Ashland, OR

I attended the Ashland Oregon Greeters meeting this morning, kindly hosted byRick Harris and Krista Bolf, owners of Coldwell Banker ProWest in Ashland Oregon. We were given a treat to open up the holiday spirit by two of the Ashland Holiday Carolers.

This group is recruiting singers who would like to volunteer to sing on the weekends during this holiday season, strolling through downtown Ashland sharing joy with us all. Look for them while doing your holiday shopping at the many wonderful Ashland shops or dining at the fantastic restaurants here. They'll be Singing in the Plaza from 6-9p.m. following the Festival of Light Parade Friday November 28th.

Want to participate? Dress in period clothing? Sing at the top of your lungs? Have time available Saturdays and Sundays from Noon - 4p.m.?

Come on out to downtown Ashland:

November 29 - 30

December 6-7

December 13-14

December 20-21

See you out there (although you'll appreciate that I won't be singing)!

Karen Cooper - OR/CA Mortgage Consultant - www.Quality4Loans.com

Recently, we visited the Green Springs Inn outside of Ashland Oregon. The restaurant here has been a pit stop of ours since our early days of moving to the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon. Diarmuid McGuire had contacted me here through Active Rain, having seen from my Blog that I have a love of nature and an appreciation of the incredible beauty to be found here in Jackson County Oregon and the surrounding areas.

Diarmuid wanted to share the amazing project he and his son Paddy have been working on - building 15 cabins next to the Green Springs Inn just 10 miles South of Ashland Oregon where the Siskiyou and Cascade Mountains meet. This is not just another hotel. These cabins are works of art that reflect the heart and soul of their builder/owners.

Diarmuid told us the story about how they acquired the 145 acres the cabins is located on. This land is located next door to the original Green Springs Inn & Lodge which has been here since 1987 and owned by the McGuires since 1994. This acreage was timberland previously owned by Boise Cascade. Boise Cascade's methodology was not one that the McGuires believe is best for the environment, the trees, or the wildlife supported by the land, and Diarmuid told us about the times they saw Boise Cascade come in to spray to kill the grasses, killing wildlife and their food sources. Trying to prevent this devastation from taking place, the McGuires had been requesting Boise Cascade sell this parcel to them. Before Boise Cascade finally sold the land to a small timber company with plans to clear cut this beautiful forest land who in turn sold it to the McGuires and their investor(s), Boise Cascade had succeeded in silencing the exquisite sounds of the song birds and other wildlife native to this area.

After a great deal of time and energy, Diarmuid and Paddy are off and running with the building of the 15 cabins located next door to the Green Springs Inn & Restaurant. Two cabins are complete and ready for occupancy, three are under construction and should be completed this year. The lumber going in to build the cabins and their cabinetry has been harvested sustainably from trees onsite, milled onsite, and kiln dried in a solar kiln also located onsite. The cabins are built in a loop, with the right amount of distance and placement to give the optimum privacy that generates an incredibly romantic getaway location.

Views of the Pacific Crest Trail on the mountain ridge across an evergreen valley are available from some of these cabins, a view you may take in from a two person spa located on the deck. Each cabin has a small kitchen area, screened in dining areas, wood burning stove and dual shower in addition to the spa on each deck. A community sauna will be available soon with hours assigned to each cabin occupant, creating another layer for your relaxation and romance.

I can't wait until our anniversary to roll around, so we just may have to book a Valentine getaway! Green Springs Cabins are too good to wait for!

See you out there! (or, hopefully not, this time! It is a romantic getaway after all! :->)

Karen Cooper - OR/CA Mortgage Consultant - www.Quality4Loans.

Any Southern Oregonian who plays in the vicinity where the Siskiyou and Cascade Mountains join in Southwestern Oregon understands the incredible beauty to be seen in this federally protected area of Jackson County containing the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Pacific Crest Trail hikers, horse back trail riders, snowmobilers, cross country skiers and snowshoers from all around come to this area to enjoy its natural beauty and easy accessibility.

