Very neautiful modern luxury library, whimsical and romantic. Also local gift shop corners. Good…read morefood and great service.

It was so wonderful to see the wall of books when I first walked in! I really needed something to…read moreread while on vacation, and as I browsed the books I encountered friendly people and interesting stories. The paperback book I took home with me was $4... UNHEARD OF.. oh also the food and coffee here is amazing... I got the Brie-tney Bitch crepe, which has brie, fig jam, and arugula... words escape me, but they wouldn't do this crepe justice anyway. It was like the perfect charcuterie shoved into a delicious soft crepe. Really enjoyed it. 10/10!

So nice we visited twice over the course of the weekend! Once as guests of the Resort and the next…read morewith an WCCLS Adventure Pass. Even though the plants' condition in March leaves a lot to be desired, as not very much is coming into season yet, there was plenty to take in. The variety of landscaping/hardscaping is impressive, the views incredible, the plant collection inspiring (even my very non-aggie partner took notes on what we could possibly incorporate into our own yard). It's obvious that plenty of care and planning went into the garden spaces. Highlights for me included the conifer forest and the wetlands areas. The Lewis and Clark pathway with its stonehenge-like pillars was neat too. Each section has its own hidden treasures and spaces for reflection. Would love to come back in spring or summer to see what's changed.

We have been traveling through the area for the last week and this was, by far, our most…read moredisappointing experience. On our way here we visited multiple gardens and flower farms in Salem and the surrounding area that were completely free and FAR superior. They charge $14 per person to visit the garden and in my opinion it's not worth it. The employees we interacted with were unhelpful, unknowledgeable and apathetic but beyond the poor service, the grounds themselves were disappointing. There are dead and dying plants everywhere, shade and seating are scarce and there is very little of interest to see. If you enjoy paths and trees, visit any local park and the sites will be as good. If you love roses, visit Owen Rose Garden or if you like peonys, irises, etc there are multiple farms in the area to visit for free. Unless you love the smell of hot fertilizer and throwing your money away, this is not it. Their "Amazing" water garden consists of a few algae topped ponds. They also claim to be dog friendly but they are as dog friendly as a sidewalk. They have a tram tour that literally stopped in the walkway blocking all the walking guests from proceeding while robotically reading a speech and leaving everyone to stand there in the sun until they were done. This whole experience was just so unenjoyable. I rarely leave bad reviews and I Yelp to help others avoid my mistakes so if you are reading this, please don't waste your time or money here. There are so many other great options. Oh, and to the "Business Manager" who obligatorily responds all the unflattering reviews in an effort to appear as though customer service is important, but is ultimately condescending, it's not helping your cause, so feel free to spare us all.

If you are looking to board your horse at a nice facility with no drama, this is your place. Bob…read more(owner and primary caretaker) genuinely loves horses and will treat yours like his own. They get daily turnout in large areas with lots of enrichment opportunities--hills, streams, rocks, cattle, dogs, etc. There are a few miles of well-maintained trails and tree farm roads on the property for trail riding, plus a huge indoor arena and an outdoor arena for when the weather permits it. Stalls are big (10x15), as are the individual tack closets and extra storage area. Trailer parking is free and ample. Your fellow boarders are low-key and helpful. This is NOT a show barn, and there is no trainer onsite. Part of the property also functions as an outdoor wedding venue. I haven't been to an event there, but the landscaping is incredible.

From the owner: Our outdoor event venue is currently CLOSED due to extensive damage from the Ice Storm in Feb…read more 2021. The equestrian center remains OPEN and features full-care horse boarding (includes feeding, stall cleaning and pasture turnout). We also have an indoor arena and miles of riding trails available to our boarders and haul-in riders.

