1. Check the calendar to see if the dates are available.

2. Send email to request the dates you want or confirm reservations by phone: 541-482-4883.

3. Plan your travel. Here are the directions for getting here.

The Hilt Road exit is 15 miles south of Ashland. The Meadow House is 5 miles back north from there. Do NOT try Google or MapQuest for the directions. They would lead you astray. Also, ignore the numbers along the way, because they are not sequential.

SUMMARY: Take the Hilt Exit (#796) from I-5, the first (or last) exit in California, then come up (north) Hilt Road which becomes Colestin Road as you cross the white one-lane bridge over Cottonwood Creek. The creek is the California/Oregon border. Just watch for Whiskey Creek Road and turn right, cross the creek, and keep left up the lane.

DETAILS: At the I-5 exit for Hilt, go West (left) toward the gas station. There is only one road that goes past the "Stateline" gas station. It is Hilt Road (which later becomes Colestin Road). After a couple curves going down the hill, the road straightens and flattens out for a ways, and you will pass a small Church on the left side just before two big curves in the road. The road curves sharply to the left, then immediately curves sharply to the right. (Keep right, and do not cross the railroad tracks at this point.) After the two curves you will be heading north by northwest, toward Mt. Ashland, and you'll go past a house and a small red garage that houses one of the Colestin Rural Fire District's fire trucks.

Continue north/north-west along the road. You will pass the old stage coach stop, "Cole Station" on the right, and large barns on the left. Go through the narrow part where the road is rough. Then you will cross the railroad tracks and then the small white one-lane bridge over Cottonwood Creek.

At this point you are in Oregon, and on Colestin Road. There is an 8 mile marker, a small green milepost sign on the left. (Ignore Spaulding Road and other signs, including the warning about not being a maintained road — it is actually very well maintained.) Also, ignore all the numbers for addresses. They are NOT in sequence, and can really confuse you. And besides, the numbering starts at the top of the road, so the numbers get lower as you go up the road, though not consistently. There are some tricky blind curves, so heads up!

Continue winding your way northward up the road past the 7 and 6 mile markers. At the 6 mile marker the road is right next to the railroad track. After that you'll go another half mile, and over two more small hills. Look for the green road sign on the right: Whiskey Creek Rd. There are also two signposts on the right which have 1977 at the top. On the left you may see three reflectors on a tree — two red ones and a yellow one in the middle, and blue reflectors on the right side of the road at Whiskey Creek Road. Currently there is also an American flag and decorations by the bridge over the creek. I won't say "you can't miss it," though. If you do miss it, and come to the 5 mile marker, turn around and go back.

Turn right onto Whiskey Creek Road and cross the Whiskey Creek bridge. After you come up a small hill on the other side of the bridge, you will see an open gate on the left with 1977 posted and a house in the distance — The Meadow House is the only house you'll see and my silver Tracker will probably be as obvious as the satellite dish.

If you should happen to come to the 5 mile post marker, then you've gone past Whiskey Creek Road, and are directly west of The Meadow House (although you can't see it through the trees). In that case, turn around and go back (south) and take the first left onto Whiskey Creek Road.

It's really not as complicated as my directions make it sound.

Any questions? Just call me at 541-482-4883. I'll be here. There's a pay phone at the Texaco station if you need it.

It's only about 6 miles off the freeway and no one has had a problem so far, although most say that it was a bit further than expected — because the gravel road is slow going.

Directions are also posted at http://www.themeadowhouse.com/directions.html