Smith Rock State Park in Oregon is about a 35 minute drive from Bend, OR. It is a rock climbers paradise and is simply stunning to look at. Right inside the state park gates is where we find the Smith Rock Casita. The creators of this Airbnb have strong ties to Smith Rock as they were the first to create a rock climbing service for the park. This was during the 80s when hair was high, colors were bright, and people rock climbed to Michael Jackson (I bet). The casita is actually their old rock climbing office and it's cool to be staying in rock climbing history.
The casita is small, but mighty! She's 360 sq feet, but Marcia has done an incredible job of making the most of each foot. I never felt cramped at all! She is also very meticulous and has laid everything out so you know exactly where everything is, what it is for, and where to find it. This made her one of the best Airbnb hosts we've ever had!
The best part of this casita is the outside. There is a stunning fireplace that allows you to get warm and look over the rocks as the sun sets. You can also watch your spouse grill up an awesome meal from the fireplace too...one of my favorite hobbies (Tyler is a grill master...if you ever have the opportunity to have
a grilled steak from him...DO IT.) There are also string lights outside and, if you've been here before, you know that all you need to do to win me over is show me a good strand of string lights. They surround the large outdoor table that also has a heat lamp over head. While you sit outside, having dinner, you can also pretend you're a deli-fried taquito, being kept warmed under the heat lamp.
Bringing it back inside, there's also an electric fireplace at the foot of the bed. This is where my obsession with electric fireplaces started. I love that you can change the colors of the flames and the rocks...the future is now. We loved laying in bed with the fireplace on, wearing the provided slippers (Marcia really has thought of everything!), and watching a movie. This is where my one complaint for the whole place comes to play...no DVD player.
Why is that a big deal? Because Bend, OR is home the LAST BLOCKBUSTER ON EARTH. That's right...you heard me right. We discovered it BEFORE it was cool. Before Netflix was like "let's do a documentary on the last Blockbuster...you know, the brand we KILLED when we started?". That's just cold.
Anyways...back to the Casita. This is truly a gem that should not be missed. It's in such a gorgeous place, has a lot of history, and just a peaceful getaway. It was silent at night and cool to watch the hustle and bustle of visitors to the state park. I think it's a great juxtaposition to Bend, which is a pretty large city with a ton going on. It'd make for a great homebase for your Bend, OR adventures. Give it a shot!
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