Salem, Our State Capital
We are studying states and capitals with my 3rd grader right now as part of our History and Geography lessons. I'm learning so much! (homeschooling, and learning as I go) So, on Sunday we drove a little over an hour to our state capital for a little tour and history lesson.
Ok, I'm a major planner when going on a trip. Even a day trip, I need an itinerary. I need lists of best coffee, brunch, snack and dinner places. I search the local libraries for a culture pass to neat places to explore and use all the travel aps available for tips. Then I'm prepared. And still, when I'm there, I always ask locals for their opinion. Then I tweak my list. It's exhausting. I most likely drive my husband crazy because he's the polar opposite. He's a "wing it" type guy, and that drives me absolutely bonkers! Why can't we just stick to the list? He's getting better with my crazy and I'm learning (slowly), to just wing it.
My friend's coworker lives in Salem, that send a list of local favorites as far as food and coffee goes. So, yes, I'm starting with food.
Lets start the day off right with coffee at Archive Coffee and Bar.
Brunch : We ate at Sassy Onion. I had the beef brisket hash, so good. The location is perfect because it's just a few blocks from State Capital. With the leaves turning color and the historic homes around, it was awesome exploring the neighborhood. Other places that were recommended are;
Word of Mouth The Kitchen on Court St Sassy Onion
French Press I hear has amazing crepes.
We didn't stay for dinner, but DaVinci's was recommended.
What to do in Salem, with three kids! We started at the State Capital building and explored a few blocks around there. The building is beautiful is beautiful, surrounded by statues of local heroes, remnants of the old building that was built that was destroyed by a fire back in the 1930's and paths that lead to historic nieghborhoods. I always wondered what that Gold Statue on top of the building was. It's the Oregon Pioneer- a 22 foot bronze, covered in gold leaf, statue. The marble building with incredible doors got me all giddy. I love beautiful, detailed buildings, and doors. I love doors. The Capital does tours in the summer that can take us to the statue on top of the building. I think we're coming back for the tour in the summer.
I got a culture pass at our local library to visit the Gilbert House children's museum. Oh gosh, if you're a mom that lives in Salem, please tell me you have annual passes there, because I would be there every day! This place is so fantastic! All the boys (including Vlad) were excited beyond words. Simon kept thanking us for bringing him there and how much he appreciates us as his parents. Gosh, he's awesome. The Gilbert House Museum is this cool property with three historic homes and the biggest tree house structure I have ever seen. I think we spent three hours of uninterrupted play. For hours and admission visit them at
After all that fun, we walked across a nearby bike/walking bridge and explored Riverfront Park as Oren napped. The boys were exhausted, so we headed home.
We loved you Salem! See you in the spring for the cherry blossoms !
ps, we were fascinated by the trees around the capital.
