Southern Oregon

Girlfriend Getaway By Monique Reidy Five Sensational Days in Southern Oregon

NOTHING SOLIDIFIES FRIENDSHIPS LIKE A GETAWAY WHERE BONDING AND REMINISCING CAN TAKE PLACE OVER SEVERAL DAYS. A FEW DAYS OFF THE GRID CAN RENEW THE SOUL AND REIGNITE KINSHIP AND CAMARADERIE. CHOOSING A FAMILIAR DESTINATION IN ORDER TO RETURN QUICKLY TO FAMILY AND WORK CAN RESULT IN THROWING TOGETHER A PLAN THAT IS SIMPLY UNDERWHELMING. OPTING TO EXPLORE SOUTHERN OREGON WILL ENABLE FRIENDS TO ENJOY COMPANIONSHIP WHILE TAKING IN SOME OF THE MOST REMARKABLE LANDSCAPES AND EXPERIENCES ALONG THE WEST. HERE, WE LIST THE BEST POINTS OF INTEREST NOT TO BE MISSED WHEN FORGING A FABULOUS GIRLFRIEND GETAWAY.

Hummingbird Estate

Rogue Valley Ashland

Jacksonville

Lithia Park

A quick and easy flight fromSouthern California, Rogue Valley International Airport in Medford is the place to begin exploring Oregon’s southern region. The Rogue Valley consists of small towns; Jacksonville, Eagle Point, Ashland, White City, Talent, Phoenix, Medford, Shady Cove, Grants Pass, Merlin, Gold Hill, Rogue River, Hugo & Sunny Valley, each with its own distinctive charm. The allure of the region began in the ‘70s when the tasty wines produced in the area put Southern Oregon on the desirable wine destination map.

Southern Oregon offers something for everyone. Snow skiing on Mount Ashland, backpacking along the Pacific Crest Trail and rafting down the Rogue River are available for the outdoorsy set, while wine tasting is the preferred leisure activity of the connoisseur. Take in a performance at the world-renowned Shakespeare Festival in Ashland and visit adjacent Lithia Park to marvel at the picturesque trees, lakes and shrubs. Of course, every girls’ getaway involves shopping, and with no sales tax in the State, the retail experience is much more fun.

While there are dozens of lodging options in the area, to get a taste of the captivating history of the Rogue Valley, Hummingbird Estate is where you’ll want to park your luggage.

Hummingbird Estate A 10-minute drive from Medford Airport, Hummingbird Estate is a 7700 square-foot residence that sits at the edge of Jacksonville, Oregon and overlooks the entire Rogue Valley. This traditional English cottage has been converted to a tasting room and Bed and Breakfast, offering luxury suites, each with a sitting room, private bath, and daily breakfast. The menu changes daily, but generally a house-made entrée, fruit and sweet item is offered. Coffee, tea and water are available, and dietary restrictions can be accommodated. Breakfast can be arranged upon check-in and is served in the dining room or in the Japanese Maple Courtyard.

Situated on 47 acres, guests can enjoy long walks on site and take in stunning 360-degree views of the vineyard and surrounding valley. Built in 1926 by British architect Louis B. Humphreys, Hummingbird Estates is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Much of the property retains its original charm, and each suite carries its own theme, history, and storyline.

HUMMINGBIRD ESTATE

1677 Old Stage Road

Central Point, OR 97502 (541) 930-2650 www.hummingbirdestate.com

Guided Tour of the Rogue Valley with Main Street Tours Once you’re situated and the luggage is unpacked, it’s time to check out the area. Main Street Tours offers professional guided tours of the Rogue Valley and the expert guides provide the historical overview of each destination on the itinerary. Owner Nathan Dwyer is an entertaining storyteller as he dispenses his expansive knowledge about every corner of Southern Oregon.

Excursions include Wineries and Artisan Food, Crater Lake Winter Trekking and a fully guided Wine Country Bike Tour. Dwyer will take you to the Harry and David location where the celebrated brand was originally established. He can take you to Jacksonville where you’ll walk through the historic rural community and go back in time

through a place that has been named “One of America’s Top 10 Coolest Towns” by Frommer’s. He will explain the evolution of the wine culture in the region. While Dwyer has a catalog of specific destinations, if there are landmarks you wish to investigate, tours can be easily customized.

A Main Street Tour is the perfect intro to the south of Oregon and everything the region has to offer.

