Via Oregon - September/October 2021 - 20

ON THE ROAD
SWEET STOPS
Fall in
Oregon's
farmland
↘ Discover history and
harvests along the
backroads of the central
Willamette Valley.
First settled by French Canadian
trappers in the 1800s, Oregon's fertile
French Prairie area above Salem is still
largely farmland today. Come fall,
instead of busy Interstate-5, take a
drive down byways flanked by
pumpkin fields and rivers, where five
small towns deliver natural beauty,
forgotten history, and local bounty.
Surrounded by farms, St. Paul is rich
in history. Stroll or cycle four miles of
trails at Champoeg State Park, site of
a pioneer vote creating Oregon's first
provisional government in 1843. In
town, spot the Catholic church, one
of the oldest brick buildings in the
Pacific Northwest. Then see what's
in season at French Prairie Gardens,
where visitors can purchase produce
and homemade fruit pies, and even
catch a pig race in the pumpkin patch.
●
chicken-and-dumplings at Filberts
Farmhouse Kitchen.
● Aurora invites treasure hunters
to seek vintage gems from toys
to typewriters in a dozen antique
stores along 99E. Learn about the
town's religious roots at the Old
Aurora Colony Museum, displaying
pioneer artifacts and antique quilts.
Down the road, snack on treats from
Pacific Hazelnut Candy Factory,
or dine on mushroom manicotti or
20 VIA | SEPTEMBER+OCTOBER 2021
Founded by Swiss monks and German
settlers, Mount Angel celebrates
its European heritage at Oktoberfest-and
all year-round. Drive up
the hillside to Mount Angel Abbey to
take a self-guided tour of its grounds
and the free natural history museum,
then head into town to browse local
shops and see the village glockenspiel,
which plays four times daily. Finish
with traditional German fare and your
choice of more than 30 types of wurst
at Mount Angel Sausage Company.
●
● Scenic beauty abounds around
Silverton. Check out waterfalls at
Silver Falls State Park along the Trail
of Ten Falls, and stand in the spray
behind 177-foot tall South Falls. Stop
downtown for coffee and ice cream
at Silverton Coffee Station, located
inside a vintage service station, then
savor fall colors and late-season
blooms in the Oregon Garden-80
acres showcasing thousands of plant
species as well as the only Frank
Lloyd Wright house in the state.
● Explore riverside recreation and history
at Willamette Mission State
Park, the former site of an 1834 mission.
The park features 15 miles of
trails, the nation's largest black cottonwood
tree, and the Wheatland
Ferry, which makes river crossings
through the autumn months. Wrap up
your tour of the area in nearby Gervais
for harvest festival fun at Bauman
Farms, complete with a petting zoo, a
corn maze, and freshly baked apple
cider doughnuts. -mary frances hinds
clockwise from top:
Willamette Mission State Park;
French Prairie Farm; Mushroom
manicotti at Filberts Farmhouse.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: AGEFOTOSTOCK / ALAMY; KATI BODLE; COURTESY FILBERTS FARMHOUSE KITCHEN
Via Oregon - September/October 2021

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