A series of notes and links to help you see what's here:
Location:
Southern Oregon is primarily the area of the broad, well-watered and sunny greater Rogue River Valley, lying just north of the California state line, with the Siskiyou Mountains on the south, the Cascades on the east side and the Coast Range on the west. Interstate highway I-5 runs through the valley, and connects it with Eugene and Portland to the north and Redding and San Francisco to the south. Principal cities of Southern Oregon include Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass and historic Jacksonville. Population of the area is over 200,000 and is steadily increasing as both working families and retirees migrate here to take advantage of the sunny climate, mountain scenery and low cost of living.
Climate:
The Medford area sits in a weather shadow between the Cascade Range and Siskiyou Mountains called the Rogue Valley. As such, most of the rain associated with the Pacific Northwest and Oregon in particular skips Medford, making it drier and sunnier than the Willamette Valley. Medford's climate is considerably warmer, both in summer and winter, than its latitude would suggest, with a Mediterranean climate. (from wikipedia)
Weather:
Medford Weather Forecast - 10 day
Ashland Weather Forecast - 10 day
Cities:
www.southernoregon.org/places-to-go/rogue-valley/
Airport:
http://www.jacksoncountyor.org/airport,
Colleges & Universities:
Southern Oregon University
Rogue Community College
Lifelong Learning:
http://www.sou.edu/olli/
History:
http://www.sohs.org,
Culture:
http://travelmedford.org/arts-culture/,
Oregon Shakespeare Festival,
Britt Festival
Cost of Living:
https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/medford_or/seattle_wa/costofliving,
Almost 30% lower than Seattle and 60% lower than San Francisco
Housing Affordability:
Southern Oregon/Medford Area Housing Affordability
Newcomers Group:
http://ashlandnewcomers.com/
Healthcare:
Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center,
Providence Medford Medical Center
Ashland Community Hospital
Shopping:
Rogue Valley Mall
Medford Northgate Marketplace
Ashland Specialty Shops
Antiques
Activities Calendars:
Medford Calendar,
MailTribune/TEMPO,
Ashland Calendar
Vineyards & Wine:
http://www.winesnw.com/rogue.html,
Rogue Valley Wine & Farm Tour
Southern Oregon Winery Association
Rogue Valley & Applegate Valley AVAs
Cheese:
http://www.roguecreamery.com/
Oregon Cheese Festival
Chocolate:
http://www.ashlandspringshotel.com/oregon-chocolate-festival/
Public Markets:
http://www.rvgrowersmarket.com/at-the-market/
Skiing:
http://www.mtashland.com/
Golf:
http://centennialgolfclub.com
http://eaglepointgolf.com/
http://oakknollgolf.org/
http://www.rvcc.com/
Fishing:
http://southernoregon.org/southern-oregon-fishing
http://www.takemefishing.org/state/OR/
Rivers:
http://southernoregon.org/southern-oregon-water
Mountains:
Cascade Mountains,
Rogue/Siskiyou Nat?l Forest,
Siskiyou/Klamath Mountains
Lakes:
http://www.southernoregon.com/lakes/index.html,
Crater Lake
Wilderness:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2009/02/oregons_150_best_southern_oreg.html
Geology & Rock Collecting:
Geology of the Rogue Valley, Oregon
Crater Rock & Mineral Museum