tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51771404297536548082024-03-05T19:48:14.456-08:00GloryBen and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-39317382582645422522016-06-05T15:11:00.003-07:002016-06-05T20:18:58.890-07:00Memorial Day 2016 Bike Camping Trip<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s been a couple of years since we’ve posted here, busy with a toddler and work and life. While the Airstream awaits further work, we decided to borrow a tent last weekend and keep the campfire burnin’. So without further ado, we bring you a story that has nothing to do with Airstreams but everything to do with camping and adventures: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Clark Family Memorial Day Weekend 2016 Epic Southern Bike Camping Trip</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After weeks of planning and preparation, it was finally time. We had our cooler packed, our bikes dialed in, and our camping gear at the ready. Silas had his own pictorial packing list that included trucks, his flashlight, and his trusty sidekick, Woof. Ben’s mom, known to Silas as “Gg”, made a surprise stop the night before we left to complete his kiddie camping gear with a cool bug-catching kit for the trip. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4WG3n5OEop8ihr26f6spk2Pq5ZZ1qSb-jBxldkhZ4AGv7KIG8xhLQdCdkJ27SjE6ocunYEnxax4kaM0KkgidvEiliiLhrN164HpVzgc6Py0RMQyUWGbca6vDSdzLEYkuznPKNzPHjWS8/s1600/16+Rolling+Home.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4WG3n5OEop8ihr26f6spk2Pq5ZZ1qSb-jBxldkhZ4AGv7KIG8xhLQdCdkJ27SjE6ocunYEnxax4kaM0KkgidvEiliiLhrN164HpVzgc6Py0RMQyUWGbca6vDSdzLEYkuznPKNzPHjWS8/s320/16+Rolling+Home.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We loaded up the truck and drove down to Weaver, AL, where the Chief Ladiga Trail begins, and parked under the convenient, watchful eye of the local police station and their video surveillance cameras. After unloading and hitching up the trailers, and finding a quick rest stop, we were ready to roll. Ben rode his Surly Pugsley fat bike with Silas in the Chariot sidecar, his front rack loaded up with sleeping bags and our picnic lunch. Lisa rode her Surly Cross Check, towing an Equinox pull-behind-kid-carrier-turned-flatbed, holding our cooler, camp stove, tent, and other miscellaneous supplies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRetTUWrx50hdecLyvCZWdJ57NyFQmFxUxXf2b1DNFcHZYiswo9pwHggvPRXOxgKho1mELvFgNm71AbxTpJv9FeFJz2jF-HmhFMTw5PkOvvo69niVoOKmF4BU9rPxfTB2NanDyTD7l76mS/s1600/14+Bubble+Boy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRetTUWrx50hdecLyvCZWdJ57NyFQmFxUxXf2b1DNFcHZYiswo9pwHggvPRXOxgKho1mELvFgNm71AbxTpJv9FeFJz2jF-HmhFMTw5PkOvvo69niVoOKmF4BU9rPxfTB2NanDyTD7l76mS/s320/14+Bubble+Boy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The path was relatively flat, with a slow, gradual climb about 70% of the way. It wasn’t unmanageable with the loads we were pulling, but just enough of a challenge that we stopped for quick rest and water breaks every few miles. The only rough spot was a mile-and-a-half detour early on where part of the trail had collapsed due to a sinkhole. The detour went up and down a couple of long inclines, and Lisa had to hop off and push the trailer once, but only for a very short time. Further down the trail, as we neared a small rural town, we crossed paths with an older fella on a wobbly bike. He glanced at us and said, “Y’all READY, ain’t ya?” We all laughed. It really was nice to be away from the city. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our gear held up well, and we stayed pretty well on target for our estimate of 3 hours’ riding time for the 25 mile journey. We added a couple of hours to our total time with one stop for a picnic lunch and splash in a cold spring-fed creek, and a second stop at a bike café in Piedmont for some cold drinks. Silas even managed to get a great nap in between those bigger stops! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5WPvF5JYeHFtOw7JJD81BGgCIz3csYcnjoQibYxg2pcMHOOip_V-62v2kr0ZPLniROJI_YQyg-eaclVvR2qYCJihzervfTXIfAlWfbDw7WOVorFOJZK-lBDAGIZ2eaLFOO6W0MMlt6o1/s1600/02+Made+It.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5WPvF5JYeHFtOw7JJD81BGgCIz3csYcnjoQibYxg2pcMHOOip_V-62v2kr0ZPLniROJI_YQyg-eaclVvR2qYCJihzervfTXIfAlWfbDw7WOVorFOJZK-lBDAGIZ2eaLFOO6W0MMlt6o1/s320/02+Made+It.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All of a sudden, there was the campground. One of its two driveways led straight off the paved trail. The gravel was no match for the guys’ fat tires, but Lisa’s trailer had to be pushed through one place where the gravel was thick. She was happy to get off the bike by then anyway. We pulled up to the office and there were a half dozen older folks sitting around, playing Rook and chatting. While Lisa kicked back in a rocking chair on the porch next to Debbie and 90-year-old Mama Hazel, and listened to stories about campers they’d hosted from around the world, Terry got into his truck and led Ben and Silas on a ride around the grounds so they could pick a campsite. They chose a good one, right next to the creek and some really great neighbors, Tim and Lisa, who we didn’t know but who happened to be from the town Ben grew up in. Tim took a nice family photo for us on arrival, and tossed some extra firewood our way until we could get our own. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBncQbnUeQvw8d-F4QUfeqbWc_KwW4zSr5WOe54YaYUtB11Ouj8GEyow2PI1Pd9T9AeDzU8hVtkhiW6GInS7Tt43ryOIDIwzrWYwudst9C8cRad6Oke1OEqzRG41idhOj20ahx6Razuk6/s1600/07+Mountain+View.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBncQbnUeQvw8d-F4QUfeqbWc_KwW4zSr5WOe54YaYUtB11Ouj8GEyow2PI1Pd9T9AeDzU8hVtkhiW6GInS7Tt43ryOIDIwzrWYwudst9C8cRad6Oke1OEqzRG41idhOj20ahx6Razuk6/s320/07+Mountain+View.