Right on Interstate 5, there are still active communes including an artists commune, the largest open air market in Southern Oregon, and 30% cottage industry for a variety of wares, a good amount of organic farms, great music and meetings of the mind, a lot of eco-consciousness and a liberal attitude (we outlasted the right wingers and loggers).
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While passing through Grants Pass we were pulled over and ticketed for possession of marijuana less than an ounce. (I actually had less than 1/8th of an ounce). The fine-$1,000!!! That’s right-one thousand dollars!!! Grants Pass IS beautiful but county laws are ridiculous!
My biggest gripe of Grants Pass is the event known as Boatnik, held at Riverside Park during the Memorial Day Weekend. Mostly a teen-oriented event, it seems that all the younger people are trying to dress like hippies just to be trendy and nothing else. That really bothers me, because they acted like they were desperately looking for a shopping mall. I sure didn’t hear a whole lot of talk about peace and love from them, which really frustrates people like me who knew what the movement stood for. They weren’t even particularly friendly, either. The rare old-timers that were there were a different story as they were some of the best and most interesting people I have ever met. Probably after this year’s Boatnik, they’ll probably be looking for better places elsewhere. The only good I got off Boatnik was a “Mr. Baked Potato Head” sticker (basically, Mr. Potato Head smoking on a bong). There are lots of booths that sold tie-dyes and handcrafted items, but from the few vendors that I spoke to, they were a bit on the disappointed side, to say the least. I heard that Boatnik once had much more interesting with authentic hippie types attending. Sounds like I smell “sellout” on this event. How I wished it was the 1960s again. As for the rest of Grants Pass, nice hills outside of town. I met really interesting people without even trying, even at an unlikely place like Texaco. Grants Pass isn’t perfect. Corporate America has its presence felt here too. An ugly Wal-Mart is in town. National fast food joints (McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell) are just as tacky as everywhere else. But at least the downtown still has plenty of nice, small shops, most of them privately owned. Several blocks of nothing but these type of shops. There doesn’t seem to be any head shops in this town, which I’m a bit disappointed with (perhaps I didn’t look hard enough). Plus there’s lots of wilderness and camping outside of town and you don’t have to go far.
I used to live in Grants Pass for many many years. I had moved away for about seven years to Kauaii and when I returned I found it to be very different. Different in the way of becoming very trashy. It used to be a cute little town with some class to it but now it is nothing but hicksville.
Hippys have some class, in my opinion, but the people that live there now are very different in the sense that they are very uncultured and do nothing but hunt and drink beer for pass time excitement.
I now live in Portland and is much cleaner and has a variety of different and interesting people. I hope in the future Grants Pass does somehow class up a bit, but I have my doubts. I lived there 40 yrs and don’t think it will happen anytime soon.
If you’re looking for true hippys and peace, come to Portand on the water front and you will see fun people.
P.S. I totally agree with the writer.
Sincerely,
Chuckjere@hotmail.com
Grants Pass Sucks!!! if you want a real town come to Ashland or go up to portland. grants pass is just a bunch of rednecks and industrial buildings!
Sure but you know everyone smokes weed anyway
Just saying hi. Grew up in Grants Pass.
Grants Pass, Oregon : Home of the Cavemen (even though the the Oregon Caves are over 50 miles away). It’s the “Valley of the Missing Link”, to be sure.
“Beat a path of retreat
Up those spiral stair cases
Past the Tree of Smoke
Past the Angel with Four Faces
Begging God for Mercy
Weeping in Unholy Places”
“Angelina”- Bob Dylan
Living in the “Gap” is absolutely awful. The keyed subliminal blather is hideous. It is deplorable.
