Cave Junction to Grant's Pass, Oregon

After a morning exploring the Redwoods of Jedediah Smith Redwood Park, we headed back into Oregon via Highway 199 also known as The Redwood Highway.  Our goal for the afternoon was to travel up 199 to Rogue River, Oregon, where we had our next hotel reservation waiting on us.

What is now Highway 199 began as a wagon route in the late 1850s to connect Jacksonville with the Crescent City seaport. A tunnel, commissioned by the powerful California Senator, Randolph Collier, saved nearly 3 miles in distance. The tunnel removed 128 turns, eliminated five switchbacks necessary to cross over the mountains and increased the current "reasonable speed limit" from 25 to 60 mph.  We made this video at the tunnel.  We can't believe there's no cursing or talking during the whole tunnel ride!  That's not like us!  This may have been one of the longest tunnels we've driven through!

After passing through this tunnel and entering Oregon, our road trip became a mission to see some of the sites used for the filming of one of our favorite movies, Redwood Highway.

Redwood Highway, follows an elderly Marie, played by Shirley Knight, as she treks from Ashland to Brookings, Oregon, on foot, to get to her granddaughter's wedding. Marie busts out of her retirement home and walks along the Redwood Highway, meeting some interesting people along the way, and reliving her past.

One of the places she stops at is It's A Burl in Kerby, Oregon, where she meets an elderly man, Pete, played by Tom Skerritt.  He is the owner of this unusual shop where they sell sculpture made from burl wood.

Its A Burl

Another stop takes her to The Sportsman Tavern in Cave Junction, Oregon. 

Sportsman Tavern

8 Dollar Mountain covered in snow

After passing through Cave Junction, we made a slight detour from Highway 199 to 8 Dollar Road so we could see the Illinois River and Josephine Creek, where Oregon's Gold Rush started in 1851. 

Bridge crossing Illinois River

Josephine Creek

Tired from our sightseeing we headed into Grant's Pass and then on to Rogue River, Oregon, just outside of Grant's Pass. 

For dinner we headed back into Grant's Pass and dined along side the Rogue River at the Taprock Northwest Grill where we had a delicious burger and few local brews.

Beer?  Yaess!

Rogue River as seen from Taprocks

The next day we headed towards Eugene, Oregon!