Ashland to Salem

Day 6 June 11, 2017 Ashland to Salem

Again, we ate breakfast in the cramped motel lobby, this time in the presence of a young family also from Southern California.

We got out on the road by about 9:30 and began the long drive north on I-5. We were not sure where we going to spend the night, but the first intended stop was the Silver Falls State Park east of Salem.

However, before we arrived there we passed up many interesting stops. The Creamery was again closed, this time because it was Sunday. Hikes either along the Rogue River valley or the Table Rock looked attractive. And I would have liked to visit Jacksonville, a gold rush era town or Grant’s Pass, a national historic distract with the Rogue River flowing through it. And we sailed right past Eugene. All will have to wait for another trip. 

We arrived at the park about 1:45 and had a picnic lunch. The Park is hidden amid old growth Douglas fir in the foothills of the Cascades and is the largest state park in Oregon. After entering the park, we spent almost 4 hours wandering through and even behind several large waterfalls, as well as hiking around the park. Silver Falls at 177 ft. is the largest, but there were a dozen other falls of over 100 ft. The hiking trails were very well maintained and the greenery was awesome. But the highlight of the park and the day are its waterfalls. Some of the trails took us behind the falls where you looked into a cascade of water.

We were on the day use side. If I had done my homework I would have sought to reserve one of the many cabins that are scattered throughout the park.

We then drove to Salem, the state capital, and while doing that made a reservation at a motel outside of the downtown area. La Quinta Suites. Not able to charge the car and overpriced, but a very good breakfast. We drove into downtown looking for some dinner and activity. Downtown Salem was incredibly empty, albeit on a Sunday evening. Most of the restaurants were closed and not much to do. After walking for a bit, we found a cider bar that had a dance floor and salsa dancing. Had a flight and some drinks. The proprietress, whose day job is as an environmental scientist with the state, told us about her experience as a wine maker. We ordered dinner from a local restaurant and took a walk around the downtown including a walk in a park along the Willamette River.