Escape From the Vines, Part I

Difficult as it was to tear ourselves away from the beauty of Sonoma County, we were well rewarded by the people we visited.

It started with a day trip to Sacramento, for dinner and Belt Promotion with the Howes and Aunt Barbara. I think Meredith was a little worried that she was dragging us along to Elijah's Belt Promotion Ceremony, but she had nothing to worry about once we got there. The Karate instructor was warm and inviting, plus humorous, teaching the kids values rather than just butt-kicking. It was awesome. The kids were stellar. Elijah is a serious martial artist. I'm not saying I think he could take me out in a street fight, but he worked with determination and poise, and was clearly one of the more disciplined kids there. Elijah received his purple belt with pride.

As a bonus, we were all treated to a couple of martial arts exhibitions, one by a little guy named Scott Wu. Little? Yes. Meek? NO! Small in Sprit? His Chi was enough to give me chills. If you're interested, do a Google or YouTube search for his name, you will be blown away by what we saw up close and personal.

Upon returning to the house to catch up a bit, we got to experience the magic of non-martial-arts sword fighting between two brothers and a dad. When Jonah took a long enough break from running around in circles, he was a pretty good sword fighting partner for Elijah. Fred, clearly the master swordsman of the group, made quick work of dispatching Elijah of both arms and one eye. I fear his martial arts training will suffer, but he'll hang in there.

Bedtime came, we got to spend a little time catching up with the grownups (Meredith was extraordinarily angry with Fred about the bloodstains on the carpet - StainMaster is no match for Swordfighting.) All kidding aside, we got to catch up on years of missed time, and it seem Mer & Fred are doing great. Aunt Barbara LOVES being Mom Mom, and while we didn't get a chance to squeeze Tom, he was there in spirit.

On the ride home, we had a remarkable, notable moment at one of our favorite National Treasures: Our first In-n-Out Burger of the trip. Yum.

Wine Country

At Burning Man, man named Dino said "Eh, skip Napa, it's like the Disneyland of wine country. Go to Sonoma." After exhaustive internet research we concluded that we would rather spend money on wine than money on a campground so we parked our rig at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, which was simply a giant gravel parking lot that smelled like horse manure. We decided that this didn't matter because we planned on either being gone all day everyday or so buzzed from the numerous wine tastings that we wouldn't care anyway.
The first night in town we headed to Healdsburg and dined at Cena Luna which was, without question one of the best restaurants we have ever eaten at. The waitress suggested a bottle of Zinfandel from a local vineyard. After the first sip we were hooked, and vowed to visit the vineyard as soon as we could.

The day after we arrived, we had planned to visit Josh's cousin Meredith, her husband Fred and their two (adorable) boys, Elijah, and Jonah. Josh's Aunt Barbara was visiting them for the evening so it was an added treat to see her too. We took the long way to Sacramento stopping at an amazing castle-like estate with vineyards that reached as far as we cold see. We were greeted warmly and set up at one of the many tasting bars. The architecture in the mansion was amazing. Huge gabled windows looked out on beautifully manicured rows of vines. We sipped six of seven wines from white, to blush to red and weren't that impressed. We thanked our bartender and headed on our way. (Our next post will tell all about the fun that we had with Josh's family).

A few days later we awoke to clear blue skies, warm breeze and a hankering to go wine tasting.
Remembering the amazing bottle of wine we had with dinner a few nights before, we decided to head to Healdsburg and to Ridge Vineyards. When we arrived we found a beautiful building nestled in acres and acres of old grizzled vines. The vineyard boasted 80% solar powered and when we entered we were welcomed by a beautiful tasting room. We told the bartender where we had enjoyed a bottle of the Three Valleys Zinfandel and she happily started our tasting. We enjoyed quite a few of their wines and left with a few bottles of our favorites.


The bartenders at Ridge suggested a few more vineyards we should visit while we were in Healdsburg. We headed down a beautiful dirt road passing vineyard after vineyard. We found the Quivera Vineyard and when we entered the tasting room we found it almost full. We waited for a space to open and enjoyed the ambiance. We enjoyed our tasting and we chatted with the bartender who knew the Pioneer Valley and told us that the vineyard was 100% solar powered. We left with two bottles that are supposed to lay down (fancy wine term for age) for a couple years. We liked to think that when we open that bottle we will be a married couple.
Awww.


