SILVERTON
Silverton is the gold standard for any town in Oregon, and it is easily accessible from the big cities. Word has been spread about how great Silverton is, but you have to visit to truly experience it's magnitude. It is the small town in Oregon that all others should be compared too. It is a winner in both categories. It is a cute small town with great architecture and stunning natural views. But it is also a healthy and well functioning city with many amenities and scores high livability points in my book and is a destination for many people seeking to escape from urban life in the western part of the state. It sits along the 45th parallel and is on the edge of the Salem metro area. It is about an hour from Portland and ten minutes from Salem. As with many Willamette valley towns it is surrounded with countryside. When you first arrived in Silverton, you see many nice houses in a neighborhood or two, but once you get into downtown it is the real deal.
You witness firsthand the history of this place and the little shops and the new things as well as the old ones. It clashes with nature perfectly in a peaceful coexistence. There are many restaurants to choose from and you can take a tour to see the city's many murals. Silver creek meanders through the town as it flows south to the beautiful Silver falls state park, where you can hike along the trails and see the many mighty waterfalls.
The town has many opportunities to walk along the creek and cross the covered bridge. The downtown is bulkier and has much more amenities than others, it has a theater as well as one of the smallest china towns in the country. The famous Oregon garden is also based in Silverton and is one of the greatest botanical gardens in the state. It is truly a peaceful and tranquil place.
Silverton has also cooked up some famous people and animals. It was the birthplace and boyhood home of Homer Davenport, famous cartoonist and so called "favorite son" of Silverton. It was also home of one of the greatest dogs in American history. Bobbie the wonder dog. Bobbie was on a vacation with his master G. Frank Brazier in Indiana in 1924 when he escaped and journey the 2,800 mile journey in the dead of winter to his home in Silverton. He was honored by his town and became a national sensation. Bobbie received medals, keys to cities and was honored by the humane society and buried with honors upon his death in 1927. A replica of his special doghouse nicknamed Bobbie's castle is located in downtown Silverton.
In conclusion, Silverton is definitely up there with my favorite Oregon small towns and cities and you should totally visit. Did you like this article? What towns do you recommend I do a article on? Leave me a comment down below and have a nice day.
SOURCES:
https://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2017/07/20_reasons_to_love_silverton_o.html
https://www.silverton.or.us/
https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/bobbie_the_wonder_dog/#.W5V3585Ki71
I love Silverton but I worry that it's on the hipness radar of the hordes of transplants and tourists flocking to Oregon. I'd love to live there some day. Great review!
ReplyDelete