MAIN STREET TOURS

(541) 625-9845 info@ashland-tours.com www.ashland-tours.com

Rellik Winery A few minutes’ drive from Hummingbird Estate, Rellik Winery is an ideal spot for girlfriends to sip some wine and relax in the stylish tasting room or vine covered patio. The lunch and early dinner menu features artisan pizzas, a charcuterie board, and a variety of seasonal salads.

Rellik's Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay vineyards were originally planted in 1990 and they’ve since expanded to include Grenache, Malbec, Viognier and Tempranillo.

The stunning property features more than 200 fruit tree orchards, a pond, firepit, and sweeping views of the surrounding vineyard. There are donkeys, 15 alpacas and one llama on site and they all make fabulous selfie backdrops. Rellik is open Thursdays through Mondays from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 pm. Travellers Ice Cream, located on the property, serves house made frozen treats and a girlfriend favorite … adult floats made with rosé with a scoop of ice cream.

RELLIK WINERY

970 Old Stage Road

Central Point, OR 97502 (541) 499-0449 www.rellikwinery.com Rellik Winery Kriselle Cellars

RoxyAnn Winery

Rogue Creamery RoxyAnn Winery One of Southern Oregon’s oldest orchards, Hillcrest Orchard is situated on 200 acres of sloping hillside, 70 of which are dedicated to creating RoxyAnn Winery’s red and white varietals. There are 13,000 cases of award-winning wines produced each year.

Founded in 2002 at the historic Hillcrest Orchard in east Medford, RoxyAnn Winery is not just iconic, it’s a fun afternoon hangout. The Tasting Room, known as The Honor Barn, has earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places along with ten other structures on the property. Spacious, contemporary, and equipped with a state-of-the-art kitchen and tasting bar, the barn features plenty of seating and live entertainment. Along with their 17 wine types, the tasting room features a selection of innovative wine-centric products for sale.

ROXYANN WINERY 3283 Hillcrest Road

Medford, OR 97504 (541) 776-2315 www.roxyann.com

Kriselle Cellars

One of the loveliest views that accompany a tasting experience can be found at Kriselle Cellars, located in the heart of Southern Oregon’s scenic Rogue Valley. The outdoor terrace offers the best seats in the house with majestic 180-degree views of the vineyard and grazing cows below. Girlfriends can easily spend the day indulging in wine and reminiscence while taking in the magnificent views.

Kriselle Cellars produces approximately 4,000 cases of red and white varietals which are bottled in a 5,000 square-foot building at the family ranch near the Rogue River. The company is committed to sustainability and 100% renewable energy in the vineyard, the winery and the tasting room.

KRISELLE CELLARS 12956 Modoc Road

White City, OR 97503 (541) 830-VINO www.krisellecellars.com

Rogue Creamery A visit to Southern Oregon is not complete without a stop at Rogue Creamery. This is more than a small neighborhood cheese shop, although it is certainly that. It’s an internationally recognized creamery in which delicious cheeses are crafted daily by president and cheesemaker David Gremmels. Sandwiches and soups can be ordered to go or enjoyed at the property and the selection is extensive and flavorful. Rogue Creamery’s award-winning blue cheese varietals top the list, followed by an array of cheddars and curds. Tastings are available and highly recommended.

Rogue Creamery serves the best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches most patrons have ever had.

Also available are Artisan provisions jams, nuts, olives, cured meats, honey, and during the summer, homemade honey ice-cream.

Gremmels says he creates new cheese recipes continually and each is more delectable than the next. “It took me about a year to learn to make cheese,” saysGremmels, “but I haven't stopped learning.”

An entirely organic operation, Rogue Creamery has been crowned as “World’s Best Cheese” by consumers in Japan, Europe and the United States. It has also been named the “#1 Best Green Workplace in Oregon” by Oregon Business Magazine. >>

ROGUE CREAMERY 311 N Front Street

Central Point, OR 97502 (541) 665-1155 www.roguecreamery.com

Decant

Decant Restaurant

Family is a significant part of Decant – they are welcome to dine there, and the restaurant is owned and managed by a multigenerational family with lots of experience with good food. Most of the ingredients are certified organic and sourced from local farmers.

Executive Chef Todd Meyerhofer transplanted his years of experience as the Executive Chef at the Culinary Institute of America, Graystone and Copia Restaurant in Napa, California to Southern Oregon. His menu features entrees such as Duck Leg Confit, Duroc Pork Chop, Fresh Halibut, Grilled Shrimp, and the best truffle fries on the West Coast. Indoor and patio seating is available.

