Planning a Trip

Getting There -- Salem is on I-5 at the junction of Ore. 22, which heads west to connect with Ore. 18 from Lincoln City and southeast to connect with U.S. 20 from Bend.

Amtrak has passenger rail service to Salem. The station is at 500 13th St. SE, between Leslie and Bellevue streets.

Visitor Information -- Contact Travel Salem, 181 High St. NE, Salem, OR 97301 (tel. 800/874-7012 or 503/581-4325; www.travelsalem.com). For more information on the Silverton area, contact the Silverton Chamber of Commerce, 426 S. Water St. (P.O. Box 257), Silverton, OR 97381 (tel. 503/873-5615; www.silvertonchamber.org).

Festivals -- Two of the biggest events of the year in Salem are the Oregon State Fair (tel. 800/833-0011 or 503/947-3247; www.oregonstatefair.org), which is held from late August to Labor Day, and the Salem Art Fair & Festival (tel. 503/581-2228; www.salemart.org), which is the largest juried art fair in Oregon and is held the third weekend in July.

Every year on the second weekend after Labor Day, the town of Mt. Angel is the site of the huge Mt. Angel Oktoberfest [S] (tel. 503/845-9440; www.oktoberfest.org). With polka bands from around the world, beer and wine gardens, German food, and dancing in the streets, this is just about the biggest party in the state.