“To go, or not to go”
BY JOAN HEFFERNAN
Click image to view
Just north of the California border, Ashland rests in a valley between the Siskiyou and Cascade ranges. It’s best known for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which boasts three theaters, eleven plays in repertory, and seven hundred performances between February and November. What is not as well-known is that over half of the plays are not Shakespearean, but modern plays.
The quality of acting and staging is superb. The festival draws its talent from all over the United States. A few years ago Andrew Lamond, son of Dr. and Mrs. Donald Lamond, acted for several seasons at the festival. He received his early training under Tom McKenzie at Lincoln High School.
A fast-moving creek meanders its way through Ashland, and through Lithia Park in the middle of town, right off the plaza. A lovely oasis, the park holds 93 acres of lawn, trails, tennis courts, a Japanese garden, duck ponds and children’s playgrounds. With a Mediterranean climate, Ashland Park is lush with flowers and native trees and shrubs.
Over many years artists of all types – not just thespians – have been attracted to the area, which is also home to Southern Oregon University. Artists’ galleries share shopping space on several streets filled with bookstores, clothing boutiques and gift galleries. Restaurants abound with chefs lured to the area not only by customers but the clear air and abundance of locally grown produce.
One can find handmade ice cream, Rogue Valley Creamery cheeses and locally produced jams and vinegars.
The rugged mountain valleys and diverse climates promote a variety of intensely flavored varietals including Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Big reds thrive in the warmer, more arid areas, ripening grapes to become Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrah.
Main Street Tours provide wine tours through the Applegate and Rogue Valleys. Events are actually planned for every month. January provides the Rogue Valley Blues Festival, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival officially opens in February. In March one can attend the Oregon Chocolate Festival, or ski at Mt. Ashland Ski Area. The Independent Film Festival fills April. After the Shakespeare Festival closes in November, a food and wine classic is planned, and in December the town is ablaze for the Festival of Lights.
Outdoor activities in the area abound, including world-class fly-fishing, rafting and kayaking on 5 major rivers and nearby Crater Lake. For the golfer there is Eagle Point Golf Course, rated one of the best by Golf Digest Magazine, and several other champion 18-hole courses. Five challenging nine-hole courses are all within a short ride from downtown.
Accommodations in the city itself cater to every type of guest. Over 48 bed and breakfasts and inns afford amenities that range from a rushing creek outside the balcony to a pillow menu for the discriminating lodger. Gardens and porches give the guests bucolic retreats to restore the psyche and nerves.
Ashland is a treasure. One trip will make a repeat visitor of you. It’s really a low-key, less expensive Carmel loaded with culture and recreational opportunities.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
15 S. Pioneer Street
Ashland, OR 97520
Ticket Sales: 541-482-4331
Ticket Sales Toll-Free: 800-219-8161
Ashland Chamber of Commerce
110 East Main Street
Ashland, OR 97520
Phone: 541-482-3486
The quality of acting and staging is superb. The festival draws its talent from all over the United States. A few years ago Andrew Lamond, son of Dr. and Mrs. Donald Lamond, acted for several seasons at the festival. He received his early training under Tom McKenzie at Lincoln High School.
A fast-moving creek meanders its way through Ashland, and through Lithia Park in the middle of town, right off the plaza. A lovely oasis, the park holds 93 acres of lawn, trails, tennis courts, a Japanese garden, duck ponds and children’s playgrounds. With a Mediterranean climate, Ashland Park is lush with flowers and native trees and shrubs.
Over many years artists of all types – not just thespians – have been attracted to the area, which is also home to Southern Oregon University. Artists’ galleries share shopping space on several streets filled with bookstores, clothing boutiques and gift galleries. Restaurants abound with chefs lured to the area not only by customers but the clear air and abundance of locally grown produce.
One can find handmade ice cream, Rogue Valley Creamery cheeses and locally produced jams and vinegars.
The rugged mountain valleys and diverse climates promote a variety of intensely flavored varietals including Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Big reds thrive in the warmer, more arid areas, ripening grapes to become Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrah.
Main Street Tours provide wine tours through the Applegate and Rogue Valleys. Events are actually planned for every month. January provides the Rogue Valley Blues Festival, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival officially opens in February. In March one can attend the Oregon Chocolate Festival, or ski at Mt. Ashland Ski Area. The Independent Film Festival fills April. After the Shakespeare Festival closes in November, a food and wine classic is planned, and in December the town is ablaze for the Festival of Lights.
Outdoor activities in the area abound, including world-class fly-fishing, rafting and kayaking on 5 major rivers and nearby Crater Lake. For the golfer there is Eagle Point Golf Course, rated one of the best by Golf Digest Magazine, and several other champion 18-hole courses. Five challenging nine-hole courses are all within a short ride from downtown.
Accommodations in the city itself cater to every type of guest. Over 48 bed and breakfasts and inns afford amenities that range from a rushing creek outside the balcony to a pillow menu for the discriminating lodger. Gardens and porches give the guests bucolic retreats to restore the psyche and nerves.
Ashland is a treasure. One trip will make a repeat visitor of you. It’s really a low-key, less expensive Carmel loaded with culture and recreational opportunities.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
15 S. Pioneer Street
Ashland, OR 97520
Ticket Sales: 541-482-4331
Ticket Sales Toll-Free: 800-219-8161
Ashland Chamber of Commerce
110 East Main Street
Ashland, OR 97520
Phone: 541-482-3486