Quirky – Riveted

Lummi Island, The Willows Inn, and the Spark Museum of Electrical Invention

Laura Domela — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:42:32 +0000

We headed up to the Willows Inn on Lummi Island again this year for Kevin’s birthday. We mostly do experiences rather than gifts for birthdays these days and it’s quite nice because we both get to experience what we plan. Luckily, our tastes are very similar.

The ferry ride over to Lummi was almost (but not quite) as bumpy as last year. Dinner was fantastic, as usual. Also, as usual at this time of year…it was really too dark for any food photos from dinner, but trust me — it was totally worth the splurge.

Breakfast in the morning always includes an interesting variety of things: yogurt, buckwheat crepes, house smoked bacon, smoked king salmon, cheeses, pears, a soft boiled egg, apple butters….

We caught the ferry back to the mainland just after 11am and decided to check out the Spark Museum of Electrical Invention in downtown Bellingham.

The museum collection contains many unique and rare artifacts dating from the earliest days of scientific electrical experiments in the 1600s through the 1940s and 1950s. Artifacts from the laboratories of the early pioneers of electricity, from magnets and Leyden jars to Edison light bulbs, vacuum tubes, early telephones…it’s an impressive collection! We didn’t have time to stay for the Tesla coil demonstration (called “The MegaZapper Electrical Show”), so we’ll have to go back for that!

Some photos I took while we wandered around the museum:

The first “wireless” telephone:

One of the original Theremins:

This is an early television!

After the museum, we headed back to Airship. We just unloaded stuff and organized the boat a bit, grabbed some groceries, and prepared to head for Roche Harbor in the morning to meet up with Sam. The plan this week is to record some more Slowboat webcasts! Up next: Clearing U.S. Customs, and Flying Drones from Boats!

Calamity Comes to Willow

Laura Domela — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 19:04:35 +0000

The dinnerware we have on Airship is the blue Willow pattern. There was something that really appealed to me about this traditional, blue and white pattern when we were outfitting the boat.

At some point a couple years ago, I became aware of artist Don Moyer. Don was just starting to design a series of plates based on the Willow design. He called his dinnerware Calamityware. It was dark and funny, and we loved it. He began with a Kickstarter project, plate by plate. His first four plates were 1/Flying Monkeys, 2/Giant Robot, 3/Voracious Sea Monster, and 4/UFO Invasion. Word spread and Don and his crazy plates gained popularity, and so another set of four was born. The next set was called 5/Pirates in the Neighborhood, 6/Rambunctious Volcano, 7/Tentacles! and 8/the Vortex of Doom.

So now, we have integrated Calmityware along with our Willow, and it's a fabulous union. Plate on the left: Vortex of Doom. Plate on the right: Willow:

Pirates in the Neighborhood (with detail):

UFO invasion:

Sea monster (detail):

Recently, Don created some Calamity mugs called "Things Could Get Worse" and they've got it all…a giant frog, pterodactyls, robots, a zombie poodle, Bigfoot, UFOs, sea monsters, pirates, and more! We added a set of four of these to the collection:

The Calamityware is a bit bluer and a bit lighter than the Willow, but it all goes quite nicely together.

(Additional images courtesy of the Calamityware website.)

Fourth of July in Sitka, AK

Laura Domela — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 23:24:16 +0000

Airship Goes to Alaska

The official 4th of July fireworks in Sitka happened on Friday night, July 3rd. We had the most perfect spot for fireworks viewing here in the marina. (It actually looks way darker in these photos than it was, because I metered on the light of the fireworks for these photos.) The official fireworks show started around 11:30pm, but prior to that there were several other local shows happening that we could see from the top deck as well.

