 |
Arriving at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival  |
|
|
Arriving at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival |
|
IN THE LIGHT OF A JUNE EVENING they begin to arrive at the Oregon Shakespeare Festivel, well before showtime. They file along Main Street and Lithia Way, up Pioneer Street and Chatauqua Walk, across the parking lot from the Ashland Springs Hotel, and from the shaded narrow residential streets up the hill. In the patio in front of the two large theaters, there's already a crowd ringed around a singer and musicians performing on the outdoor stage. The music carries into town, a further enticement to the about-to-arrive. In Ashland this is a nightly ritual. Ashland is where theatergoers can get their fix of live theater. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents four plays, and sometimes five, every day and night except Monday from February to October. Situated in a town of 20,000, the festival reportedly sells more tickets to more performances of more plays than any other theater in the country. |
[Click on any picture to see a larger image.]
 |
 |
 |
|
BUT IF THE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL is the draw, Ashland is the treat. Tucked at the base of the Siskiyou Mountains, Ashland is a small college town in a spectacular rural setting. Tall, leafy maples shade streets lined with Victorians and frame bungalows. Gardens bright with spring and summer color decorate front yards. The compact business district abounds with vintage architecture. A mountain stream, Ashland Creek, roars right through the center of town on a rocky streambed, filled with snowmelt from Mount Ashland. The centerpiece of Ashland -- outside the Shakespeare Festival -- is the town plaza. Buildings dating back to the early 1900's feature a variety of shops and restaurants. An adjacent creekside patio is a great place for dining on balmy evenings. The plaza's western end opens directly onto 1,000-acre Lithia Park. The lower portion of the park contains a Japanese garden, ponds, meadows and a place for outdoor concerts. The park then continues up into the mountains, following Ashland Creek under a canopy of pines, maples, oaks and madrones. |
[Click on any picture to see a larger image.]
 |
 |
 |
|
THE OLD COMMERCIAL CENTER extends southward from the plaza along Main Street to Third. It's part of the Ashland Downtown Historic District. You can explore it all in a moderate stroll. There are ample coffee houses along the way, along with book stores, restaurants and arts and crafts shops. Through a storefront window you can watch chocolate truffles being shaped at the Rocky Mountain Chocolateers -- and then enjoy the result. The Ashland Bakery Cafe (more familiarly known as the "ABC") is a favorite lunch stop. And after a day on foot, a stop at Zoey's for ice cream is a perfect respite. Just as beguiling is the lifestyle. Southern Oregon University is Ashland's largest employer. Next on the list is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. What results is a vibrant cultural life and a spirit of freedom and innovation in the arts. Along with that is a decidedly slow pace of living. In town, speed limits of 25 and even 20 miles per hour are routinely observed. Traffic comes to a halt when a pedestrian approaches a crosswalk. Courtesy abounds. Yielding the right of way is a high art. "Excuse me" is apparently the city motto, and is uttered freely and regardless of fault. |
[Click on any picture to see a larger image.]
 |
 |
 |
| Ashland, Oregon lies 15 miles north of the California border off of Interstate 5. Southbound travelers usually take Exit 19, turn right, and then turn left on Highway 99, which becomes Main Street as it enters Ashland. Those coming north from California will take Exit 14, turn left onto Ashland Avenue and, a mile later, turn right onto Siskiyou Boulevard. In the commercial district, northbound traffic is diverted from Main Street and onto Lithia Way. It joins two-way Main Street just north of Ashland Creek. |
Home · Blog · Author's Notes · Privacy Policy · Contact
Copyright © John Evans 2006-2009 All rights reserved.
1522 Constitution Blvd. #178, Salinas, California 93905
Telephone (831) 424-1151 Contact Me
www.OnScenicRoutes.com
www.OnScenicRoutes.net