![\"\"](\"https:\/\/melsatlas.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/66CB6055-1F16-4976-A3CA-9BAD12C5FA77-1024x768.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/melsatlas.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8F8DB0F4-0F50-4BAD-BE32-B0E1978CF424-768x1024.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/melsatlas.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/C20AB2C8-BCBA-419C-9343-B0086C09867C-768x1024.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
ASHLAND \/ MEDFORD \/ JACKSONVILLE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashland is very cute and there are nice hills to wander and restaurants situated along the creek.\u00a0 Then of course the Shakespeare plays and festival if that is your thing.\u00a0 After strolling through town I ended up staying in nearby Medford which was a bit less expensive and given I started looking for lodging late in the day, an easier option.\u00a0 I kind of liked Medford, with the lovely trees, wide streets, parks and charming homes.\u00a0 I feel like Medford is underrated.\u00a0 I also took a side trip to Jacksonville which is a cute small town outside Ashland with a small commercial retail street and worth a visit if you just want to unwind, enjoy a coffee or meal and not avoid the crowds.\u00a0 I was only here in the morning so went to GoodBean Coffee and enjoyed a solid drip coffee and a muffin though don\u2019t remember what kind (it was good but not memorable).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I spent my first night at the Fairfield by Marriott in Medford which was brand new so still clean and well constructed and though not cheap, more affordable than many other places nearby. Because I arrived so late I went to one of the few open nearby places which was the chain Mod Pizza.\u00a0 I was presently surprised at the quality \u2013 or maybe I was just hungry.\u00a0 For my second night, I made my first foray into camping at Hyatt Lake Recreation which was uncrowded given the low water level of the lake.\u00a0 I proudly set up my tent and went inside \u2013 and then after an hour or so crawled back into my car as I saw a sign about coyote warnings and then the couple near me were building a pretty large fire and given the dry state of things I was concerned the forest would go up in flames and I wanted a quick escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/melsatlas.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/E9E9FDC4-4FB6-4985-9E24-CE74040A0E3C-1024x768.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
CRATER LAKE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is not to love, other than all the yellow jackets\u2026so many!\u00a0 But my oh my is it pretty here.\u00a0 I decided against the bike around the crater ride I had planned as there a few too many cars for my comfort level so instead I took in multiple hikes.\u00a0 First along the Garfield Peak Trail to the top of a view worthy peak where I found both wildflowers and snow and then another route on the other side along the very crowded Cleetwood Cove Trail down to the lake.\u00a0 Before this I stopped at the lodge for a Starbucks coffee and found it was properly brewed so a nice surprise for a national park.\u00a0 I ended up buying my national park pass here since it was $35 to enter and I knew I would be seeing many more parks along the way, more than justifying the $85 annual park fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BEND<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although pricey, for a short visit, I loved Bend.\u00a0 Driving in it does not look like much but upon a more detailed exploration, found it had great riding, friendly people, amazing food and craft cocktails, and the coffee! At this time I still had my bicycle with me which I eventually let go of and shipped back to California from Utah to lighten my road.\u00a0 Bend has some really nice road cycling as well as kayaking and hiking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For lodging, my first night was spent at Riverhouse on the Deschutes where I found a deal through hoteltonight.com. This site can be a good site to use when pulling into town with the downside that if you want to stay another night the full price may be a lot more.\u00a0 For the next two nights I moved to an Airbnb listed as \u201cPrivate Apartment, right in town \u2013 Your Bend Escape\u201d hosted by Mike and Darla which turned out to be quite nice and in a much better locale for cycling and exploring restaurants and breweries. For dining, I highly recommend Zydeco Kitchen which had really good food, amazing craft cocktails, and a nice outdoor dining space.\u00a0 For tasty Mexican and a fun atmosphere try out El Sancho Taco Shop, where you can sit at communal tables and meet your neighbors \u2013 well, other tourists.\u00a0 For a tasty post bike ride beer try the outdoor bar seating at 10 Barrel Brewing. The best coffee can be found at Backporch Coffee.\u00a0 I tried a number of coffee shops and this was by far my favorite \u2013 both locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n