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Turned out the campground only accepted cash and checks, neither of which we were carrying (oops!), so Terry graciously offered Ben a ride the 6 miles back to town, as he had to go back there later anyway to drop off his mom and feed the dogs. First we pitched the tent, a Coleman Instant Tent that seriously only took about a minute to put up, and took a quick dip in the cool stream. Then Ben saw some kind of grey snake, and what he thought was a water moccasin, each about 3 feet long, wriggling through the water away from him as fast as they could go, and we all hightailed it out of there. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2g3PEptz6D7SLkgliDg1-jznq-Pj_mzGCcBlZ8RAq9mEYKbDVo50ptdROmMNImfKaOQ0gCWOwCcx2cDeNjgcqqhzmaJSFHJvLN8hRpmXh1-Kz-dpzp3lF8p6Uwso4tD06pcTDkI5gGap/s1600/06+Skipping+Rocks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2g3PEptz6D7SLkgliDg1-jznq-Pj_mzGCcBlZ8RAq9mEYKbDVo50ptdROmMNImfKaOQ0gCWOwCcx2cDeNjgcqqhzmaJSFHJvLN8hRpmXh1-Kz-dpzp3lF8p6Uwso4tD06pcTDkI5gGap/s320/06+Skipping+Rocks.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While Ben went to tow</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">n to get cash, Lisa got the rest of the campsite organized and then waded with Silas some more, closer to shore this time, skipping rocks and catching tiny brown frogs in his new bug catching net. The Boy soon decided he’d had enough of that and needed to burn off some of the energy he’d stored up while riding in the sidecar, so after casting a mischievous glance at Lisa, he took off running up the gravel road, across the bridge, and up the hill toward the office. Lisa gave a half-hearted chase on legs spent from pulling a trailer uphill. The remaining camp staff were still sitting on the porch in rockers, watching the whole thing with great amusement. Fortunately, as Silas reached the porch, the truck pulled in carrying Ben and order was quickly reestablished. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Terry liked to drive around in his truck from time to time and check on his guests, sometimes pulling a trailer with firewood or other supplies on it to stock up where needed, so we were well provided for. He also liked to stay and chat for a few minutes when he found a willing ear. On the drive to town he had told Ben that back in the day, his dad used to fetch "the white liquor" for the bankers in town because they were too embarrassed to go and get it themselves. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tdlyvmhtTK1HUkVQfA_zhYGcGKFg8br2C-srYY9Bm75BxlHT7yif5ldGKGOxdRojuhKjBjf6JK_9zuBidg9CMwL_XgBThtYzCjU_5NW7Lanb8Eh5BBNUs8CEOgtfJJ8HDO0pQBtb9ZIe/s1600/11+Campfire+Coffee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tdlyvmhtTK1HUkVQfA_zhYGcGKFg8br2C-srYY9Bm75BxlHT7yif5ldGKGOxdRojuhKjBjf6JK_9zuBidg9CMwL_XgBThtYzCjU_5NW7Lanb8Eh5BBNUs8CEOgtfJJ8HDO0pQBtb9ZIe/s320/11+Campfire+Coffee.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You need a Coffee Brake! <a href="http://www.coffeebrakemug.com/">www.coffeebrakemug.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As soon as the sun started to dip behind the mountain, we got a nice roaring fire going and cooked up some smokie dogs and foil-wrapped potatoes simply seasoned with butter, salt and pepper. When you’re camping, the simplest things taste so much better than usual! When it got dark, we were so ready to sleep that we all went inside the tent and laid down. We weren’t sure if it was 8 or 9 pm by then; our phone clocks sometimes showed Central time and sometimes Eastern – even changing zones within our camp site between the fire pit and the tent! It was only going to get down to the mid-60s overnight, so we left some screens open and let a beautiful cool breeze blow through. Perfection. Silas had never slept in a tent before, and he was so excited and energized to be camping that he lay there wide awake for quite a while, chatting and singing softly to himself as we all dozed off. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLG0Yjx_JHKh8fl4GyNeY4hdCuV6eszy-M6nj8emlw_OBjbPZ3JXI2gKk5sCKE8Yd_LnHnVsVPL4hUuM3BrKR-uwAIru_WAE79AD_UhjOb-sXU3eikRyb3OOdB-qA7HcPpdmrdSIh7F2Bi/s1600/12+Top+of+the+Morning.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLG0Yjx_JHKh8fl4GyNeY4hdCuV6eszy-M6nj8emlw_OBjbPZ3JXI2gKk5sCKE8Yd_LnHnVsVPL4hUuM3BrKR-uwAIru_WAE79AD_UhjOb-sXU3eikRyb3OOdB-qA7HcPpdmrdSIh7F2Bi/s320/12+Top+of+the+Morning.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sunday morning we awoke early, but not too early, lying awake for a bit until we heard others stirring around us. We made our coffee and tea, and Lisa got started on a savory breakfast of bacon, eggs, and grits cooked on the camp stove. When breakfast was almost ready, some movement caught our eye. There was Gg’s car coming down the hill from the office toward us! We knew she’d be coming out that day, but we didn’t know when, so it was a fun surprise that she’d gotten up so early and just gone for it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSItXoKtKNbfLGzIpsiORQ5o-TzJze5s3KYYxuxS2ZY-XlGRWYdvDSyasYMKcURyLIaUQI_JjBBWD6GbP_dAWKkoAI-A-6AyZceL0qC4dyWkSfGMRyoeEhd6Wd_LD9944C2Zr5Np6y1vwL/s1600/08+Craw+Fishin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSItXoKtKNbfLGzIpsiORQ5o-TzJze5s3KYYxuxS2ZY-XlGRWYdvDSyasYMKcURyLIaUQI_JjBBWD6GbP_dAWKkoAI-A-6AyZceL0qC4dyWkSfGMRyoeEhd6Wd_LD9944C2Zr5Np6y1vwL/s320/08+Craw+Fishin.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After breakfast we played some more in the water. There were rocks to skip and critters to catch. We were spotting all sorts of lizards, centipedes, frogs, and snails, when Ben suddenly pointed to a rock in a shallow pool. “Crawdad! Sunning itself on that rock!” It hopped back in the water. Lisa grabbed Silas’ bug net and waded over there. After carefully turning over a rock or two, a short chase ensued, and the little net was held up triumphantly. “Got him!” </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZDVb_8ackKivWy-IxkK3AosZ_27iK_pukjok3SYZ59yGcaxRrUp84aUzZeesto76wjXgvx3Wh4hqjpI8MljG6azwHxoLOLvHdbmwqqLn8KSdPT1kIo30coBVs42k50f5B_n8Jpua7KaL/s1600/09+Good+with+Grits.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZDVb_8ackKivWy-IxkK3AosZ_27iK_pukjok3SYZ59yGcaxRrUp84aUzZeesto76wjXgvx3Wh4hqjpI8MljG6azwHxoLOLvHdbmwqqLn8KSdPT1kIo30coBVs42k50f5B_n8Jpua7KaL/s320/09+Good+with+Grits.