Bend or Sonoma?

Neither town is a place for swimming, but Bend gives you more time in the water in summer. You can float through town on an inner tube down the Deschutes, and in August you can take a cold, clear swim at Elk Lake or Sparks Lake in the mountains.

Sonoma's nearest coast is Bodega Bay, a dramatic shore with a cold sea and dangerous waves, where people go to look rather than swim. In practice, swimming there means a hotel pool or a drive to the gravel beaches of the Russian River.

For a trip built around eating and drinking, Sonoma is the better choice. Wine is the main attraction: tasting rooms circle the plaza, old-vine Zinfandel and Carneros Pinot Noir are a short drive away, and the cooking leans on local cheese, olive oil and oysters.

Bend's version is beer. Its specialities are moving between brewpubs on foot or by bike and spending the evening around a fire pit at a food-cart pod. Neither town offers much international cooking, and fine dining is limited in both.

Sonoma has more history to see. The Bear Flag Revolt of 1846 took place on its large plaza. Facing the plaza are the last of California's Franciscan missions and the adobe barracks, and General Vallejo's Gothic-style house is a short walk away.

Bend is a young mill town. Its best cultural stop is the High Desert Museum, which covers the region's Indigenous heritage, pioneer history and wildlife. Each town fills about half a day of sightseeing, but Sonoma's sights have deeper roots.

Bend has more going on after dark. Its brewpubs and food-cart courtyards fill up early, and downtown has cocktail bars, dive bars and pubs that stay busy on summer weekends. Many people still turn in early so they can be on the trail at dawn.

In Sonoma the evening is dinner, perhaps followed by a glass at a wine bar or saloon on the plaza, and then quiet. Neither town has clubs, but Sonoma visitors who want a real night out have to drive to Santa Rosa or San Francisco.

Bend is in a different league for the outdoors. It sits where the juniper high desert meets the Three Sisters and Broken Top. Mount Bachelor's long ski season is half an hour away, Smith Rock offers some of the best sport climbing in the country, and the Newberry volcanic area has lava flows and obsidian fields. In spring and autumn you can sometimes ski and mountain-bike on the same day.

Sonoma's landscape is softer: vineyards between two ranges of hills, oak-covered slopes, redwood groves at Sugarloaf Ridge, and hot-air balloons on calm mornings. The wild headlands of the Sonoma Coast and Point Reyes are within about an hour, which makes for a fine day out, but it is scenery to enjoy at a gentle pace.

Sonoma is much better placed for day trips. San Francisco is about an hour's drive, close enough for a full day of sightseeing. Napa's wine towns are just over the hills, and Healdsburg and Victorian Petaluma are easy to reach. The weakness is variety, since most outings outside San Francisco lead to another wine valley.

From Bend, most excursions are into landscape. You can visit western-style Sisters, the resort village of Sunriver, or drive long days to Crater Lake and the Painted Hills. The nearby ranching towns have little for visitors.

Bend is the far easier place to bring children. Floating the river, exploring the Lava River Cave and seeing the otters and raptors at the High Desert Museum are all simple, enjoyable outings. Mount Bachelor has a ski school for winter, and the nature centre and observatory at Sunriver add another day. It suits active families best, because nearly every outing needs a car.

Sonoma is calm and safe, but it is built around wine. Apart from the playground on the plaza, a miniature railway park and an African wildlife park near Santa Rosa, there is little for children, and many families are better off staying in San Francisco and visiting for a day.

You will need a car in both places, but Bend is a little easier without one. Its compact downtown and the Old Mill District are linked by a riverside path, cycling on the trail network is comfortable, and a seasonal shuttle runs up to Mount Bachelor.

Sonoma's plaza is easy to walk, with several tasting rooms within a few blocks. The wineries further out are scattered across the valley and hills, though. Many visitors book a driver or join a tour for tasting days, which also means nobody has to drive after drinking wine.

Neither town is worth visiting for the shopping, but they are good for different things. Bend is strongest for outdoor gear, with good ski, bike, climbing and fishing shops and second-hand equipment stores. Oregon's lack of sales tax helps a little.

In Sonoma, you shop for things to eat and drink at home. Wine comes straight from the wineries, and olive oil, cheese and kitchenware come from the boutiques around the plaza, with a farmers' market in summer.

Both are expensive resort towns, but Bend is the more manageable of the two. The trails, rivers and parks cost little or nothing to use, food carts offer cheaper meals, and midweek stays in spring and autumn are noticeably easier on the budget.

Sonoma has few rooms, and they are priced for wine-country weekends. Tasting fees mount up quickly, and a car or driver is close to essential. Visitors on a tighter budget often stay in Santa Rosa or Petaluma and picnic among the vines.

Both towns have a small, mostly summer programme, so the difference is in the type of event. Bend's riverside amphitheatre hosts touring rock, folk and country acts in the warm months. The restored Tower Theatre keeps comedy and touring musicians going through the winter, and local bands play in the brewpubs.

Sonoma leans more towards outdoor productions and classical music. Broadway-style shows are staged among the ruins at Jack London State Historic Park, and the Green Music Center, about half an hour away, attracts touring orchestras and soloists.

Sonoma is the better place to slow down. At Boyes Hot Springs, natural mineral water has fed a historic resort spa for over a century, and non-guests can buy day passes. Calistoga's mud baths are about an hour away. The quiet plaza and early evenings also help.

In Bend, relaxing mostly means a hot tub after skiing or a resort spa around Sunriver. The primitive hot springs at Paulina Lake can only be reached on foot. The town is pleasantly unhurried, but most visitors come to be active.