Southern Oregon RV Trip (54)

We took a road trip from the San Francisco Bay Area to Southern Oregon in June.

Southern Oregon offered a wide variety of experiences, including a snow covered Crater Lake, jetboating along the Rogue River, and the historical town of Jacksonville.

 

We used the new Southern Oregon RV Park in Central Point as a base, and loved the nice landscaping and conveniences.

The park is carved out of the Jackson County Expo, and includes two fishing lakes and an entrance to the Bear Creek bike trail which can take you all the way to Ashland.

The RV park is located close to the equestrian center, and there was a large Quarter Horse competition going on the week we were there. Many of the RVs were combo RV/horse trailers.

The park was peaceful, clean, and the staff were very present and professional.

Our first excursion was to Crater Lake, a first for us. It was breathtaking!

The ride there is less than 2 hours from Central Point, winding through several small towns as it climbs towards the lake.

 

Most of the Lake was closed to us this time of year, but we were able to explore a few miles of the area around the lodge.

What an amazing view! The lake is so blue and clear because no rivers flow into it.

Eons ago, the lava in the volcano subsided, creating the crater. Then, snow melt gradually filled the crater with water to its current level, and it’s the deepest lake in North America at almost 2000 feet!

On the way down the mountain, we made two stops that included short walks. The first was to an amazing site on the Rogue River, the Natural Bridge State Park, where most of of the river detours into a lava tube for a few hundred yards. It is a very strange site to see a rushing river disappear into the ground and then see it emerge again from a lava tube. Nature’s plumbing system is really something to see!

 

We also visited Mill Creek Falls, a beautiful set of water falls only a short walk from the road.

We spent the next day further down the Rogue River in Grants Pass.

We went on the Hellgate Jetboat excursion, which included brunch on the balcony of a large log cabin they built along the river. The jetboats are a fun way to experience the river, if you don’t mind getting wet!

The brunch is over the top with great food and a great location.

On the way back to Grants Pass, the jetboats play a game of tag that is very wet fun, but there is plenty of time to dry off before you get to the dock.

On the way home, we stopped by Lillie Belle Farms chocolates back in Central Point. The chocolates are hand made right there, and the lavender salted chocolate is awesome.

The next day we visited Ashland for an early lunch and then the historical town of Jacksonville. Ashland is famous for it’s Shakespearean theaters, but we decided to skip that this trip and instead enjoyed lunch at the Green Leaf Cafe overlooking the river. The service was good and the food was healthy and delicious.

Time has stood still for Jacksonville since he turn of the century, when the railroad moved inland. We loved strolling through the town and visiting the antique shops. We also stopped by Pony Espresso for good coffee.

The next day we went back to Grants Pass, to enjoy the downtown and all the bear statues.

We ate at a great restaurant on the river, aptly named River’s Edge. The view was great as was the food.

We finshed the day with a very nice bike ride along the Rogue River.

The next day it was time to move to the Eugene area to visit with family and take our Adventurer to the Winnebago Factory Service Center in Junction City. We had a mini family reunion with family on both sides, and really enjoyed seeing everyone in the area!

Lucy (our “terrier-izer”) loved playing with Toby, and wore herself out playing tug-of-war with him. 🙂

When we purchased our 2017 Winnebago Adventurer 35P in April, anticipating that we would have a punch list of items we would need fixing or adjusting, I made an appointment at the Junction City factory to coincide with this trip. It worked out well in that we could park the RV at the factory while it was there, and the people there are very knowledgeable of Winnebago MotorHome (as you would expect) and really good to work with.

They completed our list, but had to order a new window and stereo that they did not have in stock. Unfortunately, I now have to take another trip here to complete those items, but it will be fun to see family again in just a few months when I return.

After Eugene, we made a beeline for home, as I needed to fly to New Mexico for business early Monday morning. Luckily, the Adventurer is a pleasure to drive and we made it home in good time.

We are already looking forward to our next trip over the July 4th weekend to Moss Landing, CA, by Monterey.

Al & Deb