All About Ashland
For many of our visitors the “Ashland Experience" is three-fold:
come for first rate theater, stay at a lovely B&B and dine at fabulous
restaurants. Can it get any better than that? It might be hard to believe,
but in a word: YES!
Theatres, art galleries, parks, shops, museums, day spas and historic
neighborhoods -- all nestled downtown at the base of the Siskiyou Mountains
-- are the charm of Ashland. If you're willing to jump in your car for
some short day trips, you can expand your experiences by visiting such
area attractions as Crater Lake, Jacksonville, and the Britt Music Festival,
plus the Rogue Valley's many wineries, antique shops, and Harry &
David.
Ashland is a performing arts town! There are at least five "Off
Bardway" theaters, as the locals fondly refer to the wonderfully
innovative and avant-gard theater companies in Ashland. All of these venues
are within walking distance of downtown; and many of these theatres run
during the winter months.
And what about those folks who love the outdoors and want more adventure?
The Rogue Valley is a veritable wonderland of great terrains and natural
resources for rafting, kayaking, fishing, skiing, hiking, snowshoeing,
snowboarding, biking, and walking.
No matter how hard you try, it's almost impossible to describe Southern
Oregon's breathtaking beauty. Visitors exploring the Siskiyou and Cascade
mountain ranges will discover the rarity of flora and fauna for which
they're famous. And lovers of birds, butterflies, and wildflowers will
come to understand why the World Wildlife Foundation calls this area the
"Galapagos of North America."
Spring
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival opens in February and runs continuously
for nearly 9 months. OSF mounts both classic and contemporary plays in
repertory, all of them world-class productions. Other wonderful things
to do and see in the Spring:
Siskiyou Environmental Film Festival
In late February, the annual Siskiyou Environmental Film Festival offers
35+ animated and documentary films. You will enter in a world of ideas
and hope; meet people taking action and creating solutions; and learn
about issues with in-depth coverage. These films are treasures that
rarely get the national exposure so many "manstream" films
get.
Ashland Independent Film Festival
More than 70 fimmmakers and their films from all over the world decend
on Ashland in early April for an intense 5-day event. All films are
viewed in Ashland's historic Varsity Theater. After each showing, the
filmmakers share with the audience their creative process. Network B&Bs
support the event by providing housing for many of the filmmakers.
Ashland Galleries
Taste of Ashland: Each April, the Ashland Gallery Association sponsors
a festival of wine, food and art. Ticketholders wander through the galleries
tasting food from the local restaurants and sipping wine from local
vineyards.
Art Walk: On the first Friday of each month from 5:00pm to 8:00pm association’s
gallery members host a series of “open houses", offering
visitors a chance to view art, listen to music, and nibble on tasty
treats.
Adventure and Nature
The Ashland Ski Resort offers challenging and uncrowded slopes to nordic
and alpine skiers and snowboarders. Lots of sunny days and fresh snow
are practically guaranteed for Ashland's winter visitors. For those
more inclined to the open range, Mt Ashland's sno-parks are the perfect
place for sledding and snowshoeing.
Wildflowers (many of which are endemic and very rare) begin to bloom
in the lower altitudes in February and March. The Native Plant Society
leads walks throughout the Rogue Valley on Saturday mornings (See www.npsoregon.org)
Birding is a popular Ashland pastime. The Klamath Bird Observatory
is well-known for its work tracking migration patterns. In nearby Klamath,
thousands of migrating Bald Eagles meet up for a winter break, creating
the largest congregation of this species in the continental US.
Summer
Oregon Shakespeare Festival's "The Feast of Will" celebrates
summer and the opening of the OSF's outdoor Elizabethan theater plays
and the pre-performance Green Shows on "the Bricks" by the Box
Office.
As the weather warms, there are more outdoor performances and recreation
activities to enjoy:
The Peter Britt Music Festival takes place from June through early
September in nearby Jacksonville. The Britt's diverse and eclectic lineup
is loaded with nationally known artists covering all musical genres
from classical, folk, and rock, to bluegrass, ethnic, and pop. Performances
take place in the Britt's open-air amphitheater known for its great
acoustics and beautiful night skies.
Alpine wildflowers blossom into an abundant display of color in the
higher elevations on Mt Ashland, the Cascasde-Siskiyou National Monument,
Pilot Rock, Mt. Grizzly, and Lithia Park.
Ashland's Old Fashioned 4th of July celebration has been a valued tradition
for over 90 years. The day begins with a run and parade through downtown
on Main St., followed by a fair in Lithia Park with food, games and
crafts booths, street performers and music. After sunset, the festive
day ends with a grand fireworks display.
