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Located in the heart of Oregon’s verdant Willamette Valley, Salem inarguably offers the best of the big city combined with small-town charm. The area is a road-tripper’s dream with its award-winning wineries, historic sites, and easily accessible outdoor experiences located within minutes from downtown.

The Salem region is home to 15 significant heritage sites that offer fascinating peeks into Oregon’s past. Guests will be awed with a visit to Deepwood Museum and Gardens, a perfectly preserved 125-year-old Queen Anne style home with formal gardens designed by the all-female architecture firm, Lord & Schryver. Or, they can take in a live performance at Salem’s historic Elsinore Theatre, one of the only theaters in the world with a foyer in the Gothic “nave and aisle” design.

Sitting in one of the richest agricultural areas in the country, visitors will find farm-to-fork dining along with award-winning wine, craft beer and cider. Chefs like Jonathan Jones – a 2022 James Beard Award nominee – create inspired dishes using locally-sourced ingredients at his intimate café, Epilogue Kitchen & Cocktails. Small, family-owned wineries like Coria Estates, Bethel Heights Vineyard and Left Coast Cellars offer jaw-dropping vineyard views and intimate tasting
experiences, while local breweries such as Gilgamesh pair beer with tasty bites at their three brewery-plus-restaurant locations.

Outdoor recreation also abounds inside and outside of the city. Salem is home to a three-park connected system that offers more than 25 miles of trails ideal for walking or biking along quiet paths. Just west of town, Baskett Slough Wildlife Refuge is a 2,492-acre refuge that’s home to 230 recorded species of birds and is one of the only places in the Western United States to see the endangered Fender’s Blue Butterfly.

For more trip planning ideas and inspiration for Salem and the Mid-Willamette Valley, visit www.TravelSalem.com

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