Astoria Riverwalk

  The riverwalk follows the old railroad tracks (now a tourist trolley line) for about five miles. The western end is a bit gritty industrial and at times you’ll have to use the road or sidewalk. The eastern end is much more natural with few buildings and a lot of greenery. The trail passes by the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Hanthorn Cannery Museum and hundreds of fun to watch but noisy and smelly sea lions at the 36th Street Pier.

The trail is flat and accessible with a few rough patches. Surfaces are asphalt, concrete, and boardwalk.

  There are many parking options. Safeway at 34th Street has long RV spaces. RV parking is also available at a pay lot at 37th Street. We parked for free on Abbey Lane off of 39th Street.  Riverwalk
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Astoria Column

  The Astoria Column, which sits 600’ above Astoria, was built in 1926 to honor Oregon’s explorers and early settlers. Italian immigrant Attilo Pusterla created a 500’ painted carving that spirals around the column and illustrates over 100 years of history. Visitors can walk up 164 steps to the viewing deck on the top.

   The column is not accessible but the view from the sidewalks is very good. The gift shop is accessible.

  The road up to the column is very steep.The parking lot has several RV/bus spaces and circles around the column for an easy exit route. A $2.00 parking pass, good for a year, must be purchased at the gift shop. Column
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Oregon Historical Society Museum

  The permanent exhibit covers Oregon’s history with displays on Native Americans, the Oregon Trail, and the growth of industries. This museum seems kind of small. One reason may be that, even though it’s the only museum in Oregon that has exhibits about the entire state, it’s a private museum, founded in 1898, and largely funded by donations and grants.

  The museum is accessible.

   We visited on a Saturday and parked on the street. Even on a weekend we had to circle around a few times before we found a space. Some of the curb cuts are very good, others are steep. Museum
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Old Aurora Colony Museum

   Aurora Colony, founded in 1856, was a Christian communal society related to the Harmonists of Pennsylvania. Like the Harmonists most of the members were German and Swiss emigrants but they differed from the Harmonist by not practicing celibacy and by living together as families rather than in communal dormitories. The communal nature of the colony did not survive after its charismatic leader, Wilhelm Keil, died in 1877. Ownership of the property was transferred to the members of the colony and many remained in the area even after the commune was dissolved.
         
  Besides the museum the site includes a house, a summer kitchen, a log cabin, and a long roofed shed.
        
  The museum is accessed by a ramp at the rear entrance. A gate must be unlocked so call ahead or have a member of your party inform the museum staff. The grounds are uneven and most of the other buildings have steps and are not accessible.

  RVs can be parked along the street.  Aurora
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Schreiner's Iris Display Gardens

  Fields of color caught our attention as we were driving along I-5 and then we saw the signs directing us to Schreiner’s Gardens. Time to exit the interstate! Ten acres with more than 500 different varieties are in full bloom in the month of May. It’s an amazing sight!
          

  The garden paths are hard packed dirt, bumpy but good for rolling along when they’re dry, but probably very muddy if its been raining.

  If the small lot at the garden entrance is full drive past the buildings and park in the large lot. It’s big enough for any RV.  Garden
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Oregon Garden

  This is a fairly new garden, opened in 2001. It covers 80 acres with  more than 20 specialty gardens and plans for expansion. About 5 miles of trails wind through the gardens. A narrated tram tour is included in the admission price.

  The tram is accessible. The paths (about 1.4 miles) that the tram travels along are smooth and paved. The other paths are a combination of gravel and packed dirt. The terrain is hilly and wheelchair users may need to have help on the paved paths as well as the unpaved paths.
  
 
  Follow the signs for RV/bus parking. Parks as close to the road as possible to avoid a long push through the gravel lot. It easier to stay on the street to get to the entrance rather than using the sidewalk. Garden
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Springfield Museum

  This is the Springfield that "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening used as the basis for the hometown of his characters so, of course, the museum must have a giant Homer, Marge, and little Simpsons! Apparently people come from all over just to sit on the couch and get their picture taken. The museum has changing exhibits on the first floor and historical displays about the city plus the Simpsons statues on the second floor.

