Author: Kitri McGuire

Follow a Footpath into Fall Foliage

October 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.

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5 McMinnville Summer Highlights + 2 Things We’re Looking Forward To

The 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:

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Getting Out: Ride the Youngberg Hill Loop

While 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.

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Downtown McMinnville Welcomes Beaux Frères

This 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.

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Tiny Travels: Local Field Trips for Distance Learners

You 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.

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Oldsville Road: Exploring the near and distant past

This 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.

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E-Bikes: A Boost for Wine Country Rides

I 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.

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McMinnville Takes The Arts Outside

COVID-19 has temporarily closed our theaters and concert halls, but like a balloon you try mashing to the floor, music and plays are popping up elsewhere — outdoors, namely. Masks and social distancing notwithstanding, local arts continue to find new modes of expression.

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