I got the chance to visit the Gordon House this summer. As a student of design, it was so…read morefascinating to see the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house in Oregon. I found the tour guides to be excellent and learned a lot from them about this house, some of which I have written out below. Frank Lloyd Wright designed this house in 1957 at the age of 89. He had taken 1100 commissions overall in his lifetime, a third of those happened in his 80s. 500 were built, and 400 still stand. He died in 1959. Construction of the Gordon House began in a 1963, so an apprentice of Wright's (Burton Goodrich) oversaw construction. The house is in the "Usonian" style, which was intended to be affordable for middle-class families. They use an open floor plan, cantilever roofs with broad overhangs, economical carports, floor to ceiling windows, and local materials. The house was originally located in Wilsonville, where owners Conrad and Evelyn Gordon had a farm. Conrad's requests for the house were gun storage, wine storage, and comfortable seating (which Wright accomplished by modeling a 15° lean after his farm truck). Evelyn wanted a loom room, built-ins, and a basement. In addition to the 15° slant, the house is built off of 7 foot squares repeated. The fretwork is unique to each house, to me these look like a key, but others have described them as a sawtooth or who knows what. It's a 3bd/3ba plus kitchen, office, and basement (the latter you don't get to see on the tour). Evelyn lived in the house til 1987. The Gordon family sold the property in 2000 for $1.1M but the new owners didn't want the house. They donated the house for a dollar and said it has to be removed in 90 days. And so a deconstruction, and then reconstruction, effort began. It was split in half - top and bottom - and moved to its current site. Now it's oriented north to south on the same longitudinal lines as its original location. It was fascinating to learn all this. I do recommend visiting if you should have the chance, and ideally doing a docent-led tour. It is a fairly modest house, so it may not take that long to visit (tour takes ~45 mins). They do host events occasionally, including the option to rent out the house for a night (!) for $600. You can also combine the trip with a visit to the Oregon Garden and other Silverton attractions.

Attended the 25th Anniversary of the Frank Lloyd Wright "Gordon House" at its current location. It…read morewas built in 1963, (a few years after Frank Lloyd Wright's death) for Conrad and Evelyn Gordon of Wilsonville, OR. The House was saved from being torn down in 2001 by being deconstructed. Then moved 40 miles over to Silverton. We were able to tour the yard, and the 1st and second floors. Each space was unique with angular wood work, colored concrete and light pouring in through wide panes of glass. All typical of FLW architecture, which he referred to as "Usonian". Simple, beautiful and functional. There were cupcakes, coloring activities and a pianist along with specialists answering questions throughout the home. My favorite part was the red kitchen and skylight. Afterwards we went over to the Oregon Garden right next door. It was two great properties to explore on a beautiful day. Highly recommend both!

Wonderful stay! And a great host! Lovely house & amenities! Very clean! Huge kitchen & awesome…read morescreened in porch! We had a great visit!

My stay here this past weekend was wonderful. Karen is an excellent hostess. Her cooking is…read moredivine. She makes the best breakfast you may ever encounter. The house is absolutely beautiful- clean rooms, comfortable beds, coffee & snacks at your beckon call, what else could you want? I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and highly recommend The McClaine House.

We cannot thank you enough Amy for making our wedding day so special. In a day and age where many…read morepeople are married by family members, we were so grateful to have met just the right person to marry us. Your were organized and helped us think through all the steps of the ceremony. Wrote us a most beautiful script and really listened to our wishes and preferences. I would HIGHLY recommend you to anyone who needs an officient.

My husband and I were married May 21st and are so happy we chose Amy as our officiant. She was…read moresuper easy to work with and really took the time to get to know us and what we wanted. Everyone at the ceremony commented that her comments were the perfect blend of traditional without being religious (our choice; she can do spiritual ceremonies) and reflected us. Can't recommend her highly enough!

This is the (often literally) beating heart of Mount Angel's seasonal festivities: a massive,…read moreBavarian-style community center, within which the largest, rowdiest and most festive events can be found! With its high ceilings and spacious interior, it's a safe gathering place, even amidst the Covid crisis (although masks and social distancing are still recommended, as much as possible, especially around drunk people). Here, you frequently find live music (polka!), beers, ciders and other beverages on tap, a modest if unspectacular grill (Pro Tip #1: eat elsewhere during festive events), and actual restrooms (Pro Tip #2: forget the Honey Buckets; use these)! Oktoberfest, Volksfest, Wurstfest are all worth attending for the fun and frivolity, and I'm sure there are several other local events that make use of this colossal community space, during the "off-season". Despite the booze and brews, this venue is for all ages, up to a certain point in the night, when the parties start to become a bit...unhinged. Best to preserve your dignity and make sure the kiddos are tucked into bed before you really tie one on. Great gathering place, filled with wonderful memories and a spirit of community and brotherhood, even if most of us are drunken imports.

Great addition to the Mt. Angel venues for Oktoberfest and community use year round. It opened just…read morein time for Oktoberfest in 2011 and served as a biergarten. We visited later in the Winter for Wurstfest. This indoor community center has the benefit of modern construction and amenities with charming Bavarian scenes above the stage and throughout the building. Really nice multi-use facility for the community.

