Take the Brooks exit and you land in flower country. Adelman Peony Gardens opens its fields from late April into June, Schreiner's Iris Gardens puts on a show every May, and both sell cut stems and roots while things are blooming. Bring a bucket. Plenty of people do.
Then there's Powerland Heritage Park, 62 acres of volunteer run museums full of the machines that built this valley. Steam tractors, logging rigs, trolleys, a blacksmith shop, and a train you can ride, open Wednesday through Sunday from April into September. The last weekend of July and the first of August, the Great Oregon Steam Up fires all of it up and puts it back to work.
Berries, produce stands and hazelnuts fill in the rest of the year. Exit 263, fifteen minutes from Salem.
Route 99 in Brooks, Oregon is quite special. It happens to be the only restaurant in town but boasts some of the best dishes in the Valley. The restaurant was recently remodeled and taken over by new management in 2020 and has been producing quality meals, drinks and experiences every since!
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