Here in Oregon, we like to be one with nature. And in some cases, that nature is as unique, unusual, and okay, odd, as we are. This summer, knock the norm with an awesomely odd road trip along Oregon's Scenic Byways, where there's more hidden in them thar hills than meets the eye, by golly. So load up your wagon (ahem, station wagon) and read below for fun ways to find native nirvana in our naturally odd state.
Mess With Your Mind
Totally trip out, man, when you visit the Oregon Vortex in Gold Hill. A naturally occurring visual and perceptual phenomenon, the Vortex was once called a "forbidden ground" by Native Americans because their horses refused to go near it. If you want the boring, scientific details, the area is actually a spherical force field half above the ground and half below. Visitors unknowingly assume posture that inclines towards the magnetic North, and as a person moves away they appear taller as they near the magnetic South. More importantly, it's a great place to trick your friends as physical rules are reversed. The Vortex is located towards the south end of the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway in Southern Oregon. So stop on by and grow a few inches, just park your horse before the magnetism grabs hold.
Walk Through Fire
We'll just wave our magic wand and *poof,* you can walk through fire unharmed! Well, it was fire at one time anyway. Now it's Oregon 's longest continuous lava tube - a whopping one mile long - in the Lava River Cave in Central Oregon. Just off the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, the Lava River Cave is open May through October. Be prepared for the low-down, though! Created by flows from the Newberry Volcano, the tubes range from 60 to just five feet high. A mild year-round temperature makes this natural gem a sweet spot for visitors looking to cool off and explore in the warm summer months.
"Apply Directly to the..." River
As its name suggests, Colliding Rivers in Southern Oregon is the point at which the strong current of the North Umpqua River funnels into a natural chute and crashes head-on into Little River, creating a watery headache of geologic proportions. Some say this is the only place in the world where a collision like this occurs. Make a stop during your next trip along the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway to check out the unique happening and wander the nearby nature trails.
Watch Plants Provoke a Vegan Revolt
Just off the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, in the Oregon Coast town of Florence, lies Darlingtonia Wayside, an 18-acre nature preserve centered on a peat bog. This area hosts an unusually high concentration of carnivero
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