Garden Updates (and some other stuff)

The peas are growing like crazy! So much so they were ready for their new trellis. I purchased it from Gardener’s Supply and am very impressed. In my head it should be cheaper, but I feel like I will definitely get my monies worth over the next few years.

Full Shot with the fancy trellis

Close up of the peas and spinach

I’m still working on my trip wrap up and some notable things/places but I’ve recently taken up sewing so I’ve gotten sucked into the vortex of making stuff! What do you do when you have a small house and want to learn to sew? Set up in the camper of course!

Here are a few things I’ve liked on the Internet lately.

How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive is a pretty interesting read. I love handwriting, but have lost my ability to think in cursive. If I go really slow I can, but I haven’t honed the skill over the past few years so I’ve lost it. Maybe this will motivate me to go back to it. It definitely makes me want to try out a fountain pen!

John Oliver’s piece on “Prosperity Gospel” is so good. He really spends time researching and participating instead of just providing commentary. A lot of his stuff is hard to take, but this one is spectacular and dead on.

Adventures in the Shasta- Part Four

On our way to San Francisco we stopped for a night in Sonoma, CA. While I’m not a wine buff, touring a winery while in California seemed like a logical excursion. I don’t have a favorite label, nor am I into the fancy wine stuff, so going to some elaborate winery wasn’t really our style. The Benzinger Family Winery had great reviews and what they have going on is pretty cool. They are a Biodynamic winery which means they view the vineyard as a single organism. Adhering to the highest level of organic farming, they have a neat ecosystem happening there. They have cows on property as well as an insectary. They don’t use bagged fertilizer or other chemicals, but instead rely on their own animals, natural predators, and composting. The property is lovely and I loved its understated beauty.

Grapes on the vine!

Our adventures in San Francisco started the next morning, and after a quick 30 minute drive to the campground we were ready to go! We stayed at Marin RV Park just outside of SF and it was perfect! It’s urban, but quiet, and close to the ferry, the Golden Gate Bridge, and a bus pad. There’s also a Trader Joe’s within walking distance. Pretty handy place, and the service was fantastic! They were more than willing to help us navigate public transit, which was much appreciated coming from a city that doesn’t really have a public transit system to speak of.

The first day we began with a trip to Muir Woods. We stopped for lunch at The Dipsea Cafe and it was delicious. It reminded me of a restaurant we have here in Nashville. The entryway was just precious so I had to take a photo.

Muir Woods was nice, but very crowded and louder than I would expect. Still not sure why people have to yell to each other while in nature. Next we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge on our way to the super-touristy things like Ghirardelli Square and Lombard Street. Driving a convertible down Lombard Street is pretty fun and reinforced why we went through the extra effort to get our rig. Off the Grid, the SF food truck meet up, was having a gathering at the Presidio so we went there to get some dinner. We wanted to explore that part of town anyway, so having a reason to be there was nice. The Chairman food truck is the best and I’m not embarrassed to say I ate a bun two days in a row.

We wrapped up at the Palace of Fine Arts for a brief photo op.

Our second day was a full one. We started by taking the ferry into the city. We explored the Pier and Fisherman’s Wharf before heading over to City Hall, The Mission, and the Castro District. We rode the trolley for quite awhile, and even got to hang off the side like you see in movies and tv shows. So fun. City Hall was beautiful, but full of wedding parties. It’s hard to believe they conduct government business there that isn’t wedding related. Maybe they don’t, who knows. The Mission was an interesting place to see and La Taqueria is worth the trip. Arriving just a few minutes after closing time we were unfortunately unable to take the Mission Dolores walking tour.

Our final destination that day was the Castro Theatre for a showing of “Vertigo”. In San Francisco watching a movie about SF that they shot in SF…so meta! It was a fun experience and I enjoyed our trip to the theatre. The organist playing before the movie starts was an unexpected bonus.

Our last day in SF was spent touring Alcatraz (totally worth it), China Town, and then watching a BAMA game at a packed bar that we left because we are introverts and it was terrible. The place itself wasn’t terrible, just the environment.

Saturday morning in China Town

We drove the car in that last day and our good luck with street parking continued. The parking app is very easy to use, and I don’t think we paid more than $30 for parking (for both days). It was really user friendly and much better than the public transit or parking garages. The public transit there wasn’t nearly as good as Chicago or NYC.

San Francisco was beautiful! We did so much in our short time there, yet left enough for a return trip someday. 🙂

Part Five is the long trek home. I love re-living this trip. It was so fun and overwhelming while we were on it and so sweet to look back on.

