Ashland, Oregon

My youngest sister has lived in Ashland for more than 20 years. It's a lovely small city nestled up against the mountains in SW Oregon, a few miles from the larger (and not so gorgeous) city of Medford.

Medford has a nice little airport with flights to nearby major cities where other flights can be taken to the rest of the world. It's not exactly isolated, as the I-5 corridor passes between the two towns, but still, it's a bit off the beaten path.

An actor reviewing his lines in Lithia Park....

Except during the summer when the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is in full swing. http://www.osfashland.org/

The little town is hopping then, all of the 60+ bed and breakfast establishments are full, and restaurants are packed.

I visited my sister recently, for a couple of days, long after the craziness of summer subsided. We didn't go to a play, we wanted to spend as much time together as possible. But during the one day when she had to work for a while, I wandered about through beautiful Lithia Park and sipped from the lithium laden springs. My mother has often pointed out that the people in Ashland are so laid-back because of the amount of lithium they consume naturally. The rest of us must get a prescription for it!

There are lovely restaurants with outdoor seating next to the gurgling brook, which occasionally turns into a raging river during the winter rains.

I have certainly been to Ashland before, and seen some of the marvelous productions put on by the Festival. The plays are well worth the trip, and the pretty town is a pleasure. But this trip was about family, so enjoy these few snaps of the town and wildlife.