Pictured: Björnson Vineyards

FOUR SALEM-AREA TASTING ITINERARIES FOR WINE LOVERS

Time Magazine has touted the Willamette Valley as one of the world’s top spots to go wine tasting. If wine is your thing, you definitely want to spend a couple of days (or more) uncorking and unwinding in our region’s renowned wineries and tasting rooms. We’ve rounded up four top-notch tasting itineraries to get you started here. Book a stay at a cozy bed and breakfast, modern hotel or resort in the area and then raise your glass, savor chef-prepared bites and explore our friendly wine-country towns. May is also Oregon Wine Month and many wineries have special events. Check individual websites for all the juicy details.

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Pictured: Arrowhead Lavender Farm

WHEN TO SEE THE SALEM AREA’S GORGEOUS GARDENS

Lemon-yellow peonies, fragrant fawn lilies and native trillium — oh, my! April is National Garden Month and the Salem region is home to almost 20 public display and botanical gardens bursting with a dizzying array of flowers in all colors, shapes and scents. Some gardens even offer wine tastings, kid’s events and hot-air balloon rides. If you’re visiting later in summer — or in fall and winter — you can still catch plenty of perennial Pacific Northwest blooms. Here’s a roundup of local gardens that will inspire your senses, in order of their blooms’ appearances.

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Pictured: Riverfront Park | Image Credit: Ron Cooper

THE SALEM AREA COMES ALIVE AFTER FIVE

Forget about staying in, Salem and the surrounding area have a thriving nightlife scene. Whether you want to belly up to a saloon-style bar for a hand-pressed bacon burger and flight of whiskey, catch a live jazz or comedy show, high-score on Star Wars pinball, or try a friendly game of axe-throwing with your pals — these buzzy nightspots keep the good times rolling after the sun goes down.

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