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.