Ashland — Our New Home Base
From San Diego, we didn’t head straight to Oregon.
We made a stop first.
A Few Days with Family
We drove up to Lafayette, California to spend a long weekend with family. Arrived Friday afternoon. Left Monday morning.
It was exactly what we needed. Biking. Hiking. Watching games. Just hanging out. So good.
Monday we pointed the car north. Toward Ashland.
The Drive
The drive from Lafayette to Ashland is beautiful. The hills are so green this time of year.
Rolling green hills along the way. That yellow is fields of wildflowers.
Hello, Ashland
We arrived Tuesday, March 3rd.
We found our place through FurnishedFinder.com — a 3-month lease on a third-floor condo. We couldn’t get in till March 20th, so we stayed at an Airbnb until then. We are at the condo thru June.
Best decision we made. Views from the condo.
The view from our balcony. Mt. Ashland — snow-capped — straight ahead.
The view from the balcony is stunning. Looking out over the town, the valley, the mountains behind. Mt. Ashland covered in snow. We never get tired of it.
Weather Watching
One of our unexpected favorite things about this place?
Watching the weather.
Clouds rolling in off the mountains. We watched this for a while.
We can sit on the balcony and watch the clouds roll in and out over the mountains. Low clouds wrapping around the peaks. Storms building. Clear skies breaking through.
It’s like watching a movie in slow motion. Only better.
And then one late afternoon — this.
A double rainbow. Right from the balcony.
Full arc. We stood there a long time.
A double rainbow. Full arc over the valley. From our own balcony.
Hobart Bluff Trail
We’ve done a few hikes since arriving. Grizzly Peak. Hobart Bluff Trail.
View from Grizzly Peak. That's Mt. Shasta in the distance.
It’s a moderate hike up into the mountains above Ashland. Steady climb through the pines. And then you get to the top.
Ben at the top of Hobart Bluff. The valley stretches out behind him.
Happy hikers. Worth every step.
The views are fantastic. Mountains in every direction. The Rogue Valley spread out below. And on a clear day — you can see all the way to Mt. Shasta in California.
Worth every step.
Up to Mt. Ashland
We also drove up to Mt. Ashland — the ski area sits at nearly 7,500 feet — and did a short hike at the top.
Mt. Shasta from the top of Mt. Ashland. That is California in the distance.
Looking south from the summit, Mt. Shasta rises up clear as anything. That’s California, right there.
Incredible.
So Far, So Good
We are still here. Still loving it.
We continue to search for a house to purchase.
In the meantime, we enjoy the mountains. The trails. The views from the third floor. The weather rolling in.
Peaceful. Contented. Beautiful.
The Full Route
Iowa to Oregon. The long way.
The whole adventure — from Iowa to Ashland. Every stop along the way.
Worth every mile.
Next up — Lithia Park in Bloom. You won’t want to miss it.