At the junction of E. Hyatt Lake Road, which leads to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, and Highway 66, about 10 miles South of Ashland Oregon you'll find the Green Springs Inn Restaurant and Lodge. After a handful of years being operated by different owners, this restaurant which first opened in 1982 and was purchased by the McGuires in 1994 is back in their tender loving care once again. The restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, and is a great stop for breakfast or lunch after your hike or ride. Like Blue Grass music? Stop by the third Sunday of every month between 2-6 p.m. and enjoy the "impromptu jam session" by local musicians. You'll find them at:

Green Springs Inn
11470 Highway 66
Ashland OR 97520
(541) 482-0614

For folks looking for a serene location for your overnight stays, you should look in to staying at the Green Springs Lodge or Cabins. Diarmuid McGuire gave us a tour of the new cabins they have available now, and those are worthy of their own article! Stunning location, amenities and story behind them, so stay tuned for a new article.

See you out there!

Karen Cooper - OR/CA Mortgage Consultant - www.Quality4Loans.com

Did you know Route 66 winds its way right through Southern Oregon? It was such a wonderful Autumn Day, with temperatures in the high 70's. We were chomping at the bit to get out of the house and enjoy this day. What better destination to have than no destination at all? Having communicated earlier in the week with Diarmuid McGuire, owner of the Green Springs Inn located about 10 miles South of Ashland Oregon (the McGuires are back!), we thought we would start our meanderings in that direction, and head down Route 66 to see what Fall Foliage we might experience along the way.

The scrub oak are presenting their fabulous colors, coating entire hillsides with their rusty color palate.

The groves of birch trees we found after looping out around Hyatt Lake and Howard Prairie Lake made a brilliant splash of yellow against the vibrant green of their evergreen backdrop.

Looping back around Dead Indian Memorial, SR 37 and Highway 140 gave us our chance to bid our Summer playground adieu, while preparing ourselves for the different color palate we'll see when this playground becomes our Winter playground within the next couple of months.

This area sees a fair amount of snow each year, but the main roads are kept clear of snow leaving all our favorite spots accessible to us year round. Howard Prairie Lake Resort's season runs April 15 - October 15, but the rest of the area is open during the winter. We plan to make it to Table Mountain Winter Play Area for sledding, with lunch and hot cocoa afterward at either Hyatt Lake Resort's restaurant or at Green Springs Inn.

If the temperatures are cold enough this winter to freeze this section of the Howard Prairie Lake, we just might try snow shoeing from Camp Apserkaha over to Buck Island, which is one of our favorite places to anchor our boat off of when we sleep out under the stars in the Summer time.

We so love living and working in Southern Oregon!

See you out there!

Karen Cooper - OR/CA Mortgage Consultant - www.Quality4Loans

It is with great excitement that the new homeowners who have participated inthe Rogue Valley Community Development Corporation's Mutual Self-Help Program at Terrace Court are moving in to their homes. These 6 homeowners have completed their townhome units on the South side of Ashland on Siskiyou Blvd at Park Street, and are moving in to their homes. Congratulations to these homeowners and the incredible support system they have had through Rogue Valley Community Development Corporation and Jobs Corp teams that have helped these six families' dreams to become homeowners a reality!

Rogue Valley Community Development Corporation is a local non-profit housing developer who has successfully built a number of homes for low income Jackson County residents.

RVCDC held their meeting this past week for interested homeowners looking to participate in their next project, townhomes to be located in the new Verde Village project, a community of not only energy efficient, but utility independent homes. For more information, contact John Wheeler or Roxana Zepeda at Rogue Valley Communtiy Development Corporation in Medford, Oregon (541) 734-2355.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/487525/Affordable-Housing-for-Ashland

http://activerain.com/blogsview/294253/Utility-Independent-AND-Affordable

See you out there!

Karen Cooper - OR/CA Mortgage Consultant - www.Quality4Loans.com