Adventures in Ashland

Last month Tyler and I decided we needed a mini-vacation.  We were able to quickly throw together a wonderful trip to southern Oregon and had an amazing time!  On our way down I-5, we stopped to spend a few hours at Wildlife Safari in Winston.  I hadn't been there in several years and it was a first for Tyler, so it was a great vacation appetizer.  It was a different experience to see all the animals in the drive-through open-exhibit zoo.

 After leaving Wildlife Safari, we drove to Ashland and checked into our hotel, Greensprings Inn.  This adorable log cabin style lodge with its accompanying cabins was about 15 miles up a winding mountain road, so at first I wasn't sure what to expect.  I was very pleasantly surprised, and by the time we checked out I was so relieved we had made the right choice.  We were away from the noise of the town, and the mountain air was extremely relaxing, which is exactly what we needed.  The staff was friendly and helpful, and the grounds were beautiful.  After exploring the grounds, we had a meal in our room from the Inn's restaurant, and it was delicious!  There was no tv in the room, but there were some board games so we took Scrabble to the little amphitheater in the woods used for live music and weddings and we played like children.

There were a few lakes up in the mountains that we decided to check out.  This was Hyatt Lake.

The next day we visited Emigrant Lake, a great park for picnics, gatherings, and water play.  We took a walk around the edge of the lake, soaking up the sunshine and natural beauty before heading into town for the day.

Later we walked through the Southern Oregon University campus, where I spent my Freshman year.  We laughed about how I remembered shockingly little of a place I spent nine months of my life, then headed across the street to Great American Pizza Company for, hands down, the best pizza I've ever had.  AND... gluten-free crust!

The rest of the day was spent enjoying beautiful Lithia Park in the heart of downtown Ashland.  The park has a playground for children, endless trails, and an unexpected amount of wildlife.  We encountered many birds, snakes, and deer just off the path.  Lithia Park was so serene and pristine, I desperately wish we had a similar haven in Portland.

To finish off our relaxing vacation filled with sunshine, we stopped at Mix Sweet Shop for a cold treat.  Passion fruit sorbet and Earl Grey chocolate chip ice-cream sent us on our way with happy tummies and happier hearts.