The Pie's the Thing, aka, All the World's a Pie

Yes, we've been on a modest budget over the last year or so, but one splurge we make is becoming an annual event when we travel over the mountains to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival. We try to keep expenses down by camping and we buy, not exactly nosebleed seats because those don't exist in the Ashland theaters, but we definitely aren't in the front row. The trip also serves as a mini-family reunion with various members of Resident Spouse's family converging on Ashland at the same time.

But for us,as much a part of the Shakespeare Festival is the trip from Bend with the highlight being a stop at Farewell Bend campground and dinner and breakfast at Beckie's in Union Creek. Beckie's is named, not for the proprietress, but the former proprietor, Ed Becklehymer. It was his nickname that graced the cafe, and his wife, named Cecil, oddly enough, didn't take the name until after Ed died. Today, under newer ownership, the cafe retains the perfect name and boasts some of the best food along the road. The good food aside, which is well worth a stop on your way, the main draw for this Resident Family are the pies. I admit, I have allowed Resident Kid to eat pie for dinner. After all, I can't very well say that Kid can't have pie for dinner when I am. What kind of example would that set? Occasionally a bit of parental angst will strike and I'll dictate that Kid needs to split a plate of conventional dinner with me. The portions are big enough that sometimes even splitting a meal threatens to take up the space you intended for pie. But even in the event that the unthinkable happens, there is always the fallback plan. Take your pie to go. Strawberry pie is stupendous for breakfast.

Did I mention pie? Boysenberry, marionberry, berry berry, cherry, apple, pecan, pumpkin, peach, strawberry, I did say cherry, didn't I? Though the strawberry is threatening to become a new favorite, but only seasonally. Then there are the cream pies, coconut, chocolate, banana... Other seasonals are mincemeat and huckleberry. Resident Kid discovered coconut cream pie during this last trip to Ashland, that might be a new favorite there. I might have to YouTube a few vids of Gilligan's Island to show Kid my context for coconut cream pie.

Anyway, I highly recommend Beckie's. Stop by and eat yourself silly. And, if you forget to bring a sweater because you didn't think it would be so freakin' cold (the damp and the altitude makes a difference, then walk across the (two-lane) highway and buy yourself a nice Union Creek sweatshirt at the store.