Portland to Red Bluff

Portland to Albany via I-5 - Not much to report along this stretch as we've driven it so many times over the years. We do always wonder if all the neon is still on the T & R sign in Albany.

Albany to Eugene via Hwy 99 E - A nice break from the long, straight stretch to Eugene.

Eugene to Gold Hill via I-5 - Our first "Stop!" was a result of spotting this great sign in Sutherlin. The restaurant is still there (under a different name). This arrow must have been something when all of the bulbs were animated. Our lunch stop also took place at the Dairy Queen here. Although a new building, it's worth a stop to see the historic photos they have displayed throughout the dining area.



The next "must see" was The Oregon Vortex. Unfortunately we arrived after closing but as luck would have it we're making another trip through the area in a couple of weeks. We'll be back for sure. The place looked fantastic from outside the gates.



Gold Hill to Ashland via Hwy 99 - This was another great section of the trip. We spotted a couple of wonderful buildings in downtown Medford. First was this Woolworth building that looks to be recently renovated. The signage was in great shape.



Across the street from the Woolworth building was a fantastic Streamline Moderne building. From the photos in the window it appears this was at one time an auto showroom that received an art deco update.


Just before Ashland on Hwy 99 was this fantastic sign for the Jackson Wellsprings. The sign has a great shape and looks to be well maintained. Too bad they don't offer cottages anymore.



Ashland to Red Bluff via I-5 - A pretty drive as far as scenery goes but not a whole lot along I-5 to see. Driving through the Shasta area is always nice however.

Our lodging for the night was at an independent motel in Red Bluff. Great rates, friendly staff. As we drug everything into the room ready to collapse I noticed something quite large stationed in the "knee" area of the desk. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be a spider roughly the size of a 50 cent piece. It was all black and looked like the plastic spider rings we used to wear around Halloween. He had apparently homesteaded there, as when we attempted to "relocate" him, he moved at the speed of light behind the desk where we could no longer see him. At this point the idea of sleeping with a spider the size of a puppy and the speed of a racehorse running freely about the room was not an option. Our first attempt was to blow dry him out from behind the desk. This was a resounding failure. The next step was to remove the microwave and mini-fridge from the top of the desk. At this point we proceeded to tip the desk over slowly which in turn exposed his compound which had probably been there for generations. Needless to say this story ends with a small, memorial plaque placed next to the door of this particular room honoring the long life of this particular inhabitant. Happy trails big fella.