It%26#39;s almost summer break, so it was time for my annual ';pre-jacking up ticket prices'; trip to see some plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. (I say that with my tongue in cheek... it really is worth every penny, even during the summer!)
Plays: We saw ';The Music Man'; (very light and fun with good dancing) and ';The Servant of Two Masters'; (hilarious, be sure to bring candy). We had a great time, and my daughter is hooked. This was her first year attending a play at OSF and I think we chose well.
Accommodations: Shrew%26#39;s House Bed and Breakfast. The Shrew%26#39;s a bit off the beaten path, but within a 10 minute walk to the theaters. Comfortable rooms with separate entrances, beautiful gardens, and hearty breakfasts set the Shrew%26#39;s a notch above the others. We enjoyed getting to know the cats, Kate and Bianca. My daughter enjoyed cooling off in their small pool as the weather was quite hot and humid. Corrin and Ronna are friendly and gracious hosts. This is a great place for me and one kid to crash for a few nights.
Thursday
Stopped at Phil%26#39;s Frosty in Shady Cove along the way for great (and cheap!) burgers and fries. Arrived in Ashland around 8:30, so settled in then walked downtown. Got a gelato from Mix and window shopped since businesses close early.
Friday
After a great breakfast, went for a walk and did some shopping. Some of our favorites were ';CD or Not CD'; and ';Bug A Boo!'; (my daughter loves Groovy Girls dolls, and they had a LOT of them at ';Boo';).
Grabbed a light lunch from Grilla Bites and ate in the park before watching a matinee (';The Music Man';). Grilla Bites has really yummy smoothies, and it was just enough to tide us over for the afternoon.
Went to an early dinner at Sesame (across from Lithia Park). I thought the prices were great and the portions were huge. I had the Wrapped Salmon and also tried the Tangerine Chicken and Mango Salad. My daughter had a side of rice and some shrimp skewers and was very happy. The service here was also excellent.
After dinner we went to the Yogurt Hut. It%26#39;s self serve, so you get a cup and fill it with your favorite yogurt flavor(s) and then choose from a huge variety of toppings. You pay by the ounce. I had orange with brownies and hot fudge... yumm...
Saturday
More shopping! Then a stop at the square to quench my daughter%26#39;s thirst with ... Lithia Water. After making some truly horrible faces she spat it out on the sidewalk (to the delight of the locals who hang out for the show).
We played at Lithia Park, then had lunch at Greenleaf. I don%26#39;t understand why the service is so slow at Greenleaf but I love their chicken salad so I keep going back anyways. My daughter and I split a whole sandwich and a side of fruit salad, which was more than enough food for the two of us.
That afternoon we went on a long bike ride, mostly on the ';Creek to Crest'; trail. We stopped at Garfield Park and Railroad Park for snack and water breaks (we brought these with us). I *highly* recommend Railroad Park as it is underutilized but has a nice, small playground and bathrooms. (Lithia Park is a ';must see'; but if you want to swing on the swings? Go to Railroad instead.)
After cooling off with a swim in the Shrew%26#39;s pool we sampled the drinking chocolate at Enchanted Florist. They have friendly staff and wonderful ambiance. Great place to make your girl feel like a princess. We had dinner at an OSF reception, then saw ';The Servant of Two Masters';. After the play we went to the Yogurt Hut again! This time I had cheesecake yogurt with animal crackers, strawberries, and hot fudge. MMM... hot fudge is goood.
Sunday
Headed out of town on 99 so we could stop at Rising Sun Farms in Phoenix (it was recommended by a friend). There is a tasting room where you can sample wines ($5) and try their cheese (free).
We stopped in Medford to visit my Grandpa, and went by Phil%26#39;s (again!) for a ';milkshake for the road'; on our way up the Crater Lake Highway. Drove through lots of rain, lightning, more rain, and some HEAVY rain... but made it home in good time.
Can%26#39;t wait for next year! :-)
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Trip Report - 5/28-31
Sounds like a really nice trip! Nice to hear some details about the town and fun things to do.
Trip Report - 5/28-31
Thanks for the fine report. We also usually make a similar pre-summer rate trip to Ashland, but didn%26#39;t work it out this year. Maybe we%26#39;ll catch the end of the season in October.
We also seem to wind up at Greenleaf quite often. On our anniversary a couple of years ago we splurged and dined at Chateaulin, but probably not again (unless their fixed price dinner that night is exactly what we%26#39;d like). They did impress us, however, with a happy anniversary greeting, by name, on our dessert cake icing. We like to try new places each year, but rarely the sort of high priced ticket places that Syrah touts.
You mentioned a number of snack and enroute places that we%26#39;ll have to check out. Thanks.
Some day ... probably when the kids are older, or just not along ... I do want to try those ';fine dining'; places. It%26#39;s not that I am so cheap that I won%26#39;t ever eat at a nice place, but I want to feel afterwards that it was worth the time and the money. And from what I hear from both locals and other visitors... those places just might not be worth it.
I hope to see for myself, eventually.
I should also mention that the Shrew%26#39;s is generally above the budget that I normally allow for accommodations. But their breakfasts are SO good that I just can%26#39;t help returning. I%26#39;m not normally a big breakfast person, but when I am on this type of a trip I really need that big start to the day. Maybe that%26#39;s part of why I%26#39;m not looking so much for the whole dinner ';experience';?
I also should have mentioned that my daughter and I both really wanted to try the new Hana Sushi restaurant downtown. However we were traveling with my mother and sister for most of the trip and neither one of them care for sushi (and didn%26#39;t even want to dine in a place that served it). Sigh... so if anyone goes to Hana Sushi I am hoping they will post something, so that I can live vicariously through their experience!
Sounds like a good time, I enjoyed reading about your travels! :)
fiveforfun, what a great break you had !!
I really enjoyed reading this and loved that you took your daughter and now she will be hooked too :)
What is Lithia water?
All of it sounds so great and some of our best times were doing things with the kids and ';fine'; dining was always fine when we enjoyed the food and the company... sounds like you already have that :)
Thanks for posting this .. it was a pleasure to read.
Glad you all are enjoying the report.
Lithia Water is just one of those local things. It%26#39;s from a local spring and you can drink it at the ';bubblers'; in the square in downtown Ashland. According to the OSF website ';Ashland%26#39;s Lithia water contains 39.85 grams of sodium chloride, 47.66 grams of sodium sulfate, 20.22 grams of magnesium sulfate and other minerals as well.';
The immediate area surrounding the bubblers smells like rotten eggs, and the water tastes ... well I imagine it would be like if one was to suck on a rusty pipe.
But some people swear by the stuff, and it supposedly is healthy and has restorative properties. I just think it%26#39;s fun to watch the kids%26#39; reactions!
I am afraid I would be one of those kids, spitting it out .. :)
I have a friend on the way to Oregon/ Portland and Ashland soon, I will have to tell him to try it ... (wicked laugh) ....
Nice TR, fiveforfun!
LOL, I am one of the odd ones who actually doesn%26#39;t mind Lithia water ;-)
%26gt;%26gt;It%26#39;s not that I am so cheap that I won%26#39;t ever eat at a nice place, but I want to feel afterwards that it was worth the time and the money.%26lt;%26lt;
Yes, our sentiments exactly! We find that we%26#39;re often skeptical anymore about trying new ';fancy'; places, since we just *hate* paying a high price for a poor (or skimpy) meal.
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