OUTDOORS
In Search of
Color Notes from a quick road trip to Ashland Story and photos by Joshua Savage
I
t’s a given that we all love Bend, and most of us have our favorite season here. Autumn has always been mine, but sometimes I miss being surrounded by the glorious multicolored leaves that are reminiscent of where I grew up. Bend does offer some autumn beauty, though. The golden maple trees along Industrial Way offer a wonderful display. Shevlin Park showcases the aspens that appear almost fluorescent green and yellow and the Western larches morph into a brilliant yellow this time of year. You can find some autumn hues in other local areas, especially the parks, but to be really immersed in the season, a bit of travel is required. Luckily, we live in Oregon, a state with diverse climates and vegetation. After hearing friends rave about Southern Oregon, Ashland called our name and with a quick three-hour drive south, we arrived at the perfect destination for fall color viewing. Sure enough, as we passed Crater Lake and entered the Siskiyou Mountains, suddenly the foliage began to change. Towering pines gave way to colorful deciduous trees. The moisture in the air was noticeable and the smells stronger, too. As my family and I approached the city of around 20,000, traces of the recent fires were evident in some places, but fortunately much of the area had been spared. Instead of the charred black landscape we feared, a valley full of yellows and oranges popped into view. We arrived at Ashland Springs Hotel, an almost century-old structure on Main Street. This historic building emits a regal feeling with a comfortable mix of the past and present. Throughout the hotel hang framed samples of plants, lifelike drawings of birds and other scientific specimens any nature lover will appreciate. From the windows in our rooms, we were able to view the changing leaves in the mountains. An ideal location, this would be our home base for numerous downtown strolls.
36 | BendNest.com
“What’s a trip without a good hike? Half an hour away, Grizzly Peak offered just what we needed. As we approached the trailhead, the sky turned gray and then the snow fell.”