Another fantastic stay at the Oregon Garden Resort! Pleasant and welcoming staff. Rooms are…read morespacious and have a home style comfort to them. The beds are a great firmness so you don't sink. The pillows are comfortable as well. The bathroom is spacious as well and is very clean and has a hair dryer. The room also has an ironing board and iron along with a dresser for those of us who like to unpack. There is a mini fridge and a microwave. Also a small Keurig style coffee maker. We also have a small private back patio complete with two chairs and a small table.

The motel was ok. The beds were firm but had plenty of pillows and pet-friendly rooms are…read moreavailable. Do not eat here, however. While staff were friendly, the two places to eat here share the same kitchen staffed by people who can't cook. I ordered salmon. It actually looked good, but had been so severely over-salted that it was inedible. You couldn't even taste fish or balsamic glaze. My son ordered marionberry pie, but that just tasted like sugar. No berry flavor. No tartness. Just. Sugar. I figured I'd eat at the buffet in the morning. WRONG. The eggs were some kind of instant egg scramble--rubbery and dry. The sausage? Subpar. They had Greek yogurt, but it was very grainy looking. The ONLY redeeming feature was the drinkable coffee. It wasn't anything special, just a go-hum medium roast tasting of generic coffee. But it was nice to enjoy a couple hot cups on the patio.

The Mount Angel Volksfest is like the kleine bruder of the town's significantly more expansive…read moreOktoberfest: a quick winter fix to hold us over on beer and sausages until autumn rolls around again. Contained entirely within the village's massive Festhalle, you'll find a handful of local vendors purveying local products, including wines, clothing, hats, foodstuffs and souvenirs. Left of the entrance, you'll find der kindercorner, where volunteers offer (free!) balloon animals and face painting for the littles, who have no idea why all the grown-ups are singing, dancing, and drinking all day long. Beers, wine and cider are available from multiple vendors right of the entrance, many of them local, including a Benedictine brew crafted by the monks of Mount Angel Abbey, just outside the town proper. Music and entertainment is provided by various local, semi-local, and internationally renowned polka bands; if you've attended even one Oktoberfest in your life, you've know what you're in for, and you've likely heard all of the songs before, likely multiple times per visit. For some, the repetition gets old; I like to call it "tradition", and just roll with it. After a few beers, your appreciation for these threadbare tunes will increase, I assure you. Zigga zagga, zigga zagga, oi Oi OI! Ein prosit! It may not be the real McCoy, but it's not meant to be: the Mount Angel Volksfest is a tiny morsel meant to whet the appetite for the glorious revels to come later in the year. For a town that prides itself on its heritage like Mount Angel, the locals rarely need a reason to break out the beer and sausages. September cannot come soon enough! But until then, strap on some lederhosen, dust off that dirndl, chow down on some of the best wurst around, and raise a glass with a cheer and a smile! Winter (and COVID?) is almost over! That's more than enough reason to celebrate! Prost! Admission is $10 for adult attendees, free for under 21s. Tokens for beverages are $1/each, with beers, ciders and wines running between 6-8 tokens. Food must be purchased separately with cash or card, and an ATM is available just inside the doors, and includes an array of sausages, pretzels, potato salad, sauerkraut, and many other Oktoberfest staples, although there didn't appear to be any schnitzel, which ought to be illegal!

Neither the best fest, nor the worst fest. It is somewhere in between…read more The 4th annual Wurstfest was held February 17 - 18 and would be a nice introduction to Mt. Angel, but certainly not a substitute for attending Oktoberfest in September. It is really a way to attract visitors to this small hamlet in the Willamette Valley during the off season. The most fascinating part for me is that it is billed as a "Mt. Angel Celebration of German Sausage," and yet my favorite sausage place in town, Mt. Angel Sausage Co., was not a vendor. I am sure there is an interesting back story there... The festival was held in the new Mt. Angel Community Center, Festhalle. Since everything was in one spot, it was easy to find the festival on Highway 214 and free parking was a snap. This is very different from Oktoberfest which pretty much takes over the entire town and has dozens of venues. Admission was $10 for adults and children were free. When you entered, you were able to select a nice wine glass, beer glass or stein as a souvenir. The vendors were an interesting mix of local businesses and smaller residential vendors that traveled to the event. My favorites were the Urban German, St. Josef's Winery and the mustard sold by the sisters from the neighboring Benedictine Monastery. But compared to the spectacle of Oktoberfest, this was an elegant, modest affair. Lots of folks dressed up in their German finery and you could purchase your own lederhosen, dirndls and hats. It was a happy festival, filled with music and a few dancers, but having been a visitor to Oktoberfest, it struck me as a pleasant footnote. Certainly not a main attraction.