Golden Ghost Town

  This beautiful little church, a old store building, a former residence, and a shed are all that’s left of this gold mining town. It’s state heritage site now and there are plans to restore the buildings. A few interpretive signs are located on the grounds. Hydraulic mining caused a lot of ecological damage to the surrounding area. Some restoration has been attempted. You can see the damage and restoration by walking the short trail that’s located across the street and down the hill from the store.

  Nothing is accessible but it’s possible to view the buildings from your vehicle.

  The road to Golden is paved, a bit narrow with curves. Several pullouts across from the store are large enough for RVs.  Golden
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Seven Feathers Casino

   Follow the signs for RV parking. The lot is large and flat with some noise from a large HVAC unit. The casino is a good distance away, walkable but uphill so wheelchair users will need to have some help. The employees’ lot is nearby so a shuttle with a wheelchair lift makes regular rounds.

  The casino has easy to move chairs. Most of the machines have card and money slots that are easy to reach.  Casino
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Wildlife Safari

  We’ve been to many zoos but this is the first time that we’ve visited a drive-through park. The animals have so much room and seem very content. We were happy to stay warm and dry inside the RV. :- )  Admission is half price with a zoo pass. Even if you don’t go on the drive stop in and visit the mini walk-through zoo.It’s free and has smaller animals and birds. Everything is very well maintained.

  RVs are permitted on the drive. The only vehicles not allowed are convertibles and motorcycles.

  Most of the mini zoo is accessible but some of the trails are not paved and some of the paved trails are steep.  Safari
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Douglas County Fairgrounds Campground

  Close proximately to I-5 makes this campground a convenient stopping spot but it also makes it a little noisy. Some of the sites are full hookup and pull through. All have water and electric. They’re all the same price. No tables and very little room between the sites. Restrooms with showers and a dump station. There’s not an office or camp host, just a self pay station.  Campground
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Museum of Natural and Cultural History

  This is a small but very good museum. The main displays are about Native American cultural history in Oregon. A hands-on gallery about mammal evolution and paleontology is in the final stages of development. Visitors are invited to try the exhibits and post feedback on the walls or the website.

   Everything is accessible.

   I don’t recommend driving a RV around Eugene. Many of the streets are one way or dead end. The museum is located on the campus of the University of Oregon so parking is scarce. The museum has a small lot where vans or very small RVs will fit. Museum
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Valley River Mall and Riverbank Trail

   This is a treasure for blacktop campers. Not only is overnight parking permitted but the lot gets little traffic so it’s very quiet. The best part is the easy access to a wide, paved, well maintained bike trail which follows the Willamette River.

   Overnight parking for self contained RVs is permitted for two days. A security car makes the rounds often. Visitors are given a pass and a list of basic rules.

  The bike path is one of the best – wide, flat, and peaceful with beautiful scenery. The trail totals over twelve miles with paths on both sides of the river and several bridges so that shorter loops are possible. Trail     Mall
         
         

Jackson-Frazier Wetland Boardwalk

  Approximately 2/3 of a mile long, this boardwalk winds through several different types of wetlands which provide a protected area for plants, birds, and other wildlife.

The boardwalk is all accessible. The unusual construction, with boards placed in the same direction as the walkway, make the ride much less bumpier than normal.

Parking is along the street which dead ends at a large turn around. Boardwalk
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Polk County Fairgrounds Camping

   Fairground camping areas are usually pretty utilitarian and this one is no exception – a gravel lot with water and electric, restrooms, and a dump station. The website states that they are opened all year but the utilities and the dump station were locked when we arrived. There aren’t any notices about where to pay and nobody ever came around to our site.

  This is a reasonably priced place to camp while visiting Salem but call the campground before you plan to arrive especially if you want water or electricity. Fairgrounds
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Willamette Heritage Center

  The Heritage Center includes a small museum, gift shop, four relocated historic buildings, and the main attraction, the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill with original and reconstructed out buildings. The mill was built in 1896 and operated until 1962. The restoration is set in the early 1900s and includes all of the machinery for making cloth from raw wool which involves washing, dyeing, carding, spinning, weaving, and fulling. Visitors are given a key to unlock the buildings for a self guided tour or may take a guided tour if a docent is available. We were fortunate to get a docent who gave us an excellent tour.

 The museum is completely accessible. The grounds and most of the mill buildings are accessible. Some of the ramps are a little uneven. We didn’t have time to visit the relocated buildings but were told that they have ramps so that the first floors are accessible.

The parking lot is large enough for RVs. Center
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World Forestry Center

  The importance of old growth forests for the biodiversity of plant and animal life is just one of the topics covered in this museum. Interactive displays and hands-on exhibits  also cover recreation, forestry jobs, and restoration of forest lands.

  Most of the museum is accessible but some of the hands-on exhibits have steps or inaccessible seating.

   The museum is located in Washington Park near the zoo and children’s museum. The parking lot next to the children’s museum is the only nearby lot where oversized vehicles are permitted to park. Spaces may not be available as this park is very popular. A long, slightly uphill sidewalk and ramp lead to the Forestry Center. Museum
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