Where can you escape inland triple-digit heat, shop the best thrift store in Southern Oregon, watch osprey and fisherman catching salmon, ride bikes to the Rogue River Museum, satisfy your Thai food craving, then listen to a bubbling creek as you fall asleep under the stars? Does it sound too good to be true? Believe it; it’s all happening in Gold Beach, Oregon, less than four hours’ drive from the Rogue Valley.
The annual Salmon Derby takes place every first weekend in August. We happened to witness a “big one” being landed in one of the many fishing boats there where the wild and scenic Rogue River meets the mighty Pacific Ocean. https://visitgoldbeach.com/event/rogue-river-salmon-derby/
Gold Beach has a thrift store you will return to again and again; the people are genuine and friendly, and the store is stocked with just about everything you can think of! They have fantastic winter specials as well. The store is located just off the main highway at 29813 Colvin Street.
The Rogue River Museum is free, informative and well designed; the entrance is located inside Jerry’s Jet Boats Gift Shop on Harbor Way in Gold Beach. https://www.roguejets.com/about/gift-shop/
For quick, authentic Thai food at a reasonable price, order up your favorite plate at the food truck conveniently located on Hwy 101 near Jerry’s Rogue Jets. I ordered the rice noodle Pad Thai and it was ready in a matter of minutes and super delicious.
Enjoy great camping (full RV hookups are available as well as tent sites) at Indian Creek RV Park & Campground; it is located a half-mile up the south bank of the Rogue River. Amenities include an on-site café, open for breakfast and lunch. There is a walking trail right across from the RV Park where you can explore estuary flora and fauna where Indian Creek meets the Rogue River. https://www.indiancreekrv.com/
Bonus activity: we caught the end of the Brookings Harbor Festival of Art. There was a lot of local artwork for sale and free painting demonstrations too. Acrylics, oils, watercolors, fiber art, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics – it’s all there in this beautiful setting, Stout Park. To learn more about this festival, contact the Pelican Bay Arts Association or the Manley Art Center, at 433 Oak Street, Brookings OR.
https://www.pelicanbayartsassociation.org/ Also see https://festivalnet.com/21679/Brookings-Oregon/Art-shows/Festival-of-Art-in-Stout-Park