FROM LEFT: TURELL GROUP; MELANIE GRIFFIN MARKET DISTRICT Eugene’s Market District is a smart choice for a walkable home base, thanks to its close concentration of excellent restaurants, shops, parks and hotels. Explore the multilevel 5th Street Public Market and the adjacent Market Alley for boutique shopping. Provisions Market Hall offers specialty coffees and teas, breakfast sandwiches, and French pastries, as well as a kitchen-goods market. Pick your favorite scoop at Handel’s Ice Cream or drop by Marché’s Le Bar for a glass of wine with a friend. Shop for unique African gifts at Swahili Modern or find an eco-friendly housewarming gift at nearby Marley’s Monsters. Families love the all-ages bars and brewpubs, like Cornucopia Bar & Burgers, and kids can eat pasta in a converted trolley at Eugene’s branch of the Old Spaghetti Factory, newly opened in the stately Oregon Electric Station building. For fine dining, make reservations at intimate rye or enjoy sushi with creative cocktails at Akira. To the north, the sprawling Skinner Butte Park is one of the easiest places to get outside and enjoy Oregon’s outdoors. A quick hike takes you to panoramic views of the city from the top of the butte, or simply enjoy a stroll or roll on the wheelchairfriendly paths along the Willamette River. Be sure to check out the museum inside the ornate Shelton McMurphey Johnson House. WEST EUGENE West Eugene is where industrial meets wetlands. Venture off the beaten path into the Westside Warehouse District to taste artisan beer and Scandinavian-inspired pub fare at Viking Brewing Company. Several small, family-run eateries like Four Plus 3 Korean BBQ Restaurant and Mami’s Mexican Grill serve up crowd-pleasing hearty dishes. The West Eugene Wetlands on the west edge of town provide peaceful surroundings with several parks and paths. At Bertelsen Nature Park, birders watch waterfowl in the wet season at Stewart Pond, and athletes throw discs on the 18-hole discgolf course. For visitors on wheelchairs and bikes, the enchantingly quiet 6.9 miles (11.1 km) of paved pathways on the Fern Ridge Path provide plenty of opportunities to view wildlife; it follows Amazon Creek through marshes and meadows for most of the route. In the springtime, hike Wild Iris Ridge for wildflowers galore, including its purple namesake iris covering the hillside. Market Alley West Eugene Wetlands Travel Lane County | EugeneCascadesCoast.org | 541.484.5307 41 EUGENE & WILLAMETTE VALLEY
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