The Wineries of Newberg

Oregon has long summer days and cool summer nights, which are perfect for growing wine grapes because they grow in the summer, and these conditions allow grapes to thoroughly ripen with great flavor. But ideal weather is just half of the recipe for perfect wine grapes, and that’s where the importance of Newberg comes in. Here in the Newberg area we have Jory soil, which is fairly good at retaining water and is derived from volcanic rocks, so it is quite rich in nutrients as well. A combination of all these variables makes the Newberg area a perfect place for growing great wine grapes and as a result, great wines are produced.

That being said, a trip to Newberg would not be complete without visiting at least one of the many wineries in the area. However, the wines aren’t the only reason you should visit the wineries, you should also visit because of the spectacular scenery. The drives in between locations are stunning because of rolling hills of greenery ranging from grapevines to evergreens. Each winery has a lot of character as well. Some are glamorous estates with sprawling lawns and beautiful landscaping, while others are modern with angular and sleek architecture. Many wineries are up in the Chehalem Mountains and enjoy beautiful views of the valley.

If you’re a photographer you’ll have quite a bit of fun visiting the wineries because the photo opportunities are almost endless; there are interesting plants and architecture to photograph everywhere.

For the names of specific wineries and directions, click here.

Newberg Friends Church

Newberg Friends Church is a beautiful building with a rich history seated in the heart of Newberg Oregon.

In the late 1870's a Quaker from Iowa named William Hobson moved with the originators of Newberg Friends Church to what they called "the grubby end of the Chehalem Valley." Located at 307 South College Street, Newberg Friends holds Sunday services every week at 9 and 10:45 am.

I was drawn to Friends Church by the architecture, everything from the ornate spire at the top of the tower to the details in the bricks around the windows. Even the colors of the church are lovely, with the contrast of the white trim on the red bricks.

For more information about Newberg Friends Church, click here.

Champoeg State Park

Though it is technically not part of the city, there is a park just outside of Newberg that is too cool not to mention, Champoeg State Park. If you’re looking for another great place to spend a day (or even a week!) Champoeg is a great place to go. It has a recently upgraded Frisbee golf course, a campground, several historic sites, two day-use areas and seemingly endless trails to hike or bike. There are so many things to do here, and on top of it all, it’s absolutely gorgeous!

Located at 8239 Champoeg Road in Northeast St. Paul, Champoeg State Park is roughly only a twelve minute drive from Newberg. To get there you can turn left off of Highway 99 onto North Springbrook Road, on which you will continue down until you reach Highway 219, where you will take another left. Stay on Highway 219 until you see Champoeg Road (which will also be on the left), turn left and continue until you see Champoeg State Park. There is a $5 day-use parking fee, with additional fees possible depending on how long you stay there and what you plan on doing.

My favorite thing to do at Champoeg is hike the trails, because they never stop being interesting. I went on this one once that started down by the dock (Champoeg has a view of the Willamette River too!) and wound through the trees. At times there would be clearings that you could see the river through and that was cool, and it would fork off a couple of times so then I’d have to decide which trail to take. Eventually I ended up looking out onto this amazing meadow with a stream running near it -- so just when I thought the hike couldn’t get better, it did! And that’s how a lot of the hikes are, there is literally adventure around every turn.

If you'd like your visit to be educational as well as beautiful and fun, you can visit several historical sites while at Champoeg. The visitor's center, pioneer mother's cabin and Newell house museums give you a glimpse of what pioneer life was like there.

The campground is cool too. There are hookups for RV’s, so if you aren’t too keen on sleeping in tents you can definitely bring your motorhome, or you can rent a yurt. Each campsite has a somewhat different view too, so you could camp there several times and it still wouldn't be boring.

For information on upcoming events at Champoeg, detailed rates, FAQ and more, you can click here.

 

Bald Peak State Park

Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint is an amazing place to go if you’re looking for somewhere to explore, a fun place to have a picnic, or simply to get away and enjoy nature. Once you reach the park a short hike through the trees gives way to breathtaking views of the valley.

The land on which Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint (Hillsboro, OR 97123) sits was bought from Samuel Otto in 1931 when officials from Washington and Yamhill county lobbied for a state park for their region. An annual Easter service began being held there in the mid-1930's by local churches and this tradition is still continued to this day. This year the service will be held on Sunday, March 27.

