One of the nice things about living in Portland is the close proximity to so many attractions. The coast, the mountains, and the forests are all within an easy hour’s reach. Also only an hour away from the big city are the towns of the Willamette Valley. Often overlooked as one darts to or through Salem, many of the valley towns have a lot of charm to recommend them and are worth an itinerary of their own to allow for true exploration.

Canby: Ferry to the Farms

Begin your road trip on I-5, exiting at Wilsonville and crossing the Willamette River on one of the three remaining ferries in the state (cost to cars- $2). Now operated by Clackamas County, a ferry has traveled the river in this spot since 1914. Once in Canby, you’ll notice a drastic change from the urbanity of the city and suburbs. This is farm country, offering more than 20 farm stands with fresh produce for sale. The Canby Depot Museum is the oldest remaining railroad station in Oregon and for 90 years, rail transport was the lifeline of commerce. The old Southern Pacific station was closed in 1976 and moved to its present location where it now receives visitors. Note: please check hours as they are limited mostly to afternoons. Another don’t miss stop is Swan Island Dahlias with its 40 acres of flowers; the flower fields are open for viewing from August until the frost comes.

Aurora and Mt. Angel: Antiquing and Bavarian Ambience

Mount Angel Abbey, Oregon, USA. VigilancePrime, 2007.

Continue down Highway 99E to Aurora, the antiques capital of the state with over 20 shops and dealers offering wares for sale. Recently named one of the top ten destinations for antiquing in the country, Aurora is Oregon’s first national historic district, dating back to 1856 when Oregon Trail pioneers arrived here from Missouri to form the 18,000 acre New England-style Aurora Colony. Artifacts are on display in the Old Aurora Colony Museum in the center of the historic downtown where remaining historic buildings now house antique and specialty shops. If you’ve something odd to find, Aurora is certainly the place to look!

Follow 99E through Hubbard and Woodburn, making a brief stop downtown at the display of Southern Pacific Engine #1785, one of the best cosmetically restored steam engines of its period west of the Mississippi. Next head out of town on Highway 214 for a short side-trip into Mt. Angel, home of Oregon’s oldest Oktoberfest. Mt. Angel is a little piece of Germany, with many Bavarian storefronts and the Benedictine Abbey situated on a bluff above town with views of three mountains and the surrounding farm country.

Silverton and Surrounds: Murals, Gardens, and Waterfalls, oh my!

Next up on Highway 214 is the town of Silverton, where more than twenty murals adorn the town’s buildings, among other things paying homage to Bobbie, the collie who found his way home from Indiana in 1924. Just northwest of town is Oregon’s oldest covered bridge, Gallon House Bridge. Haunted walking tours are also offered here in Silverton!

Silverton Oregon. Photo by Edmund Garman.

Silverton is also the jumping off point for both the Oregon Garden with its Frank Lloyd Wright House (The Gordon House) and eighty acres of botanical gardens, as well as Silver Falls State Park and the renowned Trail of Ten Falls. The Oregon Garden contains more than twenty specialty gardens showcasing the Willamette Valley and Pacific Northwest, including the Sensory Garden, Rose Garden, Children’s Garden, a Pet-Friendly Garden, the Silverton Market Garden, and the Amazing Water Garden. The Forests within the garden include one of the largest collections of miniature conifers in the country and the 400-year old Signature Oak, an Oregon Heritage Free. A complimentary tram links the gardens as well as a gift shop (with seeds available to purchase), cafe, and even a resort with a spa.

Silver Falls is a gem of the Oregon State Park system, featuring world class waterfalls as well as historic buildings and family recreation opportunities in the midst of a forest composed of Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock. Oregon’s largest State Park is home to the Trail of Ten Falls, a National Recreation Trail with 800-foot elevation variation over a nine mile loop (shorter circuits to a few falls are also possible). After the falls, highways 214 and 22 will take you 25 miles into Salem for the night.

Independence and Monmouth: Historic Building Districts and Picture-Perfect Main Streets

Your second day begins in Salem and loops through towns to the west of that city ending either back in Salem for a second night or returning directly to Portland by way of the Yamhill County wine country. Head west on Highway 22 until it intersects with Highway 51 where you’ll head south into Independence. Named for Independence, Missouri where the wagons to Oregon originated, downtown Independence, Oregon boasts an excellently preserved district of historic buildings. There’s also a Heritage Museum and antiquing opportunities to be found on a picture-perfect small town Main Street that was recently a finalist for an All-American City.

From Independence, head west on Highway 51 into Monmouth, home of Western Oregon State University. A bucolic and welcoming college town, Monmouth features a historic building district, antique dealers, a nearby covered bridge, and the only museum focusing on the Arctic in this part of the country, the Jensen Museum.
From Monmouth you have a few choices for direction on your road trip, depending on the time you have to spare. The shortest way back to Portland is on Highway 99W through Amity to Dayton and through the Dundee Hills. An alternate route to Portland could include a stop at Willamette Mission State Park, or to return to Salem, take Highway 22 through the Eola Hills wine region.

Amity: Where Farm Country meets the Wine County

Crowley Station Vineyards. Photo by jamesfischer.

On your way into the community of Amity, you’ll pass through Rickreall, a town that excellently exemplifies Polk County’s rural lifestyle. Rickreall houses the Polk County Historical Society which has records of settlement in the county back to the 1840’s. With a name derived from ‘amicable dispute’, Amity is now a town with one foot in the rural valley life and another in the wine industry with several vineyards and tasting rooms calling Amity their home base and open for visitors. A pioneer cemetery is located on 6th Street and recent efforts to liven the downtown area have finally taken shape. From Amity, continue to Portland either by way of the Dayton Bypass or continuing up 99W into McMinnville.

Willamette Mission State Park: Discover Oregon’s Original Mission Heritage

Alternatively from Monmouth, head north to the junction with Highway 22, then turn east passing through Salem to rejoin I-5. You’ll exit the interstate near the Wheatland Ferry for a stop at Willamette Mission State Park, the site of the first mission for Native Americans in the West. Founded in 1834, this Methodist Mission was the first American settlement after the fur trading forts in the Oregon Territory. Ghost structure frames outline the original buildings along the Mission Trail which leads to the Wheatland Ferry, the first to carry a wagon and ox team across the Willamette River in 1844. Still in operation, you may wish to opt for another ferry ride if you are continuing to explore the area backroads (cost for cars- $1). Also within the park is a 250-year old Black Cottonwood tree, the nation’s largest of this type. From the State Park, travel back east to I-5 to return to Portland.

Eola Hills: One of Oregon’s Largest and Oldest Wine Regions.

If you have another day to spend in Salem, you may wish to explore the Eola Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area), one of the state’s largest AVA’s and home to some of the oldest vineyards in Oregon. Bordered by Highway 99W on the west and Highway 22 on the south, there is no shortage of unique and affordable wine tasting opportunities to be found in this seahorse-shaped wine growing region which is greatly influenced by winds from the Van Duzer Corridor. In fact the name Eola is derived from Aeolus, the Greek god of winds. Upon completion of your wine tasting, Highway 22 will return you to Salem or else you can connect to Highway 233 through Dayton to Portland.