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">She carried it to the picnic table and deposited her catch into the empty saucepan she’d cooked the grits in, along with a couple of inches of fresh water, and headed back to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the creek. Where there’s one, there are bound to be more … and sure enough, another, and another, and several more, until seven of the critters were swimming around in the pot. Not enough for a meal, but enough for a taste. We were glad we’d kept the few bites of leftover cheese grits from breakfast, as they reheated nicely and were the perfect complement to our impromptu seafood snack! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6kFrte9jbEF-DmN0m3v5FYitYSrudpAk5_zjL6Ub_aBd0JKdYfSFMQfM9bwAYF30hy4man62RyJ9FSVGu1rOxL78LHSesWHFlMNuDVCWg5X-1lMKSayi8LJsG1Enzd1VYTnUKjggmCaC/s1600/05+Serious+Business.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6kFrte9jbEF-DmN0m3v5FYitYSrudpAk5_zjL6Ub_aBd0JKdYfSFMQfM9bwAYF30hy4man62RyJ9FSVGu1rOxL78LHSesWHFlMNuDVCWg5X-1lMKSayi8LJsG1Enzd1VYTnUKjggmCaC/s320/05+Serious+Business.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">We took a little drive to town with Gg during the hottest part of the day, and found some ice cream to cool things down. It was a great little break from the heat, and then it was right back to the creek for some more adventures. The place was magnetic. Silas said the whole weekend, and since, that the water was his favorite part of the whole camping trip. He used his little yellow construction trucks to build “Silas Island”, a small pile of river rocks about 18” around where he sat and played for a good while. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKApXh7hP8h-Xdp9T0Po-9iXLHiPxLsN5WGx7eaSYHcJJEYuFeVxGlVqCwIWdb9r5IQs2D7PF67ooaycjcdro76H8VJyMbzLux3j02Y0Rb61B8UmCqAGnP2Pt4x8dy4o_tnbqv6qh4GI6/s1600/17+Arrowhead.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKApXh7hP8h-Xdp9T0Po-9iXLHiPxLsN5WGx7eaSYHcJJEYuFeVxGlVqCwIWdb9r5IQs2D7PF67ooaycjcdro76H8VJyMbzLux3j02Y0Rb61B8UmCqAGnP2Pt4x8dy4o_tnbqv6qh4GI6/s320/17+Arrowhead.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKApXh7hP8h-Xdp9T0Po-9iXLHiPxLsN5WGx7eaSYHcJJEYuFeVxGlVqCwIWdb9r5IQs2D7PF67ooaycjcdro76H8VJyMbzLux3j02Y0Rb61B8UmCqAGnP2Pt4x8dy4o_tnbqv6qh4GI6/s1600/17+Arrowhead.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While scouting for flat rocks to skip, Ben spotted an arrowhead on the creek bank. Its tip had been broken, but there was no mistaking its shape. Our neighbor Tim was out fly fishing a little further up, and stopped by to have a look. He and Ben talked about arrowheads and the history of the area, and then we chatted with him and his wife, Lisa, for quite a while before dinner. They’re a few years older than us, so they were having trouble coming up with shared acquaintances, until we stumbled upon a former classmate of Ben's who also happens to be Lisa's sister-in-law. Small world! Lisa handles records for the police department, so we all had a few laughs over some crazy local news stories Ben remembered from the 80s. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkOGrTy8Pn1xvtx4IDjzTye6fZRiAxaZHlTuG7xRn7eS2XRzI3Y9WRLeYWg4M0issL0kSIV6tE6oe-nRIsQfllhtFHO2lNdvD_HksexUad-Mv2ABhKgdf0lxcU5ikz2xHDlexWiHDpnH8/s1600/13+Sun+Bubbles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkOGrTy8Pn1xvtx4IDjzTye6fZRiAxaZHlTuG7xRn7eS2XRzI3Y9WRLeYWg4M0issL0kSIV6tE6oe-nRIsQfllhtFHO2lNdvD_HksexUad-Mv2ABhKgdf0lxcU5ikz2xHDlexWiHDpnH8/s320/13+Sun+Bubbles.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gg had headed home sometime that afternoon, and we’d taken the opportunity to send a couple of the heaviest items home with her, including the camp stove and propane cylinder. We’d do the rest of our cooking on the fire. We roasted some sausage and sweet pepper skewers and ate as the sun set over the mountain again, then toasted some perfect golden mallows for s’mores. Silas ate half of one, but in the end he preferred his “meshmellows” and “chock-lick” straight out of the package. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GLaXjer121xGgdKh9NBdHOG_09wwm1PLP8nYsN3NDH7BvEhcyIXN2PKsZp_nZiO79w4F9YNWN1aT1WIggqH1nPJ8uM-M_OtsEo409hfASSfU6fTPRsFSSFJDJb9A33dWuJLJ73yhvnQI/s1600/10+First+Night+in+a+Tent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GLaXjer121xGgdKh9NBdHOG_09wwm1PLP8nYsN3NDH7BvEhcyIXN2PKsZp_nZiO79w4F9YNWN1aT1WIggqH1nPJ8uM-M_OtsEo409hfASSfU6fTPRsFSSFJDJb9A33dWuJLJ73yhvnQI/s320/10+First+Night+in+a+Tent.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once it was dark enough to see tons of stars, Ben grabbed his bike, flipped on his big, bright headlight, and said, “Hey buddy, wanna go for a ride?” Silas hopped into the sidecar, eyes wide and shining with excitement, and they headed off in the dark. After about 20 minutes, they were back at the fire, spooked and laughing nervously, talking about bears and all the other animals one could encounter on a trail at night. A bonding moment for sure! The day’s excitement had caught up with Silas by then, and soon he was snuggled up on Lisa’s lap next to the fire, and asked to lay down in the tent and go to sleep. After about 30 seconds in his sleeping bag, he was snoring. We adults weren’t too far behind. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh085NFoWOBH14GBNTzRkWco_StSuT5dJX-x3h2eZJr48GxF1XZ_3sd3we2JPkU25so7PyHSiX25H4ezr8qb_Y0X9O1kidTOzKeVRU3tyvV0nldDoH1teiuayux8VigrxUPT1qLWBxGi8NC/s1600/03+Taking+a+Load+Off.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh085NFoWOBH14GBNTzRkWco_StSuT5dJX-x3h2eZJr48GxF1XZ_3sd3we2JPkU25so7PyHSiX25H4ezr8qb_Y0X9O1kidTOzKeVRU3tyvV0nldDoH1teiuayux8VigrxUPT1qLWBxGi8NC/s320/03+Taking+a+Load+Off.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We woke up early, and while Silas continued to snore, we quietly packed up everything but the tent he was in. That went on top of the pile anyway. We wanted to hit the trail early to beat the heat, as it was going to get up over 90 by late morning. We had saved quick snacks like oranges and granola bars that didn’t require cooking, and instead of tea and coffee that morning we had water.
