We Gound to a Halt in Salem Oregon
T his summer’s exploration was meant to focus on the Puget Sound and Canada’s Gulf Islands. As every traveler eventually learns, flexibility is part of the adventure—especially when plans change without your permission. Ours certainly did. A wheel bearing on our boat trailer failed while we were rolling north on I‑5 near Salem, Oregon, abruptly transforming us into involuntary explorers of the Willamette Valley. If you’re going to get stranded somewhere, though, this is not a bad place to do it. More than 160 years ago settlers flocked here for its famously fertile land, and they chose well. The valley remains an agricultural powerhouse today. The Willamette Valley is known globally as the grass seed capital of the world , producing most of North America’s cool‑season forage and turf grass thanks to its wet winters and dry summers. But grass seed is only the beginning. The region supports more than 170 commercial crops , making it one of the most diverse agricultural areas in the count...