Covered Bridges, Buster Keaton & Rogue Farms

road tripAfter journeying up Highway 1 on our family road trip it was time to explore Oregon. Our main destination was Portland but that didn’t mean we couldn’t stop along the way. We headed up the 5 Freeway to see what the road brought us.

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A covered bridge! In researching for our trip I had discovered that Oregon has several covered bridges but made no plans to seek them out. The Grave Creek Bridge just fell into our laps. As we drove along the freeway we noticed a historic marker for the bridge. Curious, we exited and found it a short distance from the highway. Of course, we had to cross it.

We then continued north and came upon the town of Cottage Grove. Incorporated in 1887 it retains it’s historic core.

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As we headed towards the main drag I noticed a mural of Buster Keaton. Buster Keaton?!? What was one of my favorite film stars doing on a mural in the middle of Oregon?

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Turns out The General was filmed in Cottage Grove! The famous bridge collapse scene was filmed just outside of town and for years the wreckage could still be found in the creek. Unfortunately, it’s now gone but I was happy just to see the mural.

We strolled along the main street and came across another covered bridge.

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A mini covered bridge just for pedestrians!

Soon we left Cottage Grove and continued our journey north. Our next destination was on my list of must do’s – Rogue Farms, home of Rogue beer. I may be able to buy Rogue beer at my local grocery store but the only place I can visit their farm is in Oregon. Independence, Oregon to be exact.

After a long day on the road we made it to Independence in the afternoon. We left highway 5 and soon found ourselves in farm country. Large houses, livestock and fields of crops surrounded us. It was beautiful.

Soon we came upon Rogue Farms and it was as awesome as I hoped it’d be. There were fields of hops surrounding a picnic area and tasting room.

IMG_9754 There was also a food truck churning out meals for hungry visitors. We ordered dinner and our beers and sat on the porch enjoying the atmosphere.

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It may have been a bit cloudy but it was absolutely lovely. And I got to drink a beer amongst the hops!

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How awesome is that?

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