Tim and Lisa stepped outside as we were just about packed and ready. He gave us his number in case of any problems on the trail. We said our goodbyes and headed for home. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZb9EOgyzX0QmxTL_TiWIMFAR7LcjEb8xI8zkwTnP3YBOFX85RcMFdL0hkeWNKSxybKBRliaCveCLm2iSy-uTBaWmw1X3sd1aXlVkQcitUi-fScaOaRDkDDv_r3YHlzp_hpFVpZ-Wwnlc/s1600/01+Chief+Ladiga+Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZb9EOgyzX0QmxTL_TiWIMFAR7LcjEb8xI8zkwTnP3YBOFX85RcMFdL0hkeWNKSxybKBRliaCveCLm2iSy-uTBaWmw1X3sd1aXlVkQcitUi-fScaOaRDkDDv_r3YHlzp_hpFVpZ-Wwnlc/s320/01+Chief+Ladiga+Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fortunately things rolled even smoother on the way back and no emergency calls were needed. With the slightly lighter and better-balanced load, the trailer easily scaled the gravelly rise onto the paved trail, boding well for the remainder of the ride. As we had suspected, it was mostly downhill all the way back, so we kicked up some high gears and upbeat tunes and made really great time. There were a lot of people out on the trail, and Ben was shouting out extra-chipper greetings like, “Hey everybody!” to total strangers. As we passed two women coming the opposite direction, one of them suddenly yelled, “Is that the Clarks?!” We did a double-take. “Yes!” Lisa yelled over her shoulder, but that was all the conversation that was possible at that speed. The thick red braid told us that she had to be a friend from college who lives in the area but who we hadn't seen in quite a while, and a quick post on her Facebook page later that day would confirm it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ogVlZb8gyKiN2ZlNwX87XxhvhppjrmQvhsDSQY-jkKiytm3u4wRZ80TgbT7yM7o4bJSDZu9VtXSGAD9VSTYPoioG9C7jiLdA06Jx__Q-ZXpJ13d6gi1iKvM5jWRBgPUEHWIxBb-g4iH4/s1600/15+Happy+Camper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ogVlZb8gyKiN2ZlNwX87XxhvhppjrmQvhsDSQY-jkKiytm3u4wRZ80TgbT7yM7o4bJSDZu9VtXSGAD9VSTYPoioG9C7jiLdA06Jx__Q-ZXpJ13d6gi1iKvM5jWRBgPUEHWIxBb-g4iH4/s320/15+Happy+Camper.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before we knew it, we’d cruised past both of the places we’d stopped along the way and were almost there already. The final hurdle was the detour, and while we had to drop down to our lowest gears and move slowly up that hill with our loads, we kept on riding and conquered it. We reached the truck just as the heat was really starting to come on, and boy, that a/c never felt so good! One more ice cream stop later, we were on the road home, with pictures and memories that we and our little happy camper will share forever. </span>Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-33951686469973962492011-08-20T15:12:00.000-07:002011-08-20T16:57:32.688-07:00Memorial Day Wknd 2011--Honeycomb Campground<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRExExKl5k4_KG9kxUsseCNjnCiFUG-THZLC09aNpPyJBiSmJNPb-IRWid34mnuq6fXjfrQYrYuFY8UlQ2hCVHEH1aniLXEXqEaS63eHuS-sdCmYKIHtglkr87EqK0-a4BnPq2KTDcR21Q/s1600/IMG_0106.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRExExKl5k4_KG9kxUsseCNjnCiFUG-THZLC09aNpPyJBiSmJNPb-IRWid34mnuq6fXjfrQYrYuFY8UlQ2hCVHEH1aniLXEXqEaS63eHuS-sdCmYKIHtglkr87EqK0-a4BnPq2KTDcR21Q/s400/IMG_0106.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643070922410689490" /></a>
<br />Honeycomb Campground is on the opposite shore of Lake Guntersville, the same lake as the State Park we camped at the year before, but facing east instead of west. The morning views were awe-inspiring to say the least.
