Beginner’s Guide to the Mid-Willamette Valley

I have such odd mixed feelings about Eugene, because it is always described as a “hippy/artsy/university town” but I’ve mostly only experienced the last one. I guess there’s a decent farmers market but I have no idea where the hippies and artists are hiding. I think the reputation of the Country Fair spills over to Eugene generally (I’ll let you look up the Country Fair yourselves).

What I do appreciate about Eugene is the outdoor space. In my opinion the single best thing they have is the riverfront paths along the Willamette – my favorite place to bike ride in the state. You can go for miles on either side of the river and there are lots of options for stops, such as the Skinner Butte, Rose Garden, and Alton Baker Park. Other outdoor favorites are Spencer Butte, Hendricks Park, and the Mount Pisgah Arboretum.

The other thing to appreciate about Eugene is the shear amount of Nike money funneled into their collegiate athletics. Is that actually a thinly veiled insult? I guess you can decide that for yourself. The highlight is definitely the track stadium which regularly hosts NCAA championships and Olympic trials. It has to be one of the most unique things in “track town USA” as they love to call themselves. As for football? Let’s just say it’s nice they can pay players legally now.

Last highlight – the Cascade Raptor Center. It’s a bit out of town and not the largest but they’ve got Condors, Eagles, Hawks, Owls, you name it they’ve got them. Try to go when they’re doing a teaching demonstration – I swear one of the eagles grazed the top of my head while flying around. Great spot to take kids or parents.

Things I would skip:

·        The 5th Street Market – bougie shopping for Californians. It’s totally out of place in Eugene.

·        “Downtown” – the rundown area near the theater district. It’s always completely dead and feels a big unsafe, although we’ve walked through dozens of times with no issues.

·        Most breweries – Eugene bills itself as a brewery capital and there certainly are a lot of them but most are average at best. I’m sure most will still visit a few but temper your expectations. Exceptions – Coldfire and Oakshire.

The fun thing about driving between Eugene and Corvallis is that there are four different ways to do it and they all take pretty much the same amount of time. Each has their own…charms I guess?

If you drive along I-5, which is usually the slightly faster way if there aren’t any accidents, there is one stop and one stop only I would suggest. Brownsville is just off the highway and for 80’s movie buffs it is where Stand By Me was filmed. There is a local museum primarily dedicated to the movie. For Victorian house buffs, there is a lovely house you can tour if you reserve in advance. So basically, something for everybody! Or a few specific niches.

If you drive on 99E, you go past Junkyard Burgers. Yes, it was on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Drives. And yes, it is one of the best burgers you can get in Oregon. Other than that, I’ve got nothing. Good if you like tiny towns and the slowest routes, I guess?

If you drive on Peoria Road, you also get the bonus of Junkyard and after that this is the closest route to the Willamette River so there are a few scenic parks to pull out and watch the water if that is something you are into. And there is a very nice farmstand in Peoria.

If you drive on 99W (confusing I know), this is the route that has the most wineries. I haven’t been to any of them personally, so no recommendations, but I know many that visit Oregon are into that kind of thing. My favorite stop along the road is the William L. Finley Wildlife Refuge. It’s a bird sanctuary so if you love birds, it is a must stop. If you don’t care about birds, like me, it still has tons of great hiking. Just be aware if you go in the winter many of the trails are closed. You’ll also drive right past the Southtown location of Block15, which as you’ll see below, I think is one of the state’s best breweries.

So which would I recommend? Honestly, we usually just drive I-5 because it’s slightly faster but if I had to pick, the “nicest’ is 99W.

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Every single guide I’ve ever seen to Corvallis has “tour the university” and then it immediately starts listing things that are not actually in the area. I’ve seen guides to Corvallis that include “go to the coast” (at least an hour away) or “tour some waterfalls” (more than an hour away). Well, I find that when I visit a place, I want to actually experience it and not just the well-known places that are far away from it. Even though I do legitimately love many of those places, that is for another guide. Are you here visiting your college student? Are you attending a football game? Are you here for some other unexpected reason? Start with this list and then expand out.

