Oregon’s capital is the mid sized city of Salem, located along the western part of the state where the far majority of the state’s population is found. I had honestly expected Salem to be a tiny city with nothing to do, and while it’s certainly by no means the highlight of Oregon if you decide to make a stop here you won’t find yourself bored. Salem has a population of over 150,000 people and is the third largest in the state after Portland and the city of Eugene. Above is the state capitol building of Oregon, with a photo of the nearby justice building, both located on Court Street.
Salem is home of two major universities in the state which gives the city a large student population. On the left are some college students playing sports in a field that is located in the city’s downtown. I regret not taking any photos of the historic district, and only have the upper right photo that shows the inside of a wine store and cafe. I had dinner at a nice Indian restaurant in Salem and talked to the owners who were from Punjab India. I mentioned I’d be going there myself in three weeks when I cross from Lahore Pakistan to Amritsar. They encouraged me to travel to India but didn’t understand why I wanted to backpack Pakistan. After I left the Indian restaurant, I found most of the other shops and restaurants were closed with the exception of a few bars which was expected on a Sunday.
Salem is also known for its Riverfront along the Willamette River which runs through the city. The riverfront is more of a nice park than an actual river front filled with businesses and entertainment. I visited it late at night when there were a few other people around and the large boat on the upper left that was docked. I imagine that there are probably lots of events that take here such as live music, barbecues, and other festivals.
The summers in Oregon are generally warm and dry but during the rest of the year getting a sunny day is a rare treat. Their is one upside to getting all that rain. The combinations of water and mountains means lots of waterfalls, and some of the best are just outside of Salem. I went hiking in Silver Falls Park which has dozens of waterfalls and nearly 25 miles of hiking trails. Above are two of the smaller falls I came across. On the left is the Lower North Falls at 30 feet and the Lower South Falls on the right at 93 feet.
These surrounding photos are all from Silver Falls as well. Above was my favorite, the North Falls at 136 feet. I liked this waterfall because you could see it really far from a distance, and it the views just got better the closer you got. Also once you’re at the falls, there is actually a trail that goes behind them seen on the left. My second favorite falls which is the most popular in the park are the South Falls seen below. These two shots show the 177 foot falls which have are the highest in the park.
These surrounding photos are all from Silver Falls as well. Above was my favorite, the North Falls at 136 feet. I liked this waterfall because you could see it really far from a distance, and it the views just got better the closer you got. Also once you’re at the falls, there is actually a trail that goes behind them seen on the left. My second favorite falls which is the most popular in the park are the South Falls seen below. These two shots show the 177 foot falls which have are the highest in the park.