Sporting activities:
Full and half-day fishing trips – many outfitters pick up at the
B&Bs
Rafting – white water, kayaking, jet-boat excursions and more.
Mild to wild
Golfing – at least 3 golf courses in the Rogue Valley
Tennis – Lithia Park has public courts and there are also private
clubs.
Biking – many roads and trails offering easy to challenging routes.
Wineries – Southern Oregon has as many as 25 small vineyards
and 6 wineries with tasting rooms. This region is known for Merlots,
Cabernets, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Many wineries offer picnicking
and music performances
Fall
The Shakespeare festival continues to run until the start of November,
with a few stellar late season productions to inspire those who've "seen
it all" during visits earlier in the year!
Brisk walks in Lithia Park showcases the change in leaves. Other Fall
events and activities are:
Wineries – Southern Oregon has as many as 25 small vineyards
and 6 wineries with tasting rooms. This region is known for Merlots,
Cabernets, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Many wineries offer picnicking
and music performances.
The Smooth Jazz and Blues Festival is held in September at beautiful
Eden Farm.
Ashland loves parades, and on Halloween local children, adults and
pets alike assemble at the library and parade through downtown trick-or-treating
at businesses along the way.
Continued mild temperatures entice golfers to extend their playing
season, and fly fisherman to take to the rivers.
Winter
Although there is seldom snow in the town of Ashland, the hills and mountains
around the Valley floor become a winter playground. Mt. Ashland Ski Resort
offers challenging and uncrowded slopes for skiers and snowboarders.
For those who love sledding, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, the Sno-parks
of Mt. Ashland, and Howard Prairie Lake are ideal. Trail maps can be found
at Ranger Stations around the area, and at hiking and outdoor stores in
town.
Holiday Shopping – Downtown Ashland’s many galleries and
stores make the town a great destination for a fun and easy-going holiday
shopping excursion, with unique gifts to be found at every turn. The holiday
season gets ushered in with yet another celebration, the Festival of Lights,
which starts Thanksgiving weekend with Santa's Parade and the lighting
of trees and downtown building facades; from then until after New Year’s,
downtown Ashland is transformed by pixie lights.
And from the first snap of cooler weather until the first signs of spring,
you can enjoy ice-skating in Lithia Park.
Nature in the Rogue Valley
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
Just minutes from Ashland are many National Forests and Monuments.
Most notable is the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, the nation's
first monument designated in recognition of its bio-diversity. Three
major eco-regions – Great Basin, Cascades, and Siskiyous –
converge here, resulting in an extraordinary number of flora and fauna
– nowhere else in the world do some of these species share the
same habitat.
You can easily access to the monument all year-round by hiking (the
Pacific Crest Trail runs through it), cross-country skiing, mountain
biking and even some snowmobiling. (See http://www.or.blm.gov/CSNM/.)
Birding
A birders' paradise at near by Klamath Basin (less than an hour's
drive from Ashland) is a part of the Pacific Flyway, where up to 85%
of the migrating birds west of the Rockies come through and take up
temporary residence. In November you may see millions of ducks, geese
and swans along with many other species. December through February you
can observe the largest wintering concentration of Bald Eagles in the
lower 48. This region hosts nearly 400 species of birds. Many are here
all year round.
Butterflies
So what brought Vladimir Nabokov to Ashland in 1953, where he happened
to finish writing "Lolita"? It wasn't the Oregon Shakespeare
Festival -- although we're sure he took in a few plays -- it was butterflies!
As an avid amateur lepidopterist, he was drawn to this area for its
extraordinary number of butterflies. And it was in Ashland where his
passion for butterflies transformed into a "genuine mania,"
as he himself put it. A plaque at 163 Mead St. (where Pearl St. crosses)
marks the location of the cottage in which Nabokov and his wife lived
and wrote.
According to the North American Butterfly Association, Mt. Ashland
(approximately 20 minutes from Ashland downtown) hosts the most species
of butterflies – more than 95 – among the six butterfly
"hotspots" in Oregon. As soon as the snow melts, the flowers
start a rotating parade of bloom that will continue well into September.
Across the other side of the Rogue Valley, the Cascade-Siskiyou National
Monument hosts more 113 species of butterflies. Many of these butterflies
are rare and endemic. To learn more about local butterflies, Siskiyou
Field Institute gives classes in June.
For another information source of local butterflies, please go here:
Butterflies of Jackson County Oregon
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