Weedist Destinations: Ashland, Oregon

The Elizabethan Theatre at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Its small-town, laid-back vibe, mixed with great places to eat and lots of things to do makes Ashland, Oregon a Top Weedist Destination. I recently had the pleasure of visiting a friend who lived on the outskirts of the town and was pleasantly surprised. Generally, small towns in America tend to be more conservative than I find ideal, but this is surely not true for Ashland. Ashland has a large artistic, eco-friendly, all-natural loving community, which gives it a bit of a reputation as a hippie heaven.

Euro-American settlers first came to the area in the mid-19th century. This history is clearly depicted in the architecture around the city. I enjoyed walking around some of the older neighborhoods just to checkout the quaint houses before heading downtown for some food and shopping.

I enjoyed lunch at an independently-owned and operated restaurant serving all organic and mostly locally grown foods before shopping a bit. Downtown has all types of stores, but a few were quite unique, including the co-op. Its rare to find one with such variety in goods in such a small town. There were also a few incredibly unique clothing stores, one of which had everything from brand-new clothes designed specifically for the environmentally-friendly, peace loving consumer, which also had a basement full of costumes for sale in the middle of February!

Given the artistic-reputation of the city, I should not have been surprised. Performers come from all over to take part in the well-renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival. An incredibly large number of plays are performed virtually year-round in the city, as are music shows, roller derbies and who knows what else.

If you make it to Ashland, Lithia Park is a must see. It is just a few blocks from downtown. It has a Japanese garden, a few duck ponds, play areas for the little ones, picnic areas, tennis courts, and trails weaving through undeveloped forests with flowers galore throughout. Musicians were playing live music at various spots in the park and people were enjoying the partially cloudy day to the fullest. Despite recreational marijuana usage remaining illegal in Oregon and medical usage restricted to within one’s home, I saw many people openly puffing in the park, with no one seeming to care.

If you are in or near the area, Ashland, Oregon is a must-see, even if you can only stop for a few hours on your trip along I-5. Have some lunch, catch a show, or take a beautiful walk in the woods in this Top Weedist Destination.

Check out other posts from our Weedist Destinations series!