As a special back-to-school bonus, Travel Salem welcomes children (and their parents) of all ages with activities inside and outside the Travel Café.

• Salem Public Library’s master storyteller will be reading stories inside a special story tent.
• Trexler Farm & Cafe will be serving food samples and showing an array of their gift items.
• Hey Handyman will present preventive home maintenance tips and visitors can enter a drawing for a multi-purpose fire extinguisher for their home.
• Willamette Humane Society (WHS) will be sharing information for spay and neuter clinics. Visitors can enter a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to Davenports Den – the WHS pet products store.
• Tigress Books (formerly Tea Party Bookshop) – book signing by Jessica Maxwell for her book “Roll Around Heaven: An All True Accidental Spiritual Adventure” Books $15 at signing.
• Rogue will be promoting a selection of their locally made beers.
• Willamette Valley Vineyards will be showcasing their wonderful sustainable wines. Wine tasting and Riedel wine glass for only $5.00. Also, receive 20% discount on all bottles purchased at the Travel Café. (Tasting fee waived for purchases over $30. Stemware not included.)

Contribute to Travel Salem’s “Absolutely Giving Back” program and help Family Building Blocks by dropping off new school supplies (crayons, colored pencils, watercolors, glue sticks, pencils, pens, scissors, construction paper, white glue, non-toxic white washable paint, or felt-tip markers). Thank you for your generosity!  Support Travel Salem’s “Absolutely Giving Back” campaign and your local community by visiting the Travel Café (181 High St. NE Salem) with contributions.

Visit  GoDowntownSalem.com for more information about First Wednesday!

The Oregon Bounty Wanderfeast will send the chefs throughout the state — video crew in tow — to experience one of the foodie passions they enjoy outside of the kitchen. The chefs’ adventures will include fly fishing for steelhead on the Deschutes River, foraging the Oregon Trail for botanical ingredients, and milking a cow to make artisan cheese, among others. Short videos of their adventures will serve as the introduction to Travel Oregon’s culinary travel planning website, which includes all of the “how-to” and “where-to” information needed to plan a foodie getaway to Oregon.

Win an Oregon Bounty Wanderfeast Contest
One lucky “epi-tourian” will win an exclusive four-day, three-night Oregon Bounty Wanderfeast. The winner will indulge in a five-course chef’s table dinner at Le Pigeon Restaurant in Portland plus two of these options for their own Oregon Wanderfeast: head out on a pier and catch Dungeness crab, be an artisan cheese maker for a day, discover the wineries of the Columbia Gorge, create spring ales with a craft brewer, learn the art of mixology with artisan spirits or stalk a steelhead on a wild and scenic river.

To enter the Oregon Bounty Wanderfeast Contest, create an itinerary of your choosing from a variety of Oregon culinary destinations and submit in 25 words or less what makes Oregon the perfect place for your Wanderfeast. A winner, randomly selected from all submittals on Dec. 3, 2010, will have the opportunity to bring three friends or family members to accompany him or her on their culinary adventure, scheduled for April 7 – 10, 2011.  For a complete list of celebration information, contest rules and to enter, visit www.Traveloregon.com/Bounty.

“The intimacy of our culinary scene is one of the incredible, relatively undiscovered aspects of Oregon,” said Travel Oregon’s Director of Brand Strategy, Holly Macfee. “It’s one of the few states where you can eat or drink right alongside the producers that grow, make or cook the ingredients. Fall is one of the best times of year for Oregon foodie travel since many of the products are at their peak.”

New Epicurean Travel Planning Website
Want to plan your own culinary retreat? Dishing about Oregon’s secret spots, travel tips and favorite recipes designed to celebrate Oregon’s bounty, the new www.TravelOregon.com/Bounty is chock full of videos with chefs at their favorite spots, downloadable recipes and chef recommendations, foodie festivals and events along with itineraries and travel packages. Eat like a local and follow along as we highlight a new ingredient each week. The Oregon Bounty recipe collection with selections from each participating Oregon Bounty chef will be available for download at http://budurl.com/Bounty.

About Oregon Bounty
Oregon Bounty is a statewide promotion that celebrates Oregon’s culinary abundance and the fall harvest season. From August 23rd through November 30th, Oregon Bounty highlights unique travel experiences, fall events and the state’s chefs, winemakers, brewers, farmers and culinary artisans. Oregon Bounty is produced by the Oregon Tourism Commission (dba Travel Oregon), with support from Oregon’s regional destination marketing organizations, with the goal of encouraging economic growth and enhancing the quality of life in Oregon through a strengthened economic impact of tourism statewide. Travel Oregon collaborates extensively with local communities, industry associations, government agencies and private business, and is proud to grow the Oregon Bounty promotion as a key campaign in the state’s $7.7 billion tourism industry, helping Oregon to be recognized as a not-to-be-missed culinary and travel destination. Visit www.TravelOregon.com/Bounty or call 1-800-547-7842 for more information