As the show progressed, the moon rose up to add its glow to the show:

This was the very best fireworks show I've ever seen. It did not let up for a second, and was LONG. It's a pretty good fireworks show when halfway through the show the smoke from the fireworks is blocking the fireworks:

On the morning of the 4th, we all slept in and then headed into town for some lunch before catching the 4th of July parade. We stopped to walk through the little Sitka Farmer's Market on the way:

Next, we grabbed lunch at The Larkspur Caffe. Kevin and I shared a Cubano sandwich and a king salmon sandwich and both were fantastic.

All lined up for the parade:

We went into Harry Race Pharmacy where there's a soda fountain and got ourselves some milkshakes, and then found our spot on the sidewalk for parade viewing. The parade was quite a bit better than expected (we have low parade expectations). It began with a dramatic fly over by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and the Coast Guard was the first to show up:

Your usual parade participants…fire trucks, cool cars, cute kids:

The Alaska Airlines entry had a kid driving his own little car dressed as an airplane, and it also had this giant inflatable airplane:

It looked a little sad from behind though:

The Sitka Fine Art Camp campers were a fun and lively bunch:

I'd forgotten about all the candy that is thrown from the paraders to the audience! The kids in front were cleanin' up! (The grocery stores both carefully threw plums, peaches, oranges, and bananas, as well as some candy.)

No parade would be complete without an umbrella-hat-wearing selfie-taking dude:

As the parade ended, we headed upstream as most of the crowd followed the last parader. We wanted to check out a few shops that were going to reopen after the parade.

As we passed St. Michael's Cathedral (the Russian Orthodox Church) we noticed it was open for touring, so we went in to check it out.

Lots of gold…

Lots of metal work in the art…

This gorgeous blue…

…and a little embroidery:

After touring the cathedral, we went into a few shops and galleries and browsed around. Deke bought Tiffani a beautiful silver bracelet by a local artist at the Fisherman's Eye Gallery. While we were there we got to chatting with the owner, Vern Culp, about other local(ish) artists and I asked him about the artist I'd seen work by back in Ketchikan, Eric Bealer. Eric Bealer lives outside of Pelican, AK, very much off the grid. He is a painter and printmaker and I fell in love with his wood engraving prints when I first saw them. For some reason I didn't buy one immediately, even though they were insanely affordable. Vern had a couple pieces, but told us that the Sitka Rose Gallery just down the road a bit carried more of his work, so we decided to go look.

Well, we bought three prints. "Raven's Rock" (8in x 8in, framed $55, no. 183 out of 190 — this one is going in the boat!):

Ice Wall (7-1/4 x 3-1/4 unframed $45, no. 396 out of 400) (see tiny kayaker in the lower left of the image):

…and "Ocean Motion" (10" x 13" unframed $75). This is the largest engraving he's ever made, and he'll apparently never do another one this big…way too much work! We got an artist's proof, number 5 out of 14.

You should see the detail in these…it's incredible. I did a bit of wood block carving as well as copper engraving and etching in art school, and the amount of tiny detail he gets on these wood blocks is remarkable. (We saw two of his wood blocks in the Sitka Rose Gallery…fabulous!)

Here's the new home for Raven's Rock:

On our way back to the marina, we walked past Totem Square where they were having the Firemen vs. Coast Guard water fight (kind of like a reverse tug of war, with hoses). Needless to say, the crowd got soaked as well:

Last night we grilled up some burgers with blue cheese and bacon and had ourselves a little deck top party in the gorgeous weather. It's so sad to have to say goodbye to Tiffani and Deke tomorrow morning. Sharing this trip with them has been the best two weeks of of it all!

Big Bubba’s Burgers and the George Kenny School of Chainsaw Carving

Laura Domela — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 00:44:48 +0000

This morning we left Olympia and headed north toward Harstine Island. The sky was beautiful and the water was calm, and it only sprinkled a little bit during our cruise. Our original plan was to moor at McMicken Island on the east side of Harstine, but en route we decided we couldn't pass up a stop at Allyn, WA for one of Big Bubba's Burgers and to check out the George Kenny School of Chainsaw Carving, LLC (listed on Yelp under "Art Schools").

