Here is a summertime travel tip: Come to Salem, Oregon and stop by the Mission Mill Museum to get a taste of Oregon and American history. Mission Mill Museum interprets the history of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill which produced wool products from 1889 to 1962 and represents one of Oregon’s earliest and strongest industries. Mission Mill also interprets the history of Jason Lee’s Methodist Mission to Oregon which settled in the Willamette Valley in 1834 before the major Oregon Trail migrations. The missionaries brought formal education, industry and large scale agriculture and advocated for U.S. government in the Oregon country.
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
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
Looking for a unique getaway in August? We recommend planning a visit to downtown Salem, Oregon during Summer in the City Music and Wine Festival August 14 and 15.
Celebrate the last days of summer in beautiful Historic downtown Salem. Check Availabilityin our hotel and simply walk to the event! Call toll-free in the US and Canada: 1-877-540-7800, local phone: 503-540-7800
Love wine? The festival will feature a massive Wine Pavilion featuring 21 different Oregon wineries. Love music? The entertainment line up includes 20+ bands and features our favorite regional and local acts including Charlie Musselwhite and more.
There will also be plenty of food, shopping, kids activities, sidewalk sales, a BBQ cook-off- and so much more. For a small entry fee you can enjoy all three entertainment pavilions. Adults $7 and Students 16 and older $5.00 with student ID. For full event details, visit GoDownTownSalem.com.
Go Downtown Salem! has been a key partner in the Salem Vision 2020 planning process. More than 3,000 residents responded to Salem Vision 2020 surveys, a majority asking for more festivals, activities and live music events in the city center. The Summer in the City Music and Wine Festival is a direct result of the call by Salem residents for a vibrant destination.
The Annual Oregon Artists Series will be Displayed throughout the first floor of the SCC
The Mayor’s Oregon Artists Series is an annual art exhibit displayed in the first floor gallery of the Salem Conference Center. The Fourth Annual Oregon Artists Series exhibit will open July 15 at the SCC and will feature contemporary paintings, prints, and mixed media work from artists throughout the state of Oregon and is presented by the Salem Conference Center and the Oregon Artists Series Foundation. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
The Salem Conference Center (adjoining our hotel) will launch this year’s exhibit with a Opening Reception (ticketed event) featuring the artists on Wednesday July 14, 2010 from 5:30-7:30pm. The reception will have Lavish hors d’oeuvres, live jazz, and special preview of 2010–2011 Oregon Artists Series Exhibit. Tickets to the Opening Reception can be purchase d($25) at the SCC Admin office during regular business hours (Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm); and online.
Each year, one of the artist’s works is is awarded the prestigious Mayor’s Purchase Award where the piece is purchased and becomes a part of the Salem Conference Center’s permanent collection.
Artists interested in being invited for next year’s show is welcome to email their information and an image of a piece to admin@salemconferencecenter.org. For more information, please call (503) 589-1700.
4th Annual Oregon Artists Series Participating Artists
Jay Backstrand
Rob Bibler
Frank Boyden
Jonathan Bucci
Priscilla Carrasco
Margaret Coe
Jon Jay Cruson
Annegret Disterheft
Carol Hausser
Bonnie Hull
George Johanson
Mary Josephson
Kristin Kuhns
Nancy Lindburg
Sue-Del McCulloch
Terry Melton
Paul Missal
Dave Nichols
Alexandra Opie
Hank Pander
Lucinda Parker
Jodie Raborn
Sandra Sloy Nichols
Stephan Soihl
Jed Thomas
Susan Trueblood Stuart
John VanDreal
April Waters
Harry Widman
Sherrie Wolf
Phylis Yes
4th Annual Oregon Artists Series Participating Artists
Jay Backstrand
Rob Bibler
Frank Boyden
Jonathan Bucci
Priscilla Carrasco
Margaret Coe
Jon Jay Cruson
Annegret Disterheft
Carol Hausser
Bonnie Hull
George Johanson
Mary Josephson
Kristin Kuhns
Nancy Lindburg
Sue-Del McCulloch
Terry Melton
Paul Missal
Dave Nichols
Alexandra Opie
Hank Pander
Lucinda Parker
Jodie Raborn
Sandra Sloy Nichols
Stephan Soihl
Jed Thomas
Susan Trueblood Stuart
John VanDreal
April Waters
Harry Widman
Sherrie Wolf
Phylis Yes
The Fourth Annual Oregon Artists Series is an invitational exhibit of contemporary paintings, prints, and mixed media work from artists throughout the state of Oregon. The exhibit opens July 15 at the Salem Conference Center, and is free to the public. Presented by the Salem Conference Center and the Oregon Artists Series Foundation.
What makes Downtown Salem an ideal destination? We are a proud and vibrant community that is easy to navigate and filled with surprises. Our guests love to stroll the city blocks and take in the many sights- including numerous landmarks such as The Reed Opera House and many other historical buildings that have been preserved and revitalized.
Downtown is the place to find events, entertainment, premiere shops and specialty boutiques, restaurants, coffee bars, and wine! In fact- we have 120 shops, galleries, theatres, restaurants, salons, entertainment, historic buildings just steps away. Download this map of Downtown Salem and do a walking tour of downtown to see for yourself! We also recommend visiting Go Downtown Salem for current events and featured businesses in downtown.
The Reed Opera House is one of the many historical landmarks in Downtown Salem
Other nearby places of interest:
Riverfront Park
State Capitol
Carousel
Elsinore Theatre
AC Gilbert House
Hallie Ford Art Museum
Be sure to bring your camera and we invite you to share your photos/experiences on ourFacebook page!
Experience the historic landscape of Downtown Salem. Explore beautiful store fronts with unique merchandise. Dine in over 40 restaurants with cuisine inspired by diverse ethnic flavors and locally grown products. Interested in arts and culture? Music venues, movie theaters and art galleries are ready to welcome you.
Downtown Salem has something for everyone, and every day it’s open for discovery. Start exploring the pages of this website to discover what’s going on today!
Download a map: http://www.godowntownsalem.com/_explore/gdsmap.pdf
12 coffee spots to get a warm latté, 3 artisan bakeries offering daily delights, 36 restaurants to sit down and dine, and 14 places to sip an Oregon microbrew or discover a local wine. When it’s time to eat, Go Downtown!
Downtown is a place where you can see a play, watch a movie, or listen to live music. It’s a place where you can take cooking classes, visit art galleries, or find activities for kids of all ages. Go downtown to discover what’s happening.
Downtown Salem is full of friendly merchants, unique shops and local goods in a shopping district of old and new. Go downtown and enjoy all the shops
> Riverfront Park
> State Capitol
> Carousel
> Elsinore Theatre
> AC Gilbert House
> Hallie Ford Art Museum
The Fourth Annual Oregon Artists Series is an invitational exhibit of contemporary paintings, prints, and mixed media work from artists throughout the state of Oregon. The exhibit opens July 15 at the Salem Conference Center, and is free to the public. Presented by the Salem Conference Center and the Oregon Artists Series Foundation.
Seeking a quick, no-fuss, romantic getaway that won’t break the bank? How about a perfect date night? Take advantage of this month’s featured package: The Grand Hotel In Salem Dinner and Movie Package. We make it very easy for you to have a great night out. The package includes:
Accommodations in one of our luxurious Grand Hotel Suites: 480 sq. ft. with living room separated from the bedroom by central bath and wet bar;
Dinner for Two at Bentley’s Grill(a $75 value): Our on-site restaurant features the finest in Northwest Cuisine and one of Willamette Valley’s grandest wine selections.
Movie passes for two; these are valid at any one of Salem’s Regal Cinema Movie Theatres: Regal Cinemas Santiam Cinema 11 (1.2 miles away): 365 Lancaster Drive SE, Salem, OR (800) 326-3264 -OR- Regal Lancaster Mall Stadium 11(1.5 miles away) 831 Lancaster Dr. NE, Salem, OR (503)371-3456
Complimentary continental breakfast buffet the next morning and a late check out of 1 pm so you have time to stroll and take in the many shops and galleries located downtown.
