If you are a follower of this site, you already know that I am from Seattle and have absolutely zero desire to go back there ever again (permanently), but short visits are something I can do and this will be the first Christmas that the husband and I will open gifts in the Pacific NW since we moved to the East Coast over 4 years ago.

Living out East for the past four Christmas’ has been awesome! There is no other place in the country (or World??) that can match the holiday spirit that NYC generates! From the windows at Macy’s to the computerized yet realistic snowflakes at Saks to seeing the tree at Rockefeller and shopping the Christmas markets at Union Square and Central Park to ice skating at Bryant Park– and the list goes on.

Ice Rink in Central Park (photo credit: D Ellefson)

Regardless of how horribly depressing the gloomy gray skies of Seattle will be (dare I even wish for snow?), I will make this trip as CHRISTMASY as possible!!! First and foremost, I am excited to see my nephew and niece and wake up super early with them on Christmas morning to see them open THE BEST presents EVER (from Uncle and me of course, even though Uncle will likely sleep in a bit later than me). Also, my grandparents are making the trek over the mountains and through the woods JUST to see hubby and me (I mean, of course they’re coming for us–who cares about those cute great-grandkids…).

While in Seattle, the lack of snow or even sunny, crisp temps won’t bother me too much with family and friends close by AND these totally Christmasy things to do:

The famous Seattle Space Needle

1) The Christmas Carol Improv! I have been to this show in the ghost of Christmas past and it is awesome! Always different, (it is Improv) and based on the original Dickens story but sprinkled with audience suggestions on how the story should be acted out, this performance called “Seattle’s Funniest Christmas Show” is a Pacific NW tradition!

The show is regularly shown at their home smack dab in the middle of Pike Place Market at the Market Theater, but since its currently being renovated, this year I will see it at the equally cool Intiman Theater at Seattle Center.

2) Christmas Lights Shining Bright!
When I was a kid, driving to and walking around neighborhoods decked out Clark W Griswold style was, and still IS, a highlight (and also free). One of the best stops (and longest running) in Seattle is Candy Cane Lane in Ravenna! The neighborhood has been doing this light show since 1941.
Address: Northeast Park Road, off Ravenna Boulevard, Seattle, WA

Ravenna Neighborhood

3) Seeing the Lights & the Sights from the Water
Seattle locals may humbug the Argosy (“Its so touristy”) and even I used to poo-poo it until I went on an Argosy summer cruise a few years back and saw Bill Gates’ mansion. One word: GINORMOUS. Anyway, at Christmastime, all of the touristy labels go out the window because tourists and locals will love the lights seen from the water. In its 62nd year, this parade of Argosy Christmas Ships sails the Puget Sound waterfront communities and if you are lucky enough to get tickets on the lead ship, THE Christmas Ship, onboard choirs will sing carols throughout your journey. This runs through December 23rd. Did I mention the outer decks on the ships are heated. Oh yes! I’ll see you there! ($35 adults $31.50 seniors $19 kids ages 5-12 (4 and under no charge)

The Argosy Ship

4) Molbaks
Annual Festival of Poinsettias

Molbaks is a Christmas tradition for Seattleites and a must stop for anyone that lives in the general vicinity (Molbaks is in the suburb of Woodinville and well worth the short drive from Seattle). Aside from the numerous wonderful ornaments and decorations to shop (I love the Department 56 collections they have), fresh trees to meander through and hot chocolate to sip–they boast one of the most colorful sights in all of Washington State: the Annual Festival of Poinsettias.

With over 25 varieties (25, really? Wow!) and tons of family photo ops (even with Santa!!), this is a MUST STOP to get into or get more into the holiday spirit. They are open all the way through Christmas Eve at 4! I’ll see you there–after the Argosy ride of course, and lets hope for snow, or at least not rain.

The Pacific Ocean is cold though — not much swimming goes on here, even on warm days, but its hard to resist wading in and looking for the many starfish and sand dollars.

Seaside and Astoria are nearby towns that cannot be missed if traveling the Oregon Coast. Seaside has the arcade games, the rides and tourist shops that don’t quite fit the higher end theme Cannon Beach represents. Astoria is a logging town, very blue collar, but touristy in its own right as it is where much of the movie Goonies was filmed.

Cannon Beach is recognized instantly by images of the picture I am attaching: Haystack Rock.
In the old days you could climb on it, or even in it when the tide was way out. Now climbing is prohibited but just getting close to the rock is an experience not easy to duplicate.

Now stop your internal nay-saying and hear me out.
Even if you were not an English major (as I was), Shakespeare has appealing qualities to everyone, well- except maybe my mom. When she helped me study my lines for the very amateur Shakespeare plays I took part in during my undergrad I remember her saying multiple times “how can anyone understand this”?

