The cooler Fall weather wasted no time arriving in the Willamette Valley. A little online search…read moreand I discovered what my weekend had in store for me. I love Corvallis, as it feels much like the College neighborhood I moved from in Indianapolis, and it feels much more progressive than its surrounding areas. My mini & I made the trip from Salem and found side street parking a few blocks from the free event. It was overcast with drizzle in the forecast but that didn't deter us. Having arrived around lunch time, we decided to do a quick loop and hit the food trucks. There were several nice options to choose from benefitting the community. We landed on splitting a chicken quesadilla and a cheesesteak and both got flavored lemonades care of Benton County Democrats for Constitutions in High Schools. The area was set up with a hand washing station and plenty of picnic tables and trash cans. Afterwards we hit the many rows of vendors and were blown away by the diversity of quality art and hand made jewelry, crafts and foods. We especially enjoyed the 6 pack of variety baklava from Damascus treats and must've sampled 50 flavored balsamic vinegars and dipping oils from Mama Celia's Gourmet Foods before narrowing down our selection and taking home five. I have very little wall space left in my home, so I gravitated to the artist greeting cards and ended up with quite the collection. The snarky magnets from Tongue and Beak has us crying and will make nice gifts. We were unable to see everything in one day, but its was nice to know its a two day festival. I'll definitely plan to make this an annual event and allow myself more time next year!

Amazing atmosphere! And it's free?!? What a great event to have in Corvallis. Artists from all over…read morethe Pacific Northwest are featured. There are food trucks, life music, and plenty to see and do.

The Northwest Art & Air Festival is a multi-day event held each year in August at the Timber Linn…read moreMemorial Park located in Albany, Oregon. It's a mix of art, live music entertainment and the spectacle of hot air balloons. The event kicks off on Friday night with live music and the "Night Glow" event which begins at dusk. The event is weather permitting which is key to much of what happens at the annual festival. During my visits the winds were just too strong for most hot air balloons to participate. Only a few balloons were able to fully inflate, but the ones that did were pretty spectacular with the giant nylon envelopes glowing against the night sky. Even though the "Night Glow" portion didn't go off as planned, the live music on the Festival Stage was great. The band Radical Revolution performed a great selection of hits from the 80's and kept the energy level and music going strong into the night. There were a number of food trucks set-up near the stage, but with very long lines at each, plan ahead and expect a wait to order and then another wait to receive your food. If lines aren't your thing you can certainly bring your own food to the event. You should also bring your folding chairs and/or blankets and plan on arriving early enough to stake out a spot near the performance areas. On very early Saturday morning we returned before dawn to view the balloons launching. Unfortunately, as we approached the park, it was obvious that there was a problem. A steady line of vehicles were turning around and attempting to leave the area. Traffic was very congested with little to no traffic control. The launch had been cancelled due to weather conditions (wind speeds). There was no communication as to this cancellation where people were turning off the main road to get to the event. As a result, traffic became a mess. All in all, this is still a very cool event and worthy of your time. You just need to understand that The Northwest Art & Air Festival is a multi-day event held each year in August at the Timber Linn Memorial Park located in Albany, Oregon. It's a mix of art, live music entertainment and the spectacle of hot air balloons. The event kicks off on Friday night with live music and the "Night Glow" event which begins at dusk. The event is weather permitting which is key to much of what happens at the annual festival. On my visit the winds were just too strong for most hot air balloons to participate. Only a few balloons were able to fully inflate, but the ones that did were pretty spectacular with the giant nylon envelopes glowing against the night sky. Even though the "Night Glow" portion didn't go off as planned, the live music on the Festival Stage was great. The band Radical Revolution performed a great selection of hits from the 80's and kept the energy level and music going strong into the night. There were a number of food trucks set-up near the stage, but with very long lines at each, plan ahead and expect a wait to order and then another wait to receive your food. If lines aren't your thing you can certainly bring your own food to the event. You should also bring your folding chairs and/or blankets and plan on arriving early enough to stake out a spot near the performance areas. On very early Saturday morning we returned before dawn to view the balloons launching. Unfortunately, as we approached the park, it was obvious that there was a problem. A steady line of vehicles were turning around and attempting to leave the area. Traffic was very congested with little to no traffic control. The launch had been cancelled due to weather conditions (wind speeds). There was no communication as to this cancellation where people were turning off the main road to get to the event. As a result, traffic became a mess. All in all, this is still a very cool event and worthy of your time. You just need to understand that weather conditions must be perfect for the hot air balloon portions to take place. Absent this part of the event, you can still enjoy multiple concerts, arts and craft vendors, a car show and food trucks.

