Oregon Shakes

Hello All!

One of the biggest surprise stops of the trip was Ashland, Oregon. I had planned on going a completely different direction, as in north, to Portland, but the Magic 8 Ball knows best. So, I headed south to Ashland after spending some time in Grant’s Pass, OR. I promise I’ll fill in the blanks on that part of the story in the future…but, kinda like the 8 Ball, I don’t always tell a linear story.

I LOVE Ashland. It’s the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the surroundings are absolutely beautiful. Upon arrival, I headed right to the box office to pick up tickets to a few shows, as I planned on staying a couple of days. Since I was alone, it was easy to get great seats. I saw Pride and Prejudice at their indoor theater and Henry IV, Part I in their outdoor amphitheater. Both nights were magical and made me miss my old life of costume design. (The being homeless and hungry part…not as much!)

Though I’m an English professor, I had never read Pride and Prejudice, much to my friend Drew’s chagrin. However, that meant I entered with no preconceived notions of what I was about to see. I ended up in the front row - right in the center. My feet were very nearly right on the stage. The production was astounding. I took this picture right before the show started.


Everything about the show was fantastic. The acting was incredible, and the costumes looked great and would have been so much fun to design and build. I sat in the audience with a bunch of Jane Austen geek/freaks! They knew the story so well they were saying the lines with the actors. So, the energy in the room was great and really healed this traveler’s soul. I’m really glad I finally got to meet these characters. And, Drew…you were right! :->

The next day I trooped through the park that sits in the middle of the town. I’ll let the photos speak for Mother Nature.




Ashland was where I really started messing around with my camera, trying to view the world in a different way. Here are a few shots I took of some park benches. I applied a few treatments to the photo, as well.





Not sure which is my favorite, but my meanderings through the park were such a great way to see everything Ashland has to offer.

Will share more later about the wine, the art, the outdoor theatre, and the wonderful people who took me in while I was there.