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxvbtV3i6KWyt0fLfsTmXyesSY0e0VDB2hxz44QdjYkNK_Sbc1wIBeFqa2epAjRYbcKHs9Yhmt9X7KDg8r9lSIsAtnznGPqArsH-43YgZnVPCCcZbceW2hHqCntBDrcqdj4TluGD-zPUJ/s1600/memorial+day+wknd.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxvbtV3i6KWyt0fLfsTmXyesSY0e0VDB2hxz44QdjYkNK_Sbc1wIBeFqa2epAjRYbcKHs9Yhmt9X7KDg8r9lSIsAtnznGPqArsH-43YgZnVPCCcZbceW2hHqCntBDrcqdj4TluGD-zPUJ/s400/memorial+day+wknd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643073041521499058" /></a>
<br />We were so close to the shoreline that we could pull back the curtains and see nothing but water!
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBGtoSGD8Pr9-9zL1mYnctkQC9gPYKvZ17HpxmhIM-PNYAy6LW8RBCjsqssCgMddT5Qgu4-Z31hbcJ7i3Iss_0iayPrAEGewlBAOvRURiUvLmr_T6UyHfUXenoo4STTnFJyPNRzLGhgzC/s1600/IMG_0116.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBGtoSGD8Pr9-9zL1mYnctkQC9gPYKvZ17HpxmhIM-PNYAy6LW8RBCjsqssCgMddT5Qgu4-Z31hbcJ7i3Iss_0iayPrAEGewlBAOvRURiUvLmr_T6UyHfUXenoo4STTnFJyPNRzLGhgzC/s400/IMG_0116.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643073518616361826" /></a>
<br />Friendly Canada geese seemed to like hanging out at our camp spot as much as we did.
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo86IZ__FAn34AxvdM-rGi9hNwppVq0fsBuYyPMwW8-1CCi1obN-I3XumUg1H3s7fVCp6dFjTaDuSNJy9I__DWDcmYW59Ileq-FejDXDcfHiXMShcuDidk9C84exRpM5y_uLxdwTx8RwL-/s1600/IMG_0099.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo86IZ__FAn34AxvdM-rGi9hNwppVq0fsBuYyPMwW8-1CCi1obN-I3XumUg1H3s7fVCp6dFjTaDuSNJy9I__DWDcmYW59Ileq-FejDXDcfHiXMShcuDidk9C84exRpM5y_uLxdwTx8RwL-/s400/IMG_0099.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643071323153381778" /></a>
<br />
<br />One especially hot afternoon we drove over to Cathedral Caverns and spent a couple of refreshing hours in an underground tour of the caverns, which stay a pleasant 50-60 degrees year round. A steady stream of southern drawl from our guide, "Little Man", made the tour memorable. He sure knew and loved the place, and it didn't hurt that phrases like, "...an' stuff like 'at..." wove their way through the monologue.
<br />
<br />This was the view up out of the mouth of the cave, on our way down underground.
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bypZFlSX2YKa1Y9s5QltVTNorWgmLMp652DQrTIJgaNiZXKgXkMdD8U08s9Co7zQmo-mW1DgfcHYK-XG4d2nMs56uJQW7Fh0xYvK0UX9yKRlcV2axxxlMHBgVXys2sRtZDCZWIw7EnpR/s1600/IMG_0110.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bypZFlSX2YKa1Y9s5QltVTNorWgmLMp652DQrTIJgaNiZXKgXkMdD8U08s9Co7zQmo-mW1DgfcHYK-XG4d2nMs56uJQW7Fh0xYvK0UX9yKRlcV2axxxlMHBgVXys2sRtZDCZWIw7EnpR/s400/IMG_0110.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643072200511570290" /></a>
<br />
<br />Ben's family came up for a day. That was the day our one-year-old niece discovered watermelon. She probably ate a quarter of that melon all by herself. Between the juice and her teething slobber, she was sticky, pink, soaked from head to toe, and perhaps the happiest baby alive. Well, unless we tried to take her rinds away. We had to dunk her in the lake to clean her off.
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinONrQEApq3cRCOyTFwAJwQQwAZg2w1NmZ7kAlRad4DGozDmdmf_lx2pjLnXOzlNkjHxO3Jjig3Hke1-cU2tz-jJ-BJFPAng_QPoZ12CKUDGNQIeHbBXsiKhVSCvg3AoDxJKimb6UbNfeY/s1600/IMG_0101.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinONrQEApq3cRCOyTFwAJwQQwAZg2w1NmZ7kAlRad4DGozDmdmf_lx2pjLnXOzlNkjHxO3Jjig3Hke1-cU2tz-jJ-BJFPAng_QPoZ12CKUDGNQIeHbBXsiKhVSCvg3AoDxJKimb6UbNfeY/s400/IMG_0101.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643071735174173154" /></a>
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0nThNNaUfqKfuCg5nnATp4myt9BWIaE4dhRuYI1pPnIw1hNA6qQOFMyvcQ9R8R9iHUMapjcSnziBKWc1b_oHsg9YCwqV3dT9hVVLLTvr0whJKCCdub2930wa2xf1kwyJe8YPq1Hohs1s/s1600/IMG_0105.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0nThNNaUfqKfuCg5nnATp4myt9BWIaE4dhRuYI1pPnIw1hNA6qQOFMyvcQ9R8R9iHUMapjcSnziBKWc1b_oHsg9YCwqV3dT9hVVLLTvr0whJKCCdub2930wa2xf1kwyJe8YPq1Hohs1s/s400/IMG_0105.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643074355238718178" /></a>
<br />
<br />Can't wait 'til a break in our schedule and the cooler fall weather to get back out there...
