Happy Saturday, friends!
It’s time for the weekend post with Kim and Elizabeth, our weekly roundup of inspirations and goings on. In today’s dispatch … a mad dash to Ashland, Oregon, to catch the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s adaption of Jane Austen’s Emma. Where we stayed, what we did and how we packed it into less than 30 hours.
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Wow, this week flew by and it’s nearly September. Yikes. But … yay. September is our move-in month … or so we thought. We passed an electrical inspection, which earns us the privilege of being placed on a waiting list for PG&E to hook up the power, but we’ve been told it can take up to 60 days. Sixty days.
In the meantime, distractions are welcome.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland
Last year I wrote about Ashland as a nice stop – or overnight – during a Pacific Northwest road trip. Every time I’m in Ashland, I think about coming back for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), and this was the year I was determined to do it – for a few days, and a couple of performances – but the realities of building the new house intervened. Still, with OSF staging Emma missing out wasn’t an option so we packed the dogs and hit the road for an overnight in Ashland.
And, it was a great excuse to finally use my Jane Austen zipper pouch!
Ashland is about a five-and-a-half hour drive for us, and with pit stops we figure six. We set off at 10am and arrived just before 4pm, perfect timing to check into the hotel, get the dogs situated and walked, and get an early dinner before the 8pm performance.
The OSF 2026 season includes ten productions across three theaters.
- Allen Elizabethan Theater – open air amphitheater; seats 1198.
- Angus Bowmer Theater – indoors; seats 600
- Thomas Theater – indoors; seats from 270-360
We got lucky in that Emma is performed in the Elizabethan Theater, which I really wanted to experience, and it didn’t disappoint. This theater was originally constructed in 1935 modeled on London’s Fortune Theater with a half-timbered Tudor facade. It’s enchanting.
Emma is not your typical Jane Austen adaption, and liberties are taken … I loved them all. It’s set to pop music hits, with fun disco-inspired dance sequences and a not-so-subtle feminist message delivered by poor Miss Taylor (ahem Mrs. Weston) to a stunned Mr. Knightley, offering eye-opening insight into Emma’s meddlesome ways. It received enthusiastic applause.
We sat in the front row of the balcony which I highly recommend, though I don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house. During the first half it was very hot. Jim brought this handheld misting fan, which was wonderful, but after a pre-show reminder to turn off cell phones and other electronic devices, I made him put it away. And suffered. At intermission we got it back out, and it was a lifesaver. I headed for the powder room, which had a long line but moved surprisingly fast. The refreshment lines moved fast too. You can pre-order intermission snacks and drinks ahead of the show and swing by to pick them up later. Nice. By the start of the second act the temperature had dropped a bit with a gentle breeze, and by the time the show ended, and we walked back to the hotel, it was very pleasant … still in the 80’s though.
The entire experience was delightful, and I’m glad we made the effort to go. Emma runs through October 9th with 2-3 performances a week. If OSF is on your radar, by all means go.
The Bard’s Inn
When road tripping through Ashland, we usually stay at Lithia Springs Resort. It’s dog friendly and a lovely place to stay, and its also a five-to-ten minute drive from downtown Ashland. This trip we wanted to be downtown. There are a number of hotel/motel options in the downtown area, and I chose The Bard’s Inn (part of Best Western’s BW Signature Collection – la di da) for its proximity to town. It’s also convenient for four-legged guests … no elevators or inside hallways to get in the way of getting outdoors, plus easy access to grass-lined sidewalks. The property has 90 rooms and suites spread across four buildings – London, Verona, Sonnet, and Juliet. We stayed in the Juliet. The pool area is called the Thames. Cute.
I’m a hotel snob (Jim uses another term), and The Bard’s Inn is totally fine … I’d stay there again. The rooms are updated-ish, with bedside USB ports (important) and refreshed bathrooms with surprisingly nice amenities. All rooms have a mini-fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. They also serve coffee and a breakfast buffet off the lobby, but I didn’t investigate. Jim said it looked pretty meh. My only complaint is the carpet; it seemed unusual given the other updates and given that the hotel is pet-friendly.
