Ashland:
The good brewery was Standing Rock. I'll give you a growler if you wish. Also, there seems to be some
thespian activities there. I could probably dig up my membership # so you could get a discount...
Columbia River:
Do drive as far as Hood. At the Bonneville Dam complex you can go into a place & see (through glass), the salmon swimming upstream.
Oregon State campgrounds are cheap and incredibly clean.
The Shasta Dam tour was cheap as in free and very informative.