I went to junior high and high school in Grants Pass during the 1970’s. Back then a true Oregon Redneck was the type of person who liked mudbogging, big pickups with bigger tires, rodeo, the American Flag, drinking beer at the drive-in, wearing cowboy boots and western clothes, taking a dip of chew, just about everyone had a ring in their levis back pocket from skoal or coppenhagen. Grants Pass has changed, I was just there for Boatnik 2004, all the kids are into the Gothic look, unfriendly, everything is pierced on their bodies now. It’s too bad that a nice little town like GP has turned into a nightmare of Goth looking types. An Oregon Redneck is nothing like a southern redneck that is for sure. I have known both. Maybe someday all of the people who really love Grants Pass will move back and bring some of those old traditions back. So let’s hear it for being a Grants Pass Oregon Redneck, Go Cavemen.
i hate that when peopel reminese about grants pass the think only of rednecks, and then bash on the new culture that is taking over. grants pass isnt a good place to hangout because of this, all the adults hate you if youre not a cowboy, and all the kids hate you if youre not trying sooo hard to be “gothic”.
not to mention all of the meth addicts that youll run into.
all around, i woudl recomend spending the half-hour and going to ashland, and hanging out with some cool people, playing hacky sack, and meeting cool college kids.
My first experience on the west coast (I’m from Michigan) was a half hour from Grants Pass in a hippy commune in Selma in 1974. That was for a year. In 1986 I returned west to live and work in Ashland. I helped revive and speak monthly (1st Sunday) for the UU Fellowship meeting in the Art Museum on G St. So I’ve come to like Grants Pass and see it changing.
Everybody finds the identity, dignity, and pleasures they can, according to the culture they know. Sure, GP (Grants Pass) has rednecks and goths – it’s what they’ve got. What’s needed is more hippies. They were in abundance in the 70’s and still live around but don’t have the critical mass and institutions to help present this option. The Blue Pine closed. The music changed. Pot got so persecuted it got to be high priced, driving peaceful types to the messed-up meth culture (which by comparison was affordable). Regrettable. The cavemen group can act like a bunch of bullies. The politicals represent only their narrow types, to the detriment of the more colorful.
But… Grants Pass is changing. It is such a pretty town – nestled in a ring of small mountains, with the lovely Rogue River flowing through, with a classy old town area still standing, and with artists galore – that real estate values are climbing and decent folk are finding each other. I can like rednecks and goths. They’re doing life as best they know how. What Grants Pass needs is music, art, parties, nature-lovers, and hippies.
Hey, hippies, consider: What started out young, flamboyant, outspoken, and innovative (style, politics, drugs, philosophy) has persisted since the 60’s, growing into a world-wide culture. Every generation has those who choose the looks, values, and identity of the so-called 60’s. We’re not, as they try to tell us, “beyond the 60’s.” They’d like us to be so they can revert to “make war, not love.” The reality is that in Europe, Russia, Canada, and here (probably many other places) there is a sort of international nation of those who love each other, peace, love, art, music, sweet excess sometimes, and all the beauty of the hippy culture.
Grants Pass may be just another ugly American town, as some of you see it, but it has had, still has, and could develop a far more colorful and satisfying culture. We make it happen by being there, letting each other know we’re not alone. Let the rednecks and goths do their thing if they like; just do yours as well. They don’t own you. We don’t all look like hippies, but we’re there and looking for more of our kind. Some of those rednecks may be more hippy than you know.
looking for a hook-up in oregon,I am vegan,very spiritual,love animals,and music,can party with the best, and love festivals and 420. part native and portugal,iso place to rest,and plan,am a healer,and love people. email me at tsugeah@yahoo.com
hey the name is Trevor, and this may seem a little off, but i am moving up to Oregon, somewhat near Grants Pass. And my question is, are there any weed festivals in or around Grants Pass? And if so when and where, because i would love to take place. please email me, supermonkey567@hotmail.com, i would truly appreciate it.
-Trevor
Hey!
I visited Grants Pass in 2003 and it seemed pretty run-down in the downtown area. But, I went back in 2005, and things there seemed much improved. The downtown was really nice and upgraded, and it seemed someone was trying to make things nicer there.
Does anybody know if there are any cool places to run there?
Hey, never been there before but i,m planning on going there. I hope it is as good as everyone is saying.
Hello, my family and I just moved to Grants Pass Oregon over the Christmas 2006 holiday…and I just LOOOOOVE it!!! It’s a great place to raise our 3 yr old daughter. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly, plus there are so many outdoor activities in which to partake. I truly recommend it for young active families!