We docked at the city dock and walked the block into town and stopped first at Big Bubba's.

103-year old church across the street from Big Bubba's:

Big Bubba's is a walk-up, roadside burger stand (since 1966):

Happy Motoring Begins Here!

They have outdoor (covered and non-covered) seating in the way of picnic tables:

We tried today's special, the chipotle burger with bacon and roasted jalapenos and it was delicious!

Just down the road a bit on the same side of the street (you can't miss it) is the George Kenny School of Chainsaw Carving (and wine tasting, and martial arts):

Where the magic happens:

The yard is open to the public and you can wander at your leisure and check out the students' creations.

The start of an eagle:

Obligatory Sasquatch and Seahawks, because, Washington:

Campfire bears in the parking lot:

Allyn, WA turned out to be the perfect lunch stop.

Back to the boat!

Looking north from the dock:

Nice new Rocna on the bow:

Next stop: Jarrell Cove State Marine Park on Harstine Island!

1928 Ocean City

Laura Domela — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 13:23:00 +0000

Here in Oro Bay on Anderson Island in the South Puget Sound sits the Ocean City, a 189-foot 50-car ferry built in 1928. Originally steam-powered, it was built for the Reading Railroad. Re-powered with a 1600hp Fairbanks-Morse engine, the ferry was acquired by the State of Virginia in 1950. Captain Tom Palmer, a Pierce County Ferry captain, purchased the ferry in 1984, and hoped it would supplement his current 30-car ferry. From what I can gather, he and his brother brought Ocean City from the East Coast to Puget Sound via the Panama canal, a 7,000 mile, 54-day trip. Word has it the ferry service was taken over by Pierce County, and the Ocean City never got to help out.

I found this fabulous bit of info on a ferry forum here, via Homer5:

I grew up in Williamsburg, VA and made many a trip across the James River on the Ocean City. She came up the James to Surry from Norfolk, VA around 1957/58 when the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel opened and displaced the Ferry Service. I do not know when she first came to Hampton Roads, although there is a story of her being run all over Hampton Roads one night by a drunk captain and mate blowing the whistle and playing chicken with other vessels until she ran into dock in Newport News and got hung up in the pilings and was boarded by police who arrested the Captain and mate. She made trips between Hampton and Norfolk as well as Norfolk and Newport News.

I believe that she was converted from steam to diesel around 1952. She had a 1600 horsepower Fairbanks-Morse engine in her and was very powerful.

She was owned by the Virginia Department of Highways and she ran between Jamestown and Scotland Wharf in Surry County from 1957/58 until she was sold to the guys that took her around to Oro Bay in 1984/85. She could carry 48 cars.

He had a contract to provide service to Anderson Island or was trying to secure one and had plans to repower her and provide service. I guess that didn't pan out.

Sad to see her in the condition that she is currently in. I had seen the launch pictures of her and I believe that she had 3 sister ships that were identical. I think they all wound up in Hampton Roads. I think they were the Newport News, Elizabeth City, and the Warwick, but I may have that wrong. I also believe that they had converted them all to diesel and their superstructures had all been converted to the same basic look. This was before my time, so I will check on that and get back to ya. That 1980 photo is the Ocean City in the dock @ Scotland Wharf, Surry, VA.

Here's an image from Ocean City's original launch in 1923 [source]:

The backup idea was to convert the ferry into an excursion boat specializing as a kind of floating campground for RVers while touring the Puget Sound.

There's an old silver trailer sitting there today, waiting. Awwwwww. Not gonna happen, but it was a cool idea, huh?

Surface Vibrations: Coffee

Laura Domela — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 23:48:43 +0000

This is pretty nerdy, but whatever…I love these. This is Kevin's coffee during our flight to Venice a few weeks ago. I think I took five of these videos. Here are my two favorites:

Geysers, Goats, Wine, and Mud

Laura Domela — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 01:47:20 +0000

Today in Calistoga it rained most of the day, so we just hunkered down and worked. Late in the afternoon there appeared to be a break so we unfolded the bikes and took off for a little exploring.

