We quickly acclimated ourselves to the local flora and fauna and spent many days watching the Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies cavort among the profuse blossoms of the biggest buddleia (butterfly bush) I have ever seen .
We enjoyed some meals at an adorable little cafe which was about the only restaurant in town that was open for dine-in. Friendly staff and good food. I adore the hand painted mural on the concrete walls and check out the size of those pinecones!
The lumber country feel of the place was both fun and soothing. This hand-made wood sign would have been perfectly at home hanging over a camp cook’s stove.
More of the forest mural on the concrete block walls.
While driving here and there, we stopped at some of the covered bridges. The Chambers Railroad Bridge is the only remaining covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi. It was constructed in 1925 by lumberman J.H. Chambers to transport logs across the Coast Fork Willamette River. In the 1950s, the railroad was sold and the bridge, no longer in use, it began to decay. By 2006, the bridge had experienced significant structural damage
The City of Cottage Grove raised grants, awards, and funds from many sources to repair and refurbish the once grand bridge. The bridge was dismantled, rebuilt, and restored on-site; and in November 2011, it reopened. Original material was reused when feasible and the rebuilding was done as historically accurate as possible. Interpretive panels were installed along with iron artwork depicting the steam engines that once passed through. Today, this former “bridge to nowhere” in the middle of Cottage Grove, Oregon, is a beautiful tribute to the past, a historical triumph, and a proud testament to the power of hard work and imagination.
Linking up to Marsha’s PPAC this week do come on over and see some great art.
Til next time ~Not All Who Wander Are Lost ~JP
Wide Eyed Wonderings 
Wow, Wide-Eyes! I’m in shock! I lived in Cottage Grove for about 6 years. I loved living there. I love the new look! I’d have to find some of my old photos of the original bridges. There were three of them in Cottage Grove at one time. This brought back so many memories. Thanks for sharing it!
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I’m so glad you liked it. I hadn’t seen it before the renovation but I loved that the city just said “no, it’s not going to die” and sought out grants and fund-raisers to restore it. There are so many beautiful covered bridges in that area. We spent a few summers in Westfir (near Oakridge) and would go out to “Office Bridge” to hike and gaze at the river, another wonderful bridge although so far as I can tell, it doesn’t lead to anywhere but the parking lot. lol
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That seems to be the main one!I don’t remember it leading anywhere.
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Nice post 😄
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Thank you glad you liked it 😊
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