded by early 20th century wooden buildings and boasting a lake with ducks and swans. Home prices average around $136,500 in Bend, or $226,000 on rural acreage. For a small town, Bend has an excellent hospital facility in the 181-bed St. Charles Medical Center. With comprehensive cardiac and oncology units, it's the largest and most comprehensive Oregon hospital east of the Cascade Mountains.

The low-key town is growing at a rapid pace. The population is 50,000, compared with 20,000 a decade ago, and more than 110,000 people live in surrounding Deschutes County, up from 75,000 in 1990. Still, there's plenty of wilderness. Rhoda and Charles Ryan moved to the area 25 years ago from Eugene and built a ski lodge that they converted year by year to a permanent home. Deer stroll in the yard, and the Ryans have a spectacular view of snowcapped mountains.

If summer is for golfing--there are 20 courses nearby--winter is for skiing, either cross country or alpine, on Mount Bachelor's 3,683 acres of slopes accessible by lifts. (Snow Country magazine ranks Mount Bachelor Ski Resort as one of the U.S.'s top five ski areas.) Fly fisherfolk have more than 500 miles of streams and rivers, and there are mountain peaks and lava fields for camping, hiking, rock climbing and biking. Tilley is right to call it "an outdoor playground for all ages.'' --By Emily Mitchell. Reported by Todd Murphy/Portland

Bend, Ore.
BEST AMENITIES: Fishing, skiing, hiking, mountain climbing and rock climbing; 33 city parks; Cascade Music Festival in late summer

NEAREST MAJOR MEDICAL CENTER: St. Charles Medical Center, with 181 beds and 200 physicians representing 40 specialties

BEST PLACES TO STAY: Juniper Acres Bed and Breakfast has mountain views; Cricketwood Country B. & B. is on 10 parklike acres

Eccentricity Is O.K. in Arcata
Retirement meccas are seldom described as funky. But Arcata, Calif., is not your typical retirement spot. Just north of Eureka, three miles off the Pacific Coast, this decidedly offbeat town has begun luring retirees to the giant redwood forests of Northern California.

The unique character of Arcata is evident in the town's square on any Saturday morning, when college students and business folks, aging hippies and retirees mingle at the farmer's market. "It's really a very different place," says Art Barah, 57, who retired here after visiting for years from San Francisco. "The mental attitude sort of reminds me a little bit of Berkeley in the '60s. I feel very much at home here."

The students come from Humboldt State University, which provides retirees cultural opportunities not often available in a town of 16,000. An annual concert series brings entertainment ranging from chamber music to Cajun bands to Celtic fiddlers. And anyone 60 and older can take any Humboldt State class, room permitting, for a mere $6 a semester.

Volunteering is a popular pastime among politically conscious Arcata residents. Barah gives his time to the Arcata Marsh, a project that combines a wildlife sanctuary with a wastewater-treatment facility to treat Arcata's wastewater naturally before releasing it into nearby Humboldt Bay.

Whether pitching in to preserve or simply getting out to enjoy, folks in Arcata marvel at the city's scenic surroundings. Nearby Redwood National Park draws visitors from all over the world to its 106,000 acres of ancient redwood forests. Right in Arcata, trail-loving hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders enjoy the 575-acre Arcata Community Forest, with some old-growth trees of its own. A few miles to the east, adventurers can tackle the Salmon Mountains. To the west, they can hit the beach.

And, at least by California standards, this beautiful scenery comes quite cheap. The average home in Arcata costs about $125,000--with three-bedrooms, that average rises to only $150,000. --T.M.

Arcata, Calif.
BEST AMENITIES: Redwood National Park, Humboldt State University concerts and classes, fishing, hiking in Salmon Mountains

NEAREST MAJOR MEDICAL CENTER: 140-bed St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, six miles away, has comprehensive cancer and cardiac treatment

BEST PLACE TO STAY: The Lady Ann Bed and Breakfast overlooks Humboldt Bay, a few blocks from Humboldt State and downtown Arcata