Why You Should Visit Salem Oregon
Salem is the capital city of Oregon. It’s the most “Oregon part of Oregon” and lies in the center of the Mid-Willamette Valley. Salem is surrounded by beautiful gardens, farms, vineyards, orchards and mountains. It’s also full of history and Salem’s downtown historic district holds buildings that date back as far as 1847!
Why wouldn’t you want to visit?!
If you don’t know much about Salem, Oregon then you might be thinking, “Is this where the Salem Witch Trials happened?” The answer to that is no. The Salem witch trials were held in Salem, Massachusetts! So now that we have that out of the way, lets get to the fun part!
This year we made it our goal to explore our own state. Part of our Willamette Valley road trip this spring included exploring Salem, OR and all it has to offer!
A big thank you goes out to Travel Salem and Oregon Wine Country who worked with us to set up this amazing road trip through the Willamette Valley. If you are planning to visit Salem, Oregon check out Travel Salem for your trip inspiration!
Check out our road trip through the Willamette Valley
Ultimate Road Trip Through Oregon’s Willamette Valley (Blog Post Coming Soon)
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SAND DUNES OF OREGON
Where Is Salem Oregon?
Salem, Oregon is located basically in the center of the Willamette Valley right alongside the Willamette River, which runs through the city.
It’s also about an hour drive south from Portland and about an hour or so from Eugene, Oregon. Yep! The perfect middle!
If you are thinking of flying into Salem, Oregon and bringing back home Oregon wine, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ members may check up to one case of wine for free on any domestic flight from Eugene, Medford, Portland, Redmond or Walla Walla, WA. Also, check out Oregon Wine for more information.
What To Pack For Salem, Oregon
No matter what time of year you are going you will want to make sure and bring a light rain jacket. You never know when the weather can turn sour and all of a sudden it starts raining.
In addition, depending on the season and weather forecast you should pack what you want to wear for your time in Salem, Oregon. Some of our favorite things to bring for our travels are lightweight clothes. If you are planning on hiking, bringing clothes made from merino wool will be a big help.
Here are some of our favorite items of clothing to bring,
Check out this post with all of Our Favorite Travel Gear!
Best Things To Do In Salem Oregon
Go On A Walking Tour of Salem’s Downtown Historic District
Salem’s Historic District is a seven-block area. Most places are located walking distance apart and are fun to explore on foot or bike! These buildings that were once butcher shops, stores, ballrooms, and saloons are now home to restaurants, shops, and offices.
Check out this map for a historic downtown route!
Rent and Ride Bikes at Minto-Brown Island Park
We started out our time in Salem by renting bikes at The Bike Peddler . It was a rainy day in Salem, but we didn’t mind too much. Little did we know that most of the trails were also flooded and had limited access.
First, we started out our bike ride by going to Riverfront Park and then continued on to the “Taco Bridge” that connects to Minto-Brown Island Park. After riding for some time and hitting a few dead ends with the flooding in the parks, we went back into town and road through Willamette University and then to the state capitol building.
Take A Walk in Salem’s City Riverfront Park And Find the Eco-Earth Globe
Riverfront Park is a great place for a walk or a bicycle ride. There’s also a carousel that has beautiful hand-carved horses.
As you walk or cycle stop by the Eco-Earth Globe and then walk across the Peter Courtney Bridge that connects to Minto-Brown Island Park.
If you have time, check out the Union Street Railroad and Pedestrian Bridge that was built in 1912 with the hopes of connecting Salem to the West valley.
Visit the State Capitol
During our visit to the state capitol the cherry blossoms were all in bloom and it was just such a magical sight to see them being blown by the wind. It felt like it was snowing. It’s a great place to just rest on one of the benches. There are also tours that you can take during the week to tour the inside of the building.
Take A Tour At One of The Estate Museums and Gardens
Deepwood Museum and Gardens was actually considered one of the most impressive homes during its time. The home was built in 1894 and sits on a five acres that has formal gardens, trails, a greenhouse and a carriage house. There are tours available and the grounds are open for people to enjoy.
The Bush House Museum was built in 1878 and was owned by Asahel Bush II who was a pioneer banker, newspaper publisher and a public figure. The home has 12 rooms, beautiful woodwork, marble fireplaces, and a veranda. Tours are available. It also sits on a 90.5 acre park, with gardens and wooded areas. Bush’s Pasture Park is great place to go on a nature trail walk.
