What National Geographic's Guide Says About Southern Oregon. Jackson and Josephine County sites are included in a unique map unveiled Tuesday by National Geographic magazine and Travel Oregon. National Geographic's Central Cascades Geotourism MapGuide - its ninth such effort worldwide - received more than 1,200 nominations for its stylized map of places of interest for tourists discovering the Oregon and Washington Cascades. About 200 nominations made the cut.
Here's a sampling of what National Geographic says is in its new Cascades Travel Guide:
Ashland: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, outdoor activities, Mount Ashland for skiing, culture and arts - people who visit often want to move to Ashland. This vibrant community tucked in the shadow of the Siskiyou Mountains, home to Southern Oregon University, has been voted among the top 10 best small towns to both visit and live ...
Applegate Trail Interpretive Center Museum: What was it like to come to Oregon in a wagon train? Why is Jesse Applegate regarded as one of Oregon's first statesmen? What was the geopolitical import of the Applegate Trail? This stop, easily found off I-5, teaches Oregon history, pioneer history and lifestyle, and the sheer brawn needed to survive in one of the world's great migrations ...
Table Rocks: In a region made up of volcanic and glaciation actions, these two formations stand alone. The "Table Rocks" volcano tubes, observed from the air, show the throat of two extinct volcanoes that appear to be sheared off at the exact height of each other. The formations also show horizontal scratch marks made by glacier shearing; the existing valley elevation surrounding them shows how much erosion has occurred since that ice age. A trail provides access for visitors ...
Wolf Creek Inn: Built in 1883, Wolf Creek Inn is the oldest continuously operated hotel in the Pacific Northwest. It is here that Jack London completed his novel "Valley of the Moon." As an important stop on the 16-day stagecoach journey from San Francisco to Portland, the Wolf Creek Inn has housed practically every important person found in the Northwest during the early history of Oregon ...