Our ground-floor room had a sliding glass door leading to very small patio, but no access to the sidewalk without taking a big leap. Room 301, three doors down, looked like the best dog-friendly pick, with slider access straight out to the sidewalk.
The best feature of the hotel is its proximity to town; a five-minute walk to Ashland’s shops and restaurants, Lithia Park and the OSF complex.
Dogs aren’t allowed in Lithia Park which is highly insulting to Pippa and Maggie, but they begrudgingly respect the wildlife the rule is designed to protect.
We walked past Lovejoy’s Tearoom on our way to and from town and I really wish we’d had time to take tea. Next visit.
A little Gnome house was tucked into a doorway.
This little shop, Manzanita Home & Flowers, looked charming but window shopping was all I had time to do.
Bar Juillet
We had a really yummy dinner at Bar Juillet on N. Main Street. The restaurant was Jim’s idea and I wish I could say he chose it for its name or culinary reputation. No, he chose it because now that he’s retired and has to pay his own Amex annual fee, he’s studied up on cardmember benefits and discovered he gets $100 back per quarter when booking restaurants thru Resy. Certainly nothing to sneeze at, and the restaurants that use the Resy app are really good, like our local favorite Social Bird. I can’t believe I’m telling you this.
Bar Juillet turned out to be a great choice, with a seasonal, veggie-forward menu served as small plates, and family style, and an excellent cocktail and wine list. Jim ordered a Manhattan and I had the seasonal shrub (mocktail), which was exactly what I needed to revive myself from the heat.
We started out with whipped-ricotta-topped focaccia, which could have been our entire dinner, but we’d already ordered the scallops and petite filet. I guess our dinner wasn’t very veggie-forward, with the exception of the crispy, lemony potatoes that came with the filet. They were outstanding. We skipped dessert, which felt right at the time, but I regret it now.
The restaurant was packed with theater goers. Had it not been 90+ degrees we would have opted for the restaurant’s back patio, situated in an alley alongside Ashland Creek. All the restaurants on N. Main have dining space on the alley, and I imagine it’s quite a vibe when it’s not blazing hot.
Mix Bakeshop
In the morning we were up fairly early to walk the dogs and get coffee, cocoa and pastries at Mix Bakeshop, a popular local bakery. Mix also serves ice cream, and their pink picnic tables are a favorite spot to sit and enjoy a cone or cup.
We packed up and hit the road for home before 9:00. We stopped for lunch at In-N-Out Burger (Pippa and Maggie share the unseasoned dog patty) and were home by 3:00.
Traveling with Dogs
We’re fortunate that Pippa and Maggie are great travelers. Over the years we’ve found several things are key to traveling with dogs. Happy dogs.
For small to medium sized dogs, car seats are a game changer. For road trips we move one seat to the middle and the other on whatever side is shady. As the sun moves, we switch the seats, so they never have sun beating on them.
Dog beds from home. Our dogs sleep in their beds on our bed. Don’t judge.
Dog stairs. Our dogs need stairs to get on the bed at home, but we were slow to catch on that they need stairs when traveling too. We relied on hotel end-of-bed benches to give them an assist, but that’s not always a reliable room feature. Now we make room in the car for their stairs.
Standard travel accoutrements ~
- Small cooler
- Travel food & water bowls
- Disposable plates & spoons for fresh food
- Pouches for dry food & treats
- Travel bag
- Lots of water
- Poop bags
- Paper towels
Dog travel needs are no different from ours … they need their usual stuff too.
Odds & Socks ~
- Don’t miss this feature on the kindest, sweetest woman on the planet – and on Instagram.
- Kim and Cindy covered jewelry in their monthly Signature Style series. Read Kim here and Cindy here.
- Painting my nails is one of my least favorite activities, that said I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do … I’m not a savage. I’ve been using Celisse Nails QuickCoat polishes since my girlfriend told me about them last year, and I bought the Full Set which taught me how to file my nails properly (never too late to learn something new). Since then I’ve become a devotee because the polishes dry fast. Before leaving for Ashland I applied two coats of Bunny, part of the High Summer Trio Celisse graciously sent to me, and not a chip … so far. I use the base coat and top coat too. Their neutral polishes are my favorites, Camisole and Vanity. If you’d like to give them a try, use code JULIET15 through Sept. 7.
