Willamette Valley or Rogue Valley? (Portland, Eugene: condos, mobile home, neighborhood)

[NW4me]

Thanks to each of you!
Silverfall, why does Medford win hands down on hiking options? Corvallis seemed pretty good -- Cascades to the east (a bit of a drive, yes), Mary's Peak / Coast Ranges / beaches to the west. But Medford is even better? Also, I suspect that housing in Medford (but maybe not Ashland) is more affordable than in Corvallis -- is that correct?
I think a carpenter or an aircraft mechanic could make a more interesting neighbor than a coder, but when we talked it over once, the sister and I concluded we'd both fit best in a blue area (even though neither of us is a Democrat -- I vote Green; she votes Libertarian). That seems to point to Corvallis for us. Not that Jackson County voted overwhelmingly red, but Benton was the bluest county in the state, outside the PDX metro area. I see too that Corvallis seems to rate high on 'civic engagement' scores, and that's certainly a positive sign.

[texasdiver]

Medford has more of a blue collar and CA equity refugee retiree vibe..
Corvallis has more of a college town and professional vibe.

Medford is MUCH more isolated. It is a LONG drive to anyplace larger
Corvallis has easy access to Portland, Eugene, and Salem which are all larger than Medford

Don't know if I agree about the hiking. You might have to drive a bit further across the valley to get the Cascades wilderness areas from Corvallis. But it will be a long time until you run out of new places to explore.

The coast is also much more accessible from Corvallis.

You might also look at Bend. It's a gorgeous area with endless hiking and much more sun.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by NW4me

Thanks to each of you!
Silverfall, why does Medford win hands down on hiking options? Corvallis seemed pretty good -- Cascades to the east (a bit of a drive, yes), Mary's Peak / Coast Ranges / beaches to the west. But Medford is even better? Also, I suspect that housing in Medford (but maybe not Ashland) is more affordable than in Corvallis -- is that correct?
I think a carpenter or an aircraft mechanic could make a more interesting neighbor than a coder, but when we talked it over once, the sister and I concluded we'd both fit best in a blue area (even though neither of us is a Democrat -- I vote Green; she votes Libertarian). That seems to point to Corvallis for us. Not that Jackson County voted overwhelmingly red, but Benton was the bluest county in the state, outside the PDX metro area. I see too that Corvallis seems to rate high on 'civic engagement' scores, and that's certainly a positive sign.

Medford has more hiking trails within an easy drive when compared to Corvallis. There will be more variety closer to Medford. Corvallis will require more driving to get to a variety of trails. Mary's Peak is close, but that is about it.

Medford is significantly cheaper than Corvallis for housing.

[therese marie]

NW4me

I think you should drive out and see both..
We are looking to retire in either OR or WA this summer.. We did road trips to both..
In Oregon, should we go there, it was going to be Cottage Grove/Eugene area.. I did love Silverton too.. ( the most beautiful Falls ever over there and hiking ..

If you decide to do Southern Oregon, Jacksonville and Grants Pass was our favorite there.. But the topography is different once you go further south from Cottage Grove.. The trees seemed less impressive.. Not the magnificent tall ones you see further North..

We felt like Eugene area was great and right in the middle of everything.. coast, mountains, Portland airport.... ♥

[Tulippsy]

My husband and I moved to Jacksonville last spring. We are both retired, both college educated and both liberal. We love it here. Whoever said it's like Sonoma in the 70's is spot on. (I lived in San Francisco from the late 70's to late 80's).

There are lots of retirees here and I have found the quality of medical care to be excellent. We hike every week during the good weather. Winter is short. Spring and fall are glorious, summer is hot but dry. The coast and the redwoods are within a few hours drive as are mountains, high desert and Crater Lake. Much better weather than the Willamette Valley. People are friendly, we have great wines, great cannabis and great local produce.

Good luck finding your spot!

[gray horse]

Originally Posted by Tulippsy

My husband and I moved to Jacksonville last spring. We are both retired, both college educated and both liberal. We love it here. Whoever said it's like Sonoma in the 70's is spot on. (I lived in San Francisco from the late 70's to late 80's).

There are lots of retirees here and I have found the quality of medical care to be excellent. We hike every week during the good weather. Winter is short. Spring and fall are glorious, summer is hot but dry. The coast and the redwoods are within a few hours drive as are mountains, high desert and Crater Lake. Much better weather than the Willamette Valley. People are friendly, we have great wines, great cannabis and great local produce.

Good luck finding your spot!

Agreed!

[Hawk J]

For over six lustrum' we have happily lived on the side of the forested mountain, with a bass pond, year round creek, & artesian springs. It's a short distance northwest from Grants Pass. All these years we have bought our groceries & other goods in Grants Pass, mostly. The people we have met over the years, have been good, kind, caring folks who will go out of their way to help you when you have a problem.

https://www.grantspassoregon.gov/

Grants Pass Daily Courier -- Downtown Web Cam

My hobby is fishing, boating, exploring the BLM lands with my 4legged pals. We have found many beautiful spots to do these things, nearby.

We like to observe & take photos of the forest, desert, air, water critters, we see. & the beautiful scenery.

[shabs42]

How is food in the area?

We are considering a move to Grants Pass/Medford or Bend, along with a couple other areas. Good variety and quality of restaurants? Fresh seafood? Asian/Hispanic/Mediterranean grocers?

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by Tulippsy

My husband and I moved to Jacksonville last spring. We are both retired, both college educated and both liberal. We love it here. Whoever said it's like Sonoma in the 70's is spot on. (I lived in San Francisco from the late 70's to late 80's).

There are lots of retirees here and I have found the quality of medical care to be excellent. We hike every week during the good weather. Winter is short. Spring and fall are glorious, summer is hot but dry. The coast and the redwoods are within a few hours drive as are mountains, high desert and Crater Lake. Much better weather than the Willamette Valley. People are friendly, we have great wines, great cannabis and great local produce.

Good luck finding your spot!

My beloved aunt, uncle, & cousins lived happily around Sonoma, for many years. We had some wonderful get together's, at their place, over the years...

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Medford has more of a blue collar and CA equity refugee retiree vibe..
Corvallis has more of a college town and professional vibe.

Medford is MUCH more isolated. It is a LONG drive to anyplace larger
Corvallis has easy access to Portland, Eugene, and Salem which are all larger than Medford

Don't know if I agree about the hiking. You might have to drive a bit further across the valley to get the Cascades wilderness areas from Corvallis. But it will be a long time until you run out of new places to explore.

The coast is also much more accessible from Corvallis.

You might also look at Bend. It's a gorgeous area with endless hiking and much more sun.

Good points, Texas...

I did pay a visit to Bend a couple of years ago, and had fun hiking to Tumalo Falls in the snow. But snow is something I'd like to see maybe a few days a year, rather than having to put up with it for months... in other words, those Bend winters are too severe for my taste. But I hope to make regular visits to Bend.
I do like the college-town vibe of Corvallis; the food coop, the cute restaurants like Laughing Planet and Broken Yolk, etc. But I'm not quite sure what a 'CA equity refugee retiree vibe' implies for daily life in Medford -- explain?