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I like to break my guide to Corvallis into two separate lists, indoor and outdoor activities. This is partially because some people only like one or the other. But mostly it is because for 6 months of the year there will be many days you don’t want to spend a lot of time outside. Now, us locals will say screw it and bike across town in a downpour, but if you’re just visiting? You’re probably going to come away with the best impressions if you stay comfortable.

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These lists are not in order of my personal preference but roughly groups by types of events. And I have to start somewhere so let’s go with indoors activities.

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               Indoors within Town:

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·        OSU Athletics – Here’s the thing about OSU athletics. Are all of the teams particularly skilled? No. Are all the venues top notch? No. Do they belong to a major conference? Not anymore. BUT, tickets are cheap and the variety is great. We have personally been to Basketball (both), Football, Baseball, Gymnastics (one of the most talented btw), and Soccer (both). We look forward to crossing Wrestling, Softball, and Track off the list. Wear some orange, pretend to be local, and cheer on the Beavs.

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·        PRAX – Brand new theater space on campus that hosts a huge variety of events. Of course, there are symphonies and chorus performances. But we’ve also seen a virtual reality show, dance inspired by math, and very eclectic music. There is highly likely something happening there no matter when you visit and if you’re lucky it will be really experimental.

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·        Majestic Theater events – Our favorite local stage. Like PRAX, there is tons of variety. You have the twice-yearly musicals, other staged plays, comedy, concerts, improv, burlesque, poetry readings. The list goes on and on. We find ourselves here at minimum every two months.

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·        Darkside Theater – the local arthouse cinema. They have the Oscar contenders, the foreign films, the hard hitting documentaries, the retro classics. Forgot the big AMC, this is the only place in town worth seeing a movie. And you’ll feel great supporting a small locally owned business.

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·        The Arts Center – it may not be the largest but it is free and has frequently rotating exhibits. Walkable from both downtown and campus, it’s a great way to burn an hour (max, don’t plan on more).

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·        Block 15 Breweries – both downtown and Southtown (our personal preference), this is by far the best brewery in the Corvallis and one of the best in the state, full stop. Food is pretty good too. Grab yourself a Sticky Hands and feel like a local.

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·        Common Fields – partially indoor, partially covered outdoor, this is the only food truck pod in Corvallis plus a great tap room with things you won’t find many other places. They host events most nights of the week as well so you might catch some trivia, bingo, open mic, or even a drag show if you’re lucky!

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·        2towns Cider – what was once a small local cidery has now expanded to a national powerhouse. If you keep up with the cider world you’ve probably heard of 2Towns. Their taproom remains modest, which I love, and you’ll always find 4-5 taps that will never exist in cans. Come check out the source!

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Outdoors within Town:

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·        Biking – Corvallis is an amazing bike town, offering both a large number of dedicated paths (campus way to Bald Hill being a personal favorite) and dedicated bike friendly streets. Don’t believe me? Well in that case just ask the League of American Biciclists ( https://bikeleague.org/bfa/award-database/#community) who yearly have awarded Corvallis as one of only two Gold level communities in the state (the other being Eugene). Sadly, there isn’t a great rental option in town that I’m aware of so you’ll have to either borrow or bring your own.

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·        Walking around campus – it goes a bit without saying, since if you’re visiting Corvallis there is a 83% chance it has something to do with OSU, but while you’re there take some time and really enjoy the campus. The buildings have a consistent red brick theme, but the landscaping is what really shines. Immerse yourself in green lined lanes while you enjoy pitying the students who have homework and midterms.

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·        Mural walk (i.e., walk all of downtown) – Not really thought of as a public art town like the places with better PR (Portland and Eugene spring to mind), Corvallis actually has a ton of outdoor murals in the downtown area. Go north to south and back again, and don’t miss the alleys which actually have the highest density. It’s a great way to experience all of the Corvallis downtown while still having a purpose, for all you achievement driven folks.