Visiting Bald Peak is definitely an adventure, starting with the drive. It’s quite long, as you must carefully navigate your way along winding roads 1,629 feet up into the Chehalem hills. I cannot stress enough the importance of being careful while driving up there (and down!), because the route is very curvy and most of the time there is a cliff on one side of the road. People also seem to drive somewhat fast on those roads… However, the drive is definitely worth it! Once you arrive (there are signs along the way that will point you in the right direction), you’ll see that there is a nice grassy area with some picnic tables and the beginnings of a couple trails. The trails then lead to a clearing with an amazing view, and on a sunny day you can see for miles (and maybe even the peaks of Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Jefferson, Mount Adams, and Mount Rainier). If you visit after it has recently rained, I recommend wearing either boots or shoes that you don’t mind getting a little muddy… I love this place because it doesn't look or feel like you're in Newberg anymore, so it's like a little escape. The weather is somewhat different up there and so are the plants, so it almost feels like you're in a completely different part of Oregon.

One of the trails 

 

The view

Roger's Landing

Tucked away on the far end of Newberg is another great place to spend the day, Roger’s Landing. Unless you know exactly how to get there or have been told about it, this place may go unnoticed for quite some time, which is sad because I think it’s actually one of the coolest places in town. Starting on Highway 99, turn left on South River Street and drive all the way to the end of the road. It’s kind of a long street, but just keep going straight until you see a fork, then turn left (the address is NE Rogers Landing Rd, Newberg, OR 97132). You then drive down a steep hill through the trees which give way to a parking lot with extensive boat trailer parking and a lovely view of the river.

Roger’s Landing is cool because it sort of has something for everyone. If you’ve got a boat, there’s a launch for it. If you want to hang out by the river but don’t necessarily want to be in the sun, there are picnic tables under trees. You can walk out on the dock and watch the water from that angle, or you can hang out on the beach. In addition to all of that, every Memorial Day the Newberg Boat Club hosts it's annual Memorial Day Boat Race, which is free for spectators.

Like I stated previously, I think Roger’s Landing is one of the coolest places in Newberg. It gives you direct access to the Willamette, there are so many things you can do down there, and to top it all off, it’s gorgeous. I actually ended up taking pictures down there 3 times, each at a different time of day. The lighting was different every time, so it was always fresh and interesting and made for what I thought were some pretty cool pictures. At times it almost didn’t look real, the way the river reflected the sunlight.

One of the picnic areas 

The boat launch

Panoramic view of the Willamette River (Summer)

 

The river shortly before sunset (Winter)

The river before sunrise (cloudy day during the winter)

Downtown Newberg

Though most of Newberg enjoys serene views of the valley, the gentle rustle of wind through the trees or the clink of a golf club hitting a golf ball, there is one part of Newberg that almost never sleeps, the Downtown area. For roughly twelve blocks buildings and businesses stretch that range from quaint boutiques to pet shops and nearly everything in between. That being said, Downtown Newberg is a great place to spend the day exploring.

My favorite stores Downtown are Janis' Jewelry and Gifts, Critter Cabana and Chapters. Janis' Jewelry has trendy clothing, quirky gifts and amazing accessories, many of which are locally made -- it's a great place to go if you or someone you know loves fashion and/or unique gifts. Critter Cabana is a pet store/ pet supply store/ groomer with lots of character. They have parrots, fish, guinea pigs and many other animals up for adoption and generally they have adoptable puppies as well. One thing that makes Critter Cabana really unique is the fact that they have tortoises that roam freely around the store. Chapters is a book store/ coffee shop (pictured below), but in addition to those it is also a great place to catch up with friends and a quiet place to study.
 

This part of Newberg isn't all commercial though. It also has a rich history. Many of the buildings down there are quite old, some being built as early as 1888. That agedness is one of the reasons why I love it. Like I said in an earlier post, I'm drawn to things that show their age, whether that be old cars or buildings. Maybe I love the little details the builders added to the trim, or maybe I just love the contrast between the vintage designs and the modern world. Either way, I think the buildings are really aesthetic and cool to take pictures of.