Travel in Corvallis – A Great Trip & Friday Favorite
Posted in Family Fun, Microbrewery, Oregon, Restaurant, Travel | By Shelley Gillespie | Tags: Oregon, Restaurant, Scenery, Travel
After traveling on the “Over the River and Through the Woods” Scenic Byway, we arrived in Corvallis, Oregon rather worn out. (The Scenic Byway was, indeed, scenic, but with numerous hairpin turns, it was wearing – just to observe.)
We had originally planned to stay in Corvallis for only one day, but decided to stay two and arrived a day early. We’re so glad we did!
By arriving on Friday, we had the opportunity to visit the Visitors Bureau, stop at the Chamber of Commerce and check out the town. We loved what we saw.
Playing in the fountain
While a bit atypical since Oregon State University was in recess, we found a friendly atmosphere and a very evolved town.
Willamette River near 1st Street
The Chamber of Commerce staff we met greeted us like we were old friends. The charming downtown reminded my husband of Charlottesville, Virginia, a great compliment on his part. He really likes Charlottesville.
We stopped first at Block 15 Restaurant/Microbrewery (see our blog on October 23), where we had a great meal in a fun place.
Driving around town, we quickly figured out the street system. (There are some one-way streets, but unlike some cities, they are easy to get around).
Corvallis has a population of about 55,000, but the brainpower and environment are much larger than the size of the community. Their farmer’s market was larger than bigger communities we have seen. They have major corporations like Hewlett Packard that have major numbers of patents registered.
Corvallis Farmer's Market
Instead of giant shopping malls, shopping is in smaller clusters scattered about several major corridors. One of our indicators for shopping is whether the community has a Trader Joe’s. They were building one that looked near completion. It may sound crass to evaluate a community by what name brand stores it attracts, but we know what we like.
The user-friendly Corvallis Library
Another of our indicators for whether we like a community is the library. We thought the Corvallis Public Library was a terrific place. They had a reading room that was like a clubby old boys club with comfy, armchairs, but for anyone to use. A two-story building, the library is well-used, well-organized and obviously respected. The librarian was friendly and welcoming: Great library – and a good indicator of what a town values.
We also loved the local shops, their wares and the friendliness of the staff. In general, we gave more 20% tips for good service at restaurants in Oregon than anywhere we have ever traveled. Except for one local chain restaurant in Corvallis, that held true everywhere for the City.
Recycling is very much part of the culture, as we saw supermarkets with regular receptacles for cans, bottles and other recyclables. The environment is a major consideration, as even the public trash containers on the main streets have flowers tucked into little containers by the lid.
Flowers tucked into trash receptacles
Come back – We found out about a unique event called “Rhapsody in the Vineyard,” that we’ll tell you about on Tuesday. On Monday, we’ll show you some of the Oregon State University campus.
Tags: Oregon, Restaurant, Scenery, Travel