Day 4: Rogue River to Salem

We spent a lovely day driving through Oregon, covering over 200 miles. Here are a few of the highlights.
1) Oregon Vortex, Gold Hill
If you've driven I-5 through Oregon then you've seen the signs for the Vortex and House of Mystery. But have you ever stopped?

We did.

Six and a half hours north of San Francisco, the Oregon Vortex is a point where the laws of nature and physics go cock-eyed, supposedly as the result of a confluence of magnetic fields. In this circle of ground 165 feet in diameter, objects defy gravity and other laws of nature. Balls roll uphill and people appear dramatically taller or shorter when they switch places on a perfectly level platform.

The tour guides are entertaining and crack lots of jokes.

"Many people feel a little oozy when they visit the Vortex," our guide named Cory says. "Don't worry. You'll probably only feel that way for two weeks....just kidding. It should go away as soon as you step outside the Vortex."

I definitely feel dizzy and I'm not sure if it's due to optical illusions or magnetic lines running under this mysterious spot. No matter, we had fun.


2) Wolf Creek Inn, Wolf Creek, Ore.I've always wanted to stop at the Wolf Creek Inn and Tavern that you can see driving up I-5. On this trip, we had the time to pull off the freeway.
Built in 1883, the inn is the oldest continuous use hotel in the state of Oregon. Over the years some famous travelers have stopped by: President Hayes, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Mary Pickford, Fredric March, Patrick Stewart, Robert Redford and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
Jack London stayed at the inn in 1911 for several weeks, and wrote the short story, "The End of the Story." He also completed his novel "Valley Of The Moon" on another stay.
Today Oregon State Parks runs the inn, seven hours north of San Francisco, and it's a great place to stop for lunch. The food is fresh and tasty and portions are big so those on a budget can easily split entrees.


3) Coyote Wetlands, Wolf Creek, Ore.

From the Wolf Creek Inn we drive three miles to Golden, a ghost town that was once a bustling mining town of more than 200 inhabitants, with "two churches and no saloons." We check out one of the remaining churches and a graveyard built for an episode of Gunsmoke that was filmed here.
Across the street, we take a hike through Coyote Wetlands, where a former mining area is being reclaimed by slowing down runoff with ponds and wetlands. We look for turtles, find a baby frog, and pile rocks across a babbling creek to see if we can stop the water.

4) Winchester Dam, Winchester, Ore.
"I have to go to the bathroom!"
"I have to go to the bathroom now!"
We pull off the freeway in what seems like the middle of nowhere. We can't find a gas station but we do see a parking lot with trees that my 5-year-old hides behind before pulling down his pants.
Turns out we're in the parking lot for a fish viewing area on the Winchester Dam, eight hours north of S.F., and we're in luck because the salmon are spawning.

We walk down steep stairs to a chamber where a large window looks into the dam's fish ladder. Salmon the size of small children are swimming rapidly against the current. Locals are gathered round to take in the spectacle. One man says he stops by every day when the fish are spawning.
Looking out at the river, we spot a blue heron and a river otter.
"It's like the Monterey Bay Aquarium," my daughter says.
"And it's free," I add.
A quick bathroom break turns into an hour-long stop.

5) Peggy's, Yoncalla, Ore.

We read about Peggy's on Chowhound, one of my favorite online resources for finding places to eat while traveling.
"Peggy's is great for ice cream," one reader wrote in.
We decide to stop but get more than ice cream. We sit down at the counter of this old-school diner and order the homemade marionberry cobbler with a scoop of Umpqua vanilla ice cream, and share it. You can also buy scoops of the locally made ice cream from a stand outside.

6) Skinner Butte Park, Eugene, Ore.

Only have $25 to spend on dinner for a family of four in Eugene? Grab a few pizzas at La Perla, where the blistery thin-crust pies are what you'd expect to find in Italy. Then head for Skinner Butte Park, where picnic tables overlook the Willamette river. Life would be perfect if your $200-a-day budget (and the park) allowed wine.
Trip details: Day 4
Miles: 210
Hours in car: 4
Expenses:

• Gas: $30
• Entertainment: $26
• Breakfast: Free at hotel
• Lunch: $25 (Wolf Creek Inn)
• Snack: $4.50 (Peggy's)
• Dinner: $20 (La Perla)
• Hotel: $110 (Best Western Mill Creek Inn)

Total: $189.50

Trip totals

• Miles: 710
• Hours in car: 13
• Expenses: $544.13