Spring Roadtrip 2016 to Ashland Oregon!
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First Posted 4-4-2016 and Last Updated 4-13-2016
Roadtrip to Oregon!
Spent the week in Ashland, Oregon on the ranch. Saw three plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and ate, drank, shopped and had a great time away from Los Angeles!
And we stopped overnight in Cambria, California on the way home. Saw the Saturday sunset over the Pacific Ocean, stayed at the Bluebird Inn Motel, had dinner and drinks, spent Sunday visiting Cambria and the Pacific Ocean at Moonstone State Beach.
And now we are back home in Los Angeles to tell the story!
NOTE: This Blog is actually composed of multiple Blogs and there are also other Blogs and several Periscope videos (saved on Katch) linked to this Master Blog. Please RIGHT CLICK AND “OPEN IN NEW WINDOW” to view them!
We traveled to Ashland, Oregon and back. We left Monday evening after dark at 9pm and drove the 5 freeway all night. It’s about 770 miles from Los Angeles to Ashland and we did it in about 9-1/2 hours.
Going over the Tejon Pass just out of Los Angeles, there was rain, sleet, snow and hail blowing sideways directly into the front of the cars climbing the grade. It wasn’t quite a “whiteout”, but it was unexpected and caused a little delay due to slowing traffic and bad conditions. Luckily, it didn’t last that long and coming down the Grapevine was a nice leisurely cruise.
We fueled up in Valencia (9:15pm) as we left Los Angeles, and stopped for gas in Santa Nella (12:15am) and Corning (3:30am), California along the 5 freeway to Ashland, Oregon.
Arriving in Ashland, Oregon (6:30am) before sunrise on Tuesday morning, we stopped for a big Breakfast at the Breadboard Restaurant (opens at 7am).
On the Menu: Country fried steak, 2 eggs over easy (we asked for over medium), potato “homers” home fries, toast & jam, and 3 cups of coffee. Great way to start the day!
GOOD MORNING ASHLAND, OREGON!
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We went over Lithia Park for a morning walk after breakfast, but it was too cold by Ashland Creek for this Southern California boy on Tuesday morning.
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“Tuesday Afternoon in Lithia Park in Ashland Oregon”> http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3mi
We went back to Lithia Park later in the day after it warmed up and walked the park from the playground to the picnic area (and Periscoped and saved it to Katch) and then back.
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Walk with me Lithia Park (Periscope saved on Katch) > https://ktch.tv/8ZmC
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“Tuesday Afternoon in Lithia Park in Ashland Oregon”> http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3mi
Tuesday Evening – Dinner at the Texas Roadhouse BBQ in Medford, Oregon
Our first night in Ashland, we had the fine idea to drive up to Medford (only about 20 minutes north on the 5 freeway) to the Texas Roadhouse BBQ for a big dinner.
On The Menu: BBQ baby back pork ribs, bone-in ribeye steak with fries, side of chili, dinner salad, bread & butter, salted shelled peanuts and a coke.
Wednesday
Take A Drive To Grizzly Peak! (weather permitting)
Out and Back to the National Forest on Dead Indian Memorial Road
Wednesday morning we set off to have an adventure in Ashland, knowing that we had a brunch meeting and a matinee performance of “Twelfth Night” later in the day.
We decided to head up towards Grizzly Peak on Dead Indian Memorial Road past the Ashland Airport and the Bella Fiore Winery (Read our Previous Blog) and drive as far as we could until we had to turn around and come back for brunch. We also hadn’t filled up the gas tank, so we had a limited range in terms of “as far out and back”.
We made it past Mile 22 and into the National Forest before we turned around! We saw and wrote our name in the snow. We saw snow covered Mount Shasta and a lot of beautiful Oregon country as we drove up and into the pine forest. We turned around when we reached our time, range and weather limit: we had to get back for brunch and we had just enough gas to get down the mountain, and we reached an elevation where the road got icy.
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The ride back to Ashland was equally beautiful and we stopped for photo opportunities along the way. Dead Indian Memorial Road has great views and a lot of safe turnouts to pull over, enjoy nature and take pictures. I’ve been all the way to the summit in late spring and summer and it is beautiful! There’s a hiking trail to the top and great views of Mount Shasta from the parking lot (again weather permitting).
