Southern Oregon Living

Ashland Oregon is Like a Dream... You'll Never Want to Leave!  At least that is what the Washington Post had to say about Ashland Oregon.  Located in the beautiful Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon just off Interstate 5, Ashland Oregon was chosen as one of the Thousand Places to Visit Before You Die in the best selling travel guide and named the #2 small arts town in America.  The Rogue River, Crater Lake National Park, the surrounding mountains, old-growth forests, and vineyards - in the sunny part of the state - are just some of the attractions to this small town.  Ashland Oregon is also home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which is acclaimed as one of the top five regional theaters in the country by Time magazine.

Outside Magazine named Ashland Oregon one of the top ten small towns in the U.S. saying "Ashland (pop. 23,000) is an anomaly: It's got the Northwest's first-rate recreation (you can bike or trail-run right from town and the nearby kayaking is incredible) and culture (famous Shakespeare Festival) but not the rain (196 days of sunshine annually).  And with its Napa-style vineyards, this border town is a bit Cali, in a good way."

How to get to Ashland Oregon:

Air Travel

Ashland has it's own municipal airport, charters and private aircraft may utilize, Ashland Muni-sumner Parker Field. Ashland Municipal Airport, is a public airport located two miles (3.2 km) east of the city of Ashland in Jackson County.

There is a larger airport located just off Interstate 5 in Medford, approximately 18 miles away, the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport.  Click here for a list of airlines that fly into Medford, Oregon.

Road Travel

Ashland is easy to get to by driving; it's right on Interstate 5, the major north-south route through western California, Oregon, and Washington. Ashland is just north of the Oregon-California border.

Mileage

• Portland to Ashland - 285 miles
• San Francisco to Ashland - 380 miles
• Seattle to Ashland - 460 miles
• Boise to Ashland - 510 miles

Before making the trek to Ashland Oregon, it is wise to check mountain pass conditions during winter road trips.  The Siskiyou Summit can be a little treacherous in winter months.  

Train Travel
The Nearest Amtrack Train Station is located in Klamath Falls.
Other Nearby stations: Bend, Eugene

Bus Service
Rogue Valley Transportation District
200 Front Street
Medford, OR 97501
541-779-2877
RVTD bus system provides regular bus service on weekdays (routes and schedules available from the RVTD web site). There is no bus service available on weekends.

Taxi Service & Shuttle
Ashland Taxi: 541-890-8080
Cascade Airport Shuttle: 541-488-1998
Yellow Cab: 541-482-3065

Greyhound Bus Lines
220 S Front St.
Medford, OR 97501
541-779-2103
Fares and Schedule info: 800-231-2222
Baggage: 541-773-1894
Greyhound Package Express: 541-773-1894
Greyhound Charter: 800-454-2487
Click here for more Greyhound station information

Get Your Chocolate Fix Today in Southern Oregon!  Feeling a little chocolate craving coming on?  Well, today is your lucky day in Southern Oregon.  Two chocolatey events are taking place today; The 6th Annual Oregon Chocolate Festival at the Ashland Springs Hotel in Ashland Oregon, and the Cocoa Loco Chocolate Tasting Event at Harry & David in Medford Oregon.

Both events are sure to get those chocolate taste buds going.  From assorted chocolate truffles, chocolate brownies (my fav), chocolate fondue, chocolate dipped strawberries, to yummy chocolate cocoa.  It's chocolate lover's dream today in Southern Oregon.  You can get your chocolate fix today!  

Don't waste time diddle daddling on household chores or mowing the lawn, as both of these Southern Oregon events end today at 4pm.  So, get your chocolate fix now!  See you there!

From one Chocolate Lover to another!

Ann Curry will deliver Southern Oregon University Commencement Address.  Ann Curry, a news anchor for NBC, began her humble beginnings in Southern Oregon.  Curry graduated from Ashland High School and the University of Oregon.  She also worked for NBC affiliates in Medford and Portland Oregon before moving to Los Angeles to report for KCBS-TV.  Since then, Ann Curry's journalism accomplishments range from doing the NBC News, The Today Show, and Dateline NBC.