After two tastings we were feeling nice and relaxed, we sat on the patio at Quivera and enjoyed the sparkling afternoon. Once our heads cleared a bit we headed back to the RV to put our feet up and get ready for dinner. Earlier that morning Josh had called Cafe St. Rose and made a reservation for two later that night. He spoke to the chef who told him what the fixed menu would be for the evening. All of the options sounded delicious, but the rib eye stood out in particular. Josh commented how tempting that selection sounded and the chef agreed that it was going to be amazing. When Josh got off the phone he was worried that by the time we sat down to dinner, the chef may have run out of the coveted rib eye. Josh called back and asked if he could reserve one so he wouldn't miss out on the deliciousness. The chef readily agreed to hold one for him and they both had a good laugh.

The night before we planned to leave wine country we decided that we hadn't spent enough money on wine. We both realized that we needed at least another case of the Three Valley Zin from Ridge Vineyards to share. We checked their hours of operation and planned on taking a quick run up there in the morning before we headed to L.A.

We were there when the doors opened and much to the amusement of the bartender who had served us the day before, we bought a case of our new favorite wine. Oh well, we got swept away I guess, but when in Rome...

The Oregon Coast

Driving South from Seattle could have been a boring drive - we could have just stayed on big ole route 5 (The Five) and buzzed our way through the Western states. Lucky for us, we picked 101 instead.

Starting in Lincoln City, where Lindsay earned the honor of First Police Encounter (oh, she didn't mention that to you?), we had just finished winding our way through the coastal rainforest, and she left her brights on as we entered the little town. The officer that pulled us over was easily the nicest policeman either of us have ever met. He was just so darn curious about all of our silly Massachusetts Laws, our Drivers Licenses, our Registration, you name it. No tickets were issued. I laughed a lot afterwards. Lindsay well, not so much.

Back to the point, the Oregon coast easily boasts some of the most dazzling scenery in the country. Great rolling waves crashing against rocky cliffs for hundreds of miles. Redwood trees accenting the cliff-tops, sporadic sandy beaches dappled the waterline.

The pictures don't do justice (I'm getting tired of saying that, maybe I need a better camera) but here they are:



And this is a natural "geyser" that comes from a hollow rock formation that pressurizes when the waves smash against it. cool beans!

A tale of two cities....

There were two stops that we took on the way to Sonoma California, one was in Lincoln City Oregon. We stayed right next to a river that was fully stocked....with fisherman. The campground was a bit soggy, being so close to a river and all, but the hosts were so nice and the area was beautiful! The town was really sweet, a sleepy tourist town with excellent beach views. It was a beautiful morning and there were happy families walking along the beach, dogs chasing the waves and seabirds racing around trying to find a snack. We could have watched the happy scene for hours, in fact I think we did.

On our way back we randomly found a great BBQ place that just happened to have a big ol' grease bin sitting smack dab in the sun just waiting for us. Josh got the o.k. from the manager and we got a few gallons of nice clean grease before we had to hurry back to the campground. We were late getting back and when we went to apologize to the host she told us she certainly didn't mind and that she wished we could stay longer.

The second stop we took was in Crescent City California. When we got to the campground we found a sweet spot nestled in amongst the sequoias. We thought we were in for a peaceful, relaxing two days. The trouble started when we went to pay for our spot. The woman who owned The Village Camper Inn was not the sweetest person I have ever met. She lectured us on how bad for her business our Passport America discount was. Josh asked politely why she bothered to offer it at all, suffice to say she has some issues to work out with her mother.

We had a bunch of errands to do, fill up with grease, do a Home Depot run to buy a part to fix our shower etc. We found a place to fill up on grease pretty easily that was where our luck ran out. The grease was too cold to pump, when we tried to wrap the hose around the outside of the pump to help warm it up the hose ripped where it connected to the pump. Cursing under our breath we headed to the local auto parts store and bought a length of black rubber hose that would wrap more easily. We headed back to the campground to reconnect the hoses and then back to the grease bin for round two. When trying again we realized that the pump was just not up to it in the cold shade. We left completely exasperated and completely crabby.