The 2010 Oregon State Fair is coming back to Salem and is bigger than ever!  Guests of the Grand Hotel in Salem  have raved about this annual event for years (not to mention we are located conveniently close to the Fair Grounds!  View Larger Map)

“The Oregon State Fair is about celebrating all that Oregon has to offer, and this is especially true this year with the hosting of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series National Championships, which speaks to the state’s rich timber history,” said Connie Bradley, Oregon State Fair Manager. Here are just some of the 2010 Oregon State Fair Highlights (visit their oregonstatefair.org for a complete schedule of events and entertainment) :

STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series Championships: The Oregon State Fair is proud to be hosting the 25th anniversary season of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series. ESPN 2 will be there to capture all of the exciting action!

STIHL Dogs & Logs World Championships: Labor Day weekend will see the top Big Air® Dogs, the top Extreme Vertical® teams and the top 18 Speed Retrieve™ teams from all over the world compete in this prestigious yearly event.

Days of the Dinosaur: Calling dinosaur lovers of all ages! This eye-popping exposition features more than 30 life-sized dinosaur robots, skeleton replicas and an interactive children’s area with a fossil dig for junior anthropologists, a little dino ride and more. There is also an informative 3-D movie that answers questions about dinosaurs and the making of the robots, a snack bar for dinosaur-sized appetites and a merchandise area. Tickets: $5/adults, $3/kids (11 & under)

Six Nights of Amazing Performances: From legends ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd to country music star Dierks Bentley, to the Michael Jackson Laser & Dance Spectacular, the 2010 concert line-up is not to be missed!

Oregon’s BIG Wine Celebration! Featuring more than 200 top Oregon wines, the 2010 Celebration Oregon! is the one of the state’s biggest wine tasting events. In addition to the wines, patrons can also sample hors d’ oeuvres from 15 Oregon chefs.

BIG Sports Fun for Fair-Goers: This year, the popular Sports & Recreation area is being expanded to include even more fun activities for visitors to try out, including a new dirt track featuring ATV Safety Rides, Go-Cart Rides, Car/Motorcycle Racing and Demolition Derby. Also new to the area this year is Catch & Release Fishing and Let’s Go Camping.

Blues, Brews & BBQ: This annual favorite event brings together more than 40 professional BBQ teams, six Oregon microbreweries and great blues music the first three evenings of the Oregon State Fair.

HOURS:
Sundays-Thursdays: 10 AM-10 PM
Fridays and Saturdays: 10 AM-11 PM

GENERAL ADMISSION:
Adults (ages 11 – 64): $7.00/advance, $11.00/gate
Seniors (ages 65 & over): $3.00/advance, $6.00/gate
Children (ages 6 – 11): $3.00/advance, $6.00/gate
Group Pricing (50+): $5.00
Ages 5 and under: ALWAYS FREE

Parking: FREE
LUXURY PAID Parking Available $20
Multi-Day Admission Passes: (Available at the Oregon State Fair Box Office)

General admission tickets are available for advance purchase at the Fairgrounds (2330 17th Street NE, Salem, OR, 8 am – 5 pm, Mon-Fri) and at all participating Safeway TicketsWest outlets, online at www.ticketswest.com, or by calling 1-800-992-8499.

The event features an Outdoor BBQ by The Flight Deck Restaurant, Airplane & Helicopter rides, airplane and automobile displays, contests, booths, a breakfast to benefit the Salem Civil Air Patrol and much more.  The best part is- this event is free and perfect for the entire family to enjoy.  If your travels bring you to Salem, Oregon this weekend- we hope you will take the opportunity to enjoy this event!

Download the Event Flyer for more details.

About the The Flight Deck Restaurant

The Flight Deck Restaurant offers their guests a spectacular view of the Cascade Mountains or the airplanes coming and going from the airport in Salem Oregon. A comfortable atmosphere invites guests to enjoy a delicious meal and drinks with friends and family any day of the week .

About The Salem Municipal Airport
Salem’s airport, also known as McNary Field is located in Oregon’s capitol city and in the heart of the Willamette Valley. Salem is the second largest city in the State with the Willamette River flowing through it. The airport is located two miles southeast of downtown Salem. The airport code is SLE.

There is always something new to see at Mission Mill Museum- and this summer is no exception. The museum is hosting numerous activities for the whole family to include a Summertime concert series, Summer Day Camps, Exhibits and more.  Be sure to visit the calendar on their site: www.missionmill.com for latest news and events.

