Travel Pleasures – Ashland OR
We went to Ashland, Oregon to see Shakespeare and saw Henry VIII as well as The Servant of Two Masters, which is a superb contemporary farce. We enjoyed the plays, but discussing the plays the purpose of this article is to discuss a variety of places that made the trip interesting and people who made our trip pleasurable.
If you are going to Ashland, I encourage you to stop by these places:
INTI Imports Marketplace - I bought four worry dollars for a huge combined investment of . Worry dolls? Yes, before you go to bed, energize them by explaining what you would like them to contemplate on your behalf while you sleep. Then, good to bed. They do the worrying for you. Who cares if it doesn't work, as long as you get a great night's sleep, and I do. If you ever wanted to buy clothes that help you feel relaxed, this is the place to visit. For under a hundred dollars you can buy several meditation / yoga outfits. There's something about slipping into clothes that set the mood for mediation.
TAJ, 31 Water Street. TAJ is an Indian restaurant that has the freshest, moistest Tandori chicken that I've ever had in a lunch buffet. In fact, the taste rivaled or exceeded many of the Tandoori chicken meals that I've been served as a main dish for dinner.
Bloomsbury Books - An independent bookstore located at 290 East Main Street, that has an eclectic mix of books, and a very comfortable room where I'd be comfortable reading my children's books. There's a great mix of product in an interesting environment, but what really made it a pleasure was that I asked one of the people where there was a public bathroom, and they suggested that I use theirs. Little courtesies like that make life fun. Stop by and see the place. Go upstairs and enjoy coffee in an environment that relaxes and revitalizes.
Travel Essentials - 252 East Main Street. This retail store has everything that you need to make your trip pleasurable. What impressed me was the care that the owner took to tell someone about the free replacement guarantee that came with the hat that a customer had already decided to purchase. Most salespeople would just take your money. Even if there a back end way for the merchant to make money off the replacement, they could have just thrown the information in a bag. It's nice to feel as though a salesperson cares about you.
Renaissance Rose - 37N. Main Street - A retail shop on top and a resale shop on the bottom. They have salespeople who are honest. They'll tell you when something looks good, and if asked will even confirm that a certain shirt is "more appropriate for an old fart." I found a denim short sleeve shirt for and a bookmark that I decided to give to my daughter for her birthday. It's based on numerology, and explains the personality of people born on the 17th of a month. It's pretty darn accurate. Anytime I can find a cool present for .50, it's a pleasure to me.
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Rogue Valley -During the summer months many Unitarian Universalist fellowships and congregations have services lead by lay leaders or by visiting ministers. Sometimes, they even have a representative of another religion give a sermon. Robin Noll presented an experiential sermon on Hindu-based religions. As each person entered the worship room, they were given a "visa," with a number and a description of the type of Indian (Asian, not Native American) person that they temporarily became during the sermon. There were 10 different categories. The result was a simulation that made you understand economic and social conditions. As an example groups 1 and 2 were invited to go to the food table and eat more than 50% of the food while the balance of the people in the congregation watched them partake. In a way it as disturbing. In another way, it was a pleasure to experience rather than listen to a straight lecture. When the experiential "tour" was over, everyone gathered to experience fellowship and enjoy the food, which was plentiful. We enjoyed meeting everyone, and were invited to go to the First United Methodist Church for a music program.
First United Methodist Church - Main & Laurel Streets - We enjoyed a program called Songs of Love, Loss and Revenge that was presented by Madeline Abel-Kerns, a soprano and Peggie Schwarz, a mezzo-soprano. This is one of several music programs that the church will put on to help raise money for the restoration of their organ. It was entertaining, and it was a pleasure to experience opera and contemporary music in an intimate environment.
Wild Goose Cafe and Bar - 2365 Ashland Street - Anytime that you can walk into an establishment a half-hour before closing and feel welcomed, it is a pleasure. Kathi, our waitress made us feel good about coming in late, and served us a tasty meal. She even went the extra step and made a Corned Beef Special (corned beef, Thousand Island dressing, cole slaw on rye bread, not grilled) even though the closest thing to it on the menu was a Reuben, which is grilled.
A. Herbert Jordan is the author of hundreds of articles, six business books including How Everyone Can Get Great Job Interviews Get Job Interviews is designed to make it easy to find job leads and know exactly what you want to say when you call to schedule an interview.