Southern Oregon Family Fun
Cries of "Gold!" lured hundreds of settlers to Southern Oregon more than a century ago. Today, families are discovering that the Medford area is still rich, not in precious metal but in a wealth of opportunities for fun.
Especially in autumn, when the days seem as burnished and sweet as the
pears the region is famous for, Jackson County's colorful countryside is ripe for exploration.
A fall drive through Applegate Valley's fragrant fruit-filled orchards to the Gin Lin Mining Trail makes it easy to hark back to the region's roots in mining. The easy I-mile interpretive trail offers abundant evidence of a successful 1880s hydraulic mining effort, as well as the chance to see both wildlife and a spectacular view of the Applegate River.
The past is also ever-present in Jacksonville, an authentic former gold rush town complete with more than 80 historic buildings. The former county jail now houses a delightful Children's Museum where kids glimpse the life of long ago as they pose for a picture in an old-time photographer's studio or ring up a sale at I.M. Sellin's general store.
Like the museum, Hanley Farm, just a few miles from Jacksonville, is operated by the Southern Oregon Historical Society. At this working farm, children learn about rural life by feeding chickens and gathering eggs, pumping water and weeding the garden.
Visitors can delve even further into the past at Crater Rock Museum in Central Point. The museum's cinderblock exterior may not seem too exciting, but inside, a fantastic collection boasts everything from petrified wood to precious stones, dinosaur eggs to thunder eggs. A fluorescent display where rocks glow green, yellow, purple and orange beneath an ultraviolet light ranks high with kids.
Popular with animal lovers is the nearby Dogs for the Deaf. This nonprofit agency based in Central Point trains dogs rescued from shelters to assist the deaf or hard of hearing. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the agency has placed more than 600 dogs in homes throughout the U.S. as well as in Canada and Puerto Rico. Trainers show visitors how dogs learn to respond to a phone's ring or a knock at the door.
Back in Medford, Bear Creek Park offers ever-popular playground fare - slides, swings and rings. But it's the park's vast wooden structure, all twists and turns and towers, that most captures a small child's imagination. A challenging skate park nearby is a magnet for older kids who practice ollies, grinds and other tricks to the delight of spectators.
Ten miles north of Medford, grinding of a different sort takes place in the little town of Eagle Point. Oregon's only operating gristmill, Butte Creek Mill, stands along the tree-lined banks of Little Butte Creek. Visitors can see the miller at work as he turns out thousands of pounds of stone-ground flours and meals each week. And in the mill's old-fashioned general store, those flours, meals and much more are offered for sale. Just a short walk from the mill is Eagle Point Historical Society and Museum, where the eclectic collection includes everything from antique buttons to an old Victrola that the curator gladly winds up for visitors.
Before heading home, tap into one last local treasure - White's Country Farm. Kids love navigating the farm's challenging five-acre cornfield maze. Pony rides, a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch and fresh pies make not only this harvest festival but also a family trip to the Medford region complete.