Northwest Art and Air Festival, Albany

Imagine rising with the sun, literally, in a hot air balloon. You come out to the field, and it’s still dark. You take your coat-wrapped self and your coffee (not too much – no restroom in the air) to the group of people next to the truck and what looks like miles of fabric on the ground. Then, they turn the basket upright and turn on the big flame thrower. Stand back so you don’t lose any hair. Slowly, the balloon inflates, looming ever larger over your head.

“This is cool,” you think. But then, the pilot tells you to hop in. No doors here, so you climb up and over. The balloon drifts gently upward. But then the wind catches it and you head for the truck, just missing it as the pilot expertly increases the flame, bringing the balloon up just in time. There you are, up in the sky, watching the sun rise and looking down at all those little people, waving and cheering the balloon’s successful launch and your first ride in a hot air balloon. From here, you can see farmland laid out like a checkerboard and the city streets look like a Google map.

It looks like you are going to land miles from town, in that farmer’s field. Thank goodness for four-wheel drive. At last, after hanging onto the basket, you feel the bump as the basket glides safely to the ground, guided by your wonderful pilot. After a great ride, you exit the basket and take in the beautiful scenery and fresh air while your pilot and crew deflate the balloon and pack it all away. Now you can enjoy that picnic lunch and Pinot noir you packed, right in the middle of the field.

Experience ballooning in the Willamette Valley by purchasing a ride from the Albany Visitors Association during the annual Wah Chang Northwest Art & Air Festival or by contacting the Albany Visitors Association to find a balloon pilot.

-Bridget Sheffler, guest contributor

Ready to ride in a hot air balloon? Check out the Albany Float and Aloft Adventure Trail.

Big River restaurant

My husband and I took advantage of Corvallis’ beautiful weather this weekend. We hit the Trysting Tree golf course in the morning to play a few rounds while soaking in gorgeous views of the coastal mountains and basking in the sun. We rented some bikes from Peak Sports in the afternoon, heading out for a long ride through the Riverfront Commemorative Park and Avery Park. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Block 15 (definitely try the BBQ Burger) and capped the evening off with a couple of glasses of local Benton County wine and the dessert plate of chocolate truffles and fresh fruit at Enoteca.

You’re only a hotel room away from enjoying a fantastic weekend just like ours. It’s customizable, too. If you’re looking for something a little more filling than chocolate and fruit, there are plenty of dining options, including Big River, Aqua and Terminus. If you’re looking for a more challenging bike ride than the one we took, we have plenty of that, too. (Try biking up Mary’s Peak for a real challenge!)

Stop in to Visit Corvallis when you arrive to find the perfect trails, dinners, and activities during your stay.

-Marci Sischo, guest contributor

Wine, dine and mountain bike on the Corvallis Drive and Ride Adventure Trail.

With shelf-emptying, popular seasonal releases to flagship beers that zing with hoppy perfection, I can’t pedal fast enough to the Ninkasi Brewing tasting room.

Tucked in the eclectic Whiteaker Neighborhood, where two wheels almost always beat four, this craft brewery produces crisp beer ready to cool your throat and rejuvenate the legs.

As colorful beer drinkers liven the outdoor space, my cold pint beads with condensation as I make my way to a concrete table out on the large, outdoor tasting room patio. I sneak my first sip of my favorite IPA as  I weave through the visitors.

Fed by the cold, clean waters of the McKenzie River, Ninkasi’s tasting room reflects its urban yet green-loving roots in this diverse residential neighborhood, where its citrusy and well-balanced Total Domination IPA isn’t afraid to show some bite. The IPA’s seasonal summer sister, Radiant Ale, offers lighter flavors and a clean finish for hot afternoons.

Sharing stories and laughter over two pints of Ninkasi’s best, the afternoon melts away as fast as the pint disappears. As the dusk glow filters through the leafy green trees that line the blocks, live music and food carts continue the party as locals and visitors float in and out of this popular tasting room – but for me it’s time to pedal home, bike bound for the Willamette River paths that lead home.

The first notes of the band sounds sending me off – but I know I’ll be back for more of Eugene’s pours.

-Kelsey Ivey, guest contributor
A freelance wine, beer and travel writer, Kelsey loves to explore the bountiful Pacific Northwest and share its beauty with others. She currently works as the Tourism and PR Coordinator at Travel Lane County in Eugene and blogs at The Joyful Shoehorn.

Start planning your own brewery tour with the Eugene Brews and Views Adventure Trail.

We offered our guest blogger, Laci Hutto, the chance to tell us why she wanted to dive into Mt. Hood Territory Earth and Sky Adventure Trail after we learned how she’s fallen head over feet in love with the idea of dropping from the heavens over our state. Wild and crazy as it may be, now we can’t wait to go, too.

60 seconds is a lot longer than it sounds when those seconds are spent falling 10,000 feet out of an airplane. For the first minute of your skydiving experience, frames of reference drop away. There’s no roller-coaster stomach-drop feeling, and you don’t really notice the ground rushing up at you. You do notice the wind, and the way you spin and soar based on how you hold your body against it. You notice that your laughter and shrieks (if you can force them from your mouth into the wind) are torn away so you never even hear them. It is, without a doubt, the most exhilarating experience I can imagine. The next minute, after the ripcord has been ripped and the parachute deployed, you come slowly back to your senses while the adrenaline from your freefall settles. It is in this post-Extreme Exhilaration daze that you begin to notice where you are.

