Page 18 - SOM Summer 2017

summer 2017 | editor’s note

SUNNY DAYS, CHASING THE CLOUDS AWAY

Heidi Chackel, Editor
reat weather brings out the best of Southern Oregon. A good majority of stories in
this issue of Southern Oregon Magazine help you enjoy the bounty of the area from
Gorchards to lakes to beaches. Summer is a time of making memories, so start flipping
pages and let us help you get started.

Our main feature this summer (see page 84), as it usually does, focuses on outdoor recreation.
This year we chose lakes in particular. Lynn Leissler writes about the abundant options available
when choosing a lake to visit. The region’s lakes have much to offer, whether you fish, swim,
boat, or just enjoy being near water. A simple Google search yielded over sixty lakes from the
coast to the Klamath Falls area, from the Roseburg area to the California border. Grab your
safety kit, sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, and head out. The lakes await you.

If you do make it to a lake this summer, and decide to camp out, then don’t miss Chris Dennett’s
column on page 116. As owner of Elements, a tapas bar in Medford, Dennett’s expertise in the
kitchen is astounding. But even more fun is to see it take shape over a campfire. “More than just
the outdoors, camping can be a culinary experience as well,” he says. “There are a number of
things that are simple and easy to cook using just some basic ingredients and your campfire.” See
what he and some of his fellow chefs enjoy creating in the great outdoors.

Guest writer John Shewey shares some of his best-kept secrets—the secret beaches of Curry
County (see page 68). Curry County is a long ways from everywhere and home to only 25,000
people; its relative isolation and splendorous geology assure quietude on most of its beaches and
especially its hidden gems. These secret beaches represent some of the best in all of Oregon,
offering endearing solitude amid the tumultuous natural wonders of the South Coast.

A little closer to home and easier to navigate, the Southern Oregon wine scene offers end-
less opportunities. Sprinkled throughout Southern Oregon in Douglas, Josephine, Jackson, and
Klamath Counties, you’ll find an assortment of wineries to explore. Many of these establish-
ments offer music that pairs well with the flavor of Southern Oregon Summer. Writer Lisa
Manyon shares some of her favorite spots starting on page 130.

And there are of course loads of other great stories found in the pages of this issue. We hope
your summer has started off amazing and continues to be as you enjoy the bounty of Southern
Oregon.

Enjoy the sun!

16 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | summer 2017