For more information and to book this experience; visit our site! You can see other Grand Hotel in Salem Packages that might be the perfect fit for your getaway!
Planning a visit to Salem, Oregon and the Marion & Polk County region? Be sure to utilize the “Reel to Real” feature from Travel Salem help you plan your trip. “Reel to Real” will turn your “Reel virtual” visit into a “Real time” visit by sharing video experiences geared for the Family Voyager, Naturalist, Adventure Seeker, Gourmand, Relaxer or a Culture Seeker.
Find out which Reel experience suite you the best! Visit www.TravelSalem.com and view!
From http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/99999999/BESTOF10/5020302
Keeping customers happy is also on the mind of management at Bentley’s Grill, gold medal winner of Best Creative Cocktails and Best Business Lunch. Bentley’s also earned a gold medal for Best Happy Hour in the Entertainment category.
Resident mixologist Soraida Cross said she’s always on the lookout for new trends and ingredients for her signature cocktails.
“I enjoy trying new drinks and generally put my own spin on them, experiment at home and at work. I look for trends and try to do my own version of those things. I read a lot of magazines,” she said.
“Most of all, I listen to the customers — feedback from customers is the most helpful to me.”
Customers rave about Bentley’s Flirtini, a mix of strawberry vodka, Cointreau, pineapple and cranberry juices, finished with a float of champagne, and the house Lemon Drop.
“I have heard multiple times that we have the best Lemon Drop in town,” Cross said.
Last summer Bentley’s introduced Lounge Lizard Mondays as part of its daily Happy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m. The restaurant promotes it via Facebook, Twitter and the Internet, and customers flock in to try the two specialty cocktails Cross creates, each priced at $4.
“Couples can come in and have the drink special and share a few appetizers for around $20,” she said.
But you won’t find mozzarella sticks and jalapeno poppers here.
Chef Derek Ridgeway’s menu tends toward fresh, local ingredients, whipping up Thai chicken satay, sake-marinated Ahi tuna, Dungeness crab cakes, and daily flatbread and salad creations, all reasonably priced.
Best Appetizers
SILVER:
Bentley’s Grill
Best Business Lunch
Gold: Bentley’s Grill
Best Creative cocktails
Gold: Bentley’s GrillBenB
The Statesman Journal announced this week winners of the annual Best Of The Mid-Valley Online Poll- and we were thrilled to see our very own Bentley’s Grill receive some of honors from our community!
Bentley’s Grill is the gold medal winner in the Best Creative Cocktails and Best Business Lunch and Best Happy Hour categories. We also made it onto the Top 3 list for Best Appetizers in the Mid Valley!
Here is an excerpt from their article about the poll published this week! Thank you everyone for casting your votes!
Keeping customers happy is also on the mind of management at Bentley’s Grill, gold medal winner of Best Creative Cocktails and Best Business Lunch. Bentley’s also earned a gold medal for Best Happy Hour in the Entertainment category.
Resident mixologist Soraida Cross said she’s always on the lookout for new trends and ingredients for her signature cocktails. “I enjoy trying new drinks and generally put my own spin on them, experiment at home and at work. I look for trends and try to do my own version of those things. I read a lot of magazines,” she said.
“Most of all, I listen to the customers — feedback from customers is the most helpful to me.”
Customers rave about Bentley’s Flirtini, a mix of strawberry vodka, Cointreau, pineapple and cranberry juices, finished with a float of champagne, and the house Lemon Drop. “I have heard multiple times that we have the best Lemon Drop in town,” Cross said.
Last summer Bentley’s introduced Lounge Lizard Mondays as part of its daily Happy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m. The restaurant promotes it via Facebook, Twitter and the Internet, and customers flock in to try the two specialty cocktails Cross creates, each priced at $4.
“Couples can come in and have the drink special and share a few appetizers for around $20,” she said. But you won’t find mozzarella sticks and jalapeno poppers here. Chef Derek Ridgeway’s menu tends toward fresh, local ingredients, whipping up Thai chicken satay, sake-marinated Ahi tuna, Dungeness crab cakes, and daily flatbread and salad creations, all reasonably priced.
