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For a girlfriend getaway, or mother-daughter trip, check out Ashland, Oregon. Theater lovers, foodies and nature enthusiasts all agree that this small hamlet north of the California border is a cultural epicenter the over 50-years of staging Shakespeare and modern plays. It’s not a secret any more, so reserve your tickets early.

It's so hard to choose just 2 or 3 plays. I saw Hamlet at the outdoor Elizabethan theater, Roe, a contemporary play inside and Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.

It’s so hard to choose just 2 or 3 plays. I saw Hamlet at the outdoor Elizabethan theater, Roe, a contemporary play inside and Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.

Girlfriend Getaways

I just returned from four days in Ashland with a group of girlfriends. We stopped on the drive north from San Francisco at spectacular Mt. Shasta. Then for three nights we luxuriated in the beauty of Ashland’s location in the foothills of the Cascade and Siskiyou Mountain ranges.

If you drive from San Francisco, you'll pass Mt. Shasta. Why not stop for a night?

If you drive from San Francisco, you’ll pass Mt. Shasta. Why not stop for a night?

Stylish cocktail bars, restaurants, art galleries, vineyards and more than 30 Bed and Breakfasts attract tourists from April-November.

On the go in Ashland

We ere on the go the entire time we were in Ashland, walking around town admiring the quaint Victorian homes, shopping (there’s no state tax and everything seemed much cheaper than in California), and we saw four shows in three days-two in the afternoons and two in the evenings in the outdoor Elizabethan theater.

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Dont' miss the Sat. Farmer's Market

Dont’ miss the Sat. Farmer’s Market

For garden lovers

The 93-acre Lithia Park has duck ponds, a rose garden, lawns, swans on lakes and miles of trails along a steam and through forests. There’s a band shell that hosts concerts too.

Where to stay?

I’ve stayed in a charming B&B, at the fancy Westchester Inn, and most recently at the well-located, grand dame of hotels, the Ashland Springs Hotel, located just 2 blocks from the theaters. Check out the Chamber website for lots of accommodation ideas.

Don’t miss

A morning walk in Lithia Park, a back stage tour.

The open air Elizabethan Theater is modeled on the Globe in London.

The open air Elizabethan Theater is modeled on the Globe in London.

Book stores and unique shops tempt you to slow down and enjoy yourself.

Book stores and unique shops tempt you to slow down and enjoy yourself.

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