The towns of North Marion County sit close enough together that you can drive between most of them in under half an hour. That is the fun of it. Breakfast in Silverton, antiques in Aurora, tacos in Woodburn, and a beer poured by a Benedictine monk in Mt. Angel, all in one day if you plan it right.
Spring puts the whole county in bloom, from the tulip fields at Woodburn to the iris and peony farms around Brooks to Garden Palooza at Bauman's in Gervais. Summer belongs to the festivals, with the St. Paul Rodeo over the Fourth of July, Hop Fest in Hubbard, and Donald Daze the same month, then Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel come September. Silverton stays busy all year thanks to the Oregon Garden and the waterfall trails at Silver Falls State Park just up the road.
Every town here has its own accent, shaped by the German colonists, Russian Old Believers, and Mexican families who settled and farmed this valley. Pick one below to see what is worth stopping for, when to go, and where to eat while you are there.