First stop was Envy Wines.

Hey look! They have an Airstream too!

It was a great tasting. (Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Cabernet, a really good blend, and a Petit Sirah). The tasting room was filled with visitors from Portland (us), Seattle, Spokane, and San Francisco. Fun! Great wines! We brought some back to the Airstream…on our bikes:

Next stop: Old Faithful Geyser of California.

This geyser erupts every 10 minutes, but sometimes every 6 minutes (so convenient!). It's…um…"AMAZING"?

But not really. I mean, it's okay, but it's $14/per person and it's certainly not Old Faithful in Yellowstone. But hey! There's a petting zoo, which is really just a bunch of goats running around. BUT, they have Tennessee Fainting Goats, and although we didn't get to see any fall over, they were pretty cute.

They've got some other stuff too (Jacob's Four-Horn Sheep, and I think some other kinds of goats), and a llama or two.

And that's it. But for us, it was TOTALLY worth 28 bucks because we got to make you guys this video that will give you the truly authentic feel of this tourist trap experience. Enjoy all the way to the end:

So there. We just saved you 14 bucks per person, right? (And how'd you like that fortuitous volunteer narrator??)

We rode back to camp, put our bikes away, and walked a couple blocks to our 6pm mud bath appointment at Golden Haven Hot Springs.

It's a litle hotel/resort with a mineral pool and stuff, but during the week at certain times they have a two-for-one special so a couple (or two naked friends, whatever) can go for $89 bucks total and get a mud bath (with mud facial and cold compress), then a jacuzzi mineral tub soak, then a blanket wrap. And if you want to go in their mineral water pool afterward, you're welcome to do that too. Here's a shot of the mud baths, but my lens was steaming up so it looks a little gauzy:

It was so cool though. You get in and have to kind of shimmy your way down into the mud (which is clay, peat and hot springs mineral water) until you're submerged, but you still are completely suspended in this earthy stuff. It's super trippy and we loved it.

We walked back just at sunset and snapped this shot outside the Airstream:

A great day in Calistoga!

When the Regulars Take Control

Laura Domela — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 20:29:35 +0000

We left Portland late on Saturday (close to 7pm) and headed for the coast. We didn't have a reservation (or a plan really, other than we knew we wanted to be in Eugene to get our bikes by Tuesday). We figured we'd start at Devil's Lake State Park in Lincoln City and see if we could get a spot (Saturday night) and if not, try the next place down the coast. Devil's Lake had plenty of spots so there we stayed.

We unhooked and headed out to find some food and ended up at a place a little south on 101 called Macadangdang's. According to Yelp it had good reviews and was open until midnight. We were the only ones there (uh oh). We ordered some fish tacos and a burger to share, plus a couple of Monkey Face Porters, and everything was great: food, service, and oh yes, the ambiance.

The soundtrack to our meal: Foreigner, Journey, Heart, Bon Jovi, Fleetwood Mac, and some Tears for Fears and Prince thrown in for currency. We could have been in any beach town in the 80s (at 10pm on a Monday night) for sure.

It rained most of the night, and this morning we got up and headed out to get some breakfast and some groceries before continuing south. We ended up at another Yelp-reviewed spot in Lincoln City called Corner Cafe. The place was packed and busy (every table occupied), filled with happy couples and families with kids, and the breakfast was great. I had an omelette with spinach, mushrooms, bacon, and cheese, and Kevin had crab benedict.

Above the empy counter seating to my left there was a television up high, tuned to CNN with information streaming about the missing Malaysian aircraft (super-interesting, and one of the few times Kevin and I actually watched the television in a restaurant). About half-way through our meal a large gentleman lumbered into the dining room through what I thought was the kitchen (turns out they have another section of seating through that door), and sat himself down at the counter. Clearly a regular, he ordered some coffee and some food and made it a point to remind his server that he wanted regular tabasco, green tabasco, A-1 steak sauce, AND ketchup with his order.

