Ashland has all I dream about: a bike friendly smaller community (21,630 residents) with lots of people into the same things as I am. There's a food co-op that is promoting and providing local foods, farmer's markets twice a week, a Unity church and Course in Miracles groups, a raw foods community, three community gardens, a Waldorf school and a public school that caters exclusively to homeschoolers (you can take individual classes or as many as you want). Willow Wind Community Learning Center has a market garden run by it's students. I've dreamed of Jazz being involved in a market garden like this with other homeschooled children.
Ashland also has a children's theater for Jazz and a strong homeschooling community. The climate is nice; not as cold and wet as most of the Western coast. And outdoors opportunities abound with bike paths, beautiful parks, rivers, creeks, lakes, mountains and big trees. It's close to the coast, the redwoods, and Crater Lake. I can hardly imagine anything nicer. Oh and I forgot U-pick organic berry farms in the area (can't tell I'm missing fresh picked berries). The only downside so far is Oregon has stricter homeschool requirements (Arizona doesn't have any). In Oregon, homeschool students are required to take the AIMS tests but I'm definately not going to do anything differently or worry about the tests.
I've been collecting pictures to create a picture collage of things we love in Ashland as a vision board. When I complete it I will post it here. Until then, here's some...
Ashland has an absolutely gorgeous park with lots of natural areas and a swimming hole and trails leading up into the mountains.
Lithia Park, Ashland
Ashand is most famous for it's huge Shakespearean Festival every summer and fall and also for it's art scene (esp theater and the visual arts).
Elizabethian stage at the Shakespeare Festival, Ashland OR
Lakes abound around Ashland. The closest one is 5 miles away and has a huge water slide and a campground and picnic area.
Agate Lake
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