Local friends ~
- Flaunt’s annual Frank & Eileen Fall Style event is coming up next Friday and Saturday!
- Town Hall Theater Co.’s Steel Magnolias opens Sept. 12 thru Oct. 3; get tickets here.
Current Favorites ~
And that’s all I have for today. If you missed last weekend’s post, I shared recent progress on our Folly build; catch up here.
Elizabeth is off this weekend to be with her family, read her latest post here.
Let’s see what’s inspiring Kim.
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Good morning and happy weekend Juliet! Aww, you finally made it to OSF. Timely post because we are absolutely planning a trip to Ashland next spring or fall. Such a cute town and it’s been years since we attended OSF. Loved the pic of Pippa and Maggie sharing the car seat! You two are such good fur baby parents. Keeping fingers crossed that the Folly move-in date is in Sept. Xx
Karen! Spring is the perfect time to visit Ashland, take in the charm and avoid the heat. There are so many things to do that we never have time for like the Japanese Garden. And breakfast at Morning Glory. I hope you do it all and more. Thanks for your kind wishes for our new house and happy weekend! xo
Love a trip to Ashland but I know how blasted hot it can be. Love The Mix in the morning and will have to try Juliet next visit. We usually stay in Ashland Springs… tired but can’t beat the location.
60 day wait time for hook up? Why don’t they try a different process… like get it all ready then do the last bit when inspection done? At this stage in the build they know your going to finish it. Sigh. I hope you jump the line.
All our doggies were great travelers. I love traveling with the Bulldogs.
Karen! Yes, Ashland Springs is wonderful and I’ve enjoyed my stays there without dogs. Oof, what we sacrifice for our four-legged babes. Yep, 60 days, apparently it’s a new policy that’s driving our general contractor nuts because he’s the one who must deliver the news to anxious, ready to move-in clients. I can’t imagine. Anyway, it will work itself out one way or the other. Happy weekend! xo
Hi Juliet,
Thank you for a wonderful post! We took our daughter to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival when we were looking at Willamette Univ. for her and we had a fabulous time loved the town loved the stores! Very happy memories. Have a lovely weekend x
Francesca! I love that you’ve gone to the festival. Did you daughter end up attending Willamette? Happy weekend! xo
Hello,
No, she went to Boston and now is a professional Hollywood writer and producer ! And she loves Shakespeare!! So proud of my girl xo
Oh wow … I bet you are proud. What a fascinating career! xo
What a fun trip!! For your WHOLE fam. We took Chief whenever we could too. Ah…still missing the boy. Anyway, I get why dog-friendly is desirable.
Howard is aware of the Amex card benefits too. 🙂 Something about Uber rides. I’m sure Jim knows about it, too.
MA! Sweet Chief … he’s so missed. Yes, Jim is on top of the Uber rebates … and Lululemon. xo
Hi Juliet,
Wow, you two move with the spirit of spontaneity, and you have the fur children to think about too. I love how you take care of your fur babies.
What an amazing trip, I love theater. My dear friend Sandie is a huge theater person. She has been to OSF many times and raves about it. In spite of the heat it sounds like you had a good time.
Take TLC o yourselves. It’s cold where you lived compared to Arizona. Knowing how you aren’t a fan of the heat you would have a complete melt down.
Katherine! You’re right, I would absolutely have a melt down. Literally and figuratively. Live theater is wonderful. So glad we decided to do the crazy thing and go. Next time we’ll be back for a more respectible visit. Happy weekend! xo
Hi, Juliet –
I live in Portland and have yet to attend the Shakespearean Festival. Another retirement road trip for the list! I would also love to visit Crater Lake again (it’s been decades).
I am a fan of larger dogs. Our lab brings her bed from home (which goes on the floor. Ahem). Also, in the event of an accident, one does not want a 60+ pound weight hurtling around. She wears a special harness that attaches to a shorter lead that attaches to the back seat belt. And of course her weathertech quilted seat cover, which makes for easier dog hair cleanup once we get home… She may be 12, but still loves a road trip!