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArqOZ4WO5XsbE5mNuetfUTOJ6xzQNcQ1DtM1E2CsoA0bgBvk22z4xg_ic3IJ_my5q_vhdW2EC5fR8-0VxR55oEg7NO5S06waFpoEAJ_aAEmuP-aZj3rLrR3vqKmRPVHjB9Kve_uIDEZxG/s1600/IMG_0115.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArqOZ4WO5XsbE5mNuetfUTOJ6xzQNcQ1DtM1E2CsoA0bgBvk22z4xg_ic3IJ_my5q_vhdW2EC5fR8-0VxR55oEg7NO5S06waFpoEAJ_aAEmuP-aZj3rLrR3vqKmRPVHjB9Kve_uIDEZxG/s400/IMG_0115.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643072848421220770" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-86478026102508295372010-06-02T05:02:00.000-07:002010-06-06T16:46:53.339-07:00She Rides Again - Memorial Day 2010Memorial Day Weekend, 2010. <br />Lake Guntersville State Park. Primitive Camping.<br />80s during the day, 60s at night, with intermittent rain showers. <br />Cool, comfortable, gorgeous.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SKsXqH6kBzN97wO8MsH5f1GPV_wyY1U_1DTj0cRQ74qW6cMr3W2jt7gx-jXbH9Y7WUc2gZylJBBQ0DfkdBXE2yxeHT8u562PLG_ySfeS-sQ4SmcwysWGbko7g2GUWhg-bIdybnHVlGGU/s1600/IMG_5585.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SKsXqH6kBzN97wO8MsH5f1GPV_wyY1U_1DTj0cRQ74qW6cMr3W2jt7gx-jXbH9Y7WUc2gZylJBBQ0DfkdBXE2yxeHT8u562PLG_ySfeS-sQ4SmcwysWGbko7g2GUWhg-bIdybnHVlGGU/s400/IMG_5585.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479803245846885810" /></a><br />We had our giant American flag set up as the awning for the first day, until it rained enough to soak through it. It was pretty cool. Didn't manage to get pics of that before we replaced it with the old duct tape patched tarp, though - sorry!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq6vfk2xEFR3Ou2nXubpQ9zxULesTxxnOy3qpgDTNT3qDozXqxVdlt_ZlafHb7J0uOZ_f0nhMTKOlbJzB93yRR6PLQR4AUOgxJ6tjFfwnVoSiakXNt0lkj1wgS_vHUXbUf1AWG8DEQOTx/s1600/IMG_5586.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq6vfk2xEFR3Ou2nXubpQ9zxULesTxxnOy3qpgDTNT3qDozXqxVdlt_ZlafHb7J0uOZ_f0nhMTKOlbJzB93yRR6PLQR4AUOgxJ6tjFfwnVoSiakXNt0lkj1wgS_vHUXbUf1AWG8DEQOTx/s400/IMG_5586.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479809773513721922" /></a><br />Obviously we haven't had the time to do the overhaul we were hoping to have done before taking her back on the road, but heck. We have an Airstream. We're going camping.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBDNiodYtdt_2QuEEQwovvifFhXy0AnDiZrJUDQI8A0fpJdHpzf8HpBiXjSJrSpeKBeET2Pte89OYaOkEDZsXU8KwuzMqAYMFGWrBTeyiVEITF7kRTqZzc6fZiadRUknJpt5Z6LPiqqFE/s1600/IMG_5617.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBDNiodYtdt_2QuEEQwovvifFhXy0AnDiZrJUDQI8A0fpJdHpzf8HpBiXjSJrSpeKBeET2Pte89OYaOkEDZsXU8KwuzMqAYMFGWrBTeyiVEITF7kRTqZzc6fZiadRUknJpt5Z6LPiqqFE/s400/IMG_5617.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479806899720258530" /></a><br />A local family came around with a truckload of firewood for sale and we split a stack with our neighboring site. Our half was more than enough to get a couple of good fires roaring, and we still ended up bringing most of it home for the fire pit on our patio. <br /><br />Ben's mom and granddad came to visit Sunday afternoon. We sat out under the awning as long as we could, until it poured buckets and our duct tape patches started leaking. Then we all moved inside to chat, nibble on dried fruit, nuts and japanese rice crackers, and listen to the pitter-patter on the aluminum roof. Aaaahhh.<br /><br />Then Ben walked down to the edge of the water to capture the incredible after-the-rain sunset...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1lDc_33BribPqeQRRz2jjPZywNsKUeI7XrqEXsiRZhXV8ryqJF_jvJz9iXtlvWrLBlrF9LXOe3DmB104qzdmyDp7y0QcktQoEBiYUumJNymXsxmg3pY6SgWL-e6cl7TgsvhqpmQXK7re/s1600/IMG_5600.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1lDc_33BribPqeQRRz2jjPZywNsKUeI7XrqEXsiRZhXV8ryqJF_jvJz9iXtlvWrLBlrF9LXOe3DmB104qzdmyDp7y0QcktQoEBiYUumJNymXsxmg3pY6SgWL-e6cl7TgsvhqpmQXK7re/s400/IMG_5600.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479805086249744386" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5dFXYA8Z8wdx9n949uV4FBOFX0qtGmYebLDVOY_WepwNsjdbTV2XwYwtZ8iIKkTjDFWu_CX8pnpgcv-RquA8HTUK11Lsr0Mt_V6r43Ygy2t01qJASBh8wEK3wMMwTgKwBaTv6EQRdIHg/s1600/IMG_5606.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5dFXYA8Z8wdx9n949uV4FBOFX0qtGmYebLDVOY_WepwNsjdbTV2XwYwtZ8iIKkTjDFWu_CX8pnpgcv-RquA8HTUK11Lsr0Mt_V6r43Ygy2t01qJASBh8wEK3wMMwTgKwBaTv6EQRdIHg/s400/IMG_5606.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479805256721507138" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVRwED0vjovu5cnipz2HKHqoUn12OOealXpQqyWuj47xzlwVnP139OSxBZwcPvG5rhY4Hm5Gd0t_-5KZmmKolXBqrXSw0oO-JRZwyEbs_pEa6ROi7A8DRKHOxCeNMr-wjTpLXOAN892CQ/s1600/IMG_5619.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVRwED0vjovu5cnipz2HKHqoUn12OOealXpQqyWuj47xzlwVnP139OSxBZwcPvG5rhY4Hm5Gd0t_-5KZmmKolXBqrXSw0oO-JRZwyEbs_pEa6ROi7A8DRKHOxCeNMr-wjTpLXOAN892CQ/s400/IMG_5619.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479805528523017042" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo2XndW01LlO8MjwyEh71A5IGO847DXrJXyurg1WRpQqjHYIxCABQ_Oqr6CqYD0OC3XQB8NfEGLeduaLyB2etU-AZr5cEOjAm2Tpv7JOcvLtVuJa2796xleeMeEBhF1XhXgpiGwJ9NwRW/s1600/IMG_5620.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo2XndW01LlO8MjwyEh71A5IGO847DXrJXyurg1WRpQqjHYIxCABQ_Oqr6CqYD0OC3XQB8NfEGLeduaLyB2etU-AZr5cEOjAm2Tpv7JOcvLtVuJa2796xleeMeEBhF1XhXgpiGwJ9NwRW/s400/IMG_5620.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479805691283734002" /></a><br /><br />...while Lisa got cookin' on some fabulous camping food...