Grants Pass

Grants Pass (no apostrophe) is a small community in the Rogue River Valley, just outside the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, about 260 miles south of Vancouver. The town’s surrounding mountains and river flowing through town are similar to Bend, but with a unique small-town charm.

Our first stop as we entered rural Josephine County (nickname Jo Co) was Rogue Creamery, west of town. The creamery was founded in 1933 and makes a variety of cheddar and blue cheeses. In 2019, their Rogue River Blue Cheese won world champion at the World Cheese Awards in Italy, and locally the creamery’s grilled cheese sandwiches were awarded “The Cheesiest” in a cookoff. The cheese itself is made at a different facility, but we visited the dairy farm where it all starts, and where free guided tours are offered twice daily, no reservations required. Our guide, Chris, treated us to some delicious blue cheese samples, then took us to meet the cows, which she endearingly called “the girls.” The girls are each milked twice a day, using surprisingly advanced technology. Each cow is tagged with radio frequency identification (RFID) that is scanned any time she approaches the milking area, which they are free to do at their own discretion—any time they want some relief from their full udder or some extra snacks that are placed strategically in the milking area. If the scan reads that this cow has too recently been milked, a barrier gently guides her away from the milking stall. If she’s ready to be milked, she is gently guided through to the robotic milker that takes six minutes to express about three gallons of milk. The milk then flows through to a chilled storage tank that is emptied frequently and transported to the creamery’s Central Point location about 30 miles away where it’s made into award-winning cheese that can be found at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and as ingredients in many restaurants’ menu dishes. We ended the tour back at the farm stand, said goodbye to the cows and drove just 5 miles up the road to meet some very different kinds of creatures at Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center. continued on page 20

I love a good road trip. While obviously not as fast as flying, the opportunity to admire natural wonders and changing scenery from the ground is often worth the time. Plus, my husband insists on doing all the driving, and I don’t get motion sickness. As long as we don’t encounter a flat tire (like we did in 2002 on a road trip from Utah to Las Vegas), a screaming baby (like we did in 2003 while moving from Utah to Vancouver with our 2-month-old baby) or a road-crossing bison (like we did in 2006 on a trip to Yellowstone—don’t worry, we narrowly missed hitting it), road trips are pure relaxation for me. Thankfully we experienced no mishaps on our recent road trip to Grants Pass in Southern Oregon, and our weekend stay there was a delight.

JULY SELLER CLASS DATES:

In-person class held at Firstenburg Community Center 700 NE 136th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98684

Saturday 7/22, 9am-12pm

VIRTUAL CLASSES:

Monday 7/10, 5:30pm-7:30pm

Saturday 7/15, 5pm-7pm www.freesellerclasses.com

READ OUR LATEST BLOG POST... BUYING/SELLING...& MOVING WITH PETS

June brings weddings, roses, strawberries, graduations, graduation parties, and starts the season of community events.... parades, walks, gatherings, farmers markets, community markets, fairs, and so much more. Every weekend has something fun going on. June is also that time that we start seeing more homes come on the market as kids get out of school, and people start thinking about moving.

Dante said that there are 9 levels of hell, and I think 7 of them must be moving. I know people who like to move, and I think they are crazy. There is so much that goes into moving...whether it just yourself, or the entire family.... and when I say ‘entire family’ .... let’s include your four-legged babies in that too.

One of the questions I get most when a client is thinking about selling is what to do with their pets...

Feature: NW Getaway: Grants Pass (cont'd) continued from page 18

Rather than caring for domesticated cows, Wildlife Images seeks to restore wild and endangered animals to health. The center keeps a large variety of animals on display—from birds of prey to reptiles to wolves and even a brown bear (quite the sight when we spotted her ambling out of the enclosure’s wooded area). We happened to visit during a special preview the day before the grand opening of the center’s brand-new Discovery Farm, a sort of large petting zoo, bringing visitors up close and personal to goats, pigs, a donkey, a tortoise, an alpaca and more. The goats absolutely loved my husband, even without food to entice them to snuggle. Other recent developments to the 24-acre property is a pavilion for special events and Bindi’s Critter Creek, a covered stream area made possible by a partnership between Wildlife Images and the Irwin family (of Crocodile Hunter fame). Adjacent to Wildlife Images’s display enclosures is a wildlife hospital, whose efforts to rehab injured animals is funded in part by income generated by the display portion of the center—injured animals are protected and not on display.

After a day with the animals, we drove into town and checked into the Redwood Hyperion Suites (so named for the nearby redwood forests that we would soon explore) and had dinner at one of Grants Pass’s most noteworthy establishments— Taprock Northwest Grill, a large log cabinstyle building on the banks of the Rogue River that serves American pub fare and

Want

to

Takea

walk

onthewildside?

Southwest Oregon is the perfect place to encounter wild animals up close. Within a 100-mile radius, tourists to the region can visit Wildlife Images in Grants Pass, Great Cats World Park in Cave Junction and Wildlife Safari in Winston (near Roseburg). All three of these parks feature wild animal encounters and active conservation efforts.

offers a wonderful zero proof drink menu (try the fresh mint blueberry lemonade if you’re not a drinker), in addition to regular cocktails and beers on tap. The perfect way to spend a sunset.

After sunset, we enjoyed our final activity of the day: an all-American drive-in movie at Jo Co Fairgrounds. If you’ve ever been to a drive-in, you know that half the fun is hanging out in the twilight before the movie begins, when everyone is arranging their truck beds for maximum comfort, filling up on treats from the snack bar or tossing a ball around—all in anticipation of the main event, in this case “Back to the Future Part II” (1989). We snagged a front row parking spot, and as a bonus to all the nostalgia, a couple in a classic yellow convertible slid up right next to us, completing the tableau.

