Has it been too many minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and perhaps years since you’ve set off for a few days away for a girlfriend weekend trip?! Well then it’s high time to get ready to pack your bags and make memories that will last a lifetime. Whether you are celebrating a milestone birthday, bachelorette party, or simply just a weekend away for no reason at all, taking time for a girls getaway is always a good idea. Because, let’s be honest, there’s just nothing like spending quality time with your girlfriends. That’s why we decided to plan the ultimate girls getaway to explore all the charms of Oregon, including exploring Oregon wine country, indulging in fresh local produce at the Salem Saturday Market, and immersing ourselves in the vibrant art scene during Salem’s First Friday Art Walk. So gather your girlfriends and start planning the best ladies weekend getaway! Use this guide to plan your next girlfriend weekend trip to Oregon wine country and discover the best hotel in downtown Salem, like the luxurious Holman Hotel, which was our pick for the perfect place to stay for our ultimate girls weekend experience. ladies trip ideas

This post is all about Ultimate Girls Getaway in Oregon Wine Country.

Unforgettable Girls Getaway in Oregon Wine Country: A Weekend of Wine, Markets, and Art

Imagine a weekend away with your best girlfriends, surrounded by rolling vineyards, vibrant markets, delicious locally owned restaurants and inspiring art. That’s exactly what awaits you in Oregon Wine Country. Join us as we delve into the best restaurants and things to do in Downtown Salem, spotlight our stay at the luxurious Holman Hotel and its acclaimed restaurant, Pacific Standard and get ready to jump start planning your ultimate girls getaway with your friends in the picturesque Oregon Wine Country.

Day 1

RICH IN HISTORY, RICH IN LUXURY

From the minute we arrived at The Holman Hotel, one thing was apparent, we were going to have an amazing stay. As we pulled up to The Holman Hotel in downtown Salem, Oregon, the onsite Valet came to meet us at our vehicles, swiftly unloading our bags and assisting us with checking into our rooms.

Walking into the lobby, we couldn’t help but notice how unique and vibrant the space was, with a small European-vibe cafe to the right of check-in which offered curated, fast-casual variety of warm and savory breakfast items, coffee, espresso, fresh baked pastries and snacks.

Past the small cafe and extending from the lobby was the entrance to Pacific Standard, the onsite full service restaurant also known as “the living room for the city”, which is a popular destination for travelers and a treasured space to enjoy for locals. We loved this place already!

Since we were traveling with a group of six, staff at The Holman Hotel thoughtfully arranged us to be in the Elizabeth Lord hospitality suite located on the top floor of the hotel, where we discovered with delight, provided ample downtown views and private balconies.

There are two of these hospitality suites available and each boast over 600 square feet of space, perfect for special occasions, bachelorette parties, weddings, and even private meetings. Both feature private balconies and views of Salem’s Riverfront Park, spacious living areas, a full kitchenette with fridge, stove top, microwave, cookware and dishes and offer connecting rooms for various sleeping arrangements. These suites were particularly fitting as their namesakes, Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver were two women who made the most notable imprints on Salem and are known for pioneering women in business, the perfect suite for our girls trip.

As soon as we unpacked, we settled right into our hospitality suite with snacks and wine and talked through the plans we had for the entire weekend! Planning ahead made for such an easy, stress free weekend – exactly how a girls weekend trip should be! We had everything arranged from dinner reservations, to wine tasting appointments. We were seriously ready for the best weekend ever!

ART WALK

After we got ready for the evening, we decided to check out the First Friday Art Walk that runs the first Friday of every month from 5- 8 pm in downtown Salem, Oregon. Conveniently, The Holman Hotel is one of the stops along the art walk, so we had the pleasure of meeting their resident artist for the evening, Jonezy Artwork who is a local muralist and artist. From there we used the Art Walk Passport to guide us to about 20 more spots in downtown Salem while we enjoyed live music, live art demonstrations, and chatted with local artits before turning in our passport at the last spot and heading to dinner. It was definitely a fun way to check out local downtown shops, and explore the vibrant art scene!

DINNER, A NIGHTCAP + GAMES

For our first evening, we decided to enjoy dinner and drinks at the The Cozy Taberna. I already knew that this was a MUST because it’s a lively social restaurant with a Spanish-inspired shared plate experience. Plus, they focus of only using fresh, local ingredients, have a huge cocktail bar, Spanish inspired wine list, and 24 taps of crafted goodness! Perfect for our group!

After dinner we decided to head to Alleycat, a polished, yet casual cocktail bar, from the same owners as Amadeus and Sweetsmith. Alleycat offered a tequila-heavy list of libations, among some other favorites. We loved the eclectic decor that seemed to blend sleek design elements with more rustic ones. It was the perfect spot to grab an after-dinner drink!

As we slowly explored downtown Salem, while heading back to our hotel, we excitedly stumbled upon Coin Jam, a 21 and over retro bar that served drinks, food and uber-nostalgic arcade games. We had the best time playing Pin Ball and if you’re a Mac & Jack lover like me, they serve it on tap!

Last, we headed to Archive Coffee & Bar for dessert and a quick nightcap. Archive is a industrial-chic cafe serving creative coffee drinks, food and morphs into a cocktail bar at night. We shared three different desserts, and the standout was easily the Butterscotch Cookie and  Ice Cream. YUM! It was the perfect end to the best night!