Art was fair, food was priced well but long lines. Music good. Beer and wine were outrageous…read more $11.50 for a 4 oz wine and $8.50 for a Boneyard IPA can. Won't be going back.

Super fun! Loved browsing through all the food options and flea market stuff. The shows they had…read morewere super fun too

Time for another annual trip to the Junction City Scandinavian Festival! This year the crowds of…read morevisitors all seem in good spirits. Many people wearing various styles of lederhosen, others dressed as vikings, Oompa music fills the air along with the cooking aromas from Elephant Ears, Meat Pies, aebleskivers and brats! Ice cream and various cold drinks are also available. There are the usual array of vendors selling t-shirts, jewelry, handmade crafts, and the food! There is also plenty of entertainment to be had. There is an area for performing dancers doing traditional folk song and dance as well as a Maypole waiting to be decorated. I found a vendor for a company called 'Just Rum' who had a unique and very old recipe for the manufacture of rum. Utilizing these old recipes this company based in Sandy Oregon had come up with several award winning rums with varying alcohol levels. After a very entertaining and informative tasting session, I just had to purchase a bottle of Blackberry Rum! This is some potent stuff and seems to work best as a mixer, although there is one with a very high alcohol content made for sipping. Moving along to the Viking Village section I came across a vendor I had met last year. A leather belt maker. He does the whole process starting with a hide. Tanning the leather, cutting and tooling the designs, staining and preserving, it's just good quality craftsmanship. I purchased a belt from him and it's still in such good shape that I decided the cost was worth it to pick another style from him. He will also be at the Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel. Having secured my purchase of another belt, we escaped the heat for a bit by going into the crafts building where some of the more delicate items are on display. One of the real eye catching items is lampshades made out of wood! These shades are carved so thinly that light actually penetrates the wood casting a fantastic incandescent sepia tone of light. Time for some eats now, so we moved along and found an assortment or caramel apples with nuts, chocolate, M&Ms... you name it. We were also very happy to find some outstanding corn on the cob and some Danish Sausage Dogs with a very authentic European style casing that actually gave a crisp snap as you bite into the sausage. Thank You Junction City for another successful Scandinavian Festival. I just might come back before this four day event ends!

GETTING HERE:…read more (Traveling); located on the corner of 1st Street and Washington. It's right near Bryant Park and the Willamette River in Albany, OR. MOOD: Ready for some fun and laughter! I mean, it's a carousel! The next best thing to Disneyland. REVIEW: This is so cool! Bummed that we got there just a few moments before closing so I couldn't play tourist and shop the gift shop. :) But, we got to ride twice on the Carousel and it was fun! There's a ring toss/game of sorts but I wasn't able to figure it out. The Carousel is gorgeous! So pretty and while we were short on time and couldn't ask questions, I was able to infer that people sponsor(ed) the horses (for upkeep?) as there were gold plaques about a few of the horses. What a great opportunity to support historic Albany! Recommended! 10 stars and a must-do if in the Albany area of Oregon.