I’ve been skydiving twice now, both times in New Jersey, not far from my Philadelphia home. For that first minute or so, it really doesn’t matter where you’ve chosen to dive. The important things (the plane, the door you fall out of, the sky, the tandem instructor securely attached and making sure your dive is successful) are pretty much the same no matter which coast you do your skydiving on. But after you’ve come to your adrenaline-depleted senses and settle into the canopy ride back to the ground, you notice the scenery. For me, that meant 5+ minutes of staring at New Jersey farmland, and getting a distant glimpse of my own city’s skyline. When I saw the “Earth and Sky” trail, I realized what my skydiving adventures had been missing. I could picture the lush Pacific Northwest greenery and snowcapped mountains in sight of Skydive Oregon’s dropzone. I could imagine a canopy ride in which the panorama were as breathtaking as the freefall.

So to those of you in the area, don’t let this Oregon summer pass without taking advantage of what Skydive Oregon has to offer. Go for that kaleidoscopic thrill, dizzying ascent, and giddy-making freefall—and delight in your canopy ride over this country’s most beautiful land.

Editor’s Note: Skydive Oregon apparently gives an extra 3,000 feet of altitude buzz for your buck, with jumps starting from 13k.

The trail at Left Coast Cellars

If you’re a wilderness nut like me who’s looking for a wild parcel of land in the middle of wine country, look no further than Left Coast Cellars, where you can wander among dozens of beehives— from bees harvested wild from resident oak trees— and over a trail through wildflower-studded open spaces in one of the prettiest and most sustainable vineyards around. The vineyard has a 9-mile trail take winds through an oak savannah and up to the top of a hill where you can see a rain-collection pond that gravity-feeds water to the vines below. If you need another nature fix, head over to Van Duzer Vineyards to drink the nectar of Jerry Murray’s Pinot gris, watch raptors riding the thermals and feel fresh breezes from Van Duzer’s special perch in a Mid-Willamette Valley wind corridor.

-Jenie Skoy, guest contributor

Go “wiking” – wine tasting and hiking – on the Salem Drag and Wike Adventure Trail.

Luckily, there are plenty of online resources to help you. Oregon State University has an entire page on their website devoted to hiking and biking trails. Don’t like to hike alone? Check out Hiking Meetups near Corvallis to meet other avid hikers, and hike with Corvallis locals! Here’s another great place to meet locals, make friends, and find fellow hikers: the Corvallis League of Swimmers, Hikers, and Campers.

Whether you’re looking to scale mountains or go for a gentle walk, there are websites, groups, and tons of reviews online to help you find the perfect places to go hiking in Corvallis, Oregon. Have fun!

View the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway – Corvallis detour>>

Jump on a colorful trusty steed at the playful Riverfront Carousel, visit the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village children’s museum, or go aboard the Willamette Queen, a historic sternwheeler whose red paddles move you through the plush Willamette River. And if you’d like a chance to bike “over” the Willamette River, take the Union Street Bike and Pedestrian Bridge close by which spans downtown and West Salem.

View the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway – Salem detour>>

Further south on the Willamette Valley Bikeway, veer off the path to Historic Brownsville, where “Stand by Me” was filmed. Stay at the Brownsville House B&B and walk everywhere, including lunch at Bella Cucina Bistro and Bakery, shopping in Brownsville’s historic shops, the Linn County Historical Museum, the Stand by Me Walking Tour, and finally a burger, jalapeno poppers and a beer at the Brownsville Saloon Bar & Grill.

Find more Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway detours>>

Just a short ride from the west bank path in downtown Eugene, LaVelle Vineyards Club Room offers a variety of brilliant wines from their local vineyards. Located on the second floor of the Fifth Street Public Market , this wine bar has a large concrete patio that hosts soulful mood music over the summer and makes for a great spot to enjoy a glass of fruitful Pinot noir or a crisp, citrusy Pinot gris – and no worries, wearing your cycling outfit in this outdoorsy town is not a problem.

After the market, pedal north along the West Riverbank path past Skinner Butte Park, but don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers at the Owen Rose Garden – also the turnoff to another winery. Take a left onto Madison Street and slowly weave through the trendy Whiteaker neighborhood on your way to Territorial Vineyards and Wine Company. This urban tasting room serves a unique Pinot noir rose among others from its certified sustainable wine list. With satisfied taste buds, it’s back to the path and nature as you complete the riverbank system loop, or cozy up for the night in one of the city’s many hotels or bed-and-breakfasts.

View the entire Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway – Eugene detour>>

-Kelsey Ivey, guest contributor

Hanson Vineyards Tasting Room Hours
April & May – Open Saturday & Sunday, noon to 5 pm
Open Second Saturday June – March, noon to 5 pm
Open Memorial Day Weekend – Saturday, Sunday, Monday, noon to 5 pm

Find more wine tasting events in the Willamette Valley>>

View the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway – East Valley detour>>