NOTE: Dead Indian Memorial Road is not really maintained during the winter, at night or in inclement weather. And the weather can change quickly so be prepared! Watch out for snowplows, service trucks, other equipment, black ice, horses, deer, elk and snowmobiles! Travel the road to Grizzly Peak carefully!
“Grizzly Peak (elevation 5922 feet) affords an outstanding view of the Rogue Valley and the city of Ashland. This short trail to the summit passes through a mixed forest of fir and pine. The trail also offers outstanding views of the Cascades including Diamond Peak, Mt Mcloughlin, and Mt. Shasta. In early summer wildflowers put on a spectacular show along the trail. Keep an eye out for elk and deer, as well as many other animals including Golden Eagles and other birds of prey.”
Season: April 1 to November 15 – No Fees!
Trail Length: 3 miles one way
Difficulty: Moderate – Use level: Moderate to High
RIGHT CLICK AND “OPEN IN NEW WINDOW” TO VIEW THE BLM Website> http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info.php?siteid=346
Wednesday Brunch at Greenleaf Restaurant on the Plaza in Ashland, Oregon
We drove back to downtown Ashland and parked at the entrance to Lithia Park just off the plaza. A quick walk down the street and we arrived at Greenleaf Restaurant and met our host for brunch. We’ve eaten here before, it’s a local favorite, they serve both breakfast and deli sandwiches all day, with a lunch menu after 11:30. There is indoor seating, seating on the patio on the pedestrian friendly lane, and “to go” counter service. They have picnic style boxes available on the menu for people wanting to take their food on an adventure.
On The Menu: 2 eggs over easy (asked for medium), bacon, fruit, english muffin, orange juice and iced coffee
We filled up the gas tank at the historic 76 Station in downtown Ashland and then parked the car in a 4 hour lot.
We walked over to the OSF campus and the Angus Bowmer Theatre for the “Twelfth Night” Matinee at 1:30pm.
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Oregon Shakespeare Festival Spring 2016 http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3c4
Wednesday Evening Dinner at Sesame Asian Kitchen in Ashland
Trying something new, at the recommendation of our host, located just off the plaza next to the entrance of Lithia Park and the pedestrian friendly Guanojuato Lane. It’s an Asian Fusion menu and they have indoor and outdoor seating.
On The Menu: Ji Bao with Chicken, Orange Chicken, Asian Salad, Ginger Beef with Noodles (we it sent back) and a coke.
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It was the first time we tried Sesame Asian Kitchen and it wasn’t good. The Ji Bao with chicken was tasty but dry and could have used lettuce or some kind of vegetable to give it some moisture. The asian salad was basically cole slaw without mayonnaise. The orange chicken was okay, but could have definitely used more orange or flavor in the sauce. There’s no picture of the ginger beef and noodles because we sent it back! The beef was so completely overcooked it was like jerky…inedible. Our server had a trainee shadowing him but the service was just okay and there wasn’t really an apology for the bad beef. They get a lot of tourist business because of their location, but we probably won’t be back again.
Thursday
Thursday Morning at Noble Coffee and Walking the Railroad District
Noble Coffee on 4th Street has the best coffee in town. It’s a local favorite and far away from downtown in the Railroad District.
There are some very good restaurants, the Peerless Hotel, cool shops and galleries, a small park and the railroad tracks in the neighborhood, as well as the Grange Co-op and a lot of cool old buildings and houses.
The Goodwill Store (on Tolman Creek Rd) in Ashland
We’ve been to the Goodwill Store in Medford on previous trips, so this trip we decided to check out the branch in Ashland on Tolman Creek Rd. and we weren’t disappointed. This store gets really good stuff donated from the Ashland community, a lot of whom are well-to-do retirees from other places. We made a decision before embarking on this road trip, that we weren’t going to buy a lot of things or spend a lot of money on thrift store items, so we limited our shopping to small and inexpensive gifts and souvenirs. At the Ashland Goodwill Store we found a Penguin Snowglobe with a working music box inside for $3.00 and chose three comic books (Sgt Rock Special #6, the Spawn Bible #1 and Buckaroo Banzai #1) from the large selection of packaged and in good condition comics that had been donated (there were a few hundred) at $.49 each for sentimental reasons.
