by Laura Mancuso
On Saturday, my son Jaxon and I dodged rain showers by going to the free opening day of the season at the Kerbyville Museum and then went on a hike at Westside Trails.
If you haven’t explored the Kerbyville Museum located at 24195 Redwood Hwy, in Kerby, or haven’t been there in a while, I highly recommend you spend a couple hours there. It is a fun blast to the past and a great learning opportunity for school-aged children.
Jaxon humored me by putting on a prisoner’s uniform so I could snap a photo of him with the Kerbyville Museum’s volunteer sheriff and deputy at the new Kerby Jail exhibit. The first Josephine County Jail was built in Kerby in 1885 when Kerby became the county seat.
We also had fun exploring the Nauke house that was built in the 1880s, one-room schoolhouse, the animal exhibit, newspaper printing press and so much more.
I feel we are lucky to have such an interesting museum in our Valley. It will be open Thursdays through Saturdays 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. and Sundays 12 – 4 p.m.
Next, we headed to Westside Trails loop. To find the trails you turn left on Finch Rd. from Hwy. 199 (if headed to Kerby from Cave Junction). Then go over the one-lane bridge and go left at the stop sign. You go for a mile or so, pass the Pomeroy Dam that you will see on your left and then look for the second entrance to the trailhead on your left that has a bathroom and kiosk.
There are several loops you can hike depending on how much time you have, but the whole loop is 2.3 miles and considered a moderate hike due to the incline. Look at the first map you come to on the hike carefully, because some of the maps are missing during the loop.
I enjoyed seeing the wildflowers and the snow on top of the Siskiyou Mountains in a breakthrough the trees after climbing the hill. This is a trail I choose when I want some outdoor exercise in the trees and don’t want to travel too far out of town.
Hiking tip: When parking at a trailhead it is best not to leave valuables in your vehicle. Leave valuables at home and lock your car. Vehicle break-ins can happen, so take your keys and wallet with you.