Southern Oregon

We just got back from a 5-day vacation trip to southern Oregon, re-visiting a couple towns that we like. We flew to Medford and rented a car, which we drove a short distance to Jacksonville. Jacksonville was a gold rush town in the mid-1850s, and there are still quite a few buildings remaining from that time, both brick and wood.


On the surrounding streets there are well-preserved homes and churches from that same time.


And a pleasant walk away from the downtown area is the cemetery. I was struck by how many of the gravestones marked burial sites of children. In some ways that was a harder time to live.


We had taken with us a DVD with some episodes of 'Agatha Christie's Poirot' to watch in the evening in our B&B; but when we first arrived in Jacksonville we noticed an ad for a live production of a Poirot mystery in nearby Ashland. We were able to get tickets for the matinee performance and the preceding brunch and had a great time.


The trip was both relaxing and stimulating, and we really enjoyed it, but we were glad to get home. I was especially happy to get back to my regular shaving gear.

I’m always interested in touring old towns and especially cemeteries. People died young back in the days before, dare I say it?  Vaccines. 

A number of years ago I was on business doing a mock oil spill response on the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau, MO. It was very interesting. We had state and federal agencies involved and actually put assets in the water. I also had an opportunity to tour the town which was really cool. There were a lot of empty old buildings especially close to the river which historically was the artery of transportation and commerce. The newer development and commercial activities are now focused away from the water  and closer to the asphalt river, ie, the freeway which is the current artery for transportation and commerce. Possibly the most interesting part was looking around the civil war era cemetery. 

Thanks for posting your photos

I’m always interested in touring old towns and especially cemeteries. People died young back in the days before, dare I say it?  Vaccines. 

A number of years ago I was on business doing a mock oil spill response on the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau, MO. It was very interesting. We had state and federal agencies involved and actually put assets in the water. I also had an opportunity to tour the town which was really cool. There were a lot of empty old buildings especially close to the river which historically was the artery of transportation and commerce. The newer development and commercial activities are now focused away from the water  and closer to the asphalt river, ie, the freeway which is the current artery for transportation and commerce. Possibly the most interesting part was looking around the civil war era cemetery. 

Thanks for posting your photos

Thank you. When I lived in Corvallis, Oregon, many years ago, I enjoyed spending Sunday afternoons wandering around the many historic cemeteries. Oregon seems especially rich in them, possibly because it was the terminus of wagon trails for settlers from the East.