Manhattan, KS to Garfield, AR

The end of June we were in the RV and off to Manhattan, KS for Country Stampede.  It seems like every time I go to Manhattan it rains and I'm up to my knees in mud for days with the sun boiling.  Well, I was in for a pleasant surprise this year, it was like fall in June.  The weather couldn't have been more beautiful. 

Manhattan is a college town home to Kansas State University.  This is actually where my husband attended college.  I didn't really get out and about the town too much, we took one spin around campus so that my husband could show me all of his old hangouts and dorms.  I must say I was focused on the next half of our trip.

The next half of the trip took us to Garfield, AR where we would be spending the 4th of July.  If you ask my husband what his favorite city is on earth he will answer Garfield.  I was a little unsure the first time he brought me there but soon understood why it was his favorite.  Arkansas is beautiful, so full of endless trees and hills. 

My husbands family have a lake house on Beaver Lake.  What a sight this lake is to see. It is without a doubt (with the exception of Lake Michigan) the biggest lake I have ever experienced.  It would take you hours to explore ever corner and cove this lake has.  If you are wanting to camp at Beaver Lake then you are in for great camping.  Most of the campsites are right up on the water.  

This year we invited our friends and their two kids.  We had so much fun boating, jet skiing, and lounging in the lake on rafts.  Usually we fish but this year we didn't.  However if you are looking for a good fishing guide I would advise giving Jr Adams a call.  We have been out with him several times and every time we come home with lots of fresh bass.

One day we decided to drive to Eureka Springs.  Eureka is a little town nestled in the mountains.  I like to say that it is a hippie town because, well, it is.  There are a lot of cute restaurants and you will find your touristy fudge, taffy and t-shirt shops here.  What makes this town so amazing are the old buildings along with the old Victorian homes that are to die for.  You can find the historic route through town easily marked by paint on the curbs.  I recommend just following that route around slowly and taking in the incredible homes. 

Don't forget to stop at the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa.  Its worth just parking the car and exploring the hotel.  You will want to go out back and walk around as well.  Make sure you look for the Jesus of the Ozarks.  I can't explain it you just have to see it. 

The 4th of July was one of our last days in Arkansas.  If you are wanting to see fireworks and you have a boat I recommend seeing them from the water.  You won't be alone there are lots of fellow boaters out there as well.   The Marina has a listing of all the surrounding fire works. 

We went home for a few weeks after this trip but soon after we loaded back up and headed north in the Grumpencamper for Twin Lakes, WI and CHICAGO!!!!

 

Coming Up!

Coming UP...

Trips to Manhattan, KS; Garfield, AR; Twin Lakes, Wisconsin; Chicago!!!! and our most recent stop Austin, TEXAS!

A CALIFORNIA KIND OF WEDDING Part II

Paso Robles, CA

The second part of our wedding week in California took us to Paso Robles.  The first thing we did was shed a few layers because the temperature inland hiked up 20 degrees.  The warm dry air was a nice departure from the cool temps at the beach. You know you are in Paso Robles as soon as you see the beautiful Vinyards and tasting rooms posted by the street.  Some of them will surely take your breath away.

We arrived to town early so we had a wait for our hotel.  We decided to pop inside one of the tasting rooms to kill some time.  I'm afraid I can't recall what the name of this one is.  I guess it didn't really blow my socks off if I can't remember. It was however charming, and the staff there were very pleasant.  

 

After the tasting we decided to just drive around and do some sightseeing.  We took a back road behind the vinyards.  It was amazing to see the millions and millions of grapes just dripping from the vines.  I am guessing harvest time is close because the grapes just looked deliciously done hanging from the vine.  As was said in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, "I could almost taste the color purple."

 

Purple or Green?!

 After we checked into our rooms at the Holiday Inn Express we headed out for some Mexican food.  We were all craving it.  We had passed one restaurant earlier in the day that peeked our interest while we were lost of course.  Senor Sancho's.  If you look around you might think you are in the "wrong" part of town, seems to be a little rough.  But, once you are inside you find a 50's style Mexican restaurant that is very friendly.  I wish I had pictures but I was dealing with an almost 10 month old that was driving me crazy.  But be sure to check out the link.

The next day was the wedding day 9/10/11 (how cool is that?).  The wedding wasn't until that evening so we went to explore the award winning downtown Paso Robles.  It isn't that big but it is very hip.  We started out window shopping and then decided we were thirsty so we popped into a really neat coffee shop.  Amsterdam Coffee House.

I wasn't in the mood to drink anything hot so I asked for an iced green tea.  It wasn't on the menu cold but the barrista freshly brewed green tea that smelled so divine for me and poured it over ice.  Hands down the best iced green tea I have ever tasted.   

