EUGENE & WILLAMETTE VALLEY FROM LEFT: TURELL GROUP; MELANIE GRIFFIN MARKET DISTRICT Eugene’s Market District is a smart choice for a walkable home base, thanks to its concentration of excellent restaurants, shops, parks and hotels. Explore the multilevel 5th Street Public Market and the adjacent Market Alley for boutique shopping — and pick up maps at the new Visitor Center, as well. Grab a scoop at Handel’s Ice Cream, drop by Marché’s Le Bar for a glass of Oregon wine or sip a warming drink from Magpie Coffee. Paint-and-sip events happen year-round at the Art With Alejandro painting studio. Families love pasta in a converted trolley at Eugene’s branch of the Old Spaghetti Factory, located in the stately Oregon Electric Station building. For fine dining, make reservations at intimate rye or enjoy sushi with creative cocktails at Akira Omakase. Book lovers can sip a mocktail at new Daffodil Books, specializing in the romantasy genre. To the north, the sprawling Skinner Butte Park is one of the easiest places to get outside and enjoy Oregon’s outdoors. You can see panoramic views of the city from a quick hike to the top of the butte, or enjoy the wheelchair-friendly paths along the Willamette River. WEST EUGENE West Eugene is where industrial meets wetlands. Venture off the beaten path into the Westside Warehouse District to taste artisan beer and Scandinavianinspired pub fare at Viking Brewing. Several small, family-run eateries like Four+3 Korean BBQ serve up crowdpleasing hearty dishes. The West Eugene Wetlands on the west edge of town provide peaceful surroundings with several parks and paths. At Bertelsen Nature Park, birders can spot waterfowl in the wet season at Stewart Pond, and athletes throw discs on the 18-hole disc-golf course. For visitors on wheelchairs and bikes, the enchantingly quiet 6.9 miles (11.1 km) of paved pathways on the Fern Ridge Path provide plenty of opportunities to view wildlife; the path follows Amazon Creek through marshes and meadows for most of the route. In the springtime, hike Wild Iris Ridge for wildflowers galore, including its purple namesake iris covering the hillside. 5th Street Market Alley West Eugene Wetlands Travel Lane County | EugeneCascadesCoast.org | 541.484.5307 39
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