When you travel to Ashland, Oregon, you will find that there is wide variety of local attractions and activities to enjoy while staying at Lithia Springs Resort and Gardens. Here are ten suggestions, including Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Crater Lake.

1. See William Shakespeare at his best at the Oregon Shakespearean Festival.
Click Here www.osfashland.org

2. Puzzle over the House of Mystery www.oregonvortex.com, 15 miles from Ashland.

3. Enjoy a picnic and a good bottle of wine under the stars, while watching world class music performances at the Britt Festival www.brittfest.org.  How can you ever go wrong enjoying a bottle of fine wine and great music under the stars with someone you love?

4. See the largest Buddha outside of Asia at the Tibetan Monastery built by old Buddhist Lamas who came from Tibet 30 years ago in answer to a 20,000 year old prophesy of their sect to "Bring Enlightenment to The West".  The original Rinpoche is still alive in his late eighties. 

5. Visit Wizard Island, 2 miles below the rim of Crater Lake, in one of the most spectacular and least busy national parks. Ninety miles from the inn, it is a good day trip. www.crater-lake.com 

6. Take the Applegate Wine Trail through the Applegate Valley which hasn't changed much since I was a boy there, 60 years ago. The Applegate has 9 small tasting rooms, with some of the best wines being produced in Oregon. Be warned, as a guest told me lately.  Great wines, but in one case we had to wait for the farmer/wine maker to get off his John Deere tractor and to kick the mud off his boots before he could pour us some wine.

7. Visit Jacksonville, just 20 miles from the inn, a mining town built in the 1850's.  It is 4-5 city blocks of captivating old historic charm.  Check out the Beekman House, a fully intact original home, with all the original furnishings and misc from the 1870's. www.jacksonvilleoregon.org

8. Take a Jet Boat down to the wild and scenic part of the Rogue in Grants Pass, 40 miles north. www.hellgate.com

9.  In the spring, climb Table Rock and enjoy the views of the valley and all the flora and fauna of this unique geological wonder preserved by the Nature Conservancy. Get a map at the inn.

10. Watch the Bald Eagles and Brown Bears with someone you love, from the safety of 2-man river boat while you catch dozens of steelhead on a 4-day float trip through the wild and scenic portion of the Rogue River in October. www.noahsrafting.com