By this time we were starving and I (oddly enough) wanted pizza, luckily we found a surprisingly good pizza shop and chowed down. Afterwards we headed home and set our alarm early, we knew that wine country was on our horizon and we were ready for it!

If I were to travel that same route down 101 South again I would be sure to stop for the afternoon in Lincoln City OR to walk along the beach and marvel at the ocean vistas, and be sure to skip Crescent City California all together (even though the pizza was good)!

Ode to Seattle, WA

Ode To Seattle

By Lindsay and Josh

Ugh Seattle, where it's rainy and windy,
Yay Seattle home to Cathy and Mindi.

Yikes Seattle, our neighbor is scary,
Phew Seattle Pike Place was quite merry.

Ah Seattle, with its really good shopping,
Oh Seattle why are we sopping?

Yum Seattle, Ethiopian grub
Oh no Seattle too long in the pub.

Brrr Seattle this place is darn cold,
Peace out Seattle we're hittin' the road!

We were there only for two nights but we got to catch up with our neighbors from Burning Man, Cathy and Mindi, as well as attempt to avoid our sketchy, overly friendly neighbor in the campground and enjoy a walk along Pike Place. It got cold and wet so we decided to head South...

"Living" In Portland, OR

While Josh and I were planning our trip we always knew that we wanted to spend enough time in Portland OR to feel like we are living there. So we decided to block out three weeks starting the beginning of September to "move" to Portland. The first week we were there we stayed in the town of Gresham (I wouldn't recommend choosing Gresham as a vacation destination!) After a week we moved to Jantzen Beach, which was really nice. It was more centrally located to where we wanted to be (Aiyana's house) and was less weird than Gresham. So we set up our house there for the next two weeks.

The wonderful thing about staying so long in one place is actually getting comfortable running errands. I am a home body, I always have been. I like to know where I am going and what to expect. As you can imagine NOTHING about this trip has been that way so far, to hop in the car and run to the supermarket and actually know where to find something is really nice for me. That's how I felt in Portland.

Another thing that made Portland feel so much like home was the instant friends we acquired.
There were so many wonderful things that we did in Portland that I will try to mention them all but I fear I might miss a few. If anyone wants to add any feel free.

A few days after we arrived we caught an amazing sunset from the top of Mount Tabor with our friends Chuck, Aiyana, and Wyatt which was followed by great Italian at the Italian Place with Aiyana's awesome roommate Ariana (yeah, we commented on how amusing it was that those two names lived together, especially because they can both go by Ana), and Rick a friend from Keene State College. As we mentioned before went on that amazing camping trip with Josh and Katie, and had an awesome dinner with Rick and his girlfriend Lindsey (who was Josh's roommate in college). We spent a great night out to dinner with Ariana and her boyfriend Nick (who is in Everyday Prophets with Rick), and some of their friends and their friends friends. Ana was babysitting that night so we brought five month old Ari too. Ari's mom Alison was great too! Josh and I did some child care for her while she worked and went to class. We had so much fun with Ari!

We left Portland feeling like we were leaving a great party. I will say one thing about that group, someone is always coming up with some amazing activity for everyone. Whether it be a pumpkin carving contest in the park to helping Lindsey make Junk to Funk awards out of old Barbie dolls.

If anyone is planing on visiting Portland OR, give Josh or I a call and we will put you in touch with this amazing group of people! Love to them all.

Childhood Dreams!

There's a legendary place for windsurfing near Portland, OR. It's called the Hood River Gorge. Something about the ocean air and land air creating a thermal flow, and the huge mountain ranges on either side of the river funneling it all upstream... it's windy every day. I used to watch "epic" windsurfing videos of nutcases thrashing around in the howling winds, jumping 3o feet in the air.

Windsurfing The Gorge is like a childhood dream, a mystical mountain to be conquered, a dragon to be slain. Being so close, I HAD to get out there. No excuses, no "maybe tomorrows."

