Grants Pass, Oregon – Big Trip 2019

Wednesday 14 August –  Off to Grants Pass, Oregon.

We stayed at Rogue Valley Overnighters in the town. It was $36 a night and we decided to stay for four nights. This is a really nice place and the guy running it was really nice. We had a  site at the end of a row and it was all trees and grass.

So we set up and we did a drive around and ended up at The Paddled Pub.  I’m sitting at the bar reading the beer menu on the wall.  Big decisions, wondering what will I be drinking today.   This was a great little spot, we really enjoyed it and had a great time chatting with everyone.

We left there and ended up at the Climate City Brewery. We talked to Russ the bartender and one of the regulars. Was a nice conversation, good beer.

We stopped in at the jet boats but decided not to do it.  We like to take photos and the jet boats go at Warp Speed down the river and we felt you really can’t see anything or get any kind of photos.  We asked about other options but there were none.  We both would have liked to get on the river but you can’t go on your own.

Off to  Wild River brewery for dinner; there food was okay, we had a calzone and chicken Parmesan. It was all so-so.

Thursday 15 August.  –  We got up early and drove to the Redwoods National Forests. There is also a Redwoods National Forest further down the coast going south.  The one we went to is at the top end. We stopped in the Visitor Center and looked around and then we drove the whole park stopping here and there. The trees are amazing. They are all so HUGE.  You could park at different spots and they also had trails you hike, some short and some were longer.  Great spot.

We hiked to Fern Canyon where they filmed parts of Jurassic Park 2. The road to get to Fern Canyon was something else. The first 4 miles was very narrow and very winding and it was difficult when cars came from the opposite direction. The second four miles was all gravel and we had to drive through a ‘river’ and other bad spots.  We got to the end and parked the truck and then walked the rest of the way. It’s a huge canyon with all overhanging trees and water. It’s pretty neat place actually and pretty.

Left there and we drove another road called Cal Barrel and it was very narrow too. Clint and another guy had to push a car out, the woman got stuck.  You had to pull so far over to the side to let cars go past, just crazy.  If you are a nervous driver, don’t drive this road.

We drove up to an overlook, beautiful spot.

We stopped at the Mystery Trees and saw Babe and Paul Bunyan .

There is supposed to be elk all through this park but we didn’t see any.   We did see this Elk sign below which honestly I still laugh at every time I see it.  So stay away from the Elk !

Friday 16 August  – sunny today, we had a lazy morning and then we went to the Wildlife Images Rescue. We saw some animals but all were behind fences. It was nice to walk around the park anyways.  They had bobcats, bears, foxes, skunks, birds etc. These are all ill and/or orphaned animals etc. It’s a very nice place, well run and well-maintained. They have about 45 different animals or birds that are open to the public and twice that many hidden away. It was $14 each to get in. I feel bad going to places like that.  But thankfully we have them, someplace to get hurt/injured/orphaned wildlife to.

Back to town and we parked downtown and went in to Vice Brewery for beer, shuffleboard and Nintendo. It was a different kind of little bar but not bad. We had fun playing Nintendo.

Then we walked all around downtown to take photos of their statues. I guess this is their thing. There are bear statues all over the place. They have different sponsors and they’re all dressed up or done up differently. So very cute. I remember years ago, Toronto did that but it was moose statues all over the city.

Clint wanted to eat in this Thai place and it was very good food.  Royal Barge Thai Cuisine.

We walked around and saw some wall murals.

We stopped in at this beautiful, big hotel and it was amazing.  It was called the Lodge at Riverside.  We walked all through it and they had really nice patios overlooking the river and the architecture and design was incredible.  I would love to stay at this place.

Saturday 17 August – sunny 27 Celsius. Had another relaxing morning then off to find access to the river but we had no luck. We drove around and then walked around downtown looking for more bears.   I think we got photos of all of them !

 

Then we stopped for lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, it was okay.  And by okay, I mean I didn’t like it.  Can’t remember the name of it and frankly don’t care.

We ended up stopping at the Chamber of Commerce to get a map of the locations of the bears, but we already had taken photos of most of them so that’s good.  Mission Accomplished!

Then we stopped at The Haul which is the exclusive taproom for Connor Fields Brewery. We walked in and we walked out. Too many people and no ambience, no one even acknowledged we were there.  Just to say, I am big on customer service.  I get that places are busy, but a simple nod or hello and I will wait until whenever.

We ended up over at the Weekend Brewery and had a beer at the bar and watched golf on TV.  A couple from California sat beside us and we talked to them for a long time.  Susan and Ken were their names. We had a really good afternoon there.

Tomorrow off to Florence, Oregon.