If you have time on your way back, an alternative to I-5 between Roseburg and Medford is the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway. Take highway 138 east from Roseburg, which follows the North Umpqua River. Even if you don't get out of the car, it's a nice drive. If you do get out, there's a place you can see the confluence of two rivers, a place where you can see salmon swimming upstream, and some short hikes to waterfalls.
Brochures can be downloaded from the US Forest Service:
Brochures, Guides, and Publications
In particular, the
Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway and
Thundering Waters brochures would be useful.
If you want to go to Crater Lake, this is one route to get there from I-5. If not, head back to Medford via highways 230 and 62.
Not sure what kind of food you like, but there's a Thai restaurant in Medford that's nothing fancy but we liked it. Haven't been there for several years, but it looks like it's still there: Siam Cafe (
restaurant site,
Yelp reviews).
Originally Posted by
Polytonic
I particularly enjoyed Dunsmuir. It's a cute little town nestled in a mountain valley near Mt. Shasta just off I-5. There's a fantastic restaurant in town, Cafe Maddalena that is absolutely worth stopping for regardless.
Wow, Cafe Maddalena is still there! We had dinner there on our wedding night 25 years ago. Good memories.
Another wow. Looks like a number of restaurants worth trying have popped up in Yreka, of all places. Good to know if we ever do that drive again!