Southern Oregon’s rugged, rural Rogue Valley region and the towns of Grants Pass, Medford and Ashland abound in the edible and drinkable things that makes everyday life here so enjoyable for locals — and a delight for visitors.
There are artisan cheese and food producers, family-run fruit orchards, egg and honey-producing farms, organic vineyards, craft breweries and whiskey distilleries and even gourmet chocolate producers. Much of this bounty is found on the Rogue Valley food trail, a self-guided adventure to diverse farms, artisans and restaurants in Southern Oregon.
The Rogue Valley region is great to visit anytime of year but spring through fall offers a cornucopia of fresh produce, fruit and other seasonal products. You can wander on your own or download a free map at southernoregon.org/food-trails/rogue-valley-food-trail to start discovering this delightful and lightly visited region of Oregon.
The historic Weasku Inn, a charming, woodsy sanctuary along the banks of Oregon’s Rogue River just outside Grants Pass, was built in 1924. (Ben Davidson Photography)
We arrived in Grants Pass after a smooth six-hour drive north on Highway 5 from the Bay Area. Our base camp for three days was the historic Weasku Inn, a charming, woodsy sanctuary along the banks of the Rogue River. Located just outside Grants Pass, the lodge was built in 1924 as a fishing haven. Its cozy Lincoln Log-style main lodge instantly transports you back to an earlier era of Pacific Northwest travel, when the cabins and lodge rooms attracted such luminaries as Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Bing Crosby and Walt Disney.
We loved our stay here, not only for the peaceful and relaxing setting in the woods, leisurely breakfasts on the main lodge’s wide deck (included with all bookings) and walks down to the river, but also as a perfect base for scenic food and drink-filled exploration of the Rogue river valley region and its food trail.
Tucked in Oregon’s Applegate Valley, the 90-acre Pennington Farms and bakeshop offers dozens of types of berries along with housemade pies, baked goods and jams. (Ben Davidson Photography)
On day one of our Rogue Valley exploration, we made a beeline to the Applegate Valley between Grants Pass and Medford, where our first stop was the distinctive farm shop of the Pennington Farms, a 90-acre family-run berry farm and bakeshop in the Applegate Valley. Farmer Sam Pennington grows dozens of types of berries and his wife, Cathy, makes pies, baked goods and jams using her Italian grandmother’s family recipes. We stepped inside the rustic, renovated barn to sample the daily changing selection of housemade berry jams, pies and baked goods. Be sure to try some of their hard-to-find varieties, such as lusterberry, kotataberry, and tayberry jams — for an authentic Southern Oregon treat.
The Applegate Valley has a charming feel that evokes the quiet, rural Sonoma wine country of years past. For wine tasting, we headed to Wooldridge Creek Winery (named after the family who first settled here in the 1800s). The vineyard began as Ted and Mary Warrick’s “hobby” vineyard in the 1970s. Over time, these two SoCal expats evolved Wooldridge into a serious commercial vineyard which includes an organic winery and creamery. They produce a limited supply of just 5,000 cases from 12 premium varietals, which can be tasted in their tasting room and patios.
Several charming wineries can be found in Oregon’s Applegate Valley, including Ted and Mary Warrick’s Wooldridge Creek Winery, where you can sample wine in their tasting room and on the patio. (Ben Davidson Photography)
In Central Point, close to Medford, you don’t want to miss the Rogue Creamery cheese shop and its award-winning cheeses. Over the last 90 years, Rogue Creamery has mastered the art of artisan cheese — especially blue cheese — and its products can be found at cheese counters and restaurants nationwide and around the world.
Their renowned, limited edition Rogue River Blue cheese is hand-wrapped in organic, biodynamic syrah grape leaves soaked in pear spirits and was named “World’s Best Cheese” at the World Cheese Awards in 2019-20. Their tasty grilled cheese sandwiches are enough to make any blue cheese-lover swoon. About 45 minutes drive from the shop, you can also visit the Rogue Creamery’s dairy and farm shop for an insightful look at a working dairy farm and fresh cheese, of course!
