If every corner of the world is creating their own dream, then the dream of Ashland nestled in the Rogue Valley, is a pretty lovely one. Ashland is a peaceful town filled with nourishing food and gatherings. It is artsy and nature-based. On its face, it’s a great place to take a hike.
Rock Climbing with Pets in the Rogue Valley
Here in the Rouge Valley, the great outdoors is everywhere. One of our first purchases upon landing here was an essential rock climbing guide, Rogue Rock Climbing Western Oregon: The Rogue. You can find it on Amazon here. We immediately set out to Rattlesnake Rock in the Umpqua National Forest. It has some great easier climbs for families with younger kids.
Not only does the Rogue Valley have enough trails to keep the family exploring for years, but it’s a dog friendly A+. Dogs are welcome on all the trails we have explored to date. What a sigh of relief from the Bay Area where most rock climbing routes were ‘no dogs allowed’ and strictly enforced (Really strictly enforced, like a park ranger is watching, not California beaches strictly enforced, where dogs all run around off leash regardless of strict signage…) So it’s easy to say that Chandra is in heaven here, too.
Southern Oregon has some pretty hot summer days. For us, cold food and beverage is a must on the hot trails with kids. That’s why we absolutely love our ICEMULE Cooler, find it here. It makes exploring with children a hydrated breeze. Gone are the days of warm, smashed, hard-to-carry treats. Versatile, comfortable to carry, ICEMULE Coolers can retain solid ice for over 24 hours! We love companies that create great products. It truly boosts the quality of experience on trail.
Hikes in Every Direction in the Rogue Valley
Nestled in the Siskiyou Mountains and Cascade Mountain Range, there is just more and more nature in the Rogue Valley, and you can go up from it seems any direction. It is a spectacular and quick drive from Ashland up Route 66 into the Cascades, and a super relaxed family hike to Hobart Bluff.
We are hopping between the Valley of the Rogue State Park and Jackson County’s Emigrant Lake RV Park, both which also have awesome trails winding around the Rogue River or Emigrant Lake. Both of these are located in different eco-regions, riparian and chaparral, two of the seven eco-regions the biodiverse Rouge Valley boasts. I did not waste timing using the many eco-regions and distinct elevation landmarks we’ve hiked and skied as a homeschool assignment.
Look at this great site, Ashland Trails, that gives info on all the plethora of great Ashland Trails. The Rogue Valley is along the path of the Pacific Crest Trail, so many places to get lost for miles and miles with magical views like on Hobart Bluff. After you are done with all that hiking, the kids are hungry and it is easy to grab some clean, delicious food in town.
Ashland is a Healthy Restaurant Paradise
Ashland is a family-friendly clean restaurant food paradise. For me, easy + clean = perfect. Ashland has the organic restaurant food experience down to a fine art (it’s Ashland after all, it’s always art here). To start, let’s talk Sauce. Sauce is a delicious whole foods restaurant. You can even order online and pick-up on the go. It’s really the best thing since sliced bread. Plus, an amazing desert selection to indulge if you are eating in and want a bit more.
That is just the start … I’ll need to devote an entire post to Ashland’s kid-friendly (and dog-friendly) scene. But I’ll leave you with Standing Stone Brewing Company. Dogs allowed on the patio. Check. Offers a healthy kid’s snack plate, ‘perfect for tiny, busy hands.’ Check. Clean farm to table food. Check. I’m sold. Ashland, a town of just over 20,000 souls. There are a lot of great posts on why Ashland’s food scene, outdoors scene, including fantastic rafting which we haven’t done yet, is so spectacular.
The Winding Rogue River
Or, why the Rogue Valley as a whole is a great place to land for a long while. For instance, the Rogue River, about 215 miles long, in the Rogue Valley, is a top whitewater rafting and kayaking spot with epic scenery and serenity. It could take me years to post all about the Rogue Valley, and I won’t recreate the wheel, just give quick highlights as our Sprinterfam has found it. Another hidden fun to do near the Rogue River bed is in Gold Hill Oregon, The Oregon Vortex: House of Mystery. For all those Mystery Spot goers in Santa Cruz, this is the next step in your vortex hunting experience.
The Gift of Time
Lastly, I couldn’t leave our first post of Van Life in the Rogue Valley without a quick note on what makes here peaceful. In the Rogue Valley, there is the gift of time. For instance, Ashland. Like all the towns in the Rogue Valley, it is not a bustling city. That’s it. Instead of commuting with frustrated drivers, you are sitting beside a gentle creek.
It’s the moment you realize you have way more hours to cherish each day. Take a stroll, enjoy a hummingbird. Stop by the library, grocery store, and mail box; and yet still have time to cook dinner. That is the gift of time, lost in many other places on this beautiful earth.
