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| I was happy when we bought the game Quarto at a downtown shop in Ashland. I'm currently on about a 100-game losing streak to Beth. If I had only known, my smile might not have been so big. |
We didn't do a lot or research on Ashland prior to our visit. It looked to be a convenient stop in Southern Oregon as we headed further north. What we discovered was a vibrant city of 22,000 that had plenty to keep us busy for our two day stay.
Ashland, Oregon
Some of the things we learned about Ashland is that it is the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which happened to be going on while we were there. It also has a really nice downtown area full of small, locally owned shops, art galleries and restaurants. Alongside the downtown area is Lithia Park, which is full of trails, a duck pond and a rose garden.
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| Lithia Park. The only downside to our visit to Ashland was that they were experiencing a big heat wave. The large shade trees were really appreciated. |
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| No ducks in the duck pond! |
Lithia Park
We didn't attend any of the Shakespeare Festival plays, but we did enjoy the free "pre-show" activities in the outdoor amphitheater located near the festival venues. The first night there was a local Hispanic dance troupe and the second night a concert featuring the music of Whitney Houston. Both were entertaining and the price was certainly right.
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| The free entertainment drew a big crowd both nights |
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| We went to a local winery on Saturday afternoon. There was a local dance company that put on a nice hula show. |
As we discovered, Ashland was much more than just a stop along the way!
