Hi Wanderer,

I too would like to know Gardyloo's interpretation of Corvallis being "very much a college town."

I live in Corvallis and my interpretation of this comment (from my perspective) is that football weekends here are a lot more crowded in terms of traffic as folks come from all over Oregon to support the Beaver football team. You won't see the same "chaos" with any of the other sporting events at the University...given that the football stadium holds more people and folks just seem to really enjoy the game this seems to be the only time of year where I find there is an increase in crowds/traffic (and that's just 6-7 Saturdays a year when there is a home game).

Personally, I don't really notice the college crowd during the school year. Yes, they're here, but I don't personally notice an increase in crime etc. as a result. I would say, however, that I personally wouldn't purchase a home in the heart of campus because I know there are lots of college parties, which would likely cause an increase in noise.....but if you buy a home in the "heart" of any university campus you're likely to experience this, not just in Corvallis.

There are lots of different communities in Corvallis to choose from so if you choose not to be close to or involved in the various activities at the University you won't have a problem finding a place to live.

Overall I think that Corvallis is large enough that there are a lot of different interests and perspectives throughout the community...the University doesn't drive every activity or community endeavor.

On another note....I agree with the folks that have recommended actually staying in the towns you're considering instead of trying to do a day trip from a "central" location.

Of the places you have listed for timeshares....Newport would be the closest town to Corvallis - 1 hour from Newport to Corvallis; 2 hours from Newport to McMinnville (maybe a little less than that depending on the route you take); about 4-5 hours to Ashland from Newport - again depending on the route you take.

Although Bend is fantastic, I think you'd be doing way too much driving for day trips. Bend is 2.5-3 hours from Corvallis; 3-3.5 hours from McMinnville; and about 5 hours from Ashland. Unless you're looking to possibly retire to Bend I wouldn't make that your base of operation for this trip - save it for a time when you can go there to vacation and relax - it's really a great area.

If you were determined to just stay in one location and do day trips, Corvallis would be your most central city when just considering Ashland, Corvallis, and McMinnville. Corvallis is about 50 minutes south of McMinnville and about 3.5 hours north of Ashland. Given that Ashland is so far away from the other two cities, I like the idea somebody gave you of flying into Medford and then driving to Ashland and spending a couple days there. Then you can drive up to Corvallis and spend a couple days there and even decide if you want to do just day trips to McMinnville or stay there as well. I'd fly out of Portland. You may want to spend a couple days in Portland (or even just one day/night in downtown) before you depart so you can experience what Oregonians know as the "big city".

I look forward to hearing more about your plans!

Cheers,
Tracey

Thanks for your clarification Gardyloo re: Corvallis being "very much a college town."

I would add on to Gardyloo's comments and say that the retail sectors and the housing markets are not only catered to the University, but also the Hewlett-Packard and Samaritan Hospital employee base, along with the other smaller hi-tech firms that have sprouted up in Corvallis over the past 6-7 years.

Too bad you weren't here this weekend to visit Corvallis wanderer - you would have experienced beautiful sunny weather, the Corvallis Fall Festival, along with Saturday Farmer's Market, and an at home OSU football game....husband and I did all three yesterday and we commented how much we love living here.

Personally, I don't think you'll go wrong retiring to Oregon, regardless of which city you may choose.

Goodluck!

Tracey

Tracey--Ok, rub it in, lol! We really wanted to be at the game last night, but couldn't. Your day sounded wonderful and reminds os of why we love it there so much!

And the weather?

Is it "typical Northwest weather" with gray skies most of the time and drizzle as was mentioned?

If you're talking about Corvallis-yes. If you're talking about Ashland-no.
Wanderer...if your time share offer for K-Falls is at Running Y resort, you might enjoy it. It Sits between The Rogue Valley and K-Falls in the Cascades, and would be a fun experience for a few days.
2 more things: The Rogue Valley is a real valley, with Mountains enclosing, 40 miles long. The Willamette Valley is wide and encompasses the top 3rd of the state, and 2/3 of the population of the state.
The weather in The many towns of the RV is pretty darn nice in the winter. Flowers bloom, folks walking. It's all because the Coast Range at the South End of the state is Tall(4,000-7000 ft) and blocks most winter storms from us. Sunny and 50 to 60, with lows about 35 happens a lot
in the RV in the winter.
It's one of the most enjoyable reasons for living in Southern Oregon. It can be 70 in the winter at Brookings(the banana belt, it's called)

The timeshare we can swap to is the Running Y.

Running Y Ranch is very nice, but still about 1.5 hours from Ashland and no where near the other places you want to go. If you are coming anytime in the winter the road to Klamath Falls (Running Y) can get a lot of snow.