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wSl7m51gMK8YHpLfYxB_-HWGM0kxgAtJU22Zb-XoOfw-BV2v01oQczpJy6q2ydXs7aEG4hRdsNsTH_rFuJeOJXhmUZkH1rszkwEvT9UIF1QTMXUeEa93yK0IEiL6HgQERVt7-Cg3xOjR/s1600/IMG_5588.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wSl7m51gMK8YHpLfYxB_-HWGM0kxgAtJU22Zb-XoOfw-BV2v01oQczpJy6q2ydXs7aEG4hRdsNsTH_rFuJeOJXhmUZkH1rszkwEvT9UIF1QTMXUeEa93yK0IEiL6HgQERVt7-Cg3xOjR/s400/IMG_5588.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479806214332597426" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfa9gq71UVOQ7lv_ATFmpVC-niT4zuyhV0UznbiqD-SsRr04X1PTgT7hZma7b0rPQXnfM-AUAjccPrYiS3M65oWVtJKttlpVxX_FfCMfqaIqqIAdl4UWr6EAs6axP-_-ndkU-6zd8S_i7X/s1600/IMG_5589.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfa9gq71UVOQ7lv_ATFmpVC-niT4zuyhV0UznbiqD-SsRr04X1PTgT7hZma7b0rPQXnfM-AUAjccPrYiS3M65oWVtJKttlpVxX_FfCMfqaIqqIAdl4UWr6EAs6axP-_-ndkU-6zd8S_i7X/s400/IMG_5589.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479806388468624690" /></a><br />...Thai coconut curry noodles with chicken and Japanese eggplant...spicy enough to warm us up after a cool rainy day.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yue_XAvmNd6Ql7IMKxoeyQlzzyEsqufYZSEHQtA_ACOoUkHELp5bMU6SwjVyK0FHhuwYqhaQOmJctVipCuh9B-IjKDp8wokQ056VovIbSOQSFsNvJXGvXSz4hKLCX3PG_F3mZvVHTqWg/s1600/IMG_5614.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yue_XAvmNd6Ql7IMKxoeyQlzzyEsqufYZSEHQtA_ACOoUkHELp5bMU6SwjVyK0FHhuwYqhaQOmJctVipCuh9B-IjKDp8wokQ056VovIbSOQSFsNvJXGvXSz4hKLCX3PG_F3mZvVHTqWg/s400/IMG_5614.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479804334138879970" /></a><br /><br />And we sat around the fire 'til long after dark, with full and happy tummies.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPhbFPEg7-gPwZKk8wwEXgHPrckbM3WlKWz8Y2N8YBaHVQ_mx2FiXiDbzz1Ehi6OHvFdD60h33bPaFLsfcXb4FcfNtItkfZGhnkAvqV_zy7gmlx3HT3Xk4EyXbRWrEthAAcD1hOuBVLcP/s1600/IMG_5622.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPhbFPEg7-gPwZKk8wwEXgHPrckbM3WlKWz8Y2N8YBaHVQ_mx2FiXiDbzz1Ehi6OHvFdD60h33bPaFLsfcXb4FcfNtItkfZGhnkAvqV_zy7gmlx3HT3Xk4EyXbRWrEthAAcD1hOuBVLcP/s400/IMG_5622.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479807114631346306" /></a>Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-34108068995921043842008-12-08T11:55:00.001-08:002008-12-08T11:57:52.970-08:00Hwy 1 & New Mexico<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJTjBwlLXcR5B7T43lPb32x9nKe8eHzgnLycM4C1GbH3lBxI8QwQrIFDUAlQ3EdDseeyF3IEYtyqAF_Gt7bK1UincRQOwurVfY1DLHGZct0QPw_3iEZQAJdLah3-OLVHsJpW9EU62uwFA/s1600-h/IMG_4737.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJTjBwlLXcR5B7T43lPb32x9nKe8eHzgnLycM4C1GbH3lBxI8QwQrIFDUAlQ3EdDseeyF3IEYtyqAF_Gt7bK1UincRQOwurVfY1DLHGZct0QPw_3iEZQAJdLah3-OLVHsJpW9EU62uwFA/s320/IMG_4737.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277510663214073682" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FuQcsWR6ign35A9X63Eplhdy2vtaGc-uJ7Fqdyi0HMGbXoutt8bMrzQs1s9Flu3Qx-6MWCLZwkBa3n-Yg8NDTNLvU7LMty4BekxY0st9Pg8M5fhGJO7C1aI0oLD9a4_-wyz9_4_peEDF/s1600-h/IMG_4739.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FuQcsWR6ign35A9X63Eplhdy2vtaGc-uJ7Fqdyi0HMGbXoutt8bMrzQs1s9Flu3Qx-6MWCLZwkBa3n-Yg8NDTNLvU7LMty4BekxY0st9Pg8M5fhGJO7C1aI0oLD9a4_-wyz9_4_peEDF/s320/IMG_4739.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277510668264706594" /></a>Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-88079147029707419752008-12-03T20:31:00.001-08:002008-12-03T20:35:17.617-08:00This picture makes me happy...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKIR080XmZKuKZaP9w9WUkuNuKeyr_LEkK27H1AWjjyH8PFaUOr8aCg4E8MiFE3unWx5SHD5OZMv4_BzrZQ-Dn4GcN-fda9sodI99mB7Y7wLEOT52qPp55bwdgDmnSmMbbqB_1gHlUnBF/s1600-h/Family+pictures,+artifacts,+and+Airstream%27s+from+the+1930%27s.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKIR080XmZKuKZaP9w9WUkuNuKeyr_LEkK27H1AWjjyH8PFaUOr8aCg4E8MiFE3unWx5SHD5OZMv4_BzrZQ-Dn4GcN-fda9sodI99mB7Y7wLEOT52qPp55bwdgDmnSmMbbqB_1gHlUnBF/s320/Family+pictures,+artifacts,+and+Airstream%27s+from+the+1930%27s.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275787960639535778" /></a>Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-50859431874949476142008-11-29T07:19:00.000-08:002008-11-29T07:50:02.872-08:00Home for ThanksgivingWe both thought that the Carlsbad Caverns were one of the biggest highlights of the trip. It's hard to believe when you're already 750 feet underground that there's a whole other cavern underneath you! Definitely want to go back someday and spend a weekend taking all the guided tours of the side rooms - crawling through spider caves, rickety wooden ladders down into the lower cave. If you ever want to do those ones though, just keep in mind that they have to be booked about 6 months in advance. Oh yeah, and don't leave your camera in your car... :-)<br /><br />After doing that for the morning on Tuesday, we put in a long day of driving and made it almost to the East end of Texas. We had the kind of good sleep you get when you're tired. The next day, since we were already farther along than we'd planned to be, we decided to bypass our next stop too and just get there. So we drove all the way across Louisiana (added to Lisa's list of "States I've Been To" - #30!) and Mississippi and pulled up to Ben's brother Will and Laura's place in Birmingham about 5 pm. The guys went to the fish market for some salmon filets and grilled and smoked them for dinner. Yeeeaaahhhh. We were tired from the longer days of driving but it was all worth it to wake up on Thanksgiving morning surrounded by family.Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-24474781242030369442008-11-24T20:36:00.000-08:002016-06-05T14:36:40.437-07:00Close Encounters of the Museum KindWell, we said goodbye to California on Saturday. Wait, make that Sunday. We left Tom's on Saturday and headed down the Pacific Coast Highway #1 to a camp spot right between Santa Barbara and Malibu. We just weren't ready to be done with the ocean just yet. Needed just one more day to spend along the coast. <br />
