Home of the
Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, in Jackson County, is full of cultural
opportunities. There are also nine other theatre groups,
featuring a wide variety of performances, including
musicals, comedy and experimental theatre. Shakespeare is
always presented in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's
outdoor Elizabethan Theater and other plays are offered in
the Angus Bowmer Theatre or the Black Swan. Music is
everywhere in Ashland, with opera, bluegrass, folk singing
and chamber music being only some of the offerings for
visitors.
In addition to the wide
variety of cultural offerings, Ashland has many forms of
recreation. Skiing Mt. Ashland is a popular wintertime
activity. There are 23 ski runs, 80 miles of cross country
trails, and, best of all, it's only 15 miles from downtown
Ashland. Ashland, built on the banks of Bear Creek, also
has the Bear Creek Bike and Nature Trail. A favorite of
bikers, the trail runs along Bear Creek, then down the
valley to Medford. There is river rafting and jet boat
rides on the Rogue and Klamath Rivers, and many pristine
mountain lakes for anglers to try their hand at catching
steelhead, salmon and trout.