DIY Public Art: Scarecrows have landed in downtown McMinnvilleOctober is the occasion for our annual Scarecrow Contest, a fall tradition started by the McMinnville Downtown Association in 2013. Local shop owners and groups get their Halloween on and shift into Frankenstein mode: They make a man (or sometimes a woman) and post the life-sized creature along Third Street to greet passersby.Read Article
Tiny Travels: This tiny soap store in Carlton is heaven scentWash your hands, yes. But with so many hand-washings every day, and travel difficult, let me propose something different: Soap Travel.Read Article
Follow a Footpath into Fall FoliageOctober in Oregon wine country is one of the most stunning times to experience the Willamette Valley, with the trees (and grapevines!) put on a spectacular show of reds, oranges, and yellows. For adventurous visitors, opportunities abound to stroll through many of the wooded areas of our region to take it all in.Read Article
5 McMinnville Summer Highlights + 2 Things We’re Looking Forward ToThe time has come for another turning of the wheel. As the nights grow longer, and the sunrise brings a crisp chill, we prepare ourselves for entering the year’s dark season. Saying farewell to summer is always bittersweet, but even more so this year, when so much of the fun that we usually enjoy was cancelled or altered beyond recognition. Regardless, we managed to make some really special memories in McMinnville. Here are some of our favorites:Read Article
Getting Out: Ride the Youngberg Hill LoopWhile the destination may be your goal, it is just as important to enjoy the bike ride that gets you there. The Youngberg Hill Loop is one of my favorite McMinnville-area bike rides. It is flat and easy most of the time and the few remaining hills are manageable.Read Article
Downtown McMinnville Welcomes Beaux FrèresThis year, there has been a flurry of activity, including the opening of Two Dogs Taphouse, the relocation of Hopscotch Toys to Third Street, and the announcement of Bierly Brewing moving in this winter. Now there’s yet another new kid on the street albeit for a limited time only; you can visit Beaux Frères at their satellite tasting room this fall.Read Article
Advice for the first-time art gallery visitorMcMinnville’s art galleries are for everybody. Snobbery is nowhere to be found, and hospitality is abundant. You’re in Oregon, remember.Read Article
Tiny Travels: Local Field Trips for Distance LearnersYou can only stay cooped up so long with your classroom of distance learners before it’s time for a breakout session. I’m talking about a trip out into the community where you can pair your children’s online learning with some real, hands-on education at a place not so far from home.Read Article
Oldsville Road: Exploring the near and distant pastThis time of year, most people are blazing trails toward one adventure or another. Weekends are often so full of exciting plans and experiences, that before we know it, we’ve run ourselves ragged. Now that August is coming to a close, it’s time for a welcome change of pace. You’ll find it ten minutes from downtown McMinnville, on Oldsville Road (a road less traveled), where history and fun unite to create an easy sense of well-being.Read Article
E-Bikes: A Boost for Wine Country RidesI can’t help but smile as I speed past vineyards along North Valley Road. The undulating road with its short, steep rises would require some effort on a typical bicycle. On this e-bike, it is laughably easy.Read Article