<br />
We've stayed at a bunch of different kinds of places, still finding our groove, so to speak. After staying in a bunch of RV parks last month, mostly overrun by retirees in enormous modern houses on wheels (one couple even got up from their picnic table and went inside when we pulled up in our little old tin can in Little Rock on our way out here - can you believe it?!), we were happy for the more welcoming "vibe" of the campground. <br />
<br />
Sure, there were RVs at the campground too, some using noisy generators, and around us rambunctious kids were playing, practically rocking their tents off their pegs (one even sneaked up behind Ben and scared the daylights out of him, then ran away giggling in delight). But everyone quieted down around 9 and things got really cozy. We boiled up some water over a campfire (which was a thrill for us because apparently people at RV parks don't need those - you have to trade in your campfire rights for electricity - what if you want both?) and had some soup and genmaicha (Japanese green tea...which reminds me, we're going to have to post some pics of the Japanese garden and koi pond we found in San Jose. For now, check the pics Ben posted on his Facebook page). Then we listened to the waves crash on the nearby shore as we drifted off to sleep. Nice.<br />
<br />
On Sunday we made the long haul through the Mojave Desert that is Eastern California, and tried something different - we just pulled up to a rest stop outside Tucson, climbed into the Airstream and camped out in one of the pull-through RV spaces. The weather was nice and warm and we actually slept really well that night, despite trucks coming and going. In the morning I washed my hair in the rest stop bathroom in a tiny sink barely big enough to get my head into, under one of those faucets that you have to hold down a button the whole time to keep the water flowing. When you're on the road it just feels great to get fresh and clean, however you can!<br />
<br />
Now it's Monday. We drove from Tucson to Las Cruces this morning, then up through the White Sands Missile Range to Roswell, home of conspiracies about UFO and alien landings. We hit the UFO museum just so we could say we did. There was stuff about close encounters of the first, second and third kinds (now we know the difference), crop circles, the 1947 "incident," even the Bermuda Triangle. I (Lisa) wanted to see some stuff that they actually found out there, some parts of ships, you know, stuff like that, but it was more of an exhibit of newspaper and magazine clippings, everything everyone said and reported and wrote about the subject - the kind of stuff you could be there reading for hours and still not come to any conclusions on your own about. I guess I was hoping for some kind of conclusive evidence to be revealed once and for all, the real story straight from the horse's mouth. But who's the horse here? Hmm. <br />
<br />
Ben, on the other hand...well, let's just say his curiosity has been piqued. After Roswell we headed down to Carlsbad for the night, and for much of the 70-mile drive, I watched the sunset and the stars coming out, while Ben watched blinking lights and unidentified objects moving across the sky. And since we arrived, he's been conducting some online research of his own, right here in the Airstream in the RV park! <br />
<br />
Yes, another RV park, near the Carlsbad Caverns park entrance. It's okay, this place may just have redeemed RV parks for us. The owners are really nice, really organized (she handed us a big packet of information explaining their park, the nearby town and attractions, codes we'd need to use the internet and other facilities, and more. I commended her on it. And...they have an indoor heated pool that was open until 10! Since it's November and low tourist season, we had the 8-foot-deep pool to ourselves and it was like a big warm bathtub, with steam rising off the surface into the cooler night air (the pool building's windows were open). It's supposed to get down to 29 degrees tonight (that's about -2 for all you Canadians), which is colder than we expected this close to Mexico, but since we're plugged into electricity tonight, we've got a great little school bus heater to keep us warm. I guess that's a fair trade for the campfire (or lack thereof) tonight...Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-53990582191023715122008-11-17T17:04:00.000-08:002010-06-06T16:55:06.249-07:00More WildlifeWe went down to a campsite on a river on the corner of the property and cooked some lunch over a campfire. We rock-hopped our way down about a half-mile of the river and back. On the way back up to the ranch we ran into a herd of the wild pigs and finally got to see them for ourselves. They are really funny! <br /><br />Also, Ben took a closer look at one of the pictures in the last post, the one with the wave crashing into the rock. Here's an expanded view of that pic:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyDHscwnfaGozuTVMVGJOrGo2lYwY9eRiWfpubOH8o6_efksk-C35xