Riding the Amtrak Rails

The first big adventure of the trip was a train ride on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner  to Carpinteria, with the prospect of lunch with dear friends, Betsy and Jane!

Carpinteria is an oceanside city located in southeastern Santa Barbara County, California, east of Santa Barbara and northwest of Ventura, with a population of about 14,000. Jane lives there and Betsy did for several years while her daughter was in high school.

Wouldn't you know? The day dawned gray and rainy! Much like Washington and chilly, too. But it didn't make an iota of difference, as I waited at the Burbank Amtrak station for the train. The ride up was so pleasant. Sure makes a change from driving it, and so much more relaxing.

Snaking through the hilly, rocky terrain gives an idea of how big California is - and how much open space there still is. I sat on the sea side and as we headed out of the hills, the coast came into view. The ocean looked wild, kicked up with the fierce wind that was howling! Easing into Carp, Jane met me with hugs - it's been a while since we saw each other. Betsy joined us and our planned walk on the beach didn't happen. The wind had turned the beach into a sandblaster! So we opted for a wander around town instead.

Jane bought herself her Christmas present,  a lovely outdoor, iron etagere and we browsed stores filled with trinkets and "stuff" before heading to lunch.

Of course, there was non-stop chatter and catch-up over Thai food at the Siam Elephant which led to a lovely glass of wine at Corktree Cellars.

But our day didn't end there. Betsy works with Sharon Green, the photographer behind Ultimate Sailing and we had been invited over for a bit of Christmas cheer. It would be the first time for me to see where Betsy works (when she is not on the road). I love being able to visually place someone when I talk or text them, so this was a great opportunity for me. As is wont to happen, it turned into a little party at Sharon's, always a fun thing.

It was a good thing I was spending the night!

Back to Burbank

The next morning, Betsy took me to the Santa Barbara train depot, a lovely old building built in 1902 Mission Revival architecture and restored in 2000. I was happy to see the train almost fully booked, an indication that rail travel is becoming more popular and I think, if more people realize how easy it is and how relaxing, it would be even more so. The only issue with it is that freight trains have right-of-way, so we got stopped and shunted onto sidings several times, which made us about 45 minutes late getting to Burbank. But thank goodness for technology! I was able to text Ryan so he didn't have to sit in the park-and-ride and wait.

My carriage awaited, and top down, we zipped home, where I had time to recover before the next adventure.

[su_box title="Carpinteria Connect" style="glass" box_color="#cde3ed" title_color="#0f0d0d"]

Amtrak

Amtrak

Siam Elephant

509 Linden Ave. Carpinteria, CA 93013

Ph: 805.684.2391

Corktree Cellars

910 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria, CA 93013

(805) 684-1400 (P) • (805) 684-1414 (F)[/su_box]

[su_carousel source="media: 2393,2392,2391,2390,2389,2388,2387,2386" height="600" items="4"]

Beginning of a Long Holiday

I've been lazy, just posting instagram pix and not writing posts! And it has been such a busy time, too. So I will break this down into several posts over the next few days.

With winter coming on strong in the PNW, I was extremely happy to be heading south to Southern California for the holidays. It's always a mission to get there - a lift to the shuttle, an hour and half bumping along with numerous stops, schlep to the ticketing to check in the expensive one bag carrying the gifts, security (yay Pre- check!) waiting... three hours on the flight... makes for a long day.

But being picked up at Burbank airport in a BMW convertible by Ryan, my darling son, made up for the tiring day.

Blast from the Past

The following day, we fulfilled one of the many items on my wish list!

Many, many years ago, there was a Bob's Big Boy hamburger joint in Costa Mesa, right up the street from where we (Ryan and Cody's dad and I) used to live. We used to go fairly often, and then progress (?) took it away. But in Burbank, Bob's has survived and flourished, and is a great example of the old diner. It was built in 1949 (so have a great affinity with it) and is considered a classic example of that era's architecture. I've wanted to go there for ages, so we did!

There is actually a bit of story about me wanting to go there. Last Christmas Eve, as there were just the two of us, Rye an and me, we thought it would be a good chance to go to Bob's for a Christmas Eve dinner - by the time we got there around 6pm, they were closed, and we ended up at a Thai restaurant - which we went to again this Christmas!

The enormous, neon sign is visible all the way down the street, the red glow glinting off the cars in the parking lot. The street lights lit the Jetson-styled sun-shades (I can't call them umbrellas) that hovered over the outdoor seating, lining the pavement. On this evening, everyone was inside, hiding from the cold and drizzle. Under the portico, there stood a life-sized Bob, checkered outfit and all. Obviously it was picture time before heading in to the classic diner. The curving counter, the leatherette booths and many of the waitresses who looked like they might have been there since the place opened!

Everything is basic - basic menu, basic condiments, just like it used to be before it became so cool to be cool.

I ordered the Original Bobs Big Boy combo with fries, the works! I didn't do the milkshake part, but we did have onion rings!

So in this time of "plated" food and weird pairing combinations, it was refreshing to see a hamburger in a bun, with simple lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise plonked on a plate alongside a mound of real French fries. Nothing pretentious, nothing fancy, just plain old Bob's!

[box type="info"]BOB's BIG BOY

4211 W Riverside Dr

Burbank, CA 91505

(818) 843-9334[/box]

[su_carousel source="media: 2377,2376,2374,2373,2372,2371,2370,2369" height="600" items="4"]

Not Everyone's Choice of Adventure

 

I've lived down here for almost 12 years now, and in all that time, I haven't taken the time to watch an operation that happens down here far too often.

This location is pretty remote, at the end of a dead end road which ends where the old ferry dock used to be. It was, at one stage, the only way to get across the Hood Canal. And not that many years ago, while the floating bridge was under repair and closed to traffic, a foot ferry operated from there. Before my time, there was even a local saloon. Now, all that are left are large, paved parking lots.

Large and unobstructed. Perfect as a helicopter landing site, which it has become for emergency airlifts. An ambulance ride to Seattle for major medical care is a couple of hours; by helicopter, a mere 15 minutes.

So a few days ago, as a large Airlift Northwest red machine swept in low over the house, and after hearing numerous sirens screaming down the upper road, I decided it was time to see how this system works. Speed walking the half mile or so along the dirt road that runs above the beach to the landing site, the helicopter had landed and three emergency vehicles had the road blocked off and were unloading someone from one of the ambulances. There are only 5 or 6 houses down there, so very little traffic, but of course just when things should be shut down, a Fedex truck had to get through!

The transfer took a few minutes and it was a surreal scene in the late afternoon, the  vehicles red flashing lights illuminating the bush alongside the road. The helicopter and its light reflected from the enormous puddles in the parking lot. After several minutes, the pilot did a pre-flight check, climbed in and rotated, lifting straight up, then banking east, headed off over the Hood Canal, becoming a tiny speck silhouetted against the sky and Cascade mountains.

I think we are all grateful to have the service so handy. However, it is not one I plan to make use of any time soon!

[su_box title="Airlift Northwest" style="glass" box_color="#cde3ed" title_color="#0f0d0d"]Airlift Northwest, a program of the University of Washington School of Medicine and Harborview Medical Center, provides flight transport via helicopter and fixed wing aircraft for patients needing intensive medical care in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.[/su_box]

Seattle Distilling Company

 

I love gin! Everyone who knows me, knows it is my booze of choice. A couple of years ago, I wrote about San Juan Island Distillery on Orcas Island which really tickled my fancy and really opened my eyes to the complexities of distilling. Since then, I have tried a variety of craft gins plus some very expensive imports which have made me appreciate the art of distilling even more.

So when Ryan came to visit recently, we decided to get back from the Seattle Airport via Vashon Island and the Seattle Distilling Company. What a treat that was.

Vashon Island is between the mainland (Seattle) and Bremerton (at the base of the Olympic Peninsula) with ferries to and from. In fact, you only pay when you go to the island as they know you have to leave! And because it is a short ride to an agricultural island, the ferries are small and the rides short. But in the all the time I have lived up here, I had never made that detour and it ended up being a wonderful day trip.

Ryan's flight from LAX arrived mid-morning, so we had plenty of time before the distillery opens at noon to drive around Vashon. Such pastoral settings and a lovely, old cemetery that we explored in the rain. The business center of the island has interesting small stores, well-preserved buildings, coffee shops and restaurants. I imagine in the summer it is a busy place. But the day we visited, it was raining so very few people were out and about.

The Seattle Distilling Company is situated just off the main drag, a bit north of The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie, which we saved for a different visit.

Here's my review on Tripadvisor:

[su_box title="Tripadvisor Review" box_color="#eddfcd" title_color="#090909"]Seattle Distilling is a tiny place producing a huge product. Or products!

A recent visit to the distillery, located on picturesque Vashon Island shows you don't need a huge space to create amazing spirits.

We arrived at opening time - 12pm - and were greeted by Paco Joyce, the VP and Master Distiller. The next hour was spent getting an education about the fine art of distilling; viewing and touching the steampunkish copper and steel stills, pipes and gauges; and really getting a feel for what goes into making a great bottle of whiskey, vodka or gin.

After the tour, we tasted the products - gin, vodka, strawberry-infused vodka, Idle Time whiskey and the Coffee Liqueur. My favorite, and my son's, as well, was the gin which is unlike any mass-produced gin you can buy at the liquor store. The flavors are carefully melded and include local lavender and juniper berries. The only ingredient that is not from the island, is the lemon peel that comes from, if I remember correctly, California.

Perhaps the most interesting fact to take away from the visit was understanding the symbiotic relationship between the distillery and the island community. As an example: The remaining mash left from the grain used for the base alcohol is fed to island livestock on nearby farms. The farms, in turn, provide some of the other ingredients needed, or the farmers apply their talents, like welding, to keep the stills and machinery running.

Although it is all local and very small, the Seattle Distilling Company is making a name for itself, winning Best of the Northwest from Evening Magazine, among other prestigious awards.

Well worth the visit.[/su_box]

The Airbnb Project

Well! That was a mission fraught with delays and frustrations! What I thought would be a simple process turned into a long, drawn out project that of course, cost me far more than anticipated. But the good news is that it is done and live on Airbnb!

At the start, I knew I would have to do something about the bathroom. The house was built in 1984 and it has the original tub and shower enclosure with awful sliding glass door. When it was installed, they somehow didn't put enough braces under the unit and there was a dip in the bottom. With the hard water we have here, even before I moved in, the minerals had etched the bottom so it never, ever looked clean! So I had assumed I would need to replace the entire unit - that is something that had held me back from doing it years ago. Many thousands of dollars! But I heard about tub refinishing! In two hours, the tub looked like new!

Danelle helped me get all the fittings and doors off before Michael the Miracle Method tech showed up. He taped everything off, worked the magic and a couple of hours later, he was done! It was a bit fumy for a couple of days, but well worth it! Later in the week, Danelle and John came back down and replaced the old fittings with bright and shiny new ones! Not without some hassles, though. Parts didn't fit which necessitated a trip to Port Orchard an hour away, only to be told that the unit was too old and I would have to get a new mixer! Well, that wasn't going to happen, and between us, we did a work-around and everything works and looks great! I did end up under the basin replacing the lines there (also too old to reuse!) so John wouldn't have to make another trip to the house.

Of course, all this cost more than I planned, but it is something that had to be done before I rent it out at the beginning of next summer (that's the plan at the moment, anyway).

Buying the linens was easy, other than the design choice. So I am really happy with the way that turned out.

Home-away-from-home for my Airbnb guests

The next thing I battled with was the blind installation. The first ones I ordered online and they didn't fit! I'm pretty handy with a tape measure, so sure I measured correctly! But that set me back a few days as I tried to find others that would work. Home Depot had what I needed and they cut to size. So off I went to Poulsbo, 25 minutes away, and chose the ones I wanted and the guy working there cut to size.

When I got them home, I was all set up. Screwdrivers, drill, tape measure etc. And damned if I could figure the things out! But then, after about half-an-hour of battling silly little end caps, I saw the guy had cut the wrong end of the blind so there was no room for the end cap to slide on! Sheesh!

So back to square one! I used Home Depot's app and found that the Poulsbo store didn't have any more that could be cut to size. I would have to go to Sequim, 45 minutes away. Sunday morning, off I went and success! Back at home, drilled and screwed and less than half-an-hour later, the blinds were up and working!

But damn, it looked so bare! So off I went again and bought the drapes, installed the rods etc. Done!

A couple of weeks before, Mardelle came down to give me some ideas about how to lay the room out - she is quite the design fundi! We decided it needed a couple of small chairs just like the ones I had seen at Habitat for Humanity a few days before. On my next trip to Port Townsend, popped in but of course, they were gone! And anything new was far too expensive for me to splurge on, so last week I went into the local Goodwill and voila! One very cute, excellent condition chair that fits perfectly!

Yesterday, my neighbor Joe, came over and helped me get it upstairs. That made the room complete and I did the pix and posted to Airbnb.

So that part of this adventure is done; now I just need guests!

Come on over!

Close to Home

Actually AT Home!

My latest adventure isn't actually taking me anywhere! It is going to bring adventure right into my home in my new Airbnb venture.

It's something I have mulled over for a while and finally decided to do it. In some ways, it's exciting; in others, scary! I'm not used to having anyone, let alone strangers, in my home as I have lived alone (except, of course for Hinckley and Buddy) for several years. On the other hand, it will be fun to meet new people and of course, the added income will be very helpful. But the process seems secure and Ryan has done it with his guest room with no issues, and he uses the service when he travels, as do Mardelle and Jim.

So I am biting the bullet and getting things prepared. It's not just a matter of putting clean sheets on the bed! The bathroom is being spruced up, something I have wanted to do since I moved in here 11 (yes 11) years ago! MiracleMethod came in and in 2 1/2 hours made the tub/shower look like new! And with all new fixtures that Danelle (Susan's daughter) and John installed, it's magic! I know, lots of exclamation marks because it is so amazing seeing the difference.

Then the bedroom. New duvet cover, sheets, pillows, window shades. With Mardelle's help, decided how to set the room up; where to put the small chairs I hope to score at Habitat for Humanity today; where to put the coffee maker, microwave and small fridge so they are unobtrusive but handy. Some airbnb people offer use of the kitchen, but I don't want to do that except under special circumstances, hence the small appliances in the room.

As soon as the setup is complete, I will post pictures and the link to my airbnb page.

Wish me luck - and nice guests!

Jefferson County Farm Tour 2015

 

I try not to miss the yearly Farm Tour. It's always fun to see the organic farms sprouting up in this area. This past weekend, I went to three farms I haven't been to before. One, Spring Rain, I drive past every time I drive to Port Townsend but have never been in. The second, called Wilderbee, I've watched over the last few years as the owners developed raw land into a thriving little farm. And the third is brand new. I didn't even know Onatrue was there, tucked away off the road, with just a dirt road leading to it.

Wilderbee has something for everyone. They grow lavender and have a custom-made still for creating lavender oils which they use in a nice variety of soaps, lotions and potions. The lavender is over now, but the U-pick flower garden is gorgeous! Beautiful dahlias and a wide variety of other flowers from sunflowers to sweet peas. There is even a pumpkin patch which will also be U-pick when they are ready. Beyond the developed area is an added bonus - a certified wild area, with a lovely pond and natural vegetation surrounding it. Several bee hives hum alongside the walking trail. The honey being harvested is going into Wilderbee's latest project - mead, with a mead tasting room coming soon.