The front doors were my favorite part of The Amsterdam.  So open on such a beautiful day.

Now for my favorite taste bud explosion of the entire week, Thomas Hill Organics Market Bistro. 

We heard that the rehearsal dinner had been held here the night before and that it was ahhhh---mazing!  So we decided to try our own luck at lunch.  This Bistro has its own organic farm that supplies every single ingredient you place on your tongue. 

This is what I decided on for lunch,  the Grilled Shrimp Salad, Quinoa, Flax & Chia Seeds, THO Arugula & Cress, Feta Cheese, Harissa, Hazelnuts, Olea Farm European Olive Oil and Meyer Lemon Juice.  I had to put it in bold so you wouldn't miss out on one ingredient.  This salad was so delicious if you couldn't already tell.  I think the thing that was so amazing about it was that every bite was so earthy and so fresh.  It isn't often that you get to sit down and enjoy a meal that is literally right off the farm and onto your plate. This was my first attempt at eating Quinoa and I gave it 5 stars.  I have had it a few times since then.  Nice fact is that you can get just as much protein from Quinoa on a salad here as you can from a steak.

My companions all choose the beef burger.  I was lucky enough to steal not one but two bites.  We all agreed that it was the best burger we had ever tasted.  I think that a lot of that has to do with the all natural beef without anything pumped into it.  Side note my husband and I have started buying all our beef at the farmers market from a farm that sells all natural beef and we both also agree that it is the best steak we have ever had.  The flavor is out of this world.  And it is so much better for you!  Buy local people!

Now lets talk about this gorgeous wedding that brought us here to Paso Robles.  The wedding was held at Justin's Vinyard.  This vinyard was more off the beaten path than the ones you see coming into town from the beach.  I really liked that it was more secluded you didn't have to worry about anyone but the other guest.

Here is a snap shot of the ceremony site.  It was so personal and cozy that every seat felt like a front row seat.  I however was standing off to the side in the back because my son for some reason felt like jabbering away right when the ceremony was starting. 

 

Walk down a few flights of stairs and you are at the reception site.  I mean talk about take your breath away.  The back drop was row upon row of grapes and a sunset to die for.  The brides theme was sort of a Water for Elephants circus theme and era of time.   Hence the circus tent that served as the cover for the dance floor.

 

Here is a look at the cake.  It was so sweet with two little lover birds perched on top in their nest.  What a cute idea and in the same theme the party favors were porcelain white bird wine stoppers.  

The bride spent the last year collecting vintage bottles that would seve as the center pieces for all the tables.  Such a great idea!  Each center piece was unique and different from the next table.  They all had different varieties and arrangement of flowers in each bottle.  

Next to each bottle center piece there were also succulent flower arrangements.  So beautiful and different from anything I have seen.

 

Miles getting in some play time on the lawn before dinner

  Here is one last shot of the reception site.  Don't you just love the bistro lights?

 P.S.  I did not get any pictures of the bride and groom.  I forgot to bring my flash and it was dark by the time they were introduced as Mr. and Mrs.  Speaking of look at the chairs to the far left they are adorned with Mr and Mrs banners. 

 

A CALIFORNIA KIND OF WEDDING Part I

Wedding time.  We headed west to California this past week.  It was such a great time that I am fast forwarding a bit through several other trips to share about our California trip.  Jamie, Miles and I pulled the Grumpencamper into the Austin airport to hop on a plane.

Since we made it to Austin a day early we needed to find a place to park the camper for the night and while we were gone.  Jamie pulled us into a spot near Zilker Park.  I was very nervous as soon as I saw several signs warning of break ins in that area that I said there was no way I would sleep that night.  So Jamie got on the phone with the Airport to ask if they had oversize parking.  I must say the Austin airport had the best customer service we have experienced in a really long time.  They were so helpful and nice.  Turns out they do have oversize parking so we pulled the camper into the long term lot and set up camp for the night.  Yes that was a little weird but we felt very safe.  We were only charged for one spot and our total bill for 3 days was only 20.00.  Such a great deal!!!!

Amazing!!!

We flew into San Francisco and headed south to Cayucos for Jamie's cousin's wedding.  The familes and close friends of the bride and groom were spending 4 nights at the beach the week before the wedding.  Jamie was only able to stay 2 nights and had to miss the wedding because of work.  However Miles and I decided to stay on through the wedding and are so glad that we did.  Every morning you could look out the back window (if it wasn't too foggy) and see the dolphins playing in the water or catch the surfers enjoying the morning waves.   