Trip Advisor Reviews

I’m still working on reviews for restaurants and attractions, but all my campground reviews have been posted. You can check out my profile here.

Adventures in the Shasta- Part Three

After Seattle we made our way over to the Olympic Peninsula for a few days in Port Townsend. We stayed at Fort Worden State Park for two days and it was a pretty nice “home base” to explore Port Townsend as well as Olympic National Park. I had some complaints about the campground, but it wasn’t the worst we experienced. Port Townsend reminds me a little of Downtown Franklin, TN in its architecture and preservation. Franklin is a tad bigger, however.

Olympic National Park is just as beautiful as all the other parks we visited. We didn’t see much wildlife, just a deer eating out of a man’s hand. Pretty funny, actually. We stopped at Hurricane Ridge for a bit and kept going.

After our two nights at Fort Worden (and a drive in movie at the Wheel In Motor Movie Drive In) we made our way down the coast toward San Francisco.

We drove from Port Townsend to Wilsonville, OR where we stopped for the night. Driving through Portland was a mess, and we were there at 3pm. I can’t imagine the rush hour situation there. Our campground was pretty nice and well-located around many shops, should you need to replenish supplies. My favorite part of our stay near Portland was the Dar Essalam restaurant. It was our first experience at a Moroccan restaurant and it was fantastic! The food was delicious, and the experience was one to remember. They were very kind and more than willing to help us with ordering.

Our next adventure was in Astoria, OR, or Seaview, WA to be exact. We stayed there for one night at The Sou’wester Lodge. Talk about an experience you could only get in the PNW! It’s an old lodge from the 1800s, but they also have vintage campers on the property that you can rent for the night (or multiple nights). We stayed in our Shasta in the campground part, but we could have stayed in an old camper. My favorite part was their fish cleaning station.

In Astoria we went to see the tarp covered Goonies house and we had dinner at Buoy Beer Co. The fish and chips were delicious, and the window to view the lounging sea lions was an extra fun bonus.

Driving down the Oregon Coast is beautiful! I’m used to Florida beaches, so this was a new sight for me. The rocks are very interesting, and the fact that your view, most of the time, is an overlook onto the water was neat.

This is one of my favorite photos from the whole trip.

We stopped in Cannon Beach for more Goonies spots. The little town of Cannon Beach was nice, but very crowded. I wouldn’t balk at one of those wood shake covered houses though- so pretty! Working our way down the coast we stopped in Bandon,OR for the night and enjoyed an afternoon at the West Coast Game Park Safari.

A little weird having a lynx in your lap, or so I’d imagine.

A drive through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in a convertible is the way to go! The trees were so large it was hard to comprehend without something for scale.
I’m no shorty.

And eventually, after six days, we arrived in San Francisco! We did quite a bit there, so I’ll save that for a different post.

Rock Guard for the Shasta

On our journey back from picking up the camper and getting the hitch installed we wound up with a broken front window. The road conditions were terrible, and the only thing worse than the roads was the weather, so needless to say we had a broken window and a wet dining area. Obviously that wasn’t going to work long term so my husband set out to make us a rock guard and, though I’m biased, he did a bang up job.

After coming back from a 32 day journey out West I can say that this worked great! No problems, except for quite a few dead bugs.

Here are some photos:

Materials Used:
Lexan – cut to size. If I remember correctly Lowe’s had the sizes we needed in store and they will cut them for you using your measurements.

Super Magnets – (Countersunk hole)- Screw onto Lexan using knurled nuts. We used a zinc washer on the camper to attract the magnet.

Knurled Nuts– Use to secure magnet on the Lexan.

Suction Cups- Not required, but we used them as an additional layer between the window and the Lexan to keep the panels from moving so much in the wind. And, as an added layer of attachment to the window.

It’s removable, doesn’t compromise the look of the camper or the use of the windows, and, most importantly, guards against rocks.

Adventures in the Shasta- Part Two

It took us about 10 days to get out to Seattle from Nashville. That’s with us driving manageable/short days and making all our stops for sightseeing. Not too bad.

Before reaching our campground we made a stop in Snoqualmie Falls. I’ve only watched the first episode of “Twin Peaks” but my husband wanted to stop there because of the show. It was a precious little town. We had lunch at The Black Dog Arts Cafe. It was a comfortable restaurant/coffee shop/boutique with a delicious egg sandwich.

We tried to see the falls but there was no parking for us folks pulling a camper.