Take A Day Trip To Chase Waterfalls At Silver Falls State Park
Silver Falls State Park is a must see place for anyone visiting or living in this area. It’s the crown jewel of the Oregon Parks. You can see up to ten falls on a 7.8 mile loop at this truly incredible place. It’s fairly easy to hike it and can be reduced by taking some of the cutoff trails.
The hike you want to do is called, “Trail of Ten Falls Loop Hike”
There are also shorter hikes that you can do if you don’t have too much time.
We’ve been to Silver Falls twice now and it’s never enough. During our first visit, we enjoyed hiking along the trails to all the waterfalls and the second time around we were part of a 5k trail race!
Day Trip Hike to Abiqua Falls
Check out our post all about our time at Abiqua Falls a couple years ago.
Abiqua Falls is Oregon’s most scenic waterfall! The road to get there is a little rough but it’s totally worth it. The hike isn’t long at all especially if you park your car next to the trailhead and start hiking from there.
Visit The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival In The Spring
This year the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm and Vineyard is celebrating their 35th Annual Tulip Festival. It usually starts sometime in March and goes through April. This year they are open until May 5th! They have an on-site vineyard and tasting room and a cute gift shop. During the festival the place is full of fun activities to be part of and food at the food carts!
If you missed the tulip season check out Travel Salem’s article “15 Gardens to Explore Near Salem, Oregon” or “12 Farm To Visit This Summer Near Salem, Oregon”
Go On A Hot Air Balloon Ride Over the Willamette Valley
One special way to enjoy the Willamette Valley is to go on a hot air balloon ride! During the tulip festival they have the balloon rides going every weekend. It’s very weather dependent and needs to be scheduled in advance! This is a dream of mine to go someday, but for now I will enjoy watching them float in the sky.
Visit The TMK Creamery
Want to see how cheese is made? This a great place to visit and learn about the process of how cheese is made. Schedule a tour or visit on a Saturday to get hands on with their cow-lebrities! After seeing the farm, go inside their creamery where you can see their artisan cheese maker, try some amazing cheese, and take some home with you! Check out their website for more information.
We had a really fantastic time visiting the creamery and seeing the process ourselves. From meeting all the cows and seeing them feed, to actually milking one of the cows ourselves it was a ton of fun and very educational. In addition, we really liked the tasting in the creamery afterwards since the creamery is able to create some very delicious and unique flavors you would never find in your local grocery store.
Go Wine Tasting
Bjornson Vineyard
Bjornson Vineyards is located just 17 minutes outside of Salem in the heart of the Eola-Amity Hills. As you ascend out of the valley you are greeted by stunning views, and fields of vineyards. Nestled among the hills is this wonderful vineyard begun by a couple who’s passion is wine, and who’s life is their family. We were met by their extremely friendly dog who was touring the farm just then. Stepping inside we were greeted by a beautiful sitting room and the friendly owners. We had a great tasting with some delightful snacks to accompany the wine and listened to Mark and Pattie tell us about their cycling trip through Europe that inspired so much of what Bjornson Vineyard is now! Check out their website for more information.
For more wineries in the area check out Travel Salem’s “Wineries & Tasting Rooms” page.
Go On Rides At the Enchanted Forest Amusement Park
Located in Turner, Oregon, just south of Salem, next to interstate 5, this enchanted forest amusement park will capture your attention and imagination! It’s a fun little place to enjoy with your kids or with your partner just for fun!
Day Trip to Indpendence
Indpendence, Oregon is small town located just outside of Salem. It has an up and coming downtown area with shops, a desert shop, a bookstore, antique store, and more! Must see stops are, Jubilee Champagne and Desert Bar and Brew Coffee and Tap House.
The downtown area has a few informational panels of town history that we found very interesting. Back then Independence, Oregon was a shipping point for agricultural products and lumber. The city was also known for its hops production starting from the 1890s through the 1940s.
It’s just a fun little place to explore and indulge in some amazing desert at Jubilee Champagne and Desert Bar.
A Farm Stay Experience
After spending a day exploring Salem we headed towards Alsea, Oregon where we would be staying the night on a farm and learning about farm life! We drove through windy roads surrounded by lush green forest. We arrived to Leaping Lamb Farm and were greeted by Scottie, the owner and founder of the U.S. Farm Stay Association.
After settling into our cottage we put on work boots and went out to the barn to help out with the evening’s farm chores. That included feeding the goats, sheep, horse, barn cats, and chickens.
We spent the evening talking to, Scottie, and her husband, Greg, about their story and life on the farm. The following morning we joined Scottie and her friend for a hike through the forest. It was so beautiful, green and there was so much moss which made everything look so mystical. After feeding everyone out on the farm we went back to our cottage to cook up the fresh eggs we collected the evening before. Our time at the farm came to an end, but the experience we had was priceless. We came away refreshed and inspired.
