26 | Willamette Valley Travel Guide Gamberetti's Italian Restaurant, Albany McDowell Creek Falls The stroll-worthy streets of Albany are a living-history museum. A longtime commercial hub at the confluence of the Calapooia and Willamette rivers, the city’s downtown comprises three historic districts, which fit more than 800 restored structures into a 100-block area. Take a tour on foot for a full-scale exhibit of late-19th- and early-20th-century American architecture, with varied styles ranging from Italianate and Queen Anne to art moderne and Craftsman bungalow. Don’t miss the first frame structure in Albany, which has been carefully restored as the Monteith House Museum, where you can take a step back into Oregon’s pioneer days. And dive into the city’s industrious past at the Albany Regional Museum. Today Albany packs its city center with acclaimed chef-owned restaurants such as Matt Bennett’s Sybaris Bistro and Kevin “Fuji” and Ariana Fujikawa’s Frankie’s Restaurant. Funky shops, art galleries and museums keep browsers on the prowl. Pop into the 20,000-square-foot (1,858-square-meter) Albany Antique Mall to peruse everything from turn-of-the-century furniture to comic books to collectible co ee mugs; upstairs, old-school fashions are arranged by decade. Take a spin on the lovingly restored 100-year-old ride at the Albany Historic Carousel & Museum, adorned with a menagerie of animals hand-carved and painted by community volunteers. Albany sits in the middle of one of the broadest and lushest stretches of the valley. Take a drive on quiet country roads to see eight covered bridges. A half-dozen bridges Albany Area
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