Once in Seattle we set us camp then went to a Mariners game. Because of the industry I worked in I’ve seen quite a few ballparks, but not Safeco Field. It was beautiful! We got some tickets on Stubhub and fully enjoyed our night at the ballpark. Helmet ice-cream included.

Here’s a shot from our drive in.

For our full day in Seattle we started off having breakfast at Dahlia Bakery. I still think about that breakfast sandwich because it was so good! They have a cookbook out that I’d like to get and try some recipes.

After the Dahlia Bakery stop we made our way over to the Pike Place Market. I could stay at that place for a week! There were so many things to look at and so many delicious foods to try. One of my favorites was Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. It was neat to watch them make cheese and then eat cheese.

Making cheese…

Eating cheese…

We walked around a bit before taking the monorail back to the Space Needle area. We saw this cool food truck while walking around. Too full to sample the food, though.

After we left downtown we ventured over to Gas Works Park. That’s a neat place with such a nice spot for a picnic! We hung out for a bit before going back to the camper. Here’s the view.

I didn’t know what to expect because it was my first time in Seattle, but what a lovely place! Everyone we met was just delightful, and I love the quaint feeling of the city. It’s big, but the trees and architecture really make it feel homey.

Campground Info:

We stayed at the Vasa Park Resort. It was very convenient to town, and for that I give it high marks. However, the set up isn’t so great and there’s no privacy. The quiet hours weren’t really enforced and it became a problem one night. It’s definitely urban camping. They are also a boat dock and event space and there aren’t separate bathrooms for campers and day visitors so the bathrooms can get a little rough. While they are nice people, I think they are trying to do too much in one place without more separation. I’d stay there again, just something to keep in mind. (Rough bathrooms were mainly the men’s bathroom, it wasn’t that bad in the women’s.)

Next up- our trip down the coast.

Adventures in the Shasta- Part One

The first leg of our journey was from Nashville up through Independence, MO and over through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho to Seattle.

The first night we stopped in Independence, MO to stay at the Campus RV Park. I realized when we got there that it was right in the middle of all the various Mormon facilities in Independence- bonus! I’m intrigued by the LDS religion so that was a fun surprise. Before we left the next morning we made a stop at the Visitors Center and had a nice tour. Our Sisters were very kind, but I was hoping to do more looking/reading without a tour guide. Oh well, maybe next time.

South Dakota was beautiful and, while Mount Rushmore is interesting, I’d say my favorite was the Badlands.

I will say this a lot, but the scale was almost too much to process. We had a nice leisurely drive through the Badlands National Park stopping every once in awhile for photos. Visiting Mount Rushmore was surreal. After seeing it in history books and in movies being there in person felt strange. It’s also just a really weird thing. You drive and drive and drive and then get there, look up, and there are these big faces. Very cool, but also weird. The concept of generating jobs and creating a tourist spot in the middle of nowhere is an interesting idea and use of government funds, so I get it, but it’s still just a curious thing to me.

We also made the trek out to Devils Tower because, why not.

Other South Dakota Stops:
Mitchell Corn Palace
Wall Drug
Murdo Drive-In – I mention this hole in the wall because it is totally worth a stop. We had delicious burgers and fries, along with funnel fries. Funnel fries are a funnel cake in fry form- genius! I’d stop there again any day.

The sunflower fields in South Dakota were beautiful, and we seemed to hit it at the right time because the flowers weren’t so weighed down with seeds that they were actually pointing up!

Wyoming is beautiful country, but sparsely populated. I knew it was, but going miles and miles without seeing so much as a gas station or house was a little disconcerting. We stopped at Yellowstone for two days and could have easily stayed more because it’s so large and there is so much to see. Upon arriving we were greeted by a Bison walking by. I froze and didn’t get a good photo from the front, but here he is passing us (in the other lane, notice).

My favorites were Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Spring. If I’m being honest, Grand Prismatic Spring was a little of a let down. I was expecting much more, but with the viewing angle (ground level) it’s very hard to see and enjoy the colors. You know they are there, but it is hard to see them standing on the ground. Thankfully it shows up better in photos than it does to the naked eye.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Hayden Valley was so peaceful and we saw more wildlife there (Bison, Elk, and some really cranky birds). No bears though. Oh, and Yellowstone was very very crowded. I can’t imagine what it’s like during peak Summer season, but everywhere we went there were tour buses full of people.

Glacier National Park had to be my favorite of the National Parks we visited. It was so beautiful, crisp and quaint. It’s pretty far up there so it wasn’t as crowded as Yellowstone was. Upon recommendation from a fellow we met at a campground we did the Red Bus tours. It isn’t cheap, but I think it was worth it because we both got to enjoy the park instead of one person focused on driving and the other person trying to point things out. The tour we did lasted about four hours and it took us around the park and up Going-to-the-Sun Road. Just having someone to drive us up that road was worth it. Talk about narrow and steep- yikes!

