Jet Boat Ride on The Rogue River

For our last big adventure along the Oregon Coast we took an 80-mile round trip jet boat ride along the scenic Rogue River, an excursion offered by Jerry's Rogue River Jets out of Gold Beach. Established in 1958, the three Boice brothers (Jerry, Alden, and Court) were the first to install and use hydro-jet pumps in commercial passenger boats on the Rogue River. This nature-based jet boat trip was a blend of rugged scenery, abundant wildlife, Pacific coastal estuary, and adventurous whitewater jet boating, personalized throughout with entertaining commentary from our captain, Tim Brueckner. During our ride we spotted lots of deer, bald eagles, osprey, harbor seals, blue herons, and a kingfisher. Captain Tim was very good at pointing out birds and animals that might otherwise go unnoticed, and giving us the history and information of the surrounding area. Of course, we never knew if he was joking or not, especially after his extremely detailed explanation of the so-called Madrone Monkeys, an endangered species that live off the bark of the madrone trees along the Rogue. (Check out this link for the entire tall tale: American Folklore: Madrone Monkeys). Mid-way through the ride we stopped in the tiny town of Agness for a buffet lunch at a local restaurant. Jerry's jets actually haul freight and mail to Agness 6-days a week, much more expedient than using the somewhat long and precarious land route. The ride back to Gold Beach was faster and wetter than the trip up river, with Captain Tim doing his best to splash water onto the boat at every opportunity. Not so bad on a hot summer day!

Rogue River Trail Walk (Gold Beach, Oregon)

July 20, 2013. Our stay in Florence came to an end, with our next stop further south on the Oregon Coast in Gold Beach. Although we have always enjoyed our Florence visits, this time around seemed to be especially windy and cold, so we were more than ready to continue south. Of course, staying along the coast as we have been all summer, there were no guarantees Gold Beach would be any warmer or less windy than where we had been. And as luck would have it, the day we arrived was even windier and colder than Florence, even more noticeable since our RV Park was on the jetty, which just accentuated the wild weather. Our original plan was to stay 12 days in Gold Beach, but we both agreed 7 days would be enough to do the things we wanted to do here before moving on. One of the attractions on this part of the Oregon Coast is the beautiful Rogue River where hiking trails follow the river route, set back just a bit in the woods. However, at any time you can take one of the many spurs that lead to the beaches and river banks along the way.  Not quite the stunning coastal hikes as in Cannon Beach and Florence, this hike still had much to offer, if nothing more than getting out for a day in nature.