Day 2

LIP SERVICE COFFEE AND BREAKFAST BAR

Since we booked the hospitality suite at The Holman Hotel, as the perfect spot to gather we decided to take advantage of all the space and headed downstairs to the in-lobby Lip Service Cafe for coffee and breakfast that we could enjoy in our room. It felt like the perfect way to kick off our ladies day and the breakfast options were delicious — as was the coffee!

We each selected something different, but I can highly recommend the California Toast, French Toast and Oatmilk Latte (one of the best I’ve ever had!).

A QUICK VISIT TO THE LOCAL SATURDAY MARKET

Prior to heading out to Oregon wine country, we decided to make a stop at the Salem Saturday Market located on the corner of Summer & Marion Streets in downtown Salem and walking distance from The Holman Hotel. The Salem Saturday Market is the must-go spot for handmade, handcrafted and homegrown products from the area and we joyfully purused the best offerings of local produce, flowers, meat and dairy, nursery products and authentic artisan crafts that we’d seen in any Oregon community market. They even had onsite food vendors tempting us with fresh baked pastries, BBQ, tacos, sweet treats and more! The market runs from March through the end of October on Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm.

WINE TASTING 

For this weekend, we took advantage of the proximity of The Holman Hotel to the nearby Eola-Amity AVA in Oregon wine country and went wine tasting Saturday afternoon. Prior to our girls weekend we decided on a handful of wineries to visit and made advance reservations, so I suggest you definitely do the same when wine tasting in Oregon. Both wineries we visited were exceptional.

Bledsoe|McDaniels Winery – Willamette Valley Founded in 2019, Bledsoe|McDaniels Winery is a collaboration between Drew Bledsoe and Josh McDaniels. From start to finish, our Bledsoe|McDaniels experience was exquisite and we enjoyed a sit down tasting of their newest sustainably farmed, small production releases. Their Coulee Estate vineyard is situated in the Eola-Amity hills less than 30 minutes north of downtown Salem and offered the most breathtaking views of both their vineyard and Mount Hood. My very favorite of what we tasted was their LFG, it was so delicious. I cannot wait to pop it open to enjoy!

Bjornson Estate vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills, and it is located 15 minutes from Salem and 25 minutes from McMinnville. If you’ve never been to France, but want to have the closest experience to enjoying the vision of a French Chateau set along the countryside.. then Bjornson should be on your list of stops. Not to mention they have some of the most amazing Pinot noir. Totally drool worthy. We had the best afternoon enjoying a casual tasting of their full flight of wines complemented by the beautiful views of their vineyard and Mount Hood.

TAKE THE ELEVATOR TO DINNER

Easily the BEST part of our weekend was getting ready and simply taking the elevator to dinner at Pacific Standard, the restaurant and bar inside The Holman Hotel. Featuring a vibrant central bar and a modern, comfortable, lived-in environment, we easily found our spot in one of the cozy, U-shaped booths that easily fit all six of us. Known for their craft cocktails, we each started the evening with one of their deliciously curated libations and a table full of shareable snacks.

Inspired by the bounty of the Pacific Northwest, with a focus on artisan cuisine and fresh, local ingredients, Pacific Standard offers it’s guests some of the most delicious entree options to choose from. Not sure what to order? Some of our favorites included the deconstructed Cobb Salad, Muchroom Bisque, Lasagna and Drive-Thru Burger. And do NOT forget to order dessert. Our server raved about the warm cookies with ice cream and it definitely lived up to the praise! Delicious!

Day 3

MORNING YOGA

A few of us more motivated individuals decided to head to a morning yoga class, at Resonance Yoga. The Holman Hotel offer complimentary passes, and we were excited to stretch our bodies before heading into the new week. The studio was steps from the entrance of the hotel and we had a really relaxing session. This was one of my favorite amenities of the hotel!

CHECKING OUT

Before saying goodbye, we decided Sunday Brunch was a must-have. Following the theme for the weekend of “everything within walk-ability” to the hotel, we decided to walk over to Taproot Lounge and Cafe, which is billed as a “must-visit for those looking for fun, earth-friendly experiences”. It was the perfect choice! From the bottomless mimosas, to the delicious entree options, we all enjoyed something different and they were all amazing choices. I personally enjoyed the Farmer’s Breakfast which featured two eggs, two strips of bacon, home style hash browns, fresh fruit and your selection of bread. I was full for the rest of the day!

I am so happy we decided to treat ourselves and enjoy our girls weekend in Oregon Wine Country at The Holman Hotel, it was the perfect way to recharge and reconnect!

If you’re looking for more girls trip destinations in Oregon, definitely check out this recent blog post covering all of  the top spa resorts in the area. All you will need to do is call up your best girls, choose your favorite spot, pack a bag or two, and get ready to make some incredible memories.

XO,

M

p.s. Looking for other wineries in the area of The Holman Hotel? Check out this blog post on the Wine Tasting in the Eola-Amity Hills of Willamette Valley!

This post was all about Ultimate Girls Getaway in Oregon Wine Country.

Thank you to The Holman Hotel for sponsoring this post the Ultimate Girls Getaway in Oregon Wine Country!  
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