Claim to Fame:

The Birthplace of Dutch Bros.

If you know, you know: popular coffee shop, Dutch Bros. was founded in the 90s by brothers Dane and Travis Boersma in their hometown of Grants Pass, Oregon. Today, Dutch Bros. locations in Grants Pass outnumber Starbucks locations three to one.

home to historic buildings, eclectic shops and a “bear-y” special public art project: life-size, whimsical bear sculptures placed all over downtown during the summer, and indoors at Evergreen Federal Bank’s “Bear Hotel” during the winter.

After a morning of exploring downtown, we hit the road again, driving southwest on US-199 to Cave Junction, the gateway to the Siskiyous. Cave Junction is named for nearby Oregon Caves, a natural phenomenon that would be the highlight of our trip. But first, we stopped for lunch at Taylor’s Sausage Country Store, a popular spot that was hopping on the day we visited, which is saying something in a town of just 2,000 residents. The place is spacious though, and is sort of a mix between a deli, a gift shop, a butcher shop, a market and a restaurant. At one point while we ate lunch, one of the elderly employees who had taken our order walked over to a piano and played a series of upbeat ragtime tunes before returning to her regular work.

The car theme continued the next morning when we came upon a vintage car show happening in the blocks surrounding our breakfast spot in downtown Grants Pass. That small-town charm was on full display along with Corvettes, classic trucks and even a Delorian (zoomed in from last night’s drive-in screen?), and Grants Pass Growers’ Market was just a short walk from the car show. In addition to events like these, downtown Grants Pass is

The entrance to Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is located about an hour away from Grants Pass (about 15 miles from Cave Junction, along a very windy mountain road) and is a must-see for any tourist or local. A visitor center near the cave entrance is impressive continued on page 22

Feature: NW Getaway: Grants Pass (cont'd) continued from page 20 all on its own—a chalet with bark siding patterned after mighty redwoods. The underground “Marble Halls of Oregon” have been developed over the decades with concrete walking paths and dim lighting that illuminates the cavernous formations—all in an attempt to balance vital preservation of the cave with accessibility to people who can witness its wonder. Our 90-minute/.9-mile cave tour was guided by a park ranger who regaled us with stories of Elijah Davidson—the first known person to have entered the cave while out hunting with his dog in 1874—as well as explanations of how the various formations materialize over time as the cave continuously changes. The underground views were truly stunning, from small sediment patterns to huge caverns carved out of the mountain by powerful natural forces. As we emerged from the cave at the conclusion of the tour, we took an optional detour trail from the cave exit up to a bluff overlooking the beautiful Siskiyou Mountains and rounding back to the visitor center, experiencing the mountain from the inside out and spotting a deer along the way.

Back in Grants Pass after our spelunking adventure, we ate dinner at Wild River Brewery & Pizza ($6.50 for a mini pizza, great deal!), then ended the night with dessert at House of Glory, an artisanal dessert shop and café that appears to be straight out of an HGTV episode. Get out your cameras if you visit this delightful gem—it’s begging to be Instagrammed. And definitely order the bubble waffles (waffles crowned with gelato and toppings)!

The next morning, our last stop in Grants Pass offered the best food we ate the whole weekend: breakfast at Ma Mosa’s, a lovely indoor/outdoor café specializing in breakfast/brunch fare like biscuits and gravy, egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos, waffles and pancakes, plus lunch sandwiches and salads. We knew it had to be great when we saw a line forming outside before the place even opened at 8 am. It was worth the wait: the breakfast burritos were heavenly!

We left Grants Pass with one more bonus attraction on our minds: the mighty redwood forests of northern California. With Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park just 75 miles south, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see another natural wonder and check off a bucket list item. And the redwoods of SimpsonReed Grove did not disappoint. As Pacific Northwesterners, we are accustomed to forests, but the redwood forests even smell different. The felled fragments and full majestic trees have now become ecosystems of their own, sprouting up flora from their unique bark surfaces. If you go, don’t forget to look up—these giants tower over an ocean of ancient organisms that give you the feeling that the forest could be watching you.

Filled with awe for nature’s beauty and charmed by the hospitality of Grants Pass, we hope to visit Southern Oregon again soon!

Oregon Caves—Know Before You Go:

On a tour of Oregon Caves, you will experience heights, darkness, steps and slightly confined spaces, though a slight crouch is all that’s needed to pass through. It’s a good idea to review fitness and ability requirements before booking a tour in advance, which is recommended, as tours frequently fill up in the spring and summer months when the cave is open (it’s closed during the winter due to snow).

Bring warm clothing to wear inside the cave, as it remains at 44 degrees year-round, and wear good, close-toed walking shoes. Shoes or clothing that have been worn in any other cave cannot be worn in Oregon Caves, in order to protect bats from disease.

The Oregon Caves Visitor Center hours vary slightly depending on time of year, but typical hours are 9:30 am-5 pm seven days per week.

No food except gift shop snacks are available at the park. Pack a lunch or plan on eating in town before coming to the park.

For safety, children must be at least 42” (107cm) tall to take a tour. Infant carry packs and strollers are not permitted.

The Oregon Caves are only accessible by one of these rangerguided tours:

Discovery Cave Tour: $5-$10 per person

Candlelight Cave Tour: $7-$10 per person

Kids and Family Cave Tour: $5-$10 per person

Off-Trail Caving Tour: Call 541-592-2100 for information.