Jospehine County

The 4^th of July weekend in Josephine County.  A holiday weekend in a campground...I wish I thought 10 seconds about that before.  But there I was on Friday afternoon driving south down to Lake Selmac outside of Selma.  The weather called for scattered showers through most of the state.  Most of the state does not include southern Oregon and as we drove over the Siskyous down through Grants Pass the clouds disappeared and it was a beautiful sunny day.  

    On our way towards our camp site, we laughed about the first thing you see getting off the freeway is a Caveman.  The high school mascot is the Caveman, and it is in reference to the Oregon Caves.  The city was a big booster of the Caves.  Then driving through town there is a sign across the road stating “It’s the Climate.”  Whatever ‘it’ is, was pretty good.  

    I was warned by a co-worker who grew up in the area that the locals called Lake Selmac “Smellmac”  and was full of whacko hillbillies.  Whatever.  I'm committed to the cause.  We were there to visit the Oregon Caves anyways.  And once at the lake, we swam, kayaked and fished and had a good time messing around.  Several people there said bluegill were good eating. I don't recall ever hearing that before, and I heard it multiple times here.    

    

We were glad to be leaving on the 4th of July as the insanity in the campground was hitting a fever pitch.  We left to visit the Oregon Caves National Monument.  I was struck with fear that it’s a federal holiday and it might be closed.  Thankfully, when we called, it was open and not a bad drive to get there.  


The caves are not dog-friendly, which is ironic as the caves were allegedly discovered by a guy chasing after his dog who ran into a cave.  My wife opted to stay with the dog while I went with the kids into the cave (she visited there a few years earlier).  It is not for the very young or the very old.  One has to be 42” and able to navigate difficult cave terrain.  An elderly woman had to bail from the trip.  The cave is a great place to keep your beer 44 degrees and you go in tours of 16 people, leaving every 15 minutes in peak season.  


It was worthwhile and I am glad I finally visited this natural wonder.  This was a site I had in mind when I decided to visit all 36 counties (along with the Timberline Lodge, Steens Mountains and Astoria).