   The museum is accessible. The elevator to access the second floor is located outside. Exit at the rear of the building to get to it. The museum staff must be notified so that they can unlock the door on the second floor but you’ll be able to go back out to the elevator whenever you wish without setting off any alarms.

   If you’re driving a RV DO NOT turn onto 6th Street. There’s a low underpass without a place to turn around. 5th Street has on-street parking with enough room for RVs. The sidewalks and curb cuts are good. Museum
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Dorris Ranch Park

   After studying the webpage for Dorris Ranch I still wasn’t sure what we’d find to do at the park - they need to put some more details on the website!(the website is greatly improved since this post) What we found was a pretty little park with about 3 miles of interconnecting trails running through filbert nut orchards, into the forest, and down to the river. Get a trail map at the kiosk.  9,250 filbert trees- most of them planted over 100 years ago by George Dorris and his wife Lulu – produce thousands of pounds of nuts that are harvested every fall. Replicas of a pioneer homestead, a trapper’s cabin, and a Native American plank house have been built on the grounds. I think they’re only opened for special events and tours.

  The trails are a combination of gravel and hard packed dirt. The 4-mile long paved Middle Fork Path also starts in the park. The trails are in very good condition but terrain is a bit hilly so wheelchair users may need to have help.

  The parking lots are small but RVs will fit by the kiosk if parked parallel to the road or by using several spaces in the Middle Fork Path lot.  Park
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Bohemia Gold Mining Museum

  Artifacts and photographs pertaining to the Bohemia mining district fill this tiny, one room museum. If you have the time take a stroll around the town to view the murals on many of the buildings.

The museum is accessible.

  RVs can be parked along the street or in the parking lot at the rear of the museum. The sidewalk curb cuts are very steep or missing so it may be necessary to travel in the street depending on where you park.  Museum
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Douglas County Museum

  Douglas County extends from the national forests in the east across rich agricultural land to the Pacific Ocean in the west, so this nicely done museum has a lot to cover.  Included are expertly mounted animal specimens,  historic photographs, hands-on displays for kids, and exhibits about logging, Native Americans and pioneers on the Oregon Trail.
        
  The museum has two levels. The upper level is accessed from the parking lot. The lower level is accessed by a set of stairs so visitors using wheelchairs must exit the upper level and go down the hill to enter the lower level courtyard. The displays are in three locations with a different door for access to each area. There are a few pieces of equipment in the courtyard. The train depot was under repair during our visit but I did not see a ramp.

  RVs can be parked along the side on in the rear of the museum. Since our motorhome is short we parked in the handicapped spot on the upper level. The museum is located in the Douglas County Fairgrounds which also has a RV park. We stayed at the park on a previous visit – Here    Museum
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Harry & David Factory Tour

  In the early 1900s Harry and David Rosenberg focused on selling their gourmet pears, grown in Rogue River Valley orchards, to luxury resorts in Europe however when that market collapsed during the depression of the 1930s a new idea was born -  mail order fruit and gift packages. The company expanded to include other fruits, candy, and baked goods.
        
  Tours leave from the outlet store four times a day on weekdays. A small bus takes visitors to the factory buildings where candy and baked goods are made, and where the products are packaged to be shipped. The operation is very labor intensive as much is done by hand. The months before Christmas are the busiest but even during this slow season we still viewed the entire operation and watched chocolates, cheese cakes, and candy-coated popcorn being made. A small section of the packaging floor was also active. The tour costs $5.00 and everyone gets a little treat at the end.

  The tour is wheelchair accessible. Visitors with mobility problems may board an accessible bus or follow in their cars which means missing the narration given on the tour bus. Two stops are made and elevators access hallways that overlook the factory floors. Reservations are recommended but not necessary in the slow season.  Tour
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Lithia Park

  Lithia Park is a mile long, narrow strip of land with Ashland Creek running through the center of it. It includes several ponds, a playground, very nice manicured landscaping, and natural forest. Paved walkways and packed dirt/wood chip walkways follow along the creek. Intersecting trails ramble through the forested hillside.

  The paved walkways are accessible. The packed dirt walkways are accessible with assistance.
          
   Small parking lots are located along Winburn Way and Granite Street. A few on-the-street spaces are long enough for large RVs. Smaller RVs will fit in some of the lots.   Park
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