Another Labor Day in Ashland, Oregon

We spent another Labor Day weekend in Ashland, Oregon this year (after enjoying it so much last time), and enjoyed some fine Shakespeare Festival delights. I always feel a rush when I first glimpse the Elizabethan stage. We saw "As You Like It" (and we liked it), "Troilus and Cressida" (based on "The Iliad", and I can see why it isn't performed much!), and "Henry V" (perhaps the Bard's most inspirational piece).

We also saw lovely vistas of the Rogue Valley:

And ever so many well-kept gardens, including many vegetable gardens and gorgeous flowers:

Of course, no trip would be complete without me picking out my favorite thing I ate. I loved this Rogue Cheese Sampler from Pasta Piatti, featuring local cheeses from Rogue Cheeses, served with crostini, and paired with roasted garlic and onion, fresh pear, red grapes, caper berries, olives, tomato/basil, and spiced walnuts. Whew! What a mouthful (pun intended)! We hardly needed dinner after polishing off this plate.

Now we have returned, well fed, well rested, and ready to take on the last dog days of summer. My tomatoes are starting to really ripen, but I'm already getting my fall seeds in. I also found this kind of extreme but also really cool book called "Food Not Lawns" in a little indie bookstore in Ashland. It's all about how to rid of useless huge lawn spaces and convert them into food-producing gardens. I'm all ears, sister!

What to Do in Ashland, Oregon

If you ever find yourself in Ashland, Oregon, do be sure to:

-See a play, especially at the stunning Elizabethan Theater. It's the next best thing to a trip to England! Ashland is famous for having a wonderful Shakespeare Festival, and we loved the modern, top-notch acting we witnessed there.

- Take a stroll through gorgeous Lithia Park. Think nature hike in the middle of bohemian downtown and you have Lithia Park. Ashland Creek runs through the forrested park and between the wading pools, park benches, duck ponds and towering trees, you'll be feeling zen in no time.

- Last but not least, eat breakfast. Every day. If there's one thing Ashland excels at, it's eating a solid breakfast.

Pecan Waffle and Apple Spice Butter with Marionberry Jam at Breadboard

Coconut French Toast at Dragonfly

Lemon Poppyseed Waffle with Lemon Butter and Fresh berries, at Morning Glory.

Speaking of Morning Glory, it is a local staple, a restaurant known for having excellent breakfasts and a beautiful garden.

I loved the quote that was painted on the wall of the restaurant:

Maybe we could all use a little reminder to gaze a little more at the morning glories!

We're Off to Ashland Oregon!

I love Oregon in the fall

After an exhausting but wonderful move last week, we are now, shockingly, mostly unpacked. We are at least at the stage where we can cook and do dishes and laundry (at any hour- hoorah!) and bathe and perform all of the basic functions of everyday living. We even have internet as of yesterday evening.

This weekend we will not be staying at home to complete all of our projects, but instead escaping to Southern Oregon. Nearly 9 months ago, before we could foresee this whole moving business, we bought tickets to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival. While part of me feels bad about ditching all the work we still have to do and running off to play and explore, I am mostly thrilled. This is an event I have been trying to attend since high school, and we will be spending our Labor Day weekend soaking up "Measure for Measure", "Love’s Labor Lost", and even a musical with "Pirates of Penzance". It feels good to check an item off the bucket list, doesn’t it?

We will naturally chronicle our adventures and the best food we can scout out along the way. Until next week!