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  PORTERS RESTAURANT  
 

- DINING AT THE DEPOT

 
     
 
In the heart of Medford, Oregon, Porters is a classic American restaurant & bar located in a beautiful and authentically restored 1910 National Historic Train Station. 

The city of Medford was born in the late 1800s when the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad pushed south through a town called "Middleford" in the Rogue Valley. By 1910 Medford, renamed by a railroad engineer, was a rapidly growing, prosperous community and Jackson County had become one of the fastest growing counties in the United States.

In February of 1919 ground was broken for a new brick railroad depot to replace the older, wooden structure located south of Main St.  This new depot was completed and dedicated in October of that same year, a mere nine months from start to finish. After just two glorious decades passenger rail service declined due in part by the great depression and the increasing popularity of automobile travel.

From 1955 to 1966 the depot was used only as a freight office. Now, after extensive renovation as a restaurant and bar and designation as a National Historic Landmark, this true gem of Southern Oregon architecture once again proudly serves the community.  For more information please visit www.porterstrainstation.com

 
       
  HISTORIC JACKSONVILLE  
     
 
The city of Jacksonville lies nestled in the beautiful foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains.  It has been hailed as one of the most historically significant communities in the western United States and is located just 5 miles west of Medford.

After the Gold Rush Gold was first discovered in the Oregon territory at Rich Gulch in 1851, miners flocked to the Rogue Valley from everywhere to seek their fortune.  A thriving mining camp emerged along the gold-lined creeks and before long, the bustling camp was transformed into a town named “Jacksonville”.  Gold rush fever brought prosperity very quickly to Jacksonville and by the winter of 1852, saloons and gambling halls were springing up to coax the gold from the hands of eager prospectors. Makeshift shops, supply stores, a bank and all sorts of enterprising businesses suddenly began to appear on the scene.

During these early “boom” years, Jacksonville became the hub of commerce in Southern Oregon and the county seat of government. In 1884, when the railroad decided to bypass Jacksonville and choose the valley route through what is now Medford as the primary link between north and south, many residents and businesses moved away. A few wealthy merchants built grand mansions and the new County Court House was completed in1884. By the1890’s, agriculture had replaced mining as the main industry in the Valley.

Now the entire town of Jacksonville is a National Historic Landmark.  Take a stroll or in the summer months, hop aboard our town trolley to view over 100 historic buildings dating back to the mid 1800's. A trip up the hill to the Jacksonville Cemetery offers a view of truly one of the most beautiful cemeteries in America filled with granite and marble monuments, mossy trees, roaming deer, and spectacular view over Historic Jacksonville.  Jacksonville is also home to the Britt Festival which draws thousands of music lovers to Jacksonville throughout summer and early fall as world-class entertainers make their appearance on the Britt stage, known for its incredible natural acoustics.  For more information please visit www.jacksonvilleoregon.org
 
       
  MEDFORD RAILROAD PARK  
     
 

Founded on the site of the old city sewer works, the Medford Railroad Park has been open free of charge to the public since 1981. The Medford Railroad Park is the only railroad park in the country operated by five different railroad groups. They are the Southern Oregon Live Steamers, the Southern Oregon Chapter - NRHS, the Rogue Valley Model Railroad Club, the Southwest Oregon Large Scale Trains, and the Morse Telegraph Club. A six club - a blacksmith group - is now joining the park and a Z-scale model railroad club plans on joining the park soon.

The Live Steamers club operates nearly 10,000 feet of trackage. The SOC-NRHS club has eight full size railroad pieces of rolling stock on display; four of which are restored, plus they have an operating motorcar/handcar ride for the public to enjoy. They also are currently rebuilding for operation a 70-ton, 1925-built Willamette geared logging locomotive at the park. The Rogue Valley Model Railroad club currently is constructing a huge indoor HO-scale layout. The Southwest Oregon Large Scale Train club is now building a new outdoor G-gauge layout ten times larger than their existing layout. The Morse Telegraph Club operates three telegraph shacks where the public can send free messages by use of Railroad Morse Code.