Related Articles
10 ways to play in Oregon, from Crater Lake sights to Portland discoveries
Weekend getaway: A Seattle jaunt takes in the new Ocean Pavilion, waterfront park and more
Where to find 7 winsome Thomas Dambo trolls on the West Coast
Other worthy stops on the Rogue Food Trail include the Applegate River Lavender Farm near Jacksonville and the English Lavender Farm in Applegate Valley. Visit these farms between June and early August, and you’ll see abundant fields of fragrant lavender and peruse lavender products.
Organic produce and meats are sold at Rogue Artisan Foods. Whistling Duck Farm in Applegate Valley offers fresh produce and fermented veggies, and Daily Blessings Farm in Grants Pass offers fresh eggs, produce and flowers. Wild Bee Honey Farm in Eagle Point and Mountain
Blossom Bees north of Grants Pass offer honey-inspired treats. And Dunbar Farms is a 110-year-old family-owned farm specializing in stone-milled flours and estate-grown wines.
Our evenings were focused on Grants Pass, just a short drive from the Weasku Inn. We enjoyed delightful riverside dining at the TapRock Northwest Grill, fine dining at Partake and a lively craft brew and food truck scene at Weekend Beer Co. The town’s small but colorful historic district is fun to explore with a free downloadable map (find it at visitgrantspass.com), and it’s where you’ll find House of Glory, an artisanal dessert cafe that serves up housemade gelato and savory Cuban-style empanadas.
In Oregon, Grants Pass’ House of Glory serves up housemade gelato and savory Cuban-style empanadas. (Visit Grants Pass)
And Oregon wine lovers will find several downtown tasting rooms featuring the region’s wine producing regions — the Applegate Valley, Upper Rogue, and Jacksonville — each with its own wine trail.
Each evening back at the Weasku Inn, we settled into Adirondack chairs by the fire pit just outside the main lodge, where we enjoyed a glass of local wine and inn-provided s’mores and reflected on the day’s delicious surprises. It was a fitting celebration for this easy getaway filled with friendly Southern Oregon charm, stunning scenery and artisanal food, wine and craft beer delights.
The historic Weasku Inn, a charming, woodsy sanctuary along the banks of Oregon’s Rogue River just outside Grants Pass, was built in 1924. (Ben Davidson Photography)
If You Go
Weasku Inn: Rooms start at $179. 5560 Rogue River Highway, Grants Pass, Oregon; weasku.com
Pennington Farms: Opens at 9 a.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. Saturday at 11341 Williams Highway, Grants Pass; www.pennington.farm/.
Wooldridge Creek Winery: Opens daily at 11 a.m. at 818 Slagle Creek Road, Grants Pass; wcv.farm.
Rogue Creamery: The creamery cheese shop, which sells grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup and other snacks as well as Rogue Creamery cheeses, opens at 10 a.m. daily at 311 N. Front St. in Central Point. The dairy and farm stand opens at 10 a.m. daily — and offers free guided tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday — at 6531 Lower River Road in Grants Pass; roguecreamery.com.
Applegate River Lavender Farm: Open seasonally at 375 Hamilton Road in Jacksonville https://applegateriverlavender.com/.
English Lavender Farm: Opens at 10 a.m. Friday-Monday in June and July at 8040 Thompson Creek Road in Applegate; englishlavenderfarm.com.
Taprock Northwest Grill: Opens at 9 a.m. daily at 971 S.E. Sixth St., Grants Pass; www.taprock.com/.
Partake: Opens at 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at 111 S.E. G St. in Grants Pass; partakegp.com.
Weekend Beer Co.: Opens at noon daily at 1863 Washington Blvd., in Grants Pass; weekendbeercompany.com.
House of Glory: Opens at 9 a.m. Monday-Saturday at 115 S.W. G St. in Grants Pass; https://houseofglory.co/.
For more travel coverage in the Bay Area and beyond, follow us on Flipboard.
