For several years, my daughters and I have made an annual summer pilgrimage to Ashland, Oregon to catch as many plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as we can possibly cram into a few days and nights. But thanks to our love of the outdoors and our extremely lean budget, we don’t “do Ashland” like your typical culture vulture. Here are a few tips for planning a Shakespeare immersion vacation that’s balanced with plenty of outdoor time, glorious scenery, and healthy inexpensive food.
1. Camp out at Emigrant Lake. Depending on the water level during any particular year, the lakeside sites at Emigrant Lake can either be gorgeous or just so-so. But the stars reflected in the lake are spectacular, and the park’s water slides are always a great way to cool down and let off steam after sitting still all afternoon at a matinee. There are also several good hiking trails that skirt the lakeshore.
2. Find the best coffee in town. Hidden on a quiet side street, Noble Coffee Roastery is where Ashland’s alternative types hang out. The hand-roasted, fair trade, shade grown coffee is all you could hope for. Check the walls for posters advertising concerts, readings, and other events, and you might stumble on a local happening to liven up your trip.
3. Buy meals to go at the Ashland Coop Market. One of those great old-style consumer-owned coops, Ashland Coop has a big deli section where you can put together a gourmet meal of salads, main dishes, and baked goods similar to Whole Foods but more reasonably priced. Pack up your food and walk over to Lithia Park, where you can picnic on the grass while people-watching and listening to busking fiddlers and flautists.
4. Lay in picnic supplies at the Ashland Farmer’s Market. Held Tuesday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Armory, the Ashland Farmer’s Market (officially one of three locations of the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market) is one of those great local affairs with fruit and veggies galore, a couple of great bakery stalls, a musician or two strumming tunes, and artisanal producers selling honey, soaps, jewelry, and other cool handmade stuff. Pick up some bread, cheese, and fruit and you’ll have plenty to eat while catching the pre-show entertainment at the festival.
5. Smile for Cheap Tickets. We usually splurge on tickets to one or two must-see plays that are likely to sell out. But we manage to see many more plays by picking up extra tickets that others can’t use. If you don’t mind sitting separately, you can pick up single tickets pretty easily by hovering near the box office an hour or two before shows with a friendly smile.
6. Bike Bear Creek. Break up your theater-going with a run, walk, or bike ride along the Bear Creek Greenaway bike path that cuts a swath of cool and shady creekside open space through central Ashland.
7. Sleep cheap and cook for yourself. If camping’s not your thing, stay at the Ashland Hostel, a cozy home-like hostel within walking distance of the festival. Guests have kitchen privileges, so you can whip up quick, healthy meals using your farmer’s market and co-op provisions.
8. Celebrate saved pennies with an artisanal cocktail. If, after all this frugality and healthiness you feel like a splurge, head for Dragonfly. This popular Asia-meets-Mexico fusion cafe has a lush garden patio where you can sit out back and sip a cocktail made from herb- and fruit-infused liquors like blueberry-infused rum, tequila infused with jalapeños, and vodka infused with rose petals.
Asia meets Mexico fusion cafe? Wow, I bet the menu there is interesting!
These are great tips, Melanie. I live in Ashland Oregon and I'm impressed by your insider knowledge!
I would add a word of caution about Emigrant Lake: NOT a good place to camp if you are a woman traveling alone. A woman was raped there last year and my husband was actually attacked while he was riding out there on his bicycle (some guys in a car pulled over to the side of the road and smacked him as a joke. The police never found them. Unfortunately, Emigrant Lake seems to attract jerks who do stuff like that.)
What a nice alternative to otherwise pricey hotels and restaurants. To find beautiful scenery and healthy food at good prices is definitely a draw.
This sounds like a lovely place to visit. I'd never heard of their Shakespeare festival before.
These are exactly the kind of insights and tips we like to have when we go away. I'm keeping this post bookmarked.
Thanks, Jennifer, for that tip about safety; I had no idea! We are single women when we camp there; me and two daughters. However the last time was about three years ago; we've stayed at the hostel the last two times we came (one of which was when I had coffee with you!) We're hoping to come again in September and perhaps we'll do the hostel again, though that starry sky over the lake is something. Thanks for the warning!
Meredith and Sheryl, the Ashland festival is truly one of the great Shakespeare fetes; I've added a tip about how to pick up cheap tickets that I forgot to include before.
Great ideas for any vacation–skip dining out all the time and instead cook something up for yourself.
I've intended to go to Ashland for years — and this tips me over. I have to get there. How about a group meetup next summer?
I had a blast going to an outdoor performance of Measure by Measure at the Globe Theater in London. This sounds like a lot of fun, too!
I've never been to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, but it's on my list of must-dos. I'm bookmarking this list for the day it actually happens!
I am depressed about the comment about Emigrant Lake. I had a friend who stayed there often and I was thinking about doing so myself in a couple of weeks in order to be able to visit the OSF. One time bad things can happen anywhere; does anyone know if there are regular and recent bad happenings there to (tent) campers? I would try the hostel but I have parrot that has to go with me (no place else to leave her) and I see the hostel says "no pets."
Hi Betsy,
Honestly I think it would be fine as long as you were careful with your choice of campsites. There is a group of them that is clustered together on a rise above the lake, and if you camp there you'll be surrounded by families, so I can't imagine anything happening. I'm guessing the crime happens if a woman is off by herself, such as when running. I'd just play by the old-fashioned rules of not being caught off by yourself at dusk or in the dark and you should be fine. The water park is extremely popular so there are always tons of families with kids around during the day and into the evening. You could also try phoning the hostel and asking about our parrot; the owner's really nice. But I'm guessing it would be a no, as he'd be concerned it would wake the other guests.
Good luck and have fun! I'd love to hear about your trip afterwards!
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