Last time I was on the water, I was actually pretty good at windsurfing, and if I had kept it up, would probably have been one of those guys flying around. For me, getting back on a windsurfer is like riding a bike - you never really forget... how tiring it is, how much water you swallow, and how much it hurts! But MAN what a good time. Uncontrollable hoots of joy, and laughs (and screams for help) made more joyous by the gurgling mouthfuls of water.

All in all, the town of Hood River is now one of my favorite places in the country. It's quaint, picturesque, a lot of fun, friendly, great beer, great wine, and windsurfing every day. All this about 50 minutes from Portland. Works for me. Hey, let's all move there!

Please excuse the shaky video, I was probably just going so fast... you know!

Aiyana's Birthday!

We jumped the gun a bit...before we camped on Mount Adams we celebrated the birthday of my best friend, Aiyana Rose Maye! Josh and I rolled into town and then rolled over to Aiyana's apartment where we squealed and hugged (Ana and I, not Josh). We snacked and sipped wine and began to meet the amazing group of people who were soon to become our best buds for the next three weeks. After a few hours of schmoozing we walked to the Good Foot to hear an awesome reggae band called Everyday Prophets. Our friend Rick, from Keene State College, plays bass in the band and we hadn't seen him in years. We boogied and laughed until we shut the place down. It was a great party, and a wonderful birthday!

Mount Adams

Driving into Portland from Bend, we followed the Columbia river long enough to know there was some amazing scenery to behold. Little did we know that Ana's (Lindsays best friend) friends Katie & Josh were going to get us up close and personal.

I believe it was a Saturday. After a couple days of planning, we had the back of our truck and Josh's Civic stuffed to the brim in preparation for our sojourn to Mount Adams. It began with a drive right back out 84 along the river, passing waterfalls and fantastic views of Mount Hood. We took a left at the town of Hood River and crossed into Washington, did a quick food shop, and pointed the cars uphill.

Countless miles up a rocky, gravely, dirt road, we reached our first destination, Wind River Cellars, where, for 5 bucks, we were able to taste all of their wines (it had to be 18 or so) and enjoy a perfect view of Mount Hood from their deck. We even got to schmooze with their potbelly pig. Some of the wine was fantastic, some of it was just good, but who can keep track after the first few anyway? We bought 2 bottles (Pinot Gris & Pinot Noir).

All that wine and sun - Time to get behind the wheel again!!! Back on the dirt road, back on the bumps & curves. At 10 MPH it hardly seemed dangerous. We camped at a spot called Bird Lake. I don't know what the elevation was, but suffice to say we were freakin' high up. The lake water was crystalline and the sky was a perfect match. It was without a doubt the most scenic spot I've ever pitched a tent. Josh brought a bass, Chuck brought a banjo and I brought my guitar. Thankfully, our girlfriends all brought their patience.

Josh & Katie provided us with scrumptious, and in my case oversized, burritos for which they had clearly developed a recipe through exacting science. And those Nutella sandwiches knocked our socks off!!

We froze our little tooshies off that night, but awakened to a crisp morning and crispy bacon.

Bouncing a little further up the mountain, the gas pedal on the truck stopped responding. No one was concerned, though, because Josh, Chuck and I are Master Mechanics (we opened the hood, stuck our heads in, muttered to each other, poked a few things and then scratched our asses). Somehow or other, turning the truck off, then restarting it fixed the problem (we're MASTERS I tell you!!!)

After our conquest, we set off for a little hike on Mount Adams. I know you're tired of me saying this, but the view was indescribable. We spent a little time on a rock ledge overlooking the valley, some waterfalls and even a herd of Mountain Goat. For me, there was a little moment when I just chuckled at how lucky we were (and how big the mountains are out here).

Portland, OR

The wonderful thing about Portland is that it's surrounded by places that make it better. That and the people. We were surrounded by such wonderful people, and like Portland, I believe that those people make us better people. It wasn't just our close friends, it was their close friends, even their friends were great! It seemed everyone we met was engaging and ready to connect.

Our time in Portland was different than anywhere else we've been. Partly because we stayed three weeks, partly because we hooked right into Ana's friend network.

In spite of our dismal choice of RV park the first week we were there, our time was filled with wonderful adventures. The only way for us to talk about Portland is to talk about the adventures we had. Starting with...