Medford Airport: The happiest airport on Earth?

Our plane from San Francisco to Medford, Ore., was delayed. We sat for an hour at our gate, watching our flight time get repeatedly pushed back by a couple minutes.

The 4:09 p.m. flight was delayed to 4:10 p.m. Huh? Why even both with the announcement?

Then 4:23 p.m…4:30 p.m….4:50 p.m.

I rode the moving walkway back and forth trying to get our overtired baby to sleep. My two kids rolled around on the floor because every seat at our gate was taken. My husband grumbled about the bad Internet connection he was getting on his laptop.

We finally boarded at 5:03 p.m. and settled into our seats and then sat on the runway for another hour as a mechanic repaired a broken flusher in the bathroom.

A two-and-a half-hour delay put my husband, three kids and I into terrible moods but as our plane started to descend and we looked out the window to see a world blanketed in green with a snowy mountain rising above it all — Mount Shasta! — we relaxed.

Our aircraft landed in the center of a pretty valley circled by rolling hills and mountain peaks. We stepped outside onto the runway and were welcomed by a warm, dry breeze.

Who knew the Rogue River Valley was paradise?

We grabbed our bags and made a beeline for the Hertz Rental Car kiosk — only there was no line.

“You must be Ms. Graff,” a Hertz agent named Ben said. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

I’d never been welcomed with such a big grin at a rental car counter.

We signed some papers and got our keys and then we asked for directions to a restaurant called The Point Pub where we hoped to get dinner. And here’s the kicker: Ben pulled out a phone book, looked up the address and drew us a map.

Dumbfounded my husband and I looked at one another and smiled. We were being pulled in by Southern Oregon’s old-fashioned charm.

The Point Pub: The most happening spot in Central Point, Ore.

Earlier this week, I asked friends on Facebook to offer tips on places to visit in Southern Oregon. A high school classmate who I haven’t seen since senior graduation suggested that we try her new restaurant in Central Point, Ore., a cowboy town with lots of Gold Rush history just a mile from the Medford Airport. We drove directly to the restaurant, only a couple miles from the Medford Airport.

When we stepped inside the Point Pub and Grill, housed in a red-brick building dating back to the late 1800s, it seemed as if the entire town had shown up. Ranchers and farmers in cowboy hats and boots were drinking beers at the bar. All the tables were filled in the main dining room where a live band played jazzy blues. Upstairs a wedding party celebrated. We opted for the spacious outdoor patio, where we knew we didn’t have to worry when our baby threw food onto the floor from her high chair. The kids ordered big bowls of creamy home-made mac and cheese and my husband and I enjoyed freshly tossed salads, mine topped with grilled chicken and his with chicken. By the time, we were savoring a flourless chocolate cake, it was 9 p.m. and we were still wearing T-shirts.

Grants Pass, Ore.: Where the sun shines most of the year
After dinner, we headed for neighboring Grants Pass and drove down Main Street. A huge sign hanging over the main drag reads “It’s the climate.” I think this is a slogan for all of Southern Oregon, advertising the area’s more than 200 days of sunshine. The better-known northern Oregon with Portland as its hub is infamous for its endless day of drizzle, while the lesser-known south basks in the sun all summer long and most of spring and fall.

Best Western Inn at the Rogue: A peaceful hotel on the river banks

Our hotel sat in a quiet, peaceful nook outside Grants Pass across from the Rogue River. We arrived well after dark but the next morning my husband walked over to the grassy park on the river bank where our baby daughter enjoyed picking daisies and chasing butterflies.

The Best Western Inn at the Rogue is ideal for families with free hot breakfast and an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub. The location is perfect for those wanting to raft down the Rogue, hike around Crater Lake or visit the nearby communities of Ashland and Jacksonville.