I would still recommend you stay in Ashland. This would give you more time to explore the entire Rogue Valley. Anyone who lives in the Rogue Valley does consider other parts of the valley part of their hometown. Medford has more medical offices, hospitals, etc. as well as the Craterian Theater which has travelling Broadway shows, symphonies, ballet, etc. Jacksonville has great restaurants and unique shopping in a historic town.

I don't disagree. I was just suggesting a stay at the running Y for it's own sake. There's certainly 2 days worth of stuff to do there.

Can't wait to see the area!

What month(s) would be best to visit Ashland/Medford, Newport, Corvallis, McMinnville and Portland?

What other towns should we not miss on the coast (close to those listed)?

Ashland was listed as one of the top 5 places to retire in the U.S. in a new CNN/Money Magazine article:

http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/10/reti...0511/index.htm

hey Wanderer, just a heads up that the Rachael Ray "40 Dollars a Day" tonight 9:00,
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show..._37435,00.html
(11/4) is the Ashland show, so you might take a glance.

hi, wanderer,
I'm your neighbor a few miles to the south; we live in Swampscott, on the coast just north of Boston.
I was quite surprised to see your statement that this coastal area receives 60 to 100 inches of snow each year. I did some Google searching -- Boston gets an average of 41-42 inches of snow a year. (For the person who's thinking of Portsmouth as a place to retire, do some checking on the snowfall -- I don't think many coastal areas get 60 inches a year.) Actually, if you're retired, I wouldn't think dealing with the snow would be that big of a problem. You don't have to get to a job each morning. Just hire somebody to plow your driveway and settle in for a comfy day with a fire, some cocoa, and a beautiful view of the snow. Also, in contrast to Chicago -- where we used to live -- the snow doesn't hang around as long here. It usually melts in a few days.
We're thinking of moving when we retire, mainly to find lower housing costs. Sigh, we are not rich retirees. Otherwise, I'd stay.

I spoke with my McMinnville in-laws today who said a bypass will be built that will cut the driving time between that area and Portland. They are still very pleased with their new life in McMinnville and highly recommend the community.

one more Ashland Story...

http://www.dailytidings.com/2005/1105/110505n1.shtml

Unfortunately, yes, Newburyport, MA gets 60+ inches of snow/year (see this blurb from "Find Your Spot" below).

"Newburyport, Massachusetts. Gem Of The Merrimack. This historic Massachusetts "Seaport for All Seasons" built its first wharf in 1655…

Population: 17,500 | Average Home Price: $414,000 | Precipitation: 40" | Snow: 60"

The last 3 years have been out of the ordinary, I think, as we got 3 storms with close to 3 feet each.

Why we are so different from Swampscott, not sure, except we are further north.

We're making our "Oregon wish list" to visit, and want to make sure our assumptions are correct. From what I've read here and elsewhere, seems like the weather is best as follows (best to worst - worst being foggy and/or rainy a great deal of the time - a little snow, cold and heat we can deal with).

1. Ashland/Medford/Jacksonville
2. Eugene (although have not heard good things about the air quality. Is there alot of manufacturing here??)
3. Corvallis
4. McMinnville
5. Salem

Are we correct?

I don't see any difference in Corvallis, Eugene and Salem's weather, and I just asked my friend who has lived in all three and she agreed. They are all pretty much lined up along the Willamette River and less than an hour apart.
Ashland has a whole different climate- less rain and gloom, but more extremes in temperature.
You really have to go visit these towns. You are going to see BIg differences and the weather may not be the deciding factor when you're done.

http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/...y=#slideanchor
Wanderer, this is about the best representative picture I could find to illustrate. The difference is
in the humidity, in the ability to see the stars at night. We are IN the mountains in Southern Oregon. That Mountain in the background is 7400 ft. and the ski area is just hidden to the left, but as I said, down in the valley, flowers bloom all winter and it rarely dips below freezing.
More than that though, is the ambiance of the towns. You can't get that through pictures, but in the attitudes of the townsfolk. Any of the places are nice, though Eugene/Springfield is to big for me, and McMinnville is really a suburb of Portland. Salem would frankly not make my kist of places to live in Oregon.(Sorry Salemites)
The isolation of southern Oregon is a plus for me, precisely because it spins on it's own axis, away from the Portland sphere of influence.
Come visit. Washington and Oregon are more like cousins than sister and brother. We are a sophisticated backwater; Washington is the eager to please industrious one.

...and Wanderer, wanted to add, here's your heart center.
http://www.asante.org/StandardPage.asp?MenuID=1793

Whoops! Add this article on heart care at RVMC.
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2...es/05local.htm