Cayucos is a small beach town.  It is pretty much the same distance from L.A. and San Fran.  Its a great place to go if you are looking for a beach rental.  There are a lot to choose from at reasonable prices.  Our house was rented through www.cayucosvacationrentals.com.    The beach was a little chilly 60's during the day and just plain cold at night.  The crisp air was a nice change from Nashville's triple digit temps.  I really enjoyed breaking out my fall like clothing.  A major bonus is that on California beaches unlike Florida beaches you can have bonfires on the beach.

One of the things I loved most about this location were the quaint little towns that Cayucos was surrounded by.  We spent one afternoon in Morro Bay.  What a neat little town.  Right at the center Morro Bay is a huge rock that you can't miss from the 101.  We chose to eat lunch at Giovanni's Fish Market and & Galley. 

I had fresh clam chowder and a fish taco.  Yum!!!  Right before they hand over the chowder they put a nice spoonful of butter right on top.  You order at the window and pick a bench to sit at out back right on the bay. After lunch we walked around the shops there near the bay.  The shops were great not all jam packed with tourist junk.

As we headed out of Morro Bay we popped in a little fabric store called the Cotton Ball.  Mom and Pop fabric stores are becoming a hobby of mine.  I like to research them in each little town.  This was so cute and they had the Dr. Suess fabric I had been looking for for Miles.

The next day we decided to tour Hearst Castle.  I was a little unsure of what I agreed to but ended up having an amazing time. 

The Hearst Castle began construction in the 1920's.  For 20.00 you can tour the entertainment rooms of the main residence along with both the indoor and out pools.  After the tour you can spend as much time as you would like on the outside grounds.  There are 2 other additional tours that you can take to tour the 3 cottages (one had 18 bedrooms, yes a cottage), the kitchen and bedrooms in the main quarters.  All the tours include a 45 minute movie.  The history was incredible I felt like I had stepped right into the Great Gatsby.  Hearst entertained people like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Clark Gable.  I highly recommend this tourist attraction.  Make sure you bring some water and your walking shoes.  You want to be comfortable because you aren't really allowed to sit down many places.  Most everything is made of marble and it is a NO, NO to touch!

Jamie's Aunts, Uncle, Mom, Miles and Me in front of the castle

Outdoor Pool where Hearst and his guest would lounge

After our day at Hearst Castle we stop in the little town of Cambria, CA for lunch.  We had lunch at a little family dinner.  This little town has some cute shops and several of the Paso Robles area wineries have tasting rooms here.

On Friday morning we headed inland to Paso Robles, CA...

Gulf Shores, AL 2011

In May we headed south for Gulf Shores.  This was the first trip in the Grumpencamper.  I think we must have packed our whole house.  We have learned to edit since then.  But I must say it was nice to pack all things familiar to the baby. 

This was my first time to the shores.  It reminded me a lot of Treasure Island in Florida.  It is definitely a tourist destination.  There are tourist stores as far as the eye can see.  You won't be out of luck if you are looking for sunscreen or a beach blanket.  I would recommend renting a condo on the beach if you choose to make Gulf Shores your vacation destination.  Hotels on the beach were hard to come by, most of them were in town.  A condo just seemed like the way to go. 

We were in town for the Hangout Music Festival.  This name may sound familiar as the festival is held right in front of the Hangout restaurant.  You can't find a better location for a festival, it was so nice to dig your toes in the sand and sit back and listen to some amazing bands.   There is one main stage and a B stage.  If I'm not mistaken the show was sold out last year so you should plan on getting your tickets early this year.  

As far as food goes there is no shortage of sea food.  One of our favorites was Bahama Bob's.  Bahama Bob's offers a nice variety of steamed seafood if you are over the fried stuff.  However, if you aren't over the fried stuff then I would recommend The Shrimp Basket.   Of course don't forget The Hangout, they have live music outside and lots of fun activities like ping pong and the world's largest sand pile for the kids. 

Ding, Ding...San Fran 2011

After our fun week in D.C. Miles and I hopped on a plane to San Francisco to meet my brother and his family. They live in the Santa Cruz area but were wanting to get a way for a few days so we spent a few nights in the city.

Here we stayed at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. This is another great boutique hotel. San Francisco is known to have a ton of these fabulous little boutique hotels. It really is hard to choose which one to stay in. The Sir Francis Drake was definitely a good choice. It is located right in the famous Union Square area of the city.

Our first night there we walked through China Town and down to Little Italy where we sat and ate in an authentic Italian restaurant. You can never go wrong with Italian. If you are ever in the city I have heard that the Stinking Rose is amazing but you have to be able to stomach A LOT of garlic.

Our first full day brought us to the California Academy of Sciences. There is an aquarium, planetarium, and rain forests of the world exhibit. A great place to bring children. My 5 yr old niece seemed to really enjoy herself here.

