For what amenities Waterfalls along 138 used to have (& we hope will yet), here are a few of many links:
My Sept 2021 Klamath Falls to Springfield Loop: Dexter State Recreation Site, Hwy 58 Lowell Covered Bridge, Hwy 58 Diamond Peak, Hwy 58 Collier Memorial State Park, Hwy 97 Klamath Falls OR Hwy 97 south of Klamath Falls I-5 heading north; deer, deer Roseburg OR Gas at Exit 163 Springfield OR, & further up Hwy 126 Dexter State Recreation Site Just a bit south of the Springfield exits on I-5 is the exit for Hwy 58, toward Klamath Falls. There are various recreational opportunities along Hwy 58. Following are photos of the ones I checked out late summer 2021. More info about the amenities at Dexter State Recreation Site Lowell Covered Bridge
Diamond Peak from Hwy 58 Climbing up into the mountains on Hwy 58 the air was more and more smoky, until a point when the air cleared. Three pull-outs gave great views of Diamond Peak. At the third, Lake Odell comes into the picture. Delightful! Collier Memorial State Park Hwy 58 meets Hwy 97 like a “y”: Hwy 58 makes a SE diagonal to Hwy 97, that traverses the states of Washington, Oregon, and a bit of California (and even Canada in the north!) in a more or less vertical line along the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains, and part of it is called the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. Between Hwy 58 and Klamath Falls much of Hwy 97 is pretty straight, at times pretty empty, other times pretty well-traveled. If you haven't slept well, please stop somewhere off the road before you do so. On my way I saw a tragic trailer accident, and hope no one was hurt. More about the Hwy 97 section of this route at Wildfires rampaged in the area of Collier State Park such that the campground was closed, and part of the day use area was fenced off. But the Logging Museum—largely outdoor exhibits—was fantastic! If you have a logging lover or big machine enthusiast, also check out the Loggers Jubilee in Morton WA. Klamath Falls OR Driving down from the north late on a summer day, the shimmering waters of Klamath Lake are so enticing, and yet I could see no easy opportunity to pull off the road and capture the sight, to my dismay. It’s a large lake, at the north end of a large valley that extends seamlessly into Northern California. The town itself is historic, it was founded in 1867. It's now a small city of about 22,000. For a little interesting history and geography, see Discover Klamath Visitor Center, 205 Riverside Dr. Suite B, Klamath Falls 541-883-5316 List of state & local parks Children’s Museum of Klamath Falls 541-885-2995 711 East Main St $6/person (Wacky Wednesdays $2, 10am to 11am, if you donate beside plus $2: stay til closing http://www.cmkf.org/ Klamath County Museums & history 541-882-1000
Crater Lake Trolley—445 S. Spring St. (not running during COVID) View of Mt Shasta from Klamath Falls John C Fremont & Kit Carson at Upper Klamath Lake I stayed at the Shilo Inn of Klamath Falls quite comfortably.
Roseburg OR I had long before reserved lodging in Roseburg OR for this trip. Of course, though I really enjoyed our previous experience at Best Western, I like to check out different venues. The website of Riverfront Inn looked and sounded great, and was not expensive. In real life it looked quite different, and I was rather disappointed. Let me start with the positive things: the ADA room had 2 queen beds, nice size frig and desk, a private deck. The bath was ok, though no bars by the toilet and I think the tub drain wasn’t that great. The parking lot was difficult, as was the ramp from the parking to the room: steep and not smooth. The outdoor (only) pool was inaccessible. The pretty park on the river in the pictures was across the lower parking, with a steep hill to go down there. You order what you want for breakfast the night before and pick it up in the office. They were going to deliver mine, but I was ready to go before I thought, so got it at check-out to take along with me.
I have watched the station building at exit 163 off I-5 near the intersection with Hwy 38, for probably a year or more--and was curious--so decided to get the gas I needed there. The attendant was very kind and friendly: pumped my gas, washed my windshield, gave me a cold bottle of water. There’s a convenience store at the station, an old motel right there, too. But the gas isn’t cheap. Springfield OR To complete my loop, I came back to Springfield OR, and this time I did see the Simpsons. It was Saturday, so the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce was closed. Too bad, it’s so intriguing a site (see photos), and Millrace Park (also with intriguing elements) is just across the parking lot. But the Springfield History Museum was only open on Saturdays during COVID, and I am so glad I didn’t miss that, or the chance to talk to the curator. We had a nice chat, and I was so impressed. She gave me some info on where to go that was really helpful (beside brochures). I had found the streets rather confusing (you must know that Main St is a one-way, going west; A St is the parallel one-way going east). During COVID she had overseen extensive improvements in the museum, so I felt it fortunate that we hadn’t gone there before. In 2010 Springfield celebrated 125 years Springfield (OR) History Museum I was able to park next to the museum for free, and wheeled around town to see what I could see and take photos. Because there was a University game that day in Eugene, things were pretty quiet. I was inspired by our chat and the beautiful Mexican dress in the Museum, and decided to eat at Memos Mexican Restaurant--great choice! And the young man serving me was willing to adjust for my diabetic needs. I enjoyed the food very much, and the décor as well. https://memosmexicanrestaurant.com/ Dorris Ranch is not far, so I went to explore. The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce is on 2nd St, and if you continue to the end of 2nd St a little over a mile, you’ll head right into Dorris Ranch—well worth it. I was worn out and it was too hot for me to get out, but I was able to see where it is, what’s there (to some extent), and get a few photos. https://www.willamalane.org/dorris_ranch.php I returned home via I-5, as usual all enthused about revisiting (after recuperation time), to see and do more. Maybe I'll be able to check out Leaburg Hatchery (90700 Fish Hatchery Rd--abt half an hour east of Springfield, Hwy 126)—to look at the sturgeon, steelhead, trout, salmon. In 2021 they were still cleaning up wildfire damage from 2020. There's also a covered bridge out that way, and further on is Blue Pool--not wheelchair accessible. Another popular place out Hwy 126, not necessarily for folks in wheelchairs, is Blue River Reservoir.
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Wheelchair WomanI've been in a wheelchair for 30+ years. It poses some challenges for traveling. Maybe others can benefit from my experiences. Archives
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