In retrospect, my response to her then of “Mom! It’s not that hard! Just help me!” didn’t add her to the number of Shakespeare fans out there. Since my future career of theatre has gone the way of Hamlet’s father and my frustration of one not understanding “the craft of the language” has subsided, I can see how the complexity of the language can seem as approachable as snuggling a hedgehog.

Of course, one could buy cliff notes or watch the many movies that have been made from the plays (and I have to say, Mel Gibson’s Hamlet is not bad), but I suggest instead to try taking in a live show in a true festival format. In my opinion, seeing the actors express the words make them easier to grasp and gives an unanticipated appreciation of this old language full of modern day messages.

Nearly every major city in the US and Canada have a Shakespeare Festival–as well as in Europe, but here are the ones that make the top of my list:

1. The Globe Theatre, London, England
The original Globe Theater was opened in the 1570′s and here, Shakespeare got his start. After a few tragedies, namely the Bubonic Plague, a demolishing fire, the English Civil War and finally the destruction of the Globe (and theaters in general) by the Puritans, The Globe laid dormant for 350 years before a man named Sam Wanamaker had it rebuilt in the early 1990′s.

Today, Shakespeare’s Globe is THE Shakespeare festival to attend and their 2010 schedule is packed with some of the Bard’s greatest hits.
With the gorgeous setting, the history and the nearby sights of London–this festival is hard to beat.

Plus, you can buy these cool mugs at the gift shop.

2010 Schedule
Macbeth until June 27, 2010
Henry VIII thru August 21, 2010
Henry IV Part 1 (my favorite) from June 6- October 2, 2010
Henry IV Part 2 from July 3- October 3, 2010
The Merry Wives of Windsor August 14-October 2, 2010

2. Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, Oregon
When I was last in Ashland, a town near the border of California, for this festival, 2 friends and I camped at the local campground. Camping is always fun and it saved us quite a bit of money as the bed-n-breakfasts and hotels here can get pricey and fill up quickly. The campground was great and truly added to the wonderful memories I have of Ashland.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival has always been known for having cutting edge plays showing alongside the most popular Shakespeare plays in their 3 theaters.

This year ‘Hamlet’ is featured and the last time it was featured here was 10 years ago (when I was there)!

‘Henry IV, Part 1′ must be a big one this year because its showing here too (as well as in London) and other than ‘The Merchant of Venice’ and ‘Twelfth Night’, the rest of the line-up is non-Shakespeare. Here are my recommendations playing through the end of October (and ‘Hamlet’ also playing through the end of October, is a given):
‘Pride and Prejudice’
Ruined

After seeing some shows and strolling amongst the other Shakespeare buffs in Ashland– drive just 90 miles away and see the truly take-your-breath-away vision of Crater Lake. The blue in this picture has not been doctored. The lake is seriously that blue.

3. Santa Cruz Shakespeare Festival, Santa Cruz, CA

Ahhhh, Santa Cruz: my favorite city in Cali. Close to San Francisco, but such a beach town with awesome surfing waves, boardwalk amusement parks (with the country’s OLDEST working wood roller-coaster) and a very cool Shakespeare Festival!

the author & her brother with the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk in the background

Although a short season and with only three plays each summer, the festival on the campus of University of California at Santa Cruz (“UCSC”) is quite popular and always sells out. My favorite showing here was the classic ‘Romeo and Juliet” played out in the UCSC outdoor theatre surrounded by a canopy of evergreen trees and complete with 2 story stage so you could really see Juliet searching for “Romeo, Romeo…” as intended, from her second story balcony.

photo of the outdoor theatre during a showing of Julius Caesar in 2009. courtesy R.R. Jones

The 2010 Festival Season runs from July 20 – August 29 and the shows featured this year are:
Love’s Labour Lost
Othello
and The Lion in Winter (a non-Shakespeare play)

4. Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, Ontario

My Aunt, a University English Professor, travels to Stratford each year from the West Coast for this Festival— known as the most popular in all of North America.

For more than 50 years, this festival has provided, according to their website, “stimulating, thought-provoking productions of Shakespeare’s plays, to examine other plays from the classical repertoire, and to foster and support the development of Canadian theatre practitioners”.

Stratford is just outside of Toronto and aside from reaching here by train or plane, the festival has round trip bus rides for just $30 Canadian from Toronto to the Festival.

The festival here runs from April through October (but check individual plays for their running time). There are a dozen plays this year and including Peter Pan that has an emphasis on an all-ages audience and Evita, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (both running through October), the key Shakespeare plays are:

‘As You Like It’ through Oct 31, 2010
‘The Tempest” June 11- September 12, 2010
‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’ July 12-September 19, 2010

See the entire playbill here.

Hopefully you can get to one of these festivals or many of the others that are going on around the country this summer!
Have any Shakespeare recommendations? Please leave a comment and let me know!