Ashland Springs Hotel, the historic downtown boutique-inn, is hosting the chocolate festival all weekend. Start your Friday night off right with a gallery walk; nibble on local wines and artisan chocolates while perusing Ashland’s illustrious arts scene.

Oregon chocolatiers show off their best and most unique combinations at the tastings, going on Saturday and Sunday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the hotel. Try unexpected combinations like chocolate-and-tequila truffles or bite into a square inch of pure decadence from Coastal Mist or award-winning candies from Lillie Belle Farms.

And don’t fret about that 10-pound New Years resolution, chocolate can actually be the dieters friend. Learn about the additional benefits from this magical plant at the “Secret Health Benefits of Chocolate” demonstration on Saturday or check out the “Use of Cacao in Spa Treatments” session to learn about the healing powers of coco (Chocolate and massage? Yes, please!).

This truly indulgent weekend isn’t complete without a visit to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Opening on February 26, this almost 9-month-long festival attracts thespians and enthusiasts from around the world. Be one of the first to see this year’s performances. Kicking off the season are classics including Hamlet and Pride and Prejudice, alongside modern pieces such as Well.

Leaving with my treats!

One of the things that makes me love  Oregon so much is that there always seems to be something new to try. And, if it’s food or beverage related, you can bet I’ll be on of the first in line to try it. This is why I was especially thrilled to find a couple new treats at the recent Oregon Wine, Food & Brew Festival at the Oregon State Fairgrounds.

Treat One: Herbes de Provence Havarti from Willamette Valley Cheese Company. I would very much like to thank my coworker Linea for introducing me to this cheese. I’m an Herbes de Provence enthusiast and am often looking for ways to incorporate this into my cooking. Thankfully, I can now incorporate it into my snacking, preferably with a glass of wonderful Oregon Pinot Noir.

Treat Two: Gilgamesh Brewing Black Mamba AND Chocolate Mint Stout. You might say that all beer is brewed using hops, but you would be wrong. Black Mamba is brewed with earl grey tea leaves which makes the beer smell AMAZING. It tastes amazing, too. You might also say that mint has no place in beer, and you would also be wrong. I loved the Chocolate Mint Stout so much that I brought home a growler. It’s like liquid dessert.

Treat Three: 2005 Pinot Noir Reserve from Methven Family Vineyards. My description of this wine won’t do it justice. Methven’s website describes it as, “Young now, the sweet palate is high-toned with red and black fruits intertwined in a mouthwatering and juicy red raspberry and cherry silky texture, echoing the smoky and pungent aromas in the mouth with saddle leather and pipe tobacco.” I say it’s delectable. I’ll leave it at that.

Next year’s Oregon Wine, Food & Brew Festival is already on the books for January 7 & 8, I think it would be a good idea to put it on your calendar right now.

Find even more foodie events.

Day three of On the Road with Oregon Bounty and we’ve made our way to Central Point in Southern Oregon to meet two culinary artisans.

Jeff Shepherd of Lillie Belle Farms Hand Made Chocolates is an artist whose medium happens to be chocolate. Jeff is equal parts Willy Wonka and savage Deadhead. He began his candy career selling four flavors of hand-dipped truffles out of the trunk of his Jeep at farmers’ markets throughout Oregon. Today he creates more than 60 exclusive flavors of chocolates, truffles, caramels, bars and toffee. Jeff also owns a small organic berry farm, which supplies the fruit he infuses into his ganaches and truffles.

David Gremmels of Rogue Creamery has turned a small, nearly extinct creamery into a world-renowned maker of blue cheese. In 2002, David discovered the fledgling creamery on the brink of closure. He loved their handcrafted blue cheese, so he did what any dairy-loving Oregonian with a dream would do: he and a partner bought the historic facility. Over the past seven years, the creamery has increased production, developed new cheeses, and garnered over 100 trophies and ribbons in competitions around the world. Most recently, their Rogue River Blue was named “Best in Show” at the 2009 American Cheese Society Judging and Competition.

David and Jeff are the artisan producer mentors in our Oregon Bounty “Cuisinternship” contest, which will give seven lucky people the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to Oregon for an ultimate foodie getaway (that’s right, you could spend a week as a winemaker, chef, brewmaster, cheesemaker and chocolatier, distiller, rancher or fisherman). Check out the videos about these two passionate foodies and learn how to enter the contest.

Southern Oregon has so many culinary gems, like the fresh-baked heirloom berry turnover in the cottage at Pennington Farms in the Applegate Valley, fabulous wineries like Abacela and Brandborg in the Umpqua Valley, and Grandma Nirene’s apple crisp at the historic Wolf Creek Inn north of Grants Pass. Go to Travel Oregon’s new culinary travel website to plan a Southern Oregon getaway.

Check back tomorrow… “On the Road” will be in Central Oregon to learn all about artisan distilling. Cheers!

When you first walk in, the wall behind the register captures you with it’s poetic description of coffee: ” Inspirer of men of letters. Delicious libation which we pour on the alter of friendship. …A restorative sparkling wit.” It’s a community gathering house, full of people talking about life, tasting good coffee and enjoying the art. Since college intentional community has been a passion of mine and coming into Lone Pine to meet friends, discuss life’s ups and downs and our dreams for the future reminds me that life is rich and beautiful like a good cup of coffee. The foamy cup of decadence on the table in front of me is just that, rich and beautiful. A well-brewed cup of coffee that steams from the cup, warming you from the inside out and invoking meaningful conversation between friends, or bringing together new friends to savors life together. Lone Pine serves the famous ocean roll from Sparrow Bakery, my number two favorite place in Bend, a deliciously savory and sweet roll with hints of cardamom.

Sparrow Bakery is tucked away by an industrial part of town on SE Scott Street, a tiny hole in the wall bakery with a giant grape vine growing over the little herb garden along the stone wall near the entrance. Known for sea salt bagels and lox, which I highly recommend, Sparrow’s treats are delightful for the palate. It also has one of my favorite patios in town. I take a good book, usually a travel essay on a far away exotic place, sip on a cup of tea, eat a bagel with lox and capers and people watch. The crowd of locals always has the inside scoop on the best hikes, food and happenings in Bend. And if you get there around 10 o’clock in the morning, fresh baguettes are just coming out of the oven which smell heavenly! Coffee, food and good company at either place, a perfect way to spend my staycation.

Sarah McMurray is a wanderlust, a hopeful romantic, an artist, a writer and a passionate connoisseur of coffee and culture. She holds a BA from Seattle Pacific University and has been transitioning from higher education to the non-profit sector. Currently she resides in Bend, Oregon where she feels she is the luckiest girl in the world to call herself a native.