Eugene, Oregon

Eugene is located just about two hours south of Portland in the Willamette Valley. It is verdant, bike friendly, and the beat of drum circles haunts the summer breeze. For a glimpse of the Eugene experience, we recommend stopping by the Saturday Market or visiting a local vineyard: two polar opposite tastes that taste great together.

Just about everything you may want to get to within Eugene itself is easy to walk or bus to; we have a small, centralized city. Depending on your tastes, I wouldn't anticipate needing to drive too much once you get to your accommodation. However, the wedding site is in Junction City, north of Eugene by about 25 minutes, and you will need transportation to the venue.

For those with a little time on their hands and are looking for some non-wedding activities, you're in luck! There is plenty to do in Eugene in the summer!

Our local free paper, The Eugene Weekly, can be found on the corner of most major intersections, in nearly every restaurant, and undoubtedly in your hotel lobby. The publication is a good go-to for what is going on in town.

In the meantime, here are some ideas to get you started:

  • The Saturday Market really is a Eugene must. Join a drum circle, try on some tie-dye, or get a whiff of patchouli. Once you've hippy-ed out to your heart's content, browse the adjoining farmer's market for some delicious organic, local fare. We like to do Saturday morning breakfast here.

  • Rent a bike. Seriously. Eugene is a cycling town: there are about 32 miles of bike-only paths here. There are numerous places to rent bicycles (Paul's Bicycle Way of Life, Blue Heron, Hutch's, Collin's..to name a few) and nearly every bike shop will give you a free map of the bike trails in Eugene. We recommend riding in a loop along the south bank (passing by miles of parks and the Owen Rose Garden) of the Willamette river, crossing at a bike bridge, and coming back along the north bank. You can even stop for food at the McMenamin's North Bank pub.

  • Hike up Skinner's Butte. The main trailhead can be reached by heading south on Willamette (be careful, there is a jog at about 32nd and Willamette so be sure to stay on Willamette) for about ten minutes past the residential area. The turnoff for the parking lot is on the left. The hike is pleasant, but most assuredly uphill. Warning: the last ten minutes are very rocky and reaching the top requires some surefooted agility. However, it's worth it: you can see all of Eugene from the top. Friday afternoons are popular with the locals and it can be rather busy up there.
  • The aforementioned Owen Memorial Rose Garden is a very pretty place to have a picnic or throw a frisbee. By July, the garden ought to be in full, spectacular bloom.

  • Go wine tasting. There are too many good wineries and tasting venues in the area to even begin to start listing. Most places in town offer a free tasting, particularly on Thursdays and Fridays, but as long as you are here, you ought to just head out to a vineyard. It's a little out of town, but The Secret House has a lot of charm and was among our top picks for wedding locations.

  • Go beer tasting. Eugene has many local microbreweries. A new popular favorite is the recently opened Ninkasi brewery. The Eugene City Brewery and Rogue Ales brewpub (844 Olive St) has a tasting sampler that is delicious and fun. They also run pub trivia on Friday nights, but we hear the quality is not as good as our preferred venue, the Villard Street Pub.

  • Try out some live music at Sam Bond's Garage and drink some beer out of a mason jar. Check the Weekly for who's playing. If you find yourself in Eugene on a Tuesday night, stop by for Bluegrass Tuesdays.

  • Pick your own delicious fruit! Eugene has a bounty of U-pick farms on its outskirts. For the best blueberries, try Green-Hill Aire Blueberry Farm. How about climbing a ladder for some cherries or peaches at Detering Orchards? If strawberries are still around, try River Bend and Pleasant Hill Farms. If you are lucky, there might be early blackberries on the path of one of your bike rides (especially near the river). Remember, a U-pick experience really is just an all-you-can-eat buffet so be sure to snack as you go! (For a more complete list of local U-picks, pick up a brochure at the Saturday Market)

  • Catch an indie, foreign, or foreign-indie film at the Bijou Theatre, a great little renovated church turned cinema house.

  • Simpson's fans can take the hour tour of sights that inspired Matt Groening, including our Max's (Moe's) Tavern. Ask Josh. He'll love to tell you all about it.

    • For those with a little more time on their hands who are looking to wander farther afield, there are many wonderful day trips accessible from Eugene.

    Some suggestions:

  • Head out west to the Sea Lion Caves and Heceta Head Lighthouse. Sea lions smell terrible, but they sure are fun to look at. Apparently, we have the world's largest sea cave...just be sure to bring a jacket; it gets very cold down in there! Heceta Head Lighthouse has a lovely little hike that affords a great view of the Pacific. Both are a straight shot west of Eugene to Florence, then north.

  • Also out on the coast, but south of Florence, are the Umpqua Dunes. The Oregon coastal dunes are phenomenal. They inspired Frank Herbert to write his Dune series and once you get past the tree line, you'll understand why. Really, a sight to see. There is an adventurous, three-hour (-ish...how good are you at walking in sand?) hike from the highway to the beach, which you navigate from post to post. Finding the next post in the distance is all part of the fun.

  • Unless you are an early riser, visiting the Columbia River Gorge might be a two-day venture, but it really is...gorgeous. There are many hikes through the gorge and most have campsites. If you head out this way, don't miss Multnomah Falls.

  • For something entirely different, head east to the fascinating Newberry National Volcanic Monument park! Rent a kerosene lantern and explore a mile-long Lava River Cave (it's great!), admire the dangerous and beautiful black rocks at Big Obsidian Flow, or hike up the Cinder Cone Butte. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

  • The truly brave at heart can try out Cougar Hot Springs. These natural springs flow into each other, creating a temperature gradation from extremely hot to tepid. Fair warning: if you thought the Saturday Market was "out there," this may not be the venue for you. When they say "clothing optional," they mean it.

  • For a more urban experience you can always head up yonder to Portland or, conversely, down to Ashland for the world-famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The July shows are: Death and the King's Horseman, The Music Man, Equivocation, The Servant of Two Masters, All's Well That Ends Well, Henry VIII, Don Quixote, and Much Ado About Nothing. Ah, Shakespeare. If you are interested in the festival, get your tickets now.