It sounds like the town of Ashland is right up your alley. Just off Interstate 5 and just north of the California border, this town is, arguably the region’s main tourist destination. It boasts a wide variety of restaurants and
accommodations, including boutique hotels and many bed-and-breakfasts, plus the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Cabaret Theater and a vibrant arts scene in a small, walkable downtown area.

The Railroad District is home to numerous galleries, on the other end of town is the Schneider Museum of Art at Southern Oregon University. See the Mail Tribune newspaper’s guide to visual arts and the Shakespeare festival for more information.

The beginning of the holiday season brings the festival of lights, craft fairs and ice-skating in Lithia Park, one of locals’ favorite spots for easy,picturesque hiking. Ashland also a cyclists’ town with mountain biking,
the Bear Creek Greenway and numerous bike shops.

Family-friendly activities abound, but there’s Science Works Hands-On Museum, North Mountain Nature Center and programs at Northwest Nature Shop.

Ashland makes a good home base for exploring Jackson County’s other attractions: Crater Lake (the state’s only national park), Jacksonville, a national historic landmark (also a good town for antiquing), as well as lots of artisan foods, particularly Rogue Creamery and Lillie Belle Farms in Central Point.

The best way to experience Mount Hood, especially if you want to get up close to some snow, is to visit Timberline Lodge. You won’t get any closer to the mountain. They do a great lunch buffet, for a very reasonable
price using many local ingredients. Take a ride up on the ski lift to the Palmer Snowfield, where you can play in the snow year round, even in August.

You may also consider making a stop at Trillium Lake on your way to Bend, and not far from Timberline Lodge. Yet another great view of the mountain here, reflected perfectly in the lake if the wind isn’t blowing too
hard.

Enjoy planning your Oregon adventure.

Crabbing and clamming don’t always go hand in hand.  You want to have minus tide for good clamming so that the beds are exposed. For crabbing, ideally you want a small tidal exchange so that the current isn’t too great.

You will find the most low tides in May, June and July but twice every month there are minus tides, during the full and dark phases of the moon.

A common saying for crabbing is “any month that ends in a ‘R’ has the best crab.”  The later into the fall the better.  During the summer, crabs are available but it can be hit and miss.  Also, there will be more soft crab in the summer.  A soft crab is one that has recently molted its shell and will not have as much meat.

Nehalem, Tillamook, Netarts, Yaquina, Alsea and Coos Bay are all very popular crabbing spots.  Nehalem, Tillamook nd Yaquina have some piers/docks you can crab from.  Most bays also have boat rental places.

Two days in Oregon will give you time to explore the Oregon Trail and native American history, including the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute around Pendleton or further east in Baker City at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. Check out geologic history in the Painted Hills and the John Day Fossil Beds, including the amazing Thomas Condon Paleontology Center. If you’re looking for wilderness adventure, head to the Wallowa Mountains in the northeastern corner of the state or the Steens in Southeastern Oregon. For a great overview and idea planning, I recommend you start here.

The summer skiing on Mount Hood rocks! We were just up skiing on Hood yesterday and it was an amazing day. When are you coming, do you need to rent gear, and what would say your ability level is currently? Can’t
wait to have you out here in Oregon! Have a fantastic day and can’t wait to hear from you!

A great hiking option, relatively flat, is the Deschutes River Trail, which runs right through Bend. The trail system is awesome!  People do swim at McKay Park, but it’s not really safe or a swimming  hole, necessarily. If you want that, I’d head up to Elk Lake. Especially in August, the water is warm and definitely safe – try the South Beach for a shallow hole. There is a lot of hiking up there, but it’s more mountainous. Have a wonderful trip!

The South Coast is one of the best places to U-pick blueberries, with the prime location being Langlois, just south of Bandon and north of Port Orford. There are a couple of family-run farms just off Highway 101 that mark their location with signs. Look for Jensen’s, which is organic. Berrying usually is at its height in August, and with this year’s cold summer, ripening could be even later.

Various species of blackberries grow all over the southern part of the state, particularly near waterways and will be ripe into September. Black and red huckleberries thrive under fir canopies near the coast. There also are salal berries on the coastal headlands and the more elusive orange-crimson salmonberries.

If you go north from Crater Lake toward Bend on 97, you can then head east on Highway 26. You will pass through wonderful small towns between Prineville and Mitchell as well as plenty of campgrounds and hiking options in the Ochoco National Forest. From Mitchell, you can follow the John Day River on Oregon 19, a beautiful route that will lead you directly to Ione.

I take it you haven’t been here before? I’ll tell you my top five highlights for the Bend area: The High Desert Museum, the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, The Deschutes River Trail, Downtown Bend and Mirror Pond, and The Old Mill District on the Deschutes River. I would devote a day to driving the mountains (Cascade Lakes) and a couple of days to exploring town. Maybe catch a concert at the Les Schwab Amphitheater? Maybe head north 45 minutes and spend a day at Smith Rock  State Park – it’s spectacular. If you want tidepools and the coast, you’ll need to drive four hours west. Well worth it, but your call if you want to take the time. Enjoy!

That time frame is ideal for salmon on both the Columbia River and the Oregon Coast.

Tillamook and Nehalem Bays will be heating up (Nearest towns are Tillamook, Garibaldi, Rockaway and Nehalem.  The guys can fish while the girls shop, beach comb or explore.  I would suggest Garibaldi House as a  very nice place to stay. Boat rentals are available at the local marinas on the bays or you could do guided trips.

Fishing on the Columbia R takes place in several locations from Astoria to the Columbia Gorge.  There are a few seasonal closure dates on some sections, but it will all be open for most of September.

If not familiar with the Columbia, a guide is highly suggested because of changing seasons as well as fast water, currents, commercial ship traffic and shallows. Please don’t hesitate to ask any more questions, I’d love to help.