Shake Down Cruise

When Jerry had his boat, the first trip of the season was a brief shake down cruise to make sure everything was working well. Motor homes, like boats, need to be tested before the big trip. For our 2011 test, we spent last weekend in one of our favorite destinations, Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Undeterred by rain and snow, we drove north. We have to say we have never seen this much snow at the northern California climes of Interstate 5. The original plan was to leave on Thursday but, with snow and 70 mph winds forecast, we decided that Friday was a better bet. Still some snow but not bad.

What was intended as a great weekend of theater grew into a greater weekend with friends. There is an old song from days at summer camp that says, "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." We wish to add the precious metal platinum to describe the friends who shared the weekend.

Anne and Jerry have been friends for five decades. They drove down from McMinneville to be with us for a too short time of catching up on each other’s lives. Newer motor home friends Paul and Carol, who had spent a lovely day with us in Sacramento a few weeks ago, joined us. The six of us drove up to Eagle Point to tour Butte Creek Mill, a 130-year old water powered flour mill that continues to produce excellent flour products (some of which we had to buy).




That evening we shared a delicious dinner and the play The Daly News at the Cabaret Theatre. The play was based on a daily newsletter (now it would be a blog) prepared by a father to keep his four sons who were serving in WWII up to date on family happenings.



After a challah french toast breakfast prepared by Jerry, we avoided the rain by carrying on multiple conversations in the rig and then bid farewell to Anne and Jerry (with a promise of more time later in the year).



It was now time for theater starting with the excellent The Language Archive. That evening, after a wonderful theater experience, our delicious dinner at Arbor House was made more pleasurable by such added touches as a pre-tasting curries to select the degree of spiciness and notes with the contents and dates written on boxes of later-to-be-enjoyed leftovers.

On Sunday, Jerry and Anna Lee savored brunch at the home of our newest friends Jackie and Don whom we met on our cruise. Again the conversation was as delightful as the food.

Our second play was the classic To Kill a Mockingbird . This is the only authorized theater version and what a gripping experience it was. Having the adult Scout narrate the story was a tribute to the author and her great book.

Sesame Asian Restaurant was the location for more wonderful dining and conversation as Jackie and Don joined the four of us for a pre-theater dinner.


Our final play of this trip was a bi-lingual, musical, modern day version of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. All we can say is "Wow!" which pretty well sums up the entire fabulous weekend.


There was one other treat as we drove home, the magnificent view of snow clad, cloud ringed Mt. Shasta.



Back home now to get ready for our next adventure which will start in mid April. Keep following for more shortly.