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·        Arts walk – Speaking of walking and art, if you are lucky enough to be in town on the third Thursday of the month, you may just find yourself at the official Arts Walk. This is when multiple existing galleries plus other shops host free exhibits of local work for purchase. Oftentimes there is even free snacks and wine! Search their website to find a map, I can’t do everything for you!

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·        Farmers market – Held every Sat and Weds mornings on 1st street (i.e., the closest street to the Willamette), the Corvallis farmers market features a lot of top notch produce, breads, and berries without much of the silly crafts junk you find at many farmer’s markets. If you have access to cooking equipment one thing I love to do is go to the market without any meal plan in mind, grab the veggies that look best and then come up with a plan for the week. Like getting a farm box but better. And if you really want to go local, take a trip out to one of the many farm stands located on or near the actual farms.

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·        Floating – This one takes a little planning as you need inflatable tubes plus two cars, so tough for the short term visitor, I nevertheless must include it because it is probably my single favorite activity in Corvallis. The most common route goes from Crystal Lakes Sports Park in Southtown to the Spaghetti Factory just past the bridges. I actually prefer the stretch from Hyak Park along HW20 to the bridge in Albany – less people equals even more relaxing. Just be very careful to avoid logs and rocks and never tie yourselves together. Seriously, its both unsafe and you’ll probably get a ticket.

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·        Disc Golf – A great excuse for a walk in the park, disc golf is preferred in the area over “real” golf. Stretch out your shoulder, grab your driver and your putter (and maybe a beer if you’re feeling crazy), and let it rip. The best course within Corvallis proper is easily in Willamette park in Southtown, although if I can bend my rules just a teensy bit I love the course in Adair park. Just don’t go with a group of 8. You’ll take forever and everyone will hate you.

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·        Golf City Par 3 – I may have just dissed “real” golf slightly and I’m not the type to ever recommend you play 18 holes, but the Par 3 at Golf City is a lot of fun. Nobody cares how much you suck and takes under an hour. Want more time out there? Do it twice! But pro tip, skip the mini golf course. I like mini golf. They do not have good mini golf.

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·        Parks – My pack of 3 (puppy, wife, me) spend many a Saturday or Sunday morning in nature hiking alongside our fellow Corvallians. There are so many parks within or just outside the city limit. I could spend pages waxing rhapsodically about the relative benefits of each, but I’m going to save time and tell you that you really cannot go wrong. Here are five favorites to start with: Chip Ross, Fitton Green, Bald Hill, Dimple Hill, and the Arboretum.

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               Skip

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·        Covered Bridges – Often found in other guides I’ve read, I’ll be honest, I really don’t get this one. There are only a handful, they’re almost all a drive, and they are literally just a bridge…with a cover. Whoo hoo extra wood! You can avoid getting rained on for 5 seconds! Seriously, why? What am I missing???

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·        Museum (begrudgingly) – Something about me is that I love a museum. And I was really excited when the Benton County museum previously only with a Philomath location opened a big extension in Corvallis. The building itself it really cool! The interior is lacking. Not visually lacking, or even lacking in quantity, but definitely lacking in quality. I wanted to learn about the place I live and I got very little. If you’ve done everything else and you’ve got an hour to kill I won’t tell you not to go, just be warned.

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·        “Riverfront” Path – One of the biggest disappointments to me is how underdeveloped the Corvallis riverfront is (the river being the Willamette, obviously). Yes there is a path, but to call it riverfront would be to ignore the massive plant overgrowth that blocks nearly every view. This is particularly a bummer because if you read my guide to Eugene you know how great I think those paths are. Talk about your opportunities missed.

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·        Central Park – Don’t let the name fool you. It’s not particularly central, and it’s barely a park. Usually trash filled and not people filled, there’s just no reason to waste your time here. Only exceptions – Civic Band concerts and the Fall Festival. And even those are being generous.

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·        Any brewery besides Block 15.

