Riveted

Luxury Trailer Park

Old Mac Daddy in South Africa is a boutique trailer park on an apple orchard just an hour outside of Cape Town. 

These photos make me want to design my living space more around my Airstream...where they're close and part of one another. Then while one part is out on adventures, the other part stays put. I know if you park your Airstream at your home it can kinda be like this (we have a steep driveway and not enough turn-around room to do this with ours). I think I'd like more land, less house, and closer proximity to the Airstream. With room for traveling visitors. Ideally. 

(Posted by Laura)

Miles and Miles of Trails

There are so many nice hiking trails at Stub Stewart! This morning before we started work we went out early and did about two miles, and hopefully we'll be able to go out again later when/if it quits raining for a bit (or probably even if it doesn't). Our intended route this morning (Barkspud Trail to the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, up to Boomscooter...love the names!) ended up kind of a bust as we got up Boomscooter a little ways. We hiked part of it the other day starting from the north end and it was fine, but after a bit of rain the south end of it was a single track mud fest. We could tell from the track marks it had been used recently by horses (there's a horse camp here and looks like a great place to ride), but the further we got, the worse it was (hilly combined with super muddy) so we reversed our route and headed back a ways on the Banks-Vernonia trail (paved) to where it met the road and then back up the hill to our campsite. 

Here's a link to the trail map, so you can see what I mean about the trail options (click to go to full map and park brochure):

(Posted by Laura)

The Light Right Now is Lovely

Stub Stewart State Park, OR
(Posted by Laura)

Stub Stewart State Park is Empty

During the week, in the winter. Thought I'd take a couple outdoor shots while it wasn't raining (or snowing). You can see out ourdoor set up is minimal at this point...a doormat, which is soaking wet.

No one but us and the camp hosts. 

It's supposed to be "clouds and sun" today and tomorrow, so perhaps we'll get our chairs out. And maybe the blinky lights. 

(Posted by Laura)

Creepy Black Pods

We went on a hike this morning (we're out at Stub Stewart State Park, near Vernonia, OR) and the hillside was just covered with these dead pods that were mostly black, against the golden hillside. Great texture! I photographed one against the asphalt, and brought it back and stuck it in a little vase. It looks great. Here's an out-of-focus shot of one against the hillside, so you can see what I mean about the color:

The weather here has been crazy. At the end of our hike as we were approaching the Airstream it started to snow, and snowed quite heavy for about 20 minutes. Then, sun. Now, clouds and more rain. Here's my attempt to capture the snow with my iPhone out the Airstream window.

(Posted by Laura)

Halftime Hike

We went on a little walk around the park and short hike down by the river during half time. I know, that means we missed Madonna. But, this:

(Posted by Laura)

Pizza and Champagne

We made some homemade pizza and cooked it on pizza stones in the Traeger for a late lunch/early dinner tonight. A glass of champagne, homemade pizza, and a beautiful sunset with my hunny. Perfect end to a lovely day.

(Posted by Laura)

Frosty Morning

Champoeg State Park, OR

(Posted by Laura)

The Herbfarm and Woodinville Wine Country, Part 2

As I mentioned before, we've got the Airstream parked here at Lake Pleasant RV Park, right on the edge of the lake. There are geese, ducks, heron, and otter that hang out in and around the lake. It's very pretty. Here's a shot of the Airstream from the other side of the lake:

On Saturday morning I made Kevin a birthday breakfast of poached eggs, fresh local tomatoes, smoked salmon, wilted spinach, asparagus, sliced avocado:

We went for a nice hike on the trails around here, then showered and after a light lunch headed into Woodinville and over to The Library and tasted some wine.

We checked into our room at the Willows Lodge and it was fabulous. Large soaking tub, fireplace, balcony...lovely. This is a view of the fireplace from the soaking tub:

Looking into the room from the door to the balcony (fireplace is on the left). These aren't the greatest photos...but you get the idea. (Note Kevin's feet there as he kicks back on the bed before dinner).

I gave Kevin a reversible "smoking jacket" from BetaBrand (olive velvet on one side, silvery luciousness on the other side) and he wore it well (and, I'm happy to report, he wore it to dinner "party side out"):

We headed over to The Herbfarm a little early to get the introduction and tour of the wine cellar, etc. The dining room, from above:

We were seated at a cozy, romantic side-by-side table on the edge of the room with a view of the kitchen and all the other tables, with a personalized birthday bit for Kevin:

The food was amazing. The environment and the service and the staff were amazing. A superb experience overall that we will definitely repeat (in January, for the truffle dinner, woohoo!) Nine food courses with five wine courses, and great explanations and information from the knowledgable and friendly staff. (We had a glass of Domaine Bory Rivesaltes--kind of a Tawny Port, only French-- from 1927. Yes, 1927. Paired with a delicious stinky sheep and goat milk cheese that was SO GOOD (and stinky).

We left so happy, slept very well. We had some delicious french press coffee in the morning and a soak in the huge tub, then went for brunch at the Barking Frog.

The Herbfarm from outside this morning, before we headed back to the Airstream for one more night:

All-in-all a very successful birthday weekend.

(Oh yeah, on Friday evening we had dinner at Italianissimo Ristorianti --this place is great, and not too much $$. Before that we tasted some delicious wines at DeLille and at Januik...both quite good.)

(Posted by Laura)

The Herbfarm and Woodinville Wine Country

We are up in Washington near where we'll be exploring this weekend after we finish our work today. I'm taking Kevin to The Herbfarm restaurant in Woodinville, WA tomorrow night for his birthday. Tonight we'll go into Woodinville and try an Italian restaurant that sounds good, and maybe do a little wine tasting tomorrow and/or Sunday.

We're staying at Lake Pleasant RV Park about 5 miles away and it's quite pretty. I just saw a heron and an otter on the shore of a little island in the middle of the lake (heron's on the left, otter is on the right, just onshore).

Here's the view from our spot:

We should walk over to the other side and get a shot of the Airstream. Pretty nice for a commercial RV park, huh?

(Posted by Laura)

Cozy Rainy Days in the Airstream

We just returned from a few days working and hanging out down at Champoeg State Park. It was mostly rainy and foggy and gray, with a couple of sun breaks that lit up the blazing red and yellow-leaved trees. I love autumn.

Anyway, we got a lot done and spent several cozy days working, and evenings watching a few episodes of Breaking Bad (just finished Season 2), cooking and sipping wine while listening to the rain on the aluminum. I didn't get any photos really, except this shot when we were on our way back to Champoeg one evening last week after driving into town to go to an opera:

It was late and there wasn't much traffic on the freeway. Once we got back to Champoeg it was intensely foggy and eerie. If I hadn't been so tired I'd have gotten my real camera out and taken long exposure shot of the Airstream in the dark fog, but I didn't. Just know that it looked really cool.

I did shoot some interior photos of the Airstream for the "Using Your Airstream as a Guest House" piece, as I mentioned before, and will post a few of those soon. Made me want to go get some egg nog and cookies!

(Posted by Laura)

One more night

The rally is over and we're staying one more night here at Champoeg (along with one or two other stragglers). I cannot get enough of this golden landscape. It makes me so happy.

(Posted by Laura)