I have been to the city a few times now and have done the usual tourist things like Union Square, Pier 39 to see the Sea Lions and the famous Lombard Street. However this time my brother took me to the Mission District. I fell in love with it. Here is the number one reason....Tartine Bakery. Tartine means buttered bread in french. It was so scrumptious that we had to go back a second time before we left. Each time we had to get a Croque Monsieur, and a Banana Cream Tart. I also tried out the Bread Pudding. My mouth just waters at the thought of it.

If you are a coffee shop kind of person then the Mission District is definitely for you. There seemed to be one right after another and they all have their own little unique thing about them. The shopping here was great too. A lot of quaint little shops with unique furniture and clothing. Things you can't pick up at your local Pottery Barn.

I'll be back in November and hopefully have more to report then. Next trip we finally get on the Grumpencamper and head south to Gulf Shores, AL for the Hangout Music Festival.

Washington D.C. 2011

In May we headed to Washington D.C. for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. It is held on the White House lawn and hosted by the President and First Lady. I have to say it is one of my favorite work events every year. Washington D.C. happens to be one of my favorite places to visit. It is such a clean vibrant city. There is so much to do especially if you are on a budget. The city transit is very easy to navigate. You can check out all of the museums for free! That is the best part. I would recommend going to D.C. when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. They are gorgeous and the city celebrates the trees with a festival every year.

(Miles napping in front of the White House)

This year we stayed at the Mayflower Hotel. What a stunning hotel this is. The hotel was opened in 1925 and labeled D.C.'s second best address by President Harry Truman. The Mayflower is conveniently located near lots of shopping and dining options. It is also within walking distance to such sites as the White House.

Here is a shot of Miles before his first Easter Service.

Jamie was able to get a little free time so we went out to explore the city. We hopped on the train and made Arlington Cemetery our first stop. I was nervous that Miles wasn't going to be able to stay quiet through the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but he did just fine. Its such a moving thing to see. One side note. This is not the most stroller friendly place to visit. There are a lot of hills and steps to conquer along the way.

Here is a snap shot of Miles and Jamie at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.

Right next to the tomb there is a breathtaking amphitheatre made of marble.

Here is a shot of Miles on his way to the Easter Egg Roll on the White House Lawn.

During Miles' short life he has been very fortunate to meet a number of famous people. Here are just a few of our favorites that were wandering around the egg roll this year.

Will Smith. His daughter Willow was performing.

Kelly Ripa and her daughter Lola

First Lady Michelle Obama

If you go to D.C. you must visit Georgetown. George Town is a fun place to maybe have lunch or dinner and of course to shop. We spent an afternoon in George Town window shopping and and stopping for a bite to eat in quaint little Italian restaurant. But don't be fooled I had one main motivation to get out to Georgetown...Georgetown Cupcakes! Some of you might be familiar with the show D.C. Cupcakes. Yum, Yum, Yum and more Yum! My husband thought I was nuts to stand in this line...until he took just one BITE!

The line outside Georgetown Cupcakes

What a great way to end our trip to D.C.......Next stop, San Francisco!

Rewind to PORTLAND

Since I am starting this blog towards the end of our traveling season I am going to rewind to the beginning of the year. We have seen so much of the country this year that it would be a shame not to mention all of our adventures.

Portland was our first big trip of the year. This trip was for pleasure and before the purchase of the "Grumpencamper" so we hopped on southwest and headed west to visit Jamie's cousin Sara for a long weekend.

We stayed at the, Hotel Monaco Portland (http://www.monaco-portland.com/). It was AMAZING! This was our first time to travel with our 3 month old. I know we were brave, but he did great flying all the way from Nashville to Portland. The staff were all very friendly and they even have a resident dog that you can find wandering around the lobby. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the hotel but check out the link to the hotel above.

On our next trip to Portland I would like to try out the Nines (http://www.thenines.com). I'm sure you can't go wrong. Our decision of where to stay was a hard one as there are so many great boutique hotels in the Portland area.

While in Portland we enjoyed a lot of great shopping. One of our favorite boutiques was, Golden. Jamie's cousin Sara owns this darling little boutique and if you are ever in the Portland area you need to stop in and shop, shop, shop. http://goldenportland.com

One of our days in Oregon we decided to venture out to the coast which was unlike anything I am used to. Being a Florida girl the beach means white soft sand and not one cliff in site. I must say the Oregon coast took my breath away. Here are a few pictures.


Look familiar? You may recall this from a scene in a classic 80's movie called the Goonies.


I couldn't get over all of the beautiful star fish. They were so colorful.