What is the town like?

Face it: We’re not in Berkeley, California, or in Cleveland or Columbus. We’re not even in Mansfield. One student asked me where people go clubbing. My answer was “Umm … Burger King?” One of my Chinese students was astonished to see Amish buggies on Claremont Avenue. He thought someone was making a movie.

The trick here is to let Ashland be Ashland.

Doing stuff

The trick, as I said, is to let Ashland be Ashland and to expect to do some walking. Another trick is to grab a friend and get a spirit of exploration.

Ashland is a very safe place to walk, and there are a lot of shady old neighborhoods near campus. Just take a walk and look at houses from a bygone era.

Fire up Google Maps and find Brookside Park and Brookside Golf Course. If you’re a golfer, this course is within walking distance.

The Ashland County Fair will take place September 18-24. It’s about two miles away (just walk up Claremont Avenue away from town). Junk food! Animals! Rides! Country music! If you haven’t been to an Ohio County Fair, you owe it to yourself to go.

Several local churches are within a mile of campus, and they would welcome you. Some even have a potluck dinner afterward! (OK—it’s a bit scary to walk into a strange church alone, so take a friend.)

You don’t have to hide in your dorm room all weekend.

Buying things

We don’t have a bus system, and Walmart is about three miles away, so you should probably arrive with all the clothing you will need and a plan of being self-sufficient on shampoo and grooming aids. If you go away from town on Claremont Avenue, about a mile and a half from campus, you will find a big drug store and a supermarket (and also a pretty decent coffee house). If you go toward town on Claremont, there’s also the post office and a drug store along with several fast food places. Turn right on Main Street and you will find a couple of bike shops, a few restaurants, and several other small businesses.

(OK, the campus bookstore does have a lot of basic items such as shampoo, but it’s tiny, the selection is limited, and the prices are high. Besides, it’s more fun to get off campus from time to time.)

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