When people think about the difference between Bend, Oregon and Austin, Texas, they usually think about winter.
They picture snow in the Cascades, ski lifts turning above Mount Bachelor, and cold mornings in January. What surprised me most after moving north, though, was not winter.
It was spring.
More specifically, it was the light.
Because Bend sits much farther north than Austin, the seasons move a little differently here. As winter loosens its grip and spring approaches, the days begin stretching noticeably faster than they do in Texas.
In the month of March alone, Bend gains roughly ninety minutes of additional daylight. Austin gains closer to fifty.
Forty extra minutes of daylight may not sound like much on paper. But when it arrives gradually over a few weeks, you feel it everywhere.
The sun lingers longer over the Cascades in the afternoon. Trails stay bright well into the evening. Skiers squeeze in one last run before...