Ashland Anniversary
Just like that, a year had gone by, a year of marriage, new adventures, and oh so much love. It did not seem possible that we were celebrating our first anniversary and yet here we were. In what is a surprise to no one, I am the vacation planner in our relationship. However, my birthday/anniversary present request was that Brandon plan a weekend getaway. You see, I cleverly timed our anniversary to ensure that its close proximity to my birthday meant that he could not deny such a request. Ever.
So this year, he planned a romantic getaway to nearby Ashland. I would not describe Brandon as romantic in a traditional sense, and yet he planned a weekend that could be described as just that. There was a gorgeous historic hotel, fancy restaurants, and strolls through the park holding hands. Oh, and spa time. Is it really a romantic weekend getaway without spa time?
We stayed at the lovely Ashland Springs Hotel. Located in downtown Ashland, this hotel is an iconic part of the Ashland skyline and conveniently located to almost everything you would want to do in Ashland, including the Shakespeare Festival. Seriously, we did not use the car all weekend. This historic hotel was effortlessly elegant, from the stained glass windows to the afternoon tea time. The rooms, if obviously older, were clean and comfortable. And there were many nice touches, such as a delicious included breakfast, a lavender sachet for the bath, and bubbly to celebrate our anniversary, which Brandon got to enjoy alone thanks to me being pregnant.
Of course, there was more to our weekend than a nice hotel. If I had to sum up Ashland in one word it would be quirky. But if I got to choose a second, it would be charming. It’s a unique town with boutiques and restaurants galore, but the real highlight is Lithia Park, the 100 acre park around which the town is organized. We spent hours exploring the park, stumbling across a music festival, exploring the trails, and simply enjoying the accessibility of nature. We did so much of “nothing” and it was wonderful.
You know our weekend also included some amazing food. Some of the highlights were a refined dinner at Alchemy, tapas at Ostras!, and breakfast burritos at Ruby’s.
Located in a beautiful Victorian house, which also holds a small hotel, Alchemy starts with quality ingredients and combines them with creativity. I loved that the non-alcoholic cocktails were not an afterthought, but the real highlight was a deliciously simple rhubarb galette. In between cocktails and dessert, I enjoyed a spinach raviolo filled with vegetables and ricotta goat cheese.
Saturday evening we had tapas at Ostras! I enjoyed a bespoke strawberry mocktail and we shared a number of small dishes. This is seriously my favorite kind of meal - the more things I can try, the better. My only regret was not being able to eat all this and try the paella.
Sunday morning before heading home, we had breakfast burritos at Ruby’s. Needless to say, we didn’t need lunch.
We only barely scratched the surface of the food options available in Ashland, which seems like the perfect excuse to return.
Between stuffing ourselves with food and attempting to walk off the calories, we browsed Ashland’s many shops, considered last minute tickets to Shakespeare, and I got a massage at the lovely Waterstone Spa. I had a handful of prenatal massages while pregnant and each one was seriously amazing. Waterstone was no exception. Plus the facilities were just gorgeous. I felt like I had stepped back in time to a Victorian spa, but, you know, with electricity. Happy birthday/anniversary to me!
We enjoyed a romantic weekend full of sweet moments and some precious time together. But my favorite moment was when we found a quiet spot in the park and reread our vows to each, repeating promises that have only gained meaning with time. It was a sacred moment when we again made promises to each other, renewing our love for and commitment to each other.
Our first year of marriage was a great one. And I know that there will be challenges ahead. So we made the most of our weekend away, treasuring our time together and storing up the sweet moments for days when life is hard. And just to be safe, we ate some leftover wedding cake when we got home.