You literally ride in red buses and they are the body of the old 1930s buses, but of course the working insides have been modified. They can also run on propane which is pretty cool.

The same fellow that recommended the tour also recommended Eddie’s Cafe. He was right- yummy! The Huckleberry Cobbler was very good and the wrap I had was delicious too.

This photo shows how far we’d gone in seven days. Crazy!

Next time…Seattle!

Long Journey

I’m not really sure how to write about our trip, but I really want to, so I’ll probably try to do it in bits and pieces. I’m still going through photos and, essentially, re-living and remembering again what we did. We did and saw so much!

Here’s a photo of our Google Map we worked from. I removed all the pins but this will show you the loop.

Favorite Things:

Driving through all of the different landscapes. Our country truly is beautiful. While I think Tennessee is wonderful with the green rolling hills, there are many other landscapes that are beautiful in a completely different way.

Glacier National Park. There’s a quaintness there that really appeals to me. Not to mention the crazy scale of everything. And the water. And the trees.

Oregon Coast. It’s beautiful and different from anything else I’ve seen. This is one of my favorite pictures I took over the course of the journey. I’m not a photographer and have no knowledge of photography, so when I take a photo that I like it’s exciting.

Seattle. Everyone we met was so very nice. There was also good food and wonderful things to see.

And I can’t stop thinking about these stops in Seattle…

San Francisco. For so many reasons.

More to come…

Organizing the Shasta- Update

This is just a little follow-up to the original organizing post. I learned that there are some really cool organizational products out there, but not all of them worked for me.

Back “Closet”: I kept The Container Store drawers for the small hole/closet area and I think they will be excellent. There is still some space on the side and at the top which should provide room for the few hanging clothes we may have. I got a small tension rod to hang clothes on and I think it will provide just enough space. Who really needs a lot of dressy clothes on a camping trip? Not me.

Bathroom: I got a shower curtain rod and a shower curtain to keep as much of the water in the bathroom as possible. I can’t imagine us showering in there everyday, but you just never know. I got this neat little thing to hang on the window curtain rod, but after getting it home I still didn’t know what I’d put in it so I’ll be returning it. I don’t have anything to hold the TP in the bathroom, but I’m not worried about it. This over the door rack did not work because the door wasn’t tall enough to stretch the bungee cords and keep it on. I will use this instead:

I picked up this rug at World Market to put outside the bathroom door. If we do shower in there I wanted something to soak up the water from our feet.

I think that’s everything in the organization department.

Organizing the Shasta

We’ve taken a few trips in the Shasta and the clothing storage has a left me wanting more in the way of organization. I feel like we have a handle on the kitchen supplies, toiletries, and bedding, but the “where do we put our bags” question needs to be answered.

So far my husband has put his clothes in the cabinet above the table/bed but I’ve left mine in an overnight bag. His storage method worked out, but mine just proved to be in the way. Of course. So in preparation for another trip I’m trying to get a better method of organization in there. I’ll make use of the other cabinet above the table/bed area but will still need a place for shoes and hanging clothes. We have that smaller closet back in the gaucho space but it’s just one big cavernous hole so it will need to be organized.

My first and favorite stop for organizing anything is The Container Store. I’ve loved it since my first visit when I was in 8th grade and we took a school trip to DC. At first look online I thought these things may work for the back closet:

Akro Bins

Janus Locker Shelf

When I went to the store my opinion changed a bit. The dimensions of the Akro bins weren’t exactly what I was looking for and I was afraid that stuff would fall out. The locker shelf probably would have been good, but the dimensions were a little off and I thought it would create more dead space in my effort to solve the current dead space problem. I would highly recommend it for those with lockers though.

Here’s what I purchased:
Bungee Overdoor Towel Rack by Umbra – Still not sure if this will work.

Mesh Laundry Bag

Small Tint Stacking Drawer

Sorry for the grainy photo, but this is what they look like inside the closet.

Still left on my list:

1. Tension Rod for the back closet to hang a few clothes. I’ll purchase this, as I have a few around the house already and they work pretty good.
2. Rod/Shower Curtain for the bathroom
3. Collapsable wash basin for washing clothes. I will buy this one.
4. More Gorilla Tape. Obviously.

I’m sure there are still problems that need solutions, but this is a good start to address the conspicuous problems.