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–       Old World Deli is probably the next-best option – the sandwiches are excellent, the beer is at least ok, and they often have live music.

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–       Sky High has a very cool rooftop, so groups often gather there, but the food is only decent and the beer subpar.

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–       McMenamins is a NW-wide chain that has standard pub food and even more subpar beer. I hesitate to even call it a brewery.

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“Corvallis’s bratty little cousin”, otherwise known as Albany. As a Corvallis resident, I’ve been taught to hate Albany. And since many of our friends live there, I love to bring that up to them. But begrudgingly, I have to acknowledge there are a few things going for it. My favorite float on the Willamette river starts at Hyak Park and ends in Albany under the bridge. The Barn is by far the best food truck pod in the region, is dog friendly, and often has live music. And the hand carved animals on their classic carousel are impressive and beautiful. Okay that’s as much as I can do without puking. I could spend a day, but definitely no more.

“Corvallis’s shy little cousin”, or Philomath, while originally a logging community, these days it is mostly known as a sleeper community for Corvallis. And while I’m all for affordable housing, that would have to be the main draw. They do have the 2nd best brewery in the region in Dirt Road, and an awesome brunch spot in the Dizzy Hen (across the street) but outside of that intersection my list runs low. Oh, I did forget they have the best regional rodeo and the park along the Mary’s River is nice (with disc golf!). Alright now I’m officially done.

There are only two real ways to drive between Corvallis and Salem. One is I5 (boring, having to go through Albany) and the other is OR-99. You might sense a preference there. Here are the pros and cons to the OR-99 route:

·        Pro - Some of the best hiking in Oregon is just north of Corvallis in the McDonald Dunn forest. There are a lot of access points but some of the best are the Lewisburg Saddle and the Peavy Arboretum

·        Con – You get to drive past one of the biggest garbage piles in the state

·        Pro – Adair is not really a town but does have the best disc golf course in the area

·        Con – Sarah Helmick State Park is the worst excuse for a state park I’ve yet to experience

·        Pro - Independence is a cute town with a nice little downtown along the Willamette and even though it’s a side trek off 99 it is actually worth it.

·        Con – Monmouth is technically a place.

·        That’s it.

You don’t need to go to Salem.

Oh sorry, you wanted a little bit more about the state capital? Let me start with a comprehensive list of everything I’ve enjoyed doing in Salem:

·        Biking the Riverfront City Park and Minto Island

·        Getting a personal tour of the Capitol from an off-duty state senator, even through the capitol is consistently rated one of the ugliest in the nation

·        Going to the Old Mill Museum

·        A concert at the Elsinore Theater (almost comparable to similar venues in Portland or Eugene)

·        A comedy show at a venue that no longer exists

·        La Familia Cider

·        A concert in the basement of a restaurant that no longer exists

·        Brunch at the Easy Otter

·        A movie at the Salem Cinema (I’m really reaching now)

·        Some friends used to live there

Everything else I’ve ever experience in Salem was either unremarkable, boring, or flat out bad. Most food is mediocre. The mall is depressing as hell, although to be fair most malls are depressing as hell now. It’s got big box stores if you’re into that sort of things (I’m not).

Most importantly, and I know I keep saying this, don’t trust anyone or anything that says Salem is worth it because you can go to Silver Falls, or the Oregon Gardens, or Mount Angel. Those places are worth going to. Those places are not near Salem. Stay somewhere else and make a day trip.

This is the end of the beginner’s guide to the Central Willamette Valley! If forced to summarize, you’re probably here for one of the two universities or you’re a government worker, and I would recommend you stay in either Eugene or Corvallis unless your job forces you to stay in Salem. There are more than enough things to fill a good weekend in any location, counting day trips, but if this is your first and only trip to Oregon I wouldn’t recommend any as your top choice (including Eugene). If you’re an in-state traveler, I hope I’ve given you something to think about. Please reach out! I love to discuss my favorites and things I may have gotten wrong. Unless you’re from Albany.