Just about a mile away, Onatrue Farm is growing on a 10 acre former hay field. Arriving just a year ago from S. Dakota, this young couple and their kids are living in a couple of trailers, devoting all their time and energy into developing the farm. Several hoop houses and chicken coops dot the land, with in-the-ground plantings of the hardier crops. I was thrilled to see ginger growing in one of the hoops and came away with a very healthy plant that I hope does well in my sunroom.

Spring Rain has been on my radar for a while, but I was completely blown away by the expanse of the farm. Tucked back beyond the tree-lined main drag, 26 acres that span the Chimacum Valley and Chimacum Creek, opens up to vast vegetable gardens and most interestingly, at least to me, are chickens and turkeys! Running wild! This is free-range heaven for all the birds which are housed in a very eclectic selection of ancient old trailers and caravans, most painted by (probably) farm kids. The chickens were everywhere, roaming around, sunbathing in the dust and generally living a life of ease!

The turkeys were also out, ranging around! What bizarre-looking birds they are! and so funny to watch.

One of the sheds had masses of 4-day old chicks. The chicken smell and the warmth of the room was almost overwhelming but after a minute or so it was ok. The tiny birds all huddled and cheeped together. Two batches of little golden ones and two of black, and they reminded me of all the chickens Mum had: how they would arrive by train in boxes and kept warm by a kerosene lamp out in the shed until old enough to go out into the yard.

Spring Rain is far more than just chickens. They raise rabbits and sheep and grow berries, orchard fruits, greenhouse crops, herbs, asparagus, and garlic. They also raise bees on this sustainable organic farm. And being aligned with the Jefferson Land Trust, they care for and protect Chimacum Creek, a salmon stream that runs through the farm.

Jefferson Farm Tour

Wilderbee Farm 223 Cook Ave Ext Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 379-2434 Email:  farmgeeks@wilderbeefarm.com

Onatrue Farm 220 Jimson Lane, Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 621-7479

SpringRain Farm and Orchard 187 Covington Way, Chimacum (425) 218-5675

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2015

 

Boats used to be pretty much my whole life - I worked on them, sailed and cruised on them, then wrote about them and photographed them. I guess I got burned out, but it sure was fun to immerse myself in them again - for a short while this weekend.

The 39th Annual Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival this year, and every year is on the second weekend of September. More often than not, it is cold, gray, wet and windy. But this weekend was amazing! Mid-70s, sunny, a light breeze - perfect. Brought the spectators and visitors out in droves.

As usual, Point Hudson Marina was jammed with boats of all sizes, shapes, colors and vintage. There were small home-built sailboats and rowboats; schooners, ketches and sloops side-tied at every dock and slip. Trawlers and classic power boats like Deerleap, shared fenders and boarding ladders. There were acres of varnished teak, tons of polished brass glittering in the sun. What a pleasure!

Most of the boats on show are ones I have seen and boarded many times. I was happy to see Spike Africa, a beautiful schooner built in Costa Mesa, California in the mid-70s by Bobbie Sloan, a well-loved mariner in Southern California. I remember watching the boat being built in a vacant lot next to his house, and once launched, going aboard and accidentally losing a prized pocket knife in the bilge! I expect it's still there!

My old boat, the Wild Rose, was not there and is not on the Classic Yacht Register so I wonder what happened to her and where she is? It sounds like a project to me - tracking her down and making sure she is in good hands.

In recent years, the Festival has grown and is now produced under the auspices of the Northwest Maritime Center. It includes seminars, classes, yacht races, rowing races and kids' activities. But thank goodness, the hippy, Port Townsend funk is still very apparent

And long may it continue.

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 431 Water Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 Phone 360.385.3628 ext 104 Fax 360.385.4742 E-mail: info@nwmaritime.org