Mission Mill Museum in Salem Oregon is featured in this video brochure produced by Caitlin Stroud of CCTV’s Non-Profit Center:

We are now a Blue Star Museum – FREE Admission for Active Military Families -
NOW Through Labor Day

The best part? All profits from the Bite and Brew benefit local youth programs including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Marion and Polk counties, Young Life, Salem-Keizer Public Schools, the Children’s Educational Theater, Sprague Highschool Scholarships to name a few!

For directions and information, visit www.thebiteofsalem.com and  follow them in Facebook and Twitter!

Salem is a vibrant city with a variety of activity and unique destinations to suit any taste. We are so fortunate to have a wealth of online resources available to travelers to help them plan their time here.  These sites are dedicated to informing their readers of great events, unbiased reviews of shops and restaurants, and more.  The people who post to these sites are truly passionate about our city and want to share their insight with you.

We have begun keeping a list of these resources on the right site of our blog under “Salem Oregon Resources”.  I wish I could highlight them all today- but here are a few to get you started.  Make sure you check back as we keep this list updated.

Salemites.com- This is a blog dedicated completely to Salem, Oregon events and topics- great way to stay current and learn about events and businesses you may not have heard of otherwise!

Travel Oregon Everyone knows that TravelOregon.com is a great resource for the entire state- but they have a wonderful section devoted to the entire Willamette Valley.  Check it out for tips on great attractions and sights in our region (and the best wine!).

TravelSalem:  We refer to TravelSalem.com frequently because  they are a reliable source of current travel news and tips for visitors!  Put this site on your “Must See” checklist as you plan your vacation.  We also love their “Reel to Real” virtual tour series.

Go DownTown Salem Want to know what is happening just blocks from the hotel?  Use this site to get great info on landscape of Downtown Salem.

The Salem Heritage Network and Discover-Neighborhood-History (DISCOVER) Love history and architecture?  Our city is rich with culture and history- and these 2 sites have great suggestions to discover unique and wonderful places right here that may not be on your radar.

Visually discover the Salem, Oregon area’s unique experiences that will transform your “Reel virtual” visit into a “Real time” visit. These lively “experiences” will help you discover the real you. Are you a Family Voyager, Naturalist, Adventure Seeker, Gourmand, Relaxer or a Culture Seeker? Find out!

Check Out:

Travel Salem
181 High St. NE
Salem, Oregon 97301
503-581-4325
800-874-7012
www.travelsalem.com

Detroit Lake Recreation Area
PO Box 574 (mailing)
Detroit, Oregon 97342
www.detroitlakeoregon.org

Detroit Lake State Recreation Area
44000 N Santiam Hwy. SE
Detroit, OR 97342
503-854-3346
800-452-5687 (camping reservations)
800-551-6949 (hours)
www.oregonstateparks.org

Hoodoo Ski Area
Hwy 20, Box 20
Sisters, OR 97759
541-822-3799
www.hoodoo.com

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
503-947-6000
800-720-ODFW
www.dfw.state.or.us/

Silver Falls State Park
20024 Silver Falls Hwy. SE
Sublimity, OR 97385
503-873-8681
800-452-5687 (camping reservations)
800-551-6949 (hours)
www.oregonstateparks.org

Willamette National Forest
541-225-6300
www.fs.fed.us/r6/willamette/

The Elsinore Theatre Stage

When you plan your next visit to Salem, Oregon, we recommend a visit to the Historic Elsinore Theatre located on 170 High St SE. This impressive building has seen it’s share of ups and downs since opening their doors in 1926. Today, the restored Elsinore Theatre is a historic national landmark and hosts many of Salem’s premiere performing arts and film events.

The Historic Elsinore Theatre is a nonprofit organization, and its mission is to: “Promote, protect and enhance the Elsinore as an historic national landmark and performing arts center.”

It was once regarded as the finest theater between Portland and San Francisco and represents a long lost era of old fashioned vaudeville and movie houses. Be sure to read the History of the Elsinore Theatre written by Elaine K. Sanchez.

The theatre is available for tours, rentals and is currently selling tickets for upcoming performances- See Schedule. If you are going to be around this summer, you should also check out one of these movie events!
The Wednesday Evening Film Series: The Historic Elsinore Theatre in partnership with the Chemeketa Community College Humanities Department and Film Studies Program presents a program of classic and silent movies.

The films are digitally restored from archival prints and presented with live accompaniment by Rick Parks at the “Mighty Wurlitzer Organ.” Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at the Historic Elsinore Theatre, and at all Tickets West locations. Phone 503.375.3574 for information about upcoming performances (starting up again in September). Box office and doors open at 6:00 pm, movies start at 7:00 pm.

The 1st (and only) Joan Weldon International “B” Movie Film Fest- August 6-7! FREE ADMISSION

For further information or to make a donation or volunteer, contact:

The Historic Elsinore Theatre
170 High Street
Salem, OR 97301, Phone 503-375-3574