We would recommend this farm stay experience to anyone! It is especially great for families with children!
Best Places To Eat At in Salem Oregon
DaVinci Ristorante
DaVinci Ristorante has been serving the Willamette Valley for over 20 years. It’s located in the historic district downtown Salem. They source high quality local ingredients and some of the finest wines in the world! We both enjoyed an appetizer and some amazing pasta here for dinner! Dress up and be fancy 😉
Taproot Lounge
We ate here for lunch right around happy hour time after our adventurous bike ride. It’s located in a historical building that has been transformed to reflect Salem’s unique culture. The menu is full of delicious and healthy options. We ordered a protein smoothie, a chicken bbq bowl, a hummus plate (it was huge and amazing) and poutine!
Sassy Onion
This is a great place to have a filling breakfast or lunch. They are also famous for their French Toast which is served all day everyday!
The Kitchen On Court Street
This place is open 24/7 and serves their entire menu all the time. We had breakfast here and enjoyed this hip breakfast spot! We got a Veggie Scramble and a Texicali Omlette with some house coffee!
Archive Coffee & Bar
At Archive Coffee and Bar they serve amazing specialty coffee by day and cocktails by night. They also have a seasonal menu.
BIGWIG Donuts
BigWig Donuts are opening a storefront in May of 2019! They specialize in made-to-order, gluten-free and vegan donut holes. Check them out if you’re in Salem!
McMenamins Thompson Brewery and Public House
McMenamins is always a fun place to go to for some good food, wine, beer or live music! There’s always something interesting to learn about the place and of course get your passport stamp.
If you want to learn more about the McMenamins Passport check out what it’s all about! We started ours this year and have many more places to visit, but it has been fun to do mini road trips to get the stamps and learn more about some of these historical places. Oh, and get cool prizes and free food! 😉
Best Places To Stay At in Salem Oregon
The Vintages Trailer Resort
How should I even start describing this place!? It’s everything you would ever want for an experience of sleeping in a trailer with the added benefits of comfort and style!
Since we bought a van we have been dreaming up of what we want it to be like once we build it out. After staying at The Vintages, we were inspired by our experience and seriously can’t wait to build out our own van and get back on the road!
The Vintages Trailer Resort is centrally located in the Willamette Valley. It’s about half hour away from Salem. The trailers are on 14-acre Willamette Wine Country RV Park and are in their own little neighborhood lane.
Each trailer is a unique lodging experience. They have so many to choose from! Amenities include, “gourmet pour-over coffee from Caravan Coffee, cruiser bikes, luxurious terrycloth robes, comfortable mattresses and fine hotel-quality linens.” There’s also a bathroom, shower and a fire pit area to hang out at during the evenings. It’s right in the middle of wine country and a perfect spot to relax at!
If staying you’re looking for a hotel to stay at check out these options,
Booking.comGet $55 towards your next stay with airbnb.com
Get $25 off your next stay with booking.com
Check out Travel Salem’s post for more ideas, “12 Unique Places to Stay in Mid-Willamette Valley”
Exploring Oregon
We hope this has been helpful in your trip planning! We really enjoyed our adventures in Salem, Oregon and already are planning to come back and explore more. Oregon is full of amazing places and that’s why we are taking the time to explore our beautiful state! If you need more inspiration or ideas, follow us on our Instagram @thatoneadventurecouple!
Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our Adventure Newsletter where we feature all our favorite travel spots and tips!
Do you live in Salem, Oregon and have anything to share, let us know in the comments below!
If you visit, let us know by tagging us in your pictures on Instagram #thatoneadventurecouple #idratherplayoutside!
A big thank you goes out to Oregon Wine Country and Travel Salem for setting up this amazing roadtrip through the Willamette Valley! All thoughts and opinions are our own. Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link, we may receive compensation. This compensation comes at no additional cost to you and allows us to keep serving you with great content.
6 Comments
Michelle C
May 15, 2019 at 3:35 pmGreat compilation. I grew up in Salem and now live out by Independence. It’s been fun to explore this area as if we were tourists. Silver Falls is definitely a must-see hidden gem. Wine country, Rogue Farm, Archive Coffee/Bar are other favorites.
Al
May 15, 2019 at 3:52 pmHi Michelle! Thank you for your comment! We really enjoyed Salem and Independence. It’s a beautiful area with lots to do. Thank you for all the suggestions. -Katie
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