Thursday afternoon we drove north on the 5 freeway to Medford, Eagle Point and Central Point for lunch and some food shopping.
We started with Lunch at Kaleidoscope Pizzeria in Medford
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On the Menu: Caesar Salad, 3 pieces of Aloha Pizza with pepperoni and a coke
(and we took the leftover pizza “to go”)
We drove around Medford after lunch and went Food Shopping at The Butcher Shop, the Rogue Creamery and Lillie Belle Farms Handmade Chocolates.
The Butcher Shop in Eagle Point is a cool specialty shop that is a far distance away but worth the drive if you like good meat and seafood. They also have fresh seasonal produce, cheeses and other food items as well. We picked up some steaks for freezing and a big piece of sushi grade Ahi Tuna for supper later.
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A visit to the Rogue Creamery is a regular stop when we visit Southern Oregon. It’s owned by friends and the award winning cheese is incredible! They make it all on premises by hand, with their special recipes, and age it in special caves that give it the rich flavors.
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There’s always a nice selection to choose from, they have patio seating and make grilled cheese sandwiches on premises. There also a good selection of Rogue Ales, crackers, fresh pasta, jams and gift items available for purchase in the small shop area inside.
And then a stop next door at Lillie Belle Farms Handmade Chocolates…
We LOVE Lillie Belle Farms Handmade Chocolates in Central Point!
Read the Blog!
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Right Click and “Open in New Window” to Read the Blog “Lillie Belle Farms Handmade Chocolates in Central Point, Oregon”> http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3kb
We sampled the cheese and chocolate while we were shopping and drove back to Ashland with an insulated grocery bag full of good stuff. The Ahi Tuna was excellent with soy and ginger for supper!
We had a ticket to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s adaptation of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Yeoman of the Guard” Evening Performance in the Thomas Theatre at 8pm and we were told to arrive early for the audience interaction “pre-show” at 7:30pm.
RIGHT CLICK AND “OPEN IN NEW WINDOW” TO VIEW THE BLOG>
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Spring 2016 http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3c4
There was no intermission and it was a short show, so about 9:45pm we walked the plaza at night and headed upstairs to the Brickroom for a post show cocktail and some food.
After Theatre Drink at the Brickroom: Stoli Rocks with a splash of pineapple and an order of small fries with barbecue sauce to soak it up before heading back to the ranch.
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RIGHT CLICK AND “OPEN IN NEW WINDOW” TO READ OUR PREVIOUS BLOG
The Brickroom in Ashland, Oregon> http://wp.me/p3dhVM-1AV
We took our time driving The Ranch at night hoping to see some wildlife on the way. We’ve seen elk, deer, coyotes, jack rabbits, skunks, an owl and squirrels on the road at night, but this time nothing at all….
And we ate the leftover piece of cold Aloha pizza from lunch before going to bed.
Friday
Coffee at Starbuck’s at Pioneer & Main Street in downtown Ashland on Friday morning. Then we walked down to the Village Bakery and bought a chocolate covered croissant (and Periscoped it but didn’t save it). On the walk back we stopped into the new smoke shop in town, Smokin Deals Custom Glass & More and took a bunch of pictures for this Blog.
A long line for Coffee at Starbuck’s in downtown Ashland on Friday morning:
Village Bakery on Main St in Ashland
Picker’s Paradise
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“Vintage Disney Storage Finds #6 – Disney Stuff! Thrift Shop Finds in Oregon”> http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3bb
Our planned afternoon activities were cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances so instead we drove over to the OSF Box Office and switched our ticket to the Friday matinee of “Great Expectations”. We parked the car in the 4 hour lot and went to the show.
“Great Expectations” Friday Matinee in the Angus Bowmer Theatre
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Oregon Shakespeare Festival Spring 2016 http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3c4
Wonderful Friday Night Dinner at The Loft in Ashland Oregon
On The Menu: fried calamari, mussels florentine, bacon cheeseburger & fries, duck breast with cauliflower/brussel sprouts and chocolate tart with sea salt caramel ice cream
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We saw three plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival while we were in town: a Wednesday matinee of “Twelfth Night” set in 1930’s Hollywood, a country version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Yeoman of the Guard” on Thursday night and a Friday matinee of the world premiere adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations”.
