![]() ![]() It was strange to see their differences when they switched places, and it even felt a little different for them! I noticed that I got a bit of a “seasick” feeling when we started the tour, but after we left, it disappeared. Our tour guide on the left is inside the Vortex, and across the line, my mom is outside of it. In the center of the above picture is a brick line. Fortunately, my mom had a free afternoon, so I got to spend time with her on this tour! She was actually the first person in our tour group to demonstrate one of the odd features of the Vortex. And since I went early afternoon on a weekday (and I guess October 31st is technically a holiday to some people), I had a hard time finding someone who was able to accompany me last-minute. I decided to visit the Vortex a bit spur-of-the-moment. ![]() He also demonstrated how non-magnetic metals can still react to magnets, and even how magnetism can slow the force of gravity! This was a great primer before we were introduced to the Oregon Vortex, which is believed to be a strong disruption in the Earth’s typical magnetic field. Several of the staff members donned crazy costumes, but I’m pretty sure that was just because it was Halloween.īecause we arrived several minutes before our tour could begin, one staff member mesmerized everyone in the gift shop with the scientific magic of magnetism. We arrived at a historic mining shantytown where friendly staff were happy to greet us. Even though it is remote, there are plenty of billboard-sized signs pointing in the right direction. The drive to the Oregon Vortex provided beautiful fall scenery through the quaint town of Gold Hill and the rural area beyond. But what if some of these illusions continued even after you left the mystery house? You may discover that this is exactly what happens at the Oregon Vortex! Next: probably not any pictures, as we get ourselves north and into place for the eclipse on Monday morning.Have you ever been to a House of Mystery before? The slanted floor, uneven roof, and caving walls allow for lots of optical illusions and a playground for your mind. (Bird count for the day: a great horned owl hooting at 3am an osprey harassing a juvenile bald eagle on the edge of Hyatt Lake two big cranes of indeterminate species hanging out in a field and three very combative hummingbirds fighting over some feeders.) The place has less obvious a connection to GF than Confusion Hill, but as we were leaving the gift shop, we saw that the inside of the door was covered with notes and drawings from GF fans (mostly Bill, but there was a nice Mabel as well).Īll in all, lots of fun, and totally worth the trip!įor the rest of the day, we went to the Josephine County Fair in Grants Pass, where we did many extremely county-fair things, like: watch people go on carnival rides that I would not touch with a ten-foot pole (just looking at them reminded me of my episodes of vertigo) ate fried bread and viewed many 4H and Future Farmers exhibits, including a goat and sheep costume show, some horse gait competitions (pictured, a gorgeous drum-horse alone in her category), and viewed agricultural exhibits and a lot of livestock, including cows, rabbits, chickens and other fowl (pictured, a boy with his extremely relaxed bantam-class hen), and pigs and piglets (one boy had named his pig Waddles). But I found it’s emphasis on the height-altering phenomena (with jokes about “we moved you down to this end and shrunk you”) to be really interesting in view of GF having done an entire ep based around height-altering crystals. Mystery vibe, more straightforward and less kitschy. I would say that the place had less of a Mystery Shack / Mr. (But at Confusion Hill they explicitly state that the founder was trying to find other spots similar to the Oregon Vortex, so the similarity is very intentional.) It was interesting to learn that the House of Mystery predates Confusion Hill by about 15 years, though. The house itself was similar to the one I reported on earlier at Confusion Hill - some of the same demonstrations being set up of how your perception goes all wonky inside. (See second row of photos.) Plus, discussing theories that might account for the phenomena. It was big on presentations that demonstrated the various strange properties of the site, most especially the relative-height changes that arise when people stand in certain spots and then switch places. While relatively simple and limited in content, it made up for it by organizing the experience in a one-hour guided tour. The Oregon Vortex and the World Famous House of Mystery was the last stop on our tour of tourist traps of the Pacific Northwest, and it did not disappoint. The World Famous House of Mystery! And a real county fair!
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