Kevin and I kept eating and chatting, and I looked up once to see the man at the counter holding the television remote, pointing it up at the television, readying to change channels. Oh, the regulars. I glanced at the screen (above all the children's crayon-colored menu pages taped to the wall) and highlighted, just one click away from filling the big screen in this bustling cheerful family diner: Busty Coeds.

Noooooooo!! I looked at Kevin, eyes wide, as I imagined the scenario.

Luckily he continued on through the pages, passing by Shark vs. Dyson – The Real Truth, Miley Cyrus Takeover, Dallas Buyer's Club, eventually sticking on Fox Sports/NASCAR.

Oh, regulars.

Fish & Chips, Wild Animals, and a Lighthouse

Laura Domela — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:53:03 +0000

Today after we finished up some work we headed over to the Bandon Fish House for some fish & chips. This place has our favorite fish & chips…the fish & chips we think are the best ones we've ever tried. We had one order of salmon fish & chips and one order of halibut fish & chips…both amazing. Light crispy batter that sticks to the fish and super fresh delicious fish. Perfect.

Next we headed over to the "West Coast Game Park Safari" a few miles south of town, still in Bandon. My mom said when she and my brother stopped here they got to hold baby tigers, and that did it for me. We likely never would have stopped at this place, but I'm glad we did.

This place was a trip! It's family-owned (since 1968) and it's a walk-through wild animal park, basically. We got to hold a one-month old baby red fox immediately after we entered the park:

We pet a ton of other things, including sables, an apricot (kinda white) skunk, a huge opossum, llamas, goats, deer, a baby bear cub…. Oh and I got to have a bobcat in my lap:

It was pretty cool. Here's the bear cub having a warm bottle from his trainer:

There are tons of goats, deer, llamas, and peacocks roaming the park freely.

The peacocks were everywhere!

This guy was letting me get really close to him to take this photo:

Then all of a sudden he shook it all out and gave me a spectacular close-up show:

I guess he wanted us both to see how beautiful he was:

Pretty amazing, even from the back! (How bored does Kevin look in that shot though?)

We walked around the rest of the park and saw some gorgeous animals. (You can see a list of what they have here):

Here I am, eye to eye with this white bengal tiger.

Llama eyeball (it would not back up):

And another show from a different peacock:

Crazy design for a bird, huh?

After the animal park we headed out to the Coquille River Lighthouse and took a nice walk on the beach before heading back to camp.

We've got some fresh oysters smoking on the Traeger (again, I know, yawn) and in a couple hours when they're ready I'll throw together a salad and call it dinner.

Yellowstone Art Museum, Downtown Billings

Laura Domela — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:56:32 +0000

We went into town yesterday to do some laundry at the Speedy Wash laundromat. So. Exciting. We waited while our stuff finished the wash cycle, then while things dried we headed around the corner to check out the Yellowstone Art Museum.

This is a relatively small museum (it is Billings, after all) but they've got a good collection of contemporary art. We were pleasantly surprised.

One of the exhibitions up now is a show entitled: Herb & Dorothy: Fifty Works for Fifty States. Herb and Dorothy Vogel were unlikely art collectors, and if you don't know about them and if you like quirky documentaries, you should check out this fabulous little film.

Late afternoon cityscape I took with my iPhone through the shade screens upstairs in the museum:

We found an Art-O-Mat downstairs in the lobby and got ourselves some $5 art.

We chose a package from our friends at Boxfotos: inside was a print, a pinhole camera (the box), and instructions, woohoo!

We decided we'd stop at a liquor store to replenish our supply of Blanton's and I'd seen this place with all its neon on our way past the other day:

We stopped, but turned out it's not a liquor store…it's a bar and grill. Oh well.