Tom and I spent the last weekend of September visiting his friends in Ashland. This Southern Oregon hub is home to four seasons of outdoor recreation, the world-renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival, a robust music scene and a fast growing wine industry. Like most PNW towns, Ashland is best known for its brews and views, but it prides itself on its old-school hippie DNA, which designates it as the most liberal city in the area.
We hit the road Friday afternoon on the 4.5-drive on I-5 S. After essentially crossing the entire state of Oregon, we arrived at Mike and Madison's cozy house in Talent. Our warm and gracious hosts were preparing a delicious home-cooked dinner while we sat around the kitchen chatting. The tight-knit trio from law school accepted me as one of their own.
The four of us went on a run Saturday morning before heading into Ashland for brunch at
Brothers' Restaurant. Ashland generally experiences pleasant weather, so it appeared that Tom and I brought the Portland rain with us. The dreary weather was perfect, however, for an afternoon of wine tasting! We sampled at
Irvine & Roberts Vineyards,
Long Walk Vineyard, and
Simple Machine Wine--a local favorite. The vineyards of Southern Oregon have become known for their diversity of grapes. Nestled between the Cascade, Siskiyou and Coastal ranges, the temperature flux in the Rogue Valley enhances the sugar-acid balance and flavors of the grapes. The hillsides provide some of the highest elevations in the state, which means that vineyards are planted on hillsides rather than the valley floor. About 180 vineyards have taken root in the Rogue Valley, which is situated at the same parallel regions as Spain and Southern France.
Before the play that evening, we dined at
Peerless Restaurant & Bar.
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival has hosted 20 million visitors since it began in 1935 with Twelfth Night. We very much enjoyed the imaginative production of
As You Like It at the Angus Bowmer Theatre. Late-night coffee next door at
Martino's.
We slept in on Sunday before meeting Jordan and Robin for breakfast and football at
Oak Tree Northwest Bar & Grill. Tom and I paid a visit to the famous
Ashland Food Co-op on our way out of town. It felt refreshing to spend the weekend in good company. That being said, since it was a mostly social visit, I would be eager to explore outside during my next trip to Southern Oregon!
I would like to take this opportunity to honor my maternal grandfather, "Pappy," who passed away last weekend. Forever in our hearts.
The PNW is not known for its fall colors, but my neighborhood was glowing with yellow vibrancy by early October.
Nevertheless, I am disappointed to report that after a short summer, fall has seemingly vanished and winter is already upon us. This quick transition to the cold, dark, damp season was confirmed by the fact that Mt. Hood suddenly became snow-covered over night. Naturally, everyone in Portland got sick.
I had hoped to squeeze in a few more big hikes before winter, but I reluctantly moved them to next year's bucket, and instead spent my day off at Forest Park. At 5,200 acres, Forest Park is one of the largest urban forests in the U.S. With more than 80 miles of trails, fire lanes and forest roads, it stretches for more than seven miles along the eastern slope of the Tualatin Mountains, overlooking northwest Portland and the convergence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.
The
Tolinda-Ridge Trail Loop is a 5.9-mile loop (1,685' gain) that follows some of the least traveled trails in the park's central section. The forested trek climbs the Tualatin Hills almost to the crest before descending to the iconic St. John's Bridge. Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier are visible from this viewpoint on a clear day. Note that a half-mile road section (without a shoulder) completes the loop.
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| Date hiked: 10/1/19 |
