My sister Robbe and daughter Jenny came for a visit last week, in part to celebrate Robbe’s birthday and her recent retirement. We kicked off their trip with a concert at the Britt Pavilion in Jacksonville. I’ve written about this great outdoor concert venue before; it’s laid-back vibe and fan-friendly rules (you’re free to bring in any food and drink, except hard liquor, you’d like) and beautiful location on a wooded hillside can’t be beat. We arrived just before the gates opened, staked out our spot on the lawn and sat back to dine alfresco and sip our wine before the music started. Folk-pop band Ivan & Alyosha (this former English teacher loves the reference to characters in Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov) were a great opening act for headliner Brandi Carlile and her band.

We thoroughly enjoyed Carlile’s strong, emotionally powerful voice which shifts from hard-rockin’ to country yodel to smooth pop with ease (think Janis Joplin blended with Bonnie Raitt). Her music is described as alt country and folk rock; all I know is it pleased a whole range of audience members, and her band impressed with fantastic performances and solid musicianship (particularly twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth on guitar and bass, respectively, and back-up vocals).

The next day Robbe and I returned to Jacksonville to wander its main street and browse through some of the unique shops and galleries there. Our favorite was the Carefree Buffalo, where we were introduced to some of the most beautiful and finely crafted pocket knives, pens and other pieces by William Henry, a jeweler in McMinnville, Ore. Check out their website to see examples of this “functional jewelry” made from hand-forged metals; inlaid jewels; and exotic materials like fossilized dinosaur bones, wooly mammoth teeth, rare hardwoods and shells. The artistry in each piece is incredible, and we were fortunate that the salesman was happy to take the time to explain how these pieces were made and share several of them with us.

Over the next day and a half we made sure to stop in at some of our other favorite Southern Oregon vendors: Lillie Belle Farms for their beautiful and award-winning chocolates, Rogue Creamery for its internationally acclaimed cheeses, and Butte Creek Mill for a little history and stone-ground flours and unusual grains. All too soon, Robbe and Jenny had to head back north, but I’m pretty sure we provided my sister with a fun and memorable celebration of two big life events.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor