August 12, 2013: Ashland:  After breakfast, we strolled through the quaint streets and shops of Ashland. The park in the middle of the city is quite pedestrian friendly and there were many things both natural and people centric that were interesting to view. In one of the many meadows of the park, we saw a group of children participating in a music lesson. It looked like they were playing musical chairs, but as a child was eliminated from circling the chairs, he/she would pick up his/her instrument and join the band that was playing the music for the game. It was difficult to see if the children were disappointed in being dismissed from circling the chairs or whether they really preferred to be in the band.

music lesson in the park in Ashland, Oregon

 After observing the children's music lesson, we strolled through a bit more of the park and met ducks in a pond:

 Leaving the park, we strolled through the theater complex that Ashland is famous for -- the Shakespeare theaters draw crowds throughout the year.

Ashland's Shakespeare theater complex

Ashland's Shakespeare theater complex

We had lunch at one of the many quaint cafes in Ashland and from there drove to our next destination, Red Bluff, California on our way home. 

The next day we continued from Red Bluff on our journey to Turlock, California, where Ruth grew up. We stayed at her brother's house for the night and spent the rest of the day visiting relatives who still live in Turlock. Then, the day after that we finished our trip back home to southern California. Our two weeks on the road were quite enjoyable.