5 endroits pour se réchauffer au coin du feu à Salem et dans la Mid-Willamette Valley
Vous avez froid ? Réchauffez-vous devant l'une de ces cinq cheminées douillettes.
This winter, as the temperature falls, it’s time to close the laptop lid, turn off your TV, and head to breweries, wineries, restaurants, and hotels in the Salem region for a dose of the real thing.
Updated 1/20/2022
Did you know that you can replicate the fireplace experience on, of all places, Netflix?
It’s true: Netflix, among the world’s most popular streaming services, offers an hour-long stream that consists of little more than a few burning logs crackling in a stone fireplace. The service even offers a special “Birchwood edition” for a slightly different experience.
But doesn’t the real thing sound a bit better, the fire’s warmth turning your cheeks red, while you cozy up with a handmade cocktail or glass of local wine?
One of Salem’s biggest breweries hosts a fireplace buttressed by comfy leather sofas, for instance, while a new riverfront hotel and restaurant in Independence offers fire pits and fireplaces throughout its property for total comfort and coziness.
So as you’re looking to stay warm this winter, here’s a rundown of where to enjoy fireplaces and fire pits in and around Salem.
Gilgamesh Brewing
From the outside, Gilgamesh Brewing's wooden exterior and A-frame entryway bring to mind a grand ski lodge. So it’s only fitting that the brewery offers a fireplace for keeping warm through chilly winter days and long, cold nights.
Leather sofas surround the stone fireplace, providing a fine excuse—not that you need it—for enjoying the brewery’s wide range of ales and lagers in a comfortable, cozy environment.
Gilgamesh's flagship beers include the Terry Porter—a classic porter and a collaboration with the eponymous Portland Trail Blazers great—and a trio of IPAs. And as part of the brewery's Chef Beer series, Gilgamesh has collaborated on inventive beers with notable regional chefs, including Andy Ricker (who started Pok Pok, a renowned Thai restaurant in Portland) and Rick Gencarelli (who started Lardo, known for inventive sandwiches and decadent French fries.)
Willamette Valley Vineyards
From the moment you step on the grounds of Willamette Valley Vineyard, you know you're in for a treat. Their beautiful tasting room overlooks vast rows of grapes, which stretches out to over 67 acres. Visitors to their tasting room will experience a relaxing environment thanks to its indoor circular fireplace, a perfect place to cozy up and taste the bounty of the Mid-Willamette Valley. The tasting room extends out to an expansive patio, spacious courtyard, and a 65-foot lookout tower to fully take in all the views.
Territory Restaurant – The Independence Hotel
The newest addition to the regional hotel scene—The Independence Hotel, located just steps from the Willamette River in, well, Independence—wasted no time in making a splash with popular amenities and natural splendor.
The Independence boasts sweeping views of the Willamette River, easy access to riverfront walking trails, nature-inspired decor in each room, locally made bath products, and more.
And if you’re looking to relax next to the fire, The Independence has you covered, too. A gas-powered fire pit can be found on the hotel’s rooftop gathering area—home to 360-degree views of the Willamette River and Riverfront Park—and is covered with a canopy to keep visitors dry all year long.
Indoors, the hotel’s on-site restaurant—Territory—boasts a fireplace in the heart of its spacious dining room and gas-powered fire pits on its riverfront patio. In addition to a cozy atmosphere, the restaurant prides itself on serving worldly fare with a distinctive Northwest touch—popular dishes include tuna poke, the Territory hash (featuring duck confit, veggies, and more), and a variety of sandwiches.
Cória Estates
Just because it’s wintertime doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy time outside—especially when staying warm by the outdoor fireplace at the Tuscan-inspired Cória Estates in South Salem.
Cória Estates boasts a tasting room with 360-degree views of the winery’s 94-acre vineyard and the wider Willamette Valley. And on its expansive patio, the winery offers a covered fire pit and heaters for keeping warm all winter long. (If the weather cooperates, stick around to enjoy a sunset over the Coast Range foothills—the view from Cória’s tasting room is among the best in the region.)
Oregon Garden Resort
We get it: The 80-acre Oregon Garden is the marquee attraction at the hotel named in its honor. But the Oregon Garden Resort's 103-room hotel boasts another amenity that might keep you indoors: gas fireplaces in each room.
We’ll understand if you choose to stay in your room and keep warm, but the Oregon Garden Resort also offers a 21-and-older lounge area with a grand wood fireplace—where happy hour specials and live music are offered nightly. Other resort amenities include an outdoor hot tub (open year-round), relaxing treatments from Moonstone Spa, the Northwest-inspired Garden View Restaurant, and more.