I've always loved carousel horses. I wanted a full size one for my dream living room when I was…read moreyoung. I did collected small carousel horse ornaments for my Christmas trees. So, when I realized Albany had a carousel with a museum I had to go. The place is amazing and more than horses. There is no entrance fee. I checked out the painting studio, then the carousel, with its snack bar. I saw all those animals featured on their website go round & round and up & down in three dimensional real life. I took lot of pictures and video. I joined a tour led by a volunteer. Learning about the local lady that started it all. Saw more carousel animals in basement along with the carving shop while three artists worked on future animals to be. I purchased a token to ride the carousel ($2) and nearly walked around the whole menagerie before deciding on an animal to sit upon. After debating salmon, elephant, orca, bear, zebra etc; I wound up on a horse named Calapooia. I didn't notice any xmas ornaments in the gift but I did buy a tee-shirt of Guardian the Hippocampus and a post card of Calapooia. They had post cards for all the animals on the carousel. I also got to press a penny while I still could. I had a great time. I was a kid again, all the people were happy. It was like visiting a small Disneyland. And for those happiest smiles I gladly left a donation for their future endeavors.

If you want to go to a small town friendly tavern, then this is the place. Food is good, every one…read moreis friendly, the locals are easy to chat with. Service is good, good selection of beers on tap and bottled. 2 pool tables, video machines, karaoke every friday and live music on selected saturdays.

Best Dam Bar around! Great food and amazing drinks! Service is always good and everything is…read moreaffordable! The owner is awesome and very personable! Go give this place a try!

This was a reasonable good burger in a dark and only mildly rowdy place. Might have sat in the…read moreoutdoor area, but music was blaring and would not have been good.

We were visiting Brownsville, OR, and my wife loves to collect magnets from everywhere we go. While…read moredriving through town, we noticed the Linn County Historical Museum was open and what immediately caught our attention were the actual train cars on either side of the building. Naturally, we parked and went inside. This place is packed with history. Founded in 1962, the museum is housed in Brownsville's original railroad depot and includes six Southern Pacific railcars. The exhibits do a great job telling the stories of the region's Native peoples, Oregon Trail emigrants, Black and white pioneer settlers, and the early families of Linn County. One of the highlights was learning that one of the boxcars has been converted into a 29-seat theater known as the Boxcar Theatre. Another fun surprise was how prominently Stand By Me is recognized throughout the museum and the surrounding area. Many scenes from the movie were filmed nearby, and seeing that brought back a lot of memories from our own childhoods. Overall, this was a really cool and unexpected experience. And of course, my wife found exactly what she was hoping for, a Linn County magnet to add to her collection. Highly worth the stop if you're anywhere near Brownsville.

Loved this cute little town, it's like stepping into a hallmark movie. We passed the quilt shop and…read morethere were ladies sitting around a table talking and knitting. You don't see this kind of things these days. We loved the museum it took us back to the pioneer era. It was well maintained and so much to look at. It was great to see the actual equipment used. I highly recommend the detour to check this out!!

Went to visit this historic mill, Thompson Mills Flour Mill. Definitely worth a visit and a short…read moreday trip from Portland. I never even knew this place existed until my wife happened to find it on the Oregon State Parks website. There's no signage from the highway or nearby local roads, so you really have to be intentionally looking for it--you won't just stumble upon it while driving through the countryside. It's tucked away just outside of Tangent/Corvallis, which makes it feel like a true hidden gem. The guided tour was excellent and incredibly informative. Our guide did a great job walking us through the history of the mill, how it operated, and the many roles it played over the years. They even turned on some of the equipment to demonstrate how things worked, which really brought the history to life. We learned about land rights issues, the origins of the nearby town of Shedd, and that the mill was originally called Boston Mills after its owner who was from Boston--at a time when Portland itself could have ended up being called Boston (remember the famous coin toss). Fascinating stuff. There are authentic items on display from the 1800s and early 1900s, which added to the immersive experience. The mill is no longer operational and is preserved strictly for historical purposes, but that's exactly what makes it such a worthwhile visit. If you enjoy Oregon history or unique off-the-beaten-path experiences, this place is absolutely worth checking out. In the Fall (October), they do cider pressing so I might have to go back.

We had a delightful time exploring this place. Ranger Rye and the Volunteer were outstanding. The…read moreextra attention that they gave us was so very appreciated. The demonstrations helped make the Mill "come alive" for us. Thank you!