SISTERS IN A DAY

By Bill Bartlett

Walk it, bike it ,or park your car (it’s free everywhere and no limits), and start on Hood Avenue, either end, and head to the other end. Hood Avenue is full of shops, galleries, a bookstore, a world-famous coffee shop, and where you can have lunch or dinner in an art gallery. Or a food truck corner.

You’ll go past an Old World clockmaker with a million-dollar collection. This is a must stop.

Turn north to Cascade Avenue for the quintessential small-town experience. Hand- crafted chocolates, fudge. More art and décor. Antiques. One of the best-known quilt shops in the country.

 Along the stroll there’s olive, nuts and spirits tasting. Or a candy shop right out of the old west that will especially delight the little ones. There are handmade milk shakes and hand- dipped ice cream cones like you got when you were a kid.

Love alpacas? Sisters Country is home to several thousand of them and their wool is spun into some amazing products at one of Cascade’s two dozen shops. And true to its Western heritage, Cascade Avenue is home to a genuine Western Wear emporium.

Impossible to miss is The Fantastic Museum with the world’s tallest man — a nine-foot mummified Viking —  and a splendid collection of sports memorabilia.

There’s more. A to-die-for bakery. A French restaurant. And Asian. And Mexican. A Wild West saloon and some grub pubs Outdoor dining options.

Turn north again to Main Avenue to find the Library at one end and the Forest Service office at the other. In between, the visitor center, a park and bandstand. A spa. A feed store. Another mouthwatering bakery. An eclectic food court. Wine tasting and more shops, several vintage stores, of which there are more than a dozen in Sisters. (That’s a whole day alone for many of our visitors.)

The tricky part is not missing the side streets connecting the avenues. They include a renowned smokehouse, the Historical Museum, the Village Green Park, and several more shops with small town hospitality. 

You will have worked up an appetite. Go to page 28 for a guide to filling your tummy.