Julia! I haven’t been to Crater Lake in decades either. Each time we pass the road sign I think – we must go. Our lab, Sasha, was a great travel dog too, and didn’t need as many accessories. We sure miss her. I highly recommend the OSF experience, and the wonderful Ashland Springs Hotel is a fun place to stay, as is Lithia Springs just outside of town. Happy weekend! xo
I’d forgotten about Ashland’s Shakespeare Festival, and Emma sounds super fun. A great road trip, tho we might add another day for less stress, if possible (hi-stress hub driver). Mix Bakeshop goodies look DELISH. Love your photo of Maggie and Pippa! Our little guy doesn’t love driving (perhaps bc he was adopted at 8 months with no early driving experience), and vomits in his kennel, so now he is on my lap on a soft/semi rigid pad by KONG, sleeping endlessly — did this on an 1100 mile drive X 2. At least he isn’t stressed… Our friend also encouraged us to use a harness with a dog seat, which is the best for the unexpected, of course. I do that around town, but he has yet to relax. And I agree: the places we stay when traveling with a pet are a real compromise!
Joan, I think you’re right, if they don’t learn to ride in the car early they can end up being afraid and or anxious. Wish we could have stayed an extra day or too in Ashland, but we were lucky to get away for the better part of two days with so many things going on over at the new house rarely a day goes by we’re not needed over there for something. That will be over soon though … yay. Happy weekend! xo
Juliet this post is a wonderful guide to Ashland. Like you I have always had the Shakespeare fest on my list. What a great idea to just do it. Honestly I had no idea the drive was so short. Like LA from here. I am a huge Jane A fan so would be motivated to see Emma. The theater is lovely! Reminds me of the Globe. Shocking you had so much heat. I would guess that was not normal for Ashland? I wonder if fall is a good time. The hotel sounded perfect and so did Bar Juliet! Ashland sounds like so much fun. I love your Jane Austen pouch too.
I like how you bring the girls with you and talk about where they go! I have a question, do the girls just stay in the hotel room when you are away with no issues? As a cat person I feel clueless about this. Sure is nice to be able to take them with you on adventures. I think I want to come back as one of your pups! They look like they are living their best lives.
Thank you for sharing the jewelry post. I need to share Elizabeth’s also. I need to try the nail kit! So exciting the folly date is getting closer. xo
Kim! We do leave them at the hotel … for short periods of time which is why proximity to whatever we’re doing is important and factors into hotel choice. We don’t leave them for more than two hours or so at a time … and work up to it. In this case, we got them adjusted to hotel for an hour or so before we went to dinner, then came back after dinner to walk them, and when the play was over we rushed back. It’s definitely a bit of an ordeal for all concerned … but thankfully they’re pretty good about it (and they have each other for comfort). Abby-cat happily stays home with her usual routine. xo
Hi Juliet — What a fun trip. Being an East Coast Gal, I had no idea there was such a big Shakespeare festival in Oregon. I love the theater you saw Emma in. Good luck with the electric hookup. It will all work out in the end. I am hitting the road with Maddie and Cisco tomorrow. They have both always been excellent in the car, thank heavens. Our previous dog was terrible — he got car sick, and we had to literally lift his 50-lb body into the car, while he was digging in his heels. Have a lovely week!
Molly! One of our dogs, Bella, hated the car and never got used to it … traveling with her wasn’t an option. We started Pippa and Maggie out early. Hope you, Maddie and Cisco have a great trip! xo
Thanks so much for the tips on traveling with dogs. Our dog loves to travel with us but he absolutely hates being left in the hotel while we go out for a meal. He makes his displeasure known, which has not endeared us to anyone. We’ll try bringing some more familiar things from home as you mentioned.
Maggie! It’s really hard if a dog is anxious and I don’t think all dogs are ok hotel stays or being left on their own. Because our dogs are together I think they comfort each other but they’re still nervous. Thankfully, they don’t bark. We only leave them for limited periods which is why we decided to stay at The Bard’s Inn … we could have dinner, walk back to hotel to take them out, then go to play and get walk back quickly after. We always try to arrive early enough so they have a little time to acclimate before being left on their own for short periods. Hope that helps, but honestly I think if a dog isn’t used to cars or hotels from the get-go it’s hard to change that behavior and they’re better off at home with someone they love and trust. Happy Sunday! xo