During her 30 years in the journalism industry, Curry has won three Emmy Awards for news reporting, certificates of excellence from The Associated Press, and additional honors for reporting from the NAACP.  Curry recently funded the Ann Curry Scholarship for the School of Journalism and Communication Broadcasting Students at the University of Oregon.

Southern Oregon University commencement ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. on June 5, 2010, at the Mountain Arena on campus at Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd. in Ashland Oregon.

Colbie Caillat Performs in Ashland Oregon.  Colbie Caillat has been the quintessential California girl.  Her idea of a good time is hanging out with her friends at a beach bonfire or hopping in the car listening to tunes while driving up the Pacific Coast Highway.

On "Coco," her Universal Republic debut, the songs mirror Caillat's low-key, refreshing style.  Armed with her acoustic guitar and her dusky vocals, she evokes the same gentle, yet spirited style of her musical influences John Mayer, Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill and The Weepies.

Befitting the organic style of her music, Caillat's fan base has grown by word of mouth, one person at a time.  Last year, she began posting her songs on her Myspace.com; tunes like "Bubbly," a delightful confection about romance, and "Tailor Made," Caillat's joyful message to her sister over seeing her sibling find the perfect mate.

Colbie Caillat will perform her bubbly songs on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 8:00 PM, at the Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak Street in Ashland, Oregon.  See ya there :)

Southern Oregon University - Ashland Oregon.  Southern Oregon University's enrollment has exceeded record levels this winter this term.  The 5,644 students attending classes during the term that started Jan. 4 is the highest number for any winter term and the second highest number of students Southern Oregon University has ever had.  

Southern Oregon University President Mary Cullinan said that their strong enrollment numbers were the result of "good planning, sustained effort, and many people working together to attract students and help them be successful."

Southern Oregon University is located in Ashland Oregon.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition Features Ashland Oregon Business.  A Southern Oregon business will makes its debut on the ABC television show Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

Ashland Oregon business, Funagain Games, sells all kinds of games, but specializes in hobby and designer games.  Last August, the business received an e-mail from a producer who works for Extreme Makeover Home Edition asking for help with one of their projects.  The company agreed to help.
 
Funagain Games was told by the show's producers that the design team was building and decorating, not only a home, but also a community center for kids.  The company donated a wide range of games for all ages, from easy to complex.  "Altogether it was about $1,700 dollars worth of stuff," said, Funagain Games Manager Nick Medinger.
 
When approached in August 2009, the company was asked by the producers of Extreme Makeover Home Edition to not mention anything about the episode until they were contacted again by the producers.  That contact came on Thursday.
 
The Extreme Makeover Home Edition episode featuring the Ashland Oregon Business will air Sunday, February 14th at 8 p.m.

What's in Your Coffee?  An interesting blog called "Putting Weird Things in Coffee" by a Canadian grad student has hit the Internet.  He has experimented with putting the most unlikely ingredients in his coffee, such as smoked salmon cream cheese, bacon, and cheese bread to name a few. 

You might ask, why in the world would anyone combine such strange ingredients in their morning cup of joe.  The grad student explains, (as he puts it) "I drink coffee every day, but get bored with the same old cream and sugar."

Perhaps boredom can be the catalyst for ingenuity and creativity.  If so, perhaps we should all consider giving it a try.  So I ask, what's in your coffee? 

Calling All Southern Oregon Artists - Ashland, Oregon!  The Ashland Forest Lands Commission (AFLC) is sponsoring an Ashland Watershed Map Contest calling all local Southern Oregon artists to enter a rough black and white drawing of a cartoon like map of Ashland's watershed and city.  

The winning artist, who will be selected by the AFLC at their April meeting along with members of the SOU Arts Department and the Arts Commission, will then create a full color map of Ashland's Watershed and other key features of the city. The artist will have their name put on the map and will be awarded $500 for the completed map.  The map will also function as a tourist map of Ashland highlighting key features of the city and surrounding area. See www.ashland.or.us/mapcontest for more information.

Local Southern Oregon Artists have until April 5th, 2010 to make their submissions.  All submissions should be emailed to: ashlandwatershed@gmail.com.  Good luck!