The Medford Railroad Park grows in popularity each year as new items are added or restored. During the fourteen regular Sundays the park is opened to the public the Live Steamers carry over 21,000 passengers a year. The motorcar/handcar ride will be extended another 800 feet as soon as the old garden railroad layout is dismantled and added to the new one. A new museum/archives building is in the final stages of construction, which will benefit the entire park.

Attendees, keep in mind that you will be getting a private trip to this park on Friday, April 30th!

 
       
  HARRY & DAVID COUNTRY VILLAGE  
     
 
American homes relish receiving the Harry and David Catalog, showcasing gift baskets brimming with Rogue Valley pears, apples, and confections. If you're a fan, you're in for a treat - the orchards, manufacturing facility, and their flagship Harry and David Store are located right here in Medford.  For more information please visit www.harryanddavid.com.  For information on factory tours click here Factory Tours
 
       
  OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL  
     
 
Ten miles south of Medford, in the town of Ashland, you can enjoy spectacular live theater.  Founded in 1935, the Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival is among the oldest and largest professional non-profit theatres in the nation.  Each year OSF presents an eight-and-a-half-month season of eleven plays in three theatres plus numerous ancillary activities, and undertakes an extensive theatre education program.  But don't let the name fool you, there is something for everyone to enjoy ranging from Shakespeare to both classic and contemporary drama and comedy. Both evening and matinee performances are available.  For more information please visit www.orshakes.org
 
       
  WINERIES  
     
 
The climate in the wine growing region of Southern Oregon is often compared to that of Bordeaux France with it's wine makers producing award winning wines that are finding their way into the hearts of not only American wine lovers but are also receiving international acclaim being served in the finest restaurants and resorts both here and abroad. While Oregon wineries are being discovered, many small boutique wineries are still best kept secrets just waiting for you to discover them on a trip to Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce has Winery and Orchard Tour maps available for you so that you can visit many of Southern Oregon's food and wine destinations to fully experience the culinary delights of Southern Oregon, from wine, to the award winning cheese of Rogue Valley Creamery, Gary West Meats popular Beef Jerky and sauces and the chocolate makers such as Lillie Belle Farms and Dagoba producing delectable varieties of chocolate confections right here locally.
 
       
  OREGON VORTEX  
     
 

The Oregon Vortex and House of Mystery is an area of naturally occurring visual and perceptual phenomena.  The House of Mystery itself was originally an assay office and later used for tool storage, built by the Old Grey Eagle Mining Company in 1904.  But the history of the surrounding area, The Oregon Vortex, goes way back to the time of the Native Americans. Their horses would not come into the affected area, so the Native Americans called the area the "Forbidden Ground", a place to be shunned.

Many years before The House of Mystery was built it was noted that unusual conditions existed there.  But it was not until John Litster, a geologist, mining engineer, and physicist, developed the area in the early 1920's and opened it to the public in 1930.  He conducted thousands of experiments within the Vortex until his death in 1959.  For more information please visit www.oregonvortex.com

 
       
  HELLGATE JETBOAT EXCURSIONS  
     
 

Hellgate Jetboat Excursions draws nearly 85,000 people every season, which runs from May 1st through September. Visitors from all over the world make Grants Pass’ Hellgate Jetboats their destination in order to board the propeller-less boat that is pushed by the hydro-jet that glides just inches above the water's surface.
Along the river, trained, educated and witty Hellgate pilots offer a narrated historic overview of the region and point out landscape features amid the most majestic scenery to line any waterway in the country. On every trip, pilots point to nearby wildlife such as deer, river otter, osprey and bald eagles flying overhead, guarding nests or perched on high branches. 

Passengers on the morning, afternoon, or white water tours pass through whitewater class II rapids and are driven to the very edge of the Rogue’s restricted section, ending at Hellgate Canyon with 100-foot-high cliffs made famous for the cliff-jumping scene in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. On the return ride, jet boat adventurers stop in for brunch, lunch or dinner at the newly remodeled Northwest River Lodge called the OK Corral.  For more information please visit
www.hellgate.com

 
       
  CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK  
     
 

The Crater Lake lodge and rim drive are often closed until June due to snow.  However the park is open with snowshoeing tours and cross-country skiing all winter.  The roads may require chains, but most likely by the end of May they should be pretty clear.  For more information please visit http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm