Tag: Oregon

Kayaking at Spring Creek

Ever since seeing pictures of the clear blue water of Spring Creek, I was dying to go!  In August, we had the chance to go and didn’t hesitate.

We put in at Spring Creek Recreation Site and kayaked upstream to the headwaters. The current is so gentle that, whether you’re going down stream or up, it’s pretty easy to paddle. This easy paddling allows you to take in the beautiful scenery – especially the crystal clear, turquoise water! I didn’t get sick of staring at it the entire trip. When looking at the other kayakers moving across the water, it looks as if they are gliding on ice … and if you feel the water you’ll find it’s just about as cold as ice. I could only handle having a hand or foot in for a few seconds before quickly pulling out in pain.

Once you reach the headwaters, you can see where the spring originates from bubbling up out of the ground. Some people call the little hurricanes of sand “dancing sand.” My son jumped out and stepped in one and was surprised to find that his foot sank in quite a bit!

We picnicked in our kayaks before heading back downstream.

Another favorite part of the trip was seeing the Mare’s Eggs- a rare freshwater algae that only grow in a few places around the world. It grows in colonies that cover the bottom of the creek in certain areas. I could go on and on about how gorgeous this area is, but all you have to do is take one look at a picture and you’ll be dying to see it for yourself!

Some families bring their own kayaks or you can rent from

Lakes Wilderness Adventures. 112 W Chocktoot St, Chiloquin, OR 97624 (541) 591-0949

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spring-Creek-Recreation-Site/150598304952078

By Brennan
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Park & Play: Providing Free Summertime Fun!

Looking for free children’s activities to kick those the summertime blues?

The Park & Play program provides free activities, sports, crafts and bounce houses guaranteed to deliver a positive and enjoyable experience for your kids.

The Park & Play crew brings a mobile recreation vehicle and leads children in fun, engaging outdoor activities aimed to increase activity, creativity, and build social skills.

The daily schedule consists of a game, sport or contest, a creative art project and time in the bounce house. The bounce house is monitored closely by staff and administers a time limit to guarantee that everyone gets a chance to bounce safely.

 

Park & Play visits eight Medford parks Monday through Thursday, stopping at two parks each day for two hours; 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m.

The schedule allows Park & Play to visit a park in each Medford once a week to assure that all residents have access to the program. Park & Play runs for eight weeks beginning in June.

Movie Night at Lewis Park

 

 

 

 The program is also available at the Rogue Credit Union Movies in the Park series providing free pre-show movie themed activities Saturday evenings from June through August at several city parks.

Go to playmedford.com or call 541-774-2400 for more information.

 

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Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life at ScienceWorks

BRAND NEW WILD MUSIC EXHIBIT PROVIDES A MUST-SEE, MUST-DO,
MUST-HEAR EXPERIENCE
Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life opens February at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum
  1. Whales compose, bullfrogs chorus, songbirds greet the dawn, and people everywhere sing and dance. What do we all have in common? Visitors of all ages will find out in February, when Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life, a brand new, hands-on exhibit that explores sound and music in nature and in life, makes its debut at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum located at 1500 E Main St. in Ashland, Oregon.
Wild Music invites visitors of all ages to expand their understanding of what makes music. Through whimsical, hands-on activities, they’ll not only hear the music that surrounds them every day, but they’ll see and even feel it too. They’ll discover that nature is filled with “musicians” that create distinct musical masterpieces to communicate with and relate to one another. And they’ll explore how human music is inspired by the music of other living creatures – from tiny insects to giant whales.
Highlights of Wild Music include:
  • Three different “soundscapes” that invite visitors to explore sound and music that comes from the ocean, the forest, and the city. Visitors will learn to interpret spectrograms, or “pictures,” of bird songs, learn what whale cries tell us about the animal’s life cycle, see samples of instruments from around the world, experiment with how sound travels underwater, explore how music influences memory, and more.
  • The Jamming Room, a soundproof practice studio where visitors can use pre-recorded audio soundscapes, animal voices, percussion instruments, and live vocals to compose their own songs.
  • The Bioacoustic Lab, where visitors can experiment with how the human voice works and how it compares to that of other animals, specifically birds. Here, visitors can explore a model of the human larynx and the bird syrinx, use an electrolarynx to “speak” without using their voices, and use a set of vibrating metal reeds to “feel” sound.
  • The Power of Sound and Music Theater, where visitors can sit back, relax, and experience sounds from around the world. The seven-minute, sound-driven video demonstrates – both visually and audibly – how animals use sound to identify themselves, communicate, and form and nurture social groups.
ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum is proud to be partnering with Rogue World Music and local organizations around the Rogue Valley to provide unique programming at the Museum for the exhibit’s duration (Saturday, February 2 – Monday, September 2). This exhibit is made possible by Richard and Elizabeth LeVitt, a Community Grant of the Oregon Community Foundation, Lithia 4 Kids, the Olsrud Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation, the Jackson County Cultural Coalition and Anonymous donors.
For more information please call 541-482-6767 or visit scienceworksmuseum.org.
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Annual Umpqua Festival of Lights and World’s Largest Nutcracker 

 

Driving through Riverbend Park in Roseburg, Oregon, you will see over  90 animated displays which are lit up by over 500,000 festive lights. This must see Holiday spectacle showcases many fun and unique lights shaped into everything from the classic Santa to dinosaurs and spaceships. New to the lightshow this year are character depictions from Disney’s Frozen. You will also be able to see the World’s Largest Nutcracker!

While you enjoy the lights be sure to tune into the local radio station provided at the entrance which will be playing Christmas music to complete your Holiday joy ride.

This family friendly event is not only a perfect outing, but the $10.00 per car entry fee also provides scholarships as well as funding for local community projects.

The Umpqua Festival of Lights opens at the end of November  and runs through January 1st.            You can drive through the park Sunday-Thursday from 5:30 pm to 9 pm & Friday and Saturday nights from 5:30 pm to 10 pm.

Wagon rides through the lights are also available on Friday and Saturday’s from 5:30 pm to 10pm and on Sunday’s from 5:30 pm to 9 pm for $5.

Before you enter the park stop by the Holiday Village to visit Santa, model trains, cookies, warm cider, and purchase souvenirs. The Holiday Village is open every night with free entry until Christmas Eve.

Gather your family and friends for a drive to the Umpqua Valley Festival of Lights located at 380 River Forks Park Rd, Roseburg, OR 97471.

A wonderful tradition for the season.

http://www.umpquavalleyfestivaloflights.com

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