Ashland (Oregon)



Ashland is a city in Southern Oregon located at the south end of the Rogue Valley, only about 15 miles from the California border.

Understand
Ashland is a small town, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of the largest and oldest regional theaters in the country. Southern Oregon University balances the tourist population with students throughout the year. The weather is relatively mild, with a few days of snow in the winter, several days of 100F weather in the summer. Some believe that the town resembles northern Italy or Switzerland, with snow-covered peaks in the winter, a lake not too far away in the valley, and a nice, small-town, community feel that is oh-so-rare these days in the States.

There are two main business districts: one downtown, centered on the Plaza and running southwest along Main Street toward the library. This old-fashioned boutique shopping area is home to many amazing restaurants. In fact, you'll have a hard time finding a bad meal. Connected to this area is 93-acre Lithia Park which was designed in part by John McLaren (also the designer of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park) in 1914. The other business district is around two miles to the southwest along Siskiyou Boulevard where it meets Ashland Street/Highway 66, near the Southern Oregon University campus and the Ashland Shopping Center. Ashland has a limited number of drive-through permits, and thus fast food joints. Wendy's, Taco Bell, Subway and other chains are still open in Ashland.

Outside of the business districts, Ashland offers a host of outdoor attractions. The famous Pacific Crest Trail, Crater Lake, rafting, biking and Mount Ashland ski slope are all nearby.

Many public places, including most hotels and B&Bs, coffeehouses and even pubs offer free wireless Internet access.

By car
Exit 11 (Northbound only), 14 or 19 from Interstate 5 in Oregon.

By bus
Greyhound stops in nearby Medford. The local RVTD bus Route 10 stops at Mr. C's (where the Greyhound bus stations is) at :26 & 56 past the hour. The bus ride into downtown will take you about 10 minutes. Buses run between 5:26AM and 6:56PM, Monday-Friday. You pay when you get on the bus.

By taxi
Taxi service is available from Ashland Taxi Cab +1 541 890-8080 or Yellow Cab +1 541 482-3065.

By plane
The Medford International Airport is located 15 miles north of Ashland and is serviced by Allegiant Air, United Air Lines, and Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air. Cascade Airport Shuttle +1 541 488-1998, taxis and some hotels provides service from the airport to Ashland for a nominal fee.

If you are flying your own plane, you can use the Ashland airport (S03).

By train
The closest Amtrak station is located in Klamath Falls, approximately 80 miles away. A shuttle meets the Coast Starlight from California at 10:20AM each day arriving in Ashland at 1PM If you are traveling from the north you must take the connection bus from Portland to the Ashland shuttle. Both shuttles arrive at Safeway about a half mile from downtown. Check www.amtrak.com for more information. *Note:* The Southwest Point shuttle from Klamath Falls to the area is much cheaper than adding the bus leg on an Amtrak ticket

Get around
Parking is free, and easy to find in the wintertime, but summertime availability is a different story, with downtown parking getting quite scarce on evenings when the Shakespeare Festival has shows (i.e., every night but Monday). Many hotels and B&Bs are located close enough to the center of town to make it an easy walk. There are bike lanes downtown and extending outward from the downtown area, making this an easy town to bike around in.

Most days, the Rogue Valley Transportation District operates buses running from one end of town to the other; these buses are $2.00. Be aware, however, the buses run limited hours (5:30AM to 7PM) and do not run at all on weekends.

See
Take a walk along Ashland Creek running down from the hills along Lithia Park, along Calle Guanajuato, running behind the Plaza restaurants and storefonts, and through the center of town. There are plenty of picnic benches and sitting benches for contemplation and conversation in the woods, as well as duck ponds, playgrounds, two large greens and a skating rink in the winter.



Regional Activities

 * Rafting on the Rogue and Upper Klamath Rivers. Check out Indigo Creek Outfitters, Northwest Rafting Company, Kokopelli River Guides, Momentum River Expeditions, Noahs Rafting for 1/2, one day, and multi-day trips.
 * Fishing in the Rogue River.
 * Hiking on Mt. Ashland (Pacific Crest Trail proximity).
 * Fishing in the Rogue River.
 * Hiking on Mt. Ashland (Pacific Crest Trail proximity).
 * Fishing in the Rogue River.
 * Hiking on Mt. Ashland (Pacific Crest Trail proximity).
 * Hiking on Mt. Ashland (Pacific Crest Trail proximity).
 * Hiking on Mt. Ashland (Pacific Crest Trail proximity).

Holidays

 * Impressive Halloween crowd downtown.
 * The Fourth of July Parade is a big event for the town; it draws visitors from around the region.
 * Festival of Lights Parade at the end of November; when all the Christmas lights in the town are turned on.

Eat
Ashland's status as a theater and tourist destination means more good restaurants per capita than might be expected in a town of its size. There are also plenty of budget offerings for the town's college students. Many restaurants offer vegetarian choices. However, Ashland is one of the few places in Oregon that charges a 5% local sales tax on all prepared food. Here are some popular places by price and area:

Southwest end
There are also fast food chains like Subway, Taco Bell and Wendy's.