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Oregon Shakespeare Festival Spring 2016 http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3c4
Saturday and SOUTHBOUND!
Ashland, Oregon to Cambria, California
We left Ashland, Oregon on our return drive on Saturday morning at about 9:30am and arrived at the beach in Cambria, California 9 hours later at 6:30pm just in time for the sunset.
NOTE: Here’s the story of how we ended up in Cambria for the sunset>
When we set out there was no predetermined destination or idea of where we might end up. At some point we would decide “enough driving” or find our journey’s end.
When we stopped at Taco Bell in Oroville for a Burrito Supreme the original choices were Reno, Yosemite and San Francisco. Both Reno and Yosemite would require a lot of extra driving and it was already late in the day to arrive in Yosemite at night without a reservation and there’s the cost of the entrance fee as well. So we set out for San Francisco and continued south on the 5 freeway.
The Winters cutoff (Highway 505) was great and we made excellent time and then hit a lot of traffic at the Highway 80 junction. And as we approached San Francisco there was a lot of traffic going into the city, so instead we headed for San Jose and Santa Cruz.
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“Vista Point – Benecia, California”> http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3mK
We drove by our friends house, but no one was home, so we waved and kept going. And then again at the 680-880 junction there was a line of cars backed up a mile to go over the hill to the beach, so we vetoed going to Santa Cruz and continued south on the 101 freeway.
We had the option to get off in Napa-Sonoma as we approached San Francisco and we could have done “wine country”, and we probably should have since we were right there, so as we approached Arroyo Grande and Paso Robles there was another chance to stop and taste the “fruit of the vine” but we weren’t sure where to go as it was after 5:30pm on Saturday evening.
So San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach would be our destination, but then we remembered it was Spring Break and we saw the sign for Highway 46 to CAMBRIA and thought “Hearst Castle” and there are a lot of fond memories of visiting as kid. We could make it to the beach by sunset, have some food and try to find a room or place to camp near the ocean. A quick turn of the steering wheel to the right and we were on our way to Cambria and Highway 1 with the thought of maybe driving to Big Sur on Sunday…
Coming down the hill on Highway 46 west we saw the fog rolling in over the ocean and coast. It looked like a sea of clouds and the mountain tops were islands in the sky.
It didn’t take long to get to downtown Cambria and we drove down Main Street and found a parking place at the beach. There’s a wooden boardwalk along the shore to protect the plants and tourists. Greenspace and protecting the environment are of major interest to the local people and the beautiful unspoiled landscape is one of the major tourism selling points.
We parked our car and watched the sunset between the clouds and the ocean, it was just a sliver of orange off in the distance. It was beautiful and a fine end to a long 9 hour drive.
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HELLO CAMBRIA, CALIFORNIA!
We got lucky and with one phone call got a nice motel room at the Bluebird Inn on Saturday night in a town with “No Vacancy”, then had a nice dinner at Robin’s restaurant and cocktails at the Cambria Pub & Steakhouse (open until midnight) and Mozzi’s Bar (open until about 2am).
A good friend’s parents were the long time owners of the Bluebird Inn Motel and our friend worked there before moving south and getting married. There was an open invitation to come visit but we never made it back to Cambria (another reason for the side trip). After the sun set we tried to call our friend to ask him where to eat in town, but dialed his old work number at the Bluebird. We were surprised when he answered “Bluebird Inn”, but then asked “I know you are full, but do you know anyone with a room?” He said, “We just had a cancellation, so I have a king bed, non smoking available.” Ten minutes later, we were at the Bluebird Inn.
Right Click and “Open in New Window” to Read the Blog “Saturday Night at The Bluebird Inn Motel in Cambria, California!”> http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3gi
Dinner at Robin’s Restaurant was recommended by Ben at the front desk, he said his boss liked to eat there and enjoyed the food. He also recommended Linn’s and the Sow’s Ear. We got settled into our room and called over to Robin’s and got an 8:45pm dinner reservation (they take reservations until 9pm) and a little after 8:30pm we walked over to the restaurant which was 2 blocks from the Bluebird Inn Motel.
On The Menu: Naan Pizzette (a BBQ chicken pizza on naan bread), chicken sate with peanut sauce and cucumber salad and two bottle of hot sake.