Planning a trip in May to Salem, Oregon? You are in luck because May is one of the best times of the year to visit. The Salem community along with surrounding areas have planned a wonderful array of activities and events. With so much happening next month, we thought we should highlight our top picks of things to do in May:
Spend an afternoon on one of our glorious local gardens: Salem, Oregon and surrounding communities are filled with many choices of scenic and lush gardens. Several of the nurseries and gardens in Salem will be open to the public beginning May 1. See this video highlighting Adelman Peony Gardens with their many varieties of lovely peonies (and bring your camera if you go!!). For a complete list of the gardens and the festivals in our area, check out Travel Salem’s List of Gardens
Go to First Wednesday on May 5: First Wednesday is Salem’s favorite evening event, always scheduled on the first Wednesday of each month throughout the year. Events and activities are scheduled for 5 PM to 8 PM. The First Wednesday in May just happens to fall on Cinco de Mayo!
Check out the Silverton Wine & Jazz Festival on May 8: Wine lovers will love this event! Celebrate fine Oregon wines of the Willamette Valley Wine Region at The Fourth Annual Silverton Wine & Jazz Festival. Tickets are just $25 and proceeds go back to benefit this lovely historic community.
Buy Local and Fresh Products: The popular Salem Saturday Market is Back! The Wednesday Farmers Market will open again on May 5! The markets will be open through October of 2010. For details and a list of vendors visitwww.salemsaturdaymarket.com.
Visit a Local Vineyard Over Memorial Day Weekend: Local Wineries throughout Salem and Oregon will be hosting an Open House for Memorial Day Weekend. This event is so big- we will be posting more information about this in the coming weeks. In the meantime- mark your calendars and check out Travel Salem’s list of local wineries for details or call 503-581-4325 or 800-874-7012 for info.
http://www.silvertonwineandjazz.com/home.htm celebrate fine Oregon wines of the Willamette Valley Wine Region The Fourth Annual Silverton Wine & Jazz Festival in
Historic Downtown Silverton. http://www.silvertonwineandjazz.com/home.htm celebrate fine Oregon wines of the Willamette Valley Wine Region The Fourth Annual Silverton Wine & Jazz Festival in
Historic Downtown Silverton.
More events and attractions to include on your calendar from of our friends at Travel Salem:
We were thrilled to see a recent article published on Oregon.com that highlights the Pringle Creek Tour- a wonderful walking tour that highlights the rich history and beauty of downtown Salem, Oregon. In his article, History, Nature and Workout, Patrick Johnson gives some excellent tips to taking full advantage of this on-foot adventure.
The Pringle Creek Tour can be downloaded from the Salem Heritage Network site (a wonderful source for information on the history and culture of Salem, Oregon) along with several other walking tours. The self guided tour starts at our hotel, and makes its way through beautiful downtown parks, and past historical landmarks such as the Reed Opera House and more.
Now that the weather is warming up- we hope you will find some time to take this tour during your next visit to Salem, Oregon!
About the walk: Pringle Creek and Sheldon Ditch walk takes a route that is 2.8 miles long and starts from downtown Salem and winds through several of the parks and historic areas of the city. It literally has something for anyone who enjoys the outdoors, from Oregon birds, to nice park settings, to unique architectures of bridges and buildings. The walk also goes through the several of the historic districts of Salem, so if you take a script with you there are many lessons to be learned about how the area developed.
What to bring: It’s Oregon and it’s outdoors. Make sure you bring weather appropriate clothing, comfortable walking shoes and water. While 2.8 miles doesn’t have a lot of difficult hills, there are one or two stair cases along the way – but this walk can be navigated by bike, wheelchair or even stroller. To get the most out of the walk, make sure to print off the self-guided tour script where you can also find more history about Salem. There are many picturesque settings, so bring that digital camera for some wonderful shots of Oregon no matter what time of year you visit.
Season: You can take the walk year round – depending on your tolerance for being in the weather. If you don’t mind getting wet or cold, this tour can be taken any time. I went on the tour during a crispy February day between rain showers and it was very pleasant and informative.