DECANT

1108 East Main Street

Medford, OR 97504 (541) 776.1234 www.decantmedford.com

Bella Union Restaurant

The Bella Union Restaurant & Saloon, located in Jacksonville, is popular for its seafood, homemade pastas, and creative pizzas. There is a full bar with an extensive wine list. The outdoor patio is always bustling with people who love good food and the saloon is reminiscent of Oregon’s early days.

The Bella features live music Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Favorite local artists as well as emerging entertainers are spotlighted, and a list of performers is available on the restaurant’s website.

BELLA UNION RESTAURANT

170 West California Street Jacksonville, OR 97530 (541) 899-1770 www.bellau.com

Klamath Falls

At 4200 ft., Klamath Falls is a mountain-top destination filled with clean air and magnificent views. The area offers an array of outdoor recreation like camping at one of nine campgrounds, glamping, ziplining, mountain biking and a variety of water sports. An overnight stay in a genuine tipi is available through Heartline Ranch and Tipi Village. Bird watching is a popular activity given that bald eagles, owls and other exotic fowl can be spotted in flight and on trees. Those who prefer to spend their leisure time indoors can enjoy art galleries and theater performances.

The quaint and historic downtown area is lined with antique shops, boutiques, independent book shops and weekly farmers markets. There are no mega stores or overcrowded streets in the area known as the “City of Sunshine” because it enjoys 300 sunny days per year, even when it snows.

info@discoverklamath.com www.discoverklamath.com

Crater Lake National Park Visit

As Oregon’s only national park, a visit to Crater Lake is almost required. The panoramas are

Klamath

Crater Lake National Park

exhilarating, and the natural beauty energizes the soul. The depth of the lake is 1,943 feet which makes it the deepest lake in the United States, and the ninth deepest in the world.

The Lake is accessible by car over a 33-mile Rim Drive and visitors can stop along the way to admire the beauty and take photos. Those who prefer to explore the lake on foot can make the onemile hike down a switchback trail to the water. There is a rangerguided boat tour of the lake, easy as well as challenging hiking trails and a trolley tour is available during the summer months.

Crater Lake National Park rangers are on hand to educate the explorers about the eruption of Mt. Mazama that created the nearly 2,000-foot-deep crater. The lake was consequently and entirely created from melting snow. >>

CRATER LAKE

NATIONAL PARK

Crater Lake, OR 97604 www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm

Running Y Ranch Resort

Running Y Ranch Resort

Running Y Ranch Resort If Klamath Falls is on the itinerary, Running Y Ranch Resort is the place to stay while touring the area. Located near Crater Lake, the resort sits within 3600 acres at the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range and features an 18-hole Arnold Palmer golf course, asports center, and Sandhill Spa.

The full-service spa, a necessary activity to include in every girls’ getaway, offers skin and body treatments such as the Coconut Body Polish, the River Stone Massage Seaweed and Algae Mud Wrap and the RY Signature Facial. Other Services include waxing, manis and pedis, and Ashiatsu.

The resort offers special seasonal events and activities such as kayaking, geocaching and fly fishingin the summer and snowshoeing in the winter. Running Y Ranch Resort is not just an 82-room Lodge - there are beautiful custom homes and chalets on the property as well.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner can be enjoyed on site at Ruddy Duck Restaurant on the lobby level. The casual American cuisine can be enjoyed indoors but taking in a meal on the terrace is a captivating visual experience. Ruddy Duck’s menu favorites include specialty pizzas, Bison Burgers, and Shrimp Alfredo.

RUNNING Y RANCH

RESORT / RUDDY DUCK

RESTAURANT

5500 Running Y Road

Klamath Falls, OR 97601 (541) 850-5500 www.runningy.com Thai Orchid Cafe

Tai Orchid Cafe

Downtown Klamath Falls is a short drive from Running Y Ranch Resort and Thai Orchid Café is a great place for off-site dining. The restaurant offers authentic Thai food such as red, yellow and green curries, pad Thai, Garlic Pork Salad and an award-winning Tom Kha Gai. The casual décor and friendly staff help diners relax as they enjoy a delicious meal.

THAI ORCHID CAFE

900 Main Street

Klamath Falls, OR 97601 (541) 273-0707

With so much to see and experience, Southern Oregon should be at the top of any travel wish list, especially one to take with a group of good girlfriends. The climate is mild with an average annual maximum temperature of 68 degrees and a minimum of 41. May is the most pleasant month of the year, but travel to this special region of the Western Coast promises to be a hit any day of the year. v (541) 708-1994 www.southernoregon.org