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And then cocktails (Stoli rocks with a splash of pineapple) at the bar at the Cambria Pub & Steakhouse and later at Mozzi’s Bar. We left our eyeglasses behind at closing time, so we had to walk over on Sunday afternoon to retrieve them… must of been having a good time.
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Sunday morning, it was overcast and gray, we enjoyed a continental breakfast at the Bluebird Inn (included with the room), then checked out at noon and went to find our eyeglasses at Mozzi’s Bar.
On the Menu: Continental Breakfast included coffee, orange juice, mini-croissants, pound cake, fruit (bananas & tangerines) and strawberry yogurt.
The Bluebird Inn Motel gets a big thumbs up! Big thanks to Ben and Holly for their advice on where to eat and what to do and for being super-friendly and helpful while doing their jobs at the front desk. The room was also large, super clean and comfortable, with a real King Bed and a vanity area with a large size mini-refrigerator and small microwave. The new owners “refreshed” the bathroom and walk-in shower and there was plenty of ultra-hot water even though the motel was full. Even though the room was on the end next to Main Street, there was no traffic at night and it was pretty quiet.
We spent a nice day walking around Main Street and downtown Cambria visiting shops, galleries and historic sites. At about 4pm it was still overcast, so we drove down to State Beach to see the ocean again and hoped the sun would burn through.
Main Street in Cambria is filled with Galleries and “Antique”, Gift and Thrift Shops!
If you like to shop for pretty things and cool art there’s lots of here. There are also a lot of restaurants, wine tasting rooms and places to indulge your sweet tooth.
Want some candy? Visit Sweet Offerings Confectionary in Cambria!
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Right Click and “Open in New Window” to Read the Blog “Want Some Candy? Visit Sweet Offerings Confectionary in Cambria, California!”> http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3ik
Cambria is also a Historic California Town with a very interesting past. Many of the businesses on Main Street occupy buildings on the State Registry of Historic Places. There’s also a History Center, a Chinese Temple and the Santa Rosa Catholic Church built in 1870, a beautiful chapel on a hill complete with an old time cemetery.
It was a gray day in Cambria and along the coast, so we decided not to drive north to Big Sur, and later decided not to drive Highway 1 to San Luis Obispo because of the weather. The sun did come out for a very brief moment when I was at the beach taking pictures.
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“SQUIRREL! No Fear! Do Not Feed The Wildlife!”> http://wp.me/p3dhVM-3fu
Right Click and “Open in New Window” to Watch the Video “At the Pacific Ocean in Cambria, CA” (Periscope saved on Katch) > https://ktch.tv/97x_
NOTE: I’m always happy to take a picture of a couple in love when it’s not inconvenient. I’ll even offer “would you like me to take a picture of the two of you?” I don’t usually post pictures of myself, but I asked the couple I just photographed if they would take a picture of me at the beach. (breaking the fourth wall here because someone asked for it)
We made a quick visit to the Harmony Cellars Winery in Harmony, CA (population 18) just south of Cambria, they were about to close so we just took pictures and didn’t drink wine.
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We left Cambria about 6pm on Sunday and drove back to Paso Robles and the 101 freeway south because it was still gray along Highway 1 south and I wanted to see a good sunset. It was a beautiful evening drive back through wine country on Highway 46 . We made it back to the freeway and headed south on the 101. We stopped for gas and Taco Bell on the way.
NOTE: We stopped at Taco Bell twice on our way south. In Oroville on Saturday as we previously mentioned for a Burrito Supreme and in Nipomo on Sunday for a pit stop and a Beefy Burrito. We ate inside both times which was a good thing because both burritos completely fell apart after two bites and made an absolute mess. In Oroville we ordered at the Drive-Thru but it took too long so we parked and went inside to get our burrito.
We stopped again along the 101 freeway in Goleta, just north of Santa Barbara and watched a beautiful sunset as the sun went down over the ocean and the freeway.
After the sun went down, we got to Santa Barbara, and other people were driving like f*ckin’ idiots and doing stupid things the whole way back to the San Fernando Valley. We drove safely and arrived home about 9:15pm without incident after another great road trip!
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Drive Home Agoura to Encino (Periscope saved on Katch) > https://ktch.tv/97xH
All photos copyright 2016 JoshWillTravel
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