Today’s picture goes along with yesterday’s. It was taken a couple of months after yesterday’s photo in 2004. My kids and I were hiking on Bull Gap Trail. In the background (upper left) you can see Wagner Butte.

Bull Gap is a trail that leads you right up to the ski lodge on Mt. Ashland. I’ve hiked it a couple of times and ridden my bike down it a half dozen or so times. If you want to bike down it you should ride your bike up the main road to the lodge or you can ride up some fire roads to get there. If you start from Ashland you’ll be in for a long day. If you don’t have the time you can drive a car up to four corners and ride up from there.

Both Bull Gap and Wagner Butte are in the Siskiyou Mountains. From both you can view the Cascade Mountain Range.

Posted on November 28th, 2008 under nature, only in ashland, people, places. Tags: biking, hike, mountains, people, trees. Comments Off on Bull Gap Trail

Ashland is perhaps best known for its theatrical arts. Besides the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, there are countless plays going on in and around town. On most nights you have your choice of between 3 and 8 or so different plays to see. Not bad for a town of just over 20,000 people.

With all of these professional actors, directors, etc. in town it’s no surprise that the schools have amazing drama programs. The middle school plays are as good or better than high school plays elsewhere. The high school plays are as good or better than university plays elsewhere. And the SOU plays are better than professional plays elsewhere.

Unfortunately, I can’t stand plays. So I only go when I have to. Unfortunately, that is very often as my son loves to attend and participate in them.

The above photo is from the curtain call of Ashland Middle School’s rendition of “This is a Test.” They also performed “Small Actors” on the same night a few weeks back.

Posted on November 23rd, 2008 under only in ashland, people. Tags: ashland middle school, oregon shakespeare festival, people, plays, Southern Oregon University. Comments Off on Ashland Middle School Play

Posted on November 7th, 2008 under nature, only in ashland. Tags: autumn, clouds, grizzly peak, home, mountains, trees. Comments: 5

Thousands participate in the afternoon parade that descends on the downtown plaza area of town. The merchants give out candy to trick or treaters. If you want a break from the masses of people just follow the sign to the right and you’ll be in Lithia Park which looks really good this time of year.

Posted on November 4th, 2008 under only in ashland, people. Tags: autumn, buildings, halloween, lithia park, oregon shakespeare festival, people, signs. Comments Off on Ashland Halloween Parade 2008

Ashland, Oregon Halloween Parade 2008

The building is the Ashland Elks Lodge, built in 1910.

Posted on November 3rd, 2008 under only in ashland, people. Tags: buildings, halloween, people. Comments: 1

Ashland is a popular town for holidays. People come from all of Oregon (and even California) to participate on the 4th of July and Halloween. The parties go all night long.

Halloween festivities kick off with the Ashland Parade beginning at the library at 3:15. Everyone marches to the city center from there and downtown remains pretty crowded until 3 or 4 in the morning, 12 hours later.

In the next few days I’ll show you a few pictures. Today I’ll even include a video so you can hear and almost feel the atmosphere.

Posted on November 2nd, 2008 under only in ashland, people. Tags: halloween, people, signs. Comments: 1

This is the aforementioned house at night. I don’t think they quite made it up to one jack-o-lantern a day this year. Perhaps they also counted the bats hanging on the porch to get to the correct number of days.

Posted on November 1st, 2008 under only in ashland. Tags: autumn, halloween, houses, night photography. Comments: 6

Photo taken in October 2004

Posted on October 31st, 2008 under only in ashland, places. Tags: houses. Comments Off on Happy Halloween!

Photo taken October 2004

Granite Street in Ashland is famous for its catering to trick or treaters. Many houses get very decked out. One in particular (shown in tomorrow’s entry) turns into a haunted mansion. Children are invited in for a tour by the witch on the porch. Only some come back out. Expect to hear some screams.

Posted on October 30th, 2008 under only in ashland, places. Tags: halloween, houses. Comments Off on Halloween, Granite Street