Jacksonville, Oregon: Jacksonville Museum of Southern Oregon History (CLOSED); things to do

Jacksonville Museum of Southern Oregon History  

CLOSED  206 N. Fifth St.

An adjacent Children’s Museum is inside a former jail.



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Jacksonville, Oregon: Drive the Applegate Valley Wine Trail + Troon Vineyard; thing to do

Drive the Applegate Valley Wine Trail

The sun is said to shine here 300 days each year.

Troon Vineyard 

1475 Kubli Rd., in Grants Pass, 541-846-9900.

view from tasting room at Troon Vineyard in Jacksonville, Oregon

Zins and Cabs love the weather here and thrive at Oregon’s seventh-oldest winery. Your first taste is free.



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image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Jacksonville, Oregon Jacksonville Inn; hotel review + restaurant review

Jacksonville Inn  

175 E. California St., 800-321-9344, 541-899-1900. 8 rooms + 4 cottages. Some fireplaces. Full breakfast.

exterior of Jacksonville Inn in Jacksonville, Oregon

Three of the past five presidents (George H., George W., and Barack Obama when he was campaigning) have stayed and eaten here at the Jacksonville Inn, and you can too! Built in 1861 of locally quarried sandstone--specks of gold are visible in the mortar—this old-timer provides luxurious accommodations and acclaimed dining. Rooms vary from historic with 19th-century charm in the hotel (with rustic vintage brick walls, floral wallpaper, and lace curtains) to spacious detached cabins a few blocks away (with a king size canopy bed, a fireplace, and a Jacuzzi for two). Choose the Presidential Cottage and you can sleep in the same bed as George W. Hotel room #5--an airy high-ceilinged corner room overlooking the main street—has two natural brick walls. A vanity sink is in the room—sort of a modern version of the 1800s pitcher and bowl—and the toilet and shower are in a small enclosed space. The merely functional linens don’t have high thread counts and the dated bedspread screams to be replaced with a fluffy comforter, but oak antiques add to the vintage ambiance and books galore and a flat-screen TV provide diversion. The check-in area doubles as a wine shop, dispensing everything from an inexpensive cold bottle of spring water or a $3 bottle of wine up to a collector’s wine costing thousands of dollars.  Bicycles can be borrowed June through September. You can order the included breakfast from a full menu featuring an omelette and scramble of the day as well as eggs Benedict.

The inn’s basement Dinner House (B-L-D daily) has several cozy brick-walled interior rooms as well as a large outdoor patio that is delightful in good weather. The kitchen uses fresh herbs and spices grown organically in the inn garden and is known for its fresh seafood, stuffed hazelnut chicken, rack of lamb, lentil soup, and a delicious house salad dressing. Desserts are noteworthy, especially the signature Hazelnut Meringue Torte—a heavenly concoction of hazelnut meringue, whipped cream, and fresh raspberries. The wine cellar holds more than 2,000 bottles, and picnic baskets can be packed to go.



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image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Introduction to Jacksonville, Oregon

The drive to the historic town of Jacksonville, located about 10 miles from downtown Ashland, passes through some of Oregon's beautiful back country farmland. The first town in America named a National Historic Landmark, Jacksonville delightfully retains its 19th-century charm. Wood and brick buildings dating from the early 1850s line the main street that is now filled with art galleries, antique shops, and restaurants. A free map outlining a walking tour of the historical buildings is available in many of the shops, and you can also tour the town on a motorized trolley.

Once a booming gold town--the Gold Rush here began at nearby Daisy Creek in 1851--and prosperous agricultural center, its decline slowly began when the railroad bypassed it in 1883. Now visitors strike gold of sorts in galleries and boutiques that inhabit the town's vintage buildings.



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image courtesy of attraction