Up in the morning and out on the porch of the motel. It was about 30 degrees, and you could see snow on the forested mountains to the west of us. Steam was rising off the hot tub, and the famous Best Western Free Breakfast was waiting. I had raisan bran, and we went for a walk.



Ashland somehow looks like it has been imposed on the landscape, and a somewhat bi-polar landscape it is. Look to the east and its virtually high desert. Here's a nice rock formation as seen from the edge of the Rite-Aide parking lot. But look west, as above, and you see forested mountain sides.



I would say that there are signs that the "old west" does not want the new west to intrude further. The Best Western we are in is at the south intersection of the Ashland road and I-5. As happens at those kinds of exits, there is a cluster of gas stations and motels with E-Z on/ E-Z off. But the intersection community while new is not prospering. Right across the road from the Best Western is the Windmill Motel - a huge complex which is closed down and showing serious damage from defered maintenance. Here's the end of a road of motels around the corner from the Best Western.



There were several new commercial buildings on that short dead-end road that were shuttered and empty. Meanwhile also on that short stub road is the Relax Inn, a reminder that motels used to be utilitarian. It's one of the old cinderblock motels. Nothing fancy.



After our walk we went to the Rite-Aide for sundries, and wandered around it for about an hour like innocents given a glimpse of paradise. We shopped. I got a card reader for the computer, which is why you see pictures in this blog entry. Then to Albertsons for an apple and a coke - my lunch. I'm down to 159 pounds now.

Mary Alice is not on my diet, so when we got to the theater section of town we went upstairs to Alexs Plaza Restaurant, and bar. Luckily I had brought my cell phone, and we spent some time in conversations with and about clients with warrants. I'm turning the thing off now.



Mary Alice had a grilled vegetable plate which she enjoyed while I wondered if lunchtime has passed, which is diet controlled for me, and dinner time had begun, since it is not diet controlled. Dinner time had not begun.



For dinner we went to the Lark in the Ashland Springs Hotel.



At 9 stories tall it is the most imposing building in all of Ashland. We had been advised to get a drink there, and there were no tables available, so we ate at the bar. I had an excellent pot roast, washed down with a Washington state Syrah. "Enjoy the play" the waitress said. I said "I don't know if that would be appropriate. Its about a guy who kills his wife."

Then to the theater for Othello. It was outside, and about 35 degrees. We had arctic coats, and rented blankets, so it was nice and cozy. The infra-red headphones helped alot, too.

Ashland is the home of Southern Oregon University, and the Shakespeare festival, and not much else. It is a long strip town built on the old highway. The festival is the amazing thing. Remember when Garberville was trying to develop an economic base to replace timber and livestock. Well, Ashland did it. Back in the mid-30s a guy named Angus Bowmer evidently got this idea on the order of "My dad has a big barn, lets put on a play." Today they run a season from Febuary to November with perormances in three theaters simultaneously, afternoon and night. Very high quality performances, the core of the presentations is Shakespeare, but they have branched out into some more modern playwrights, too. The thing is that they attract hundreds of people with a good deal of money into a very small town on a steady basis. There are upscale restaurants, lots of motels, a several block long boutique/artsy commercial area, and added to this are the students from the University (who sit around with their dogs playing flutes, and ride bicycles a lot). We have the Mateel Center, we have the Reggae site, we have the Community Park. What we need is to stop fighting with each other so we can get something going - other than marijuana. Nothing wrong with marijuana, but when they legalize it, its going out in to the valley and the party will be over.