Best Family Destination: Sunriver Resort, Sunriver, 866-782-3909
From a private marina on the Deschutes River (with canoes, rafting and other river activities), to horseback riding, a full-service health spa, a nature center with one of the nation’s largest telescopes, 35 miles of hiking and bike trails — and of course, 63 holes of unbelievable golf — it’s quite simple to park your car upon checking in at Sunriver Resort and forget about it for the rest of your stay.
And that’s not even including the all-new SHARC aquatic center opening Memorial Day weekend, featuring a lazy river, waterslides, spray pools, Jacuzzi spa and an indoor/outdoor pool (with a separate pool and spa for adults-only).
Also new this year are all 18 greens at Sunriver’s famed Crosswater golf course, named one of America’s 100 Best by Golf Digest. Home to the final round of the Pacific Amateur, the 2013 PGA National Championship and countless other events, Crosswater is the gem in the resort’s crown, a course where the challenge lies as much in not being distracted by the scenery as in the wetlands and trees that surround the holes.
Two other championship courses — the Meadows and Woodlands — offer their own unique experiences, but it’s the resort’s other course, the par-3 Caldera Links, that ultimately pushes Sunriver to the top of the “family destination” list. Designed by none other than Bob Cupp himself, Caldera Links is Cupp’s family-friendly pairing to his Crosswater course, with holes that feature championship quality without the challenge. Kids under 11 play for free, while juniors 12-17 are just $10.
And for the hours in between recreational activities, the resort features 250 hotel rooms and roughly 300 homes and condos for rent, with enough variety to match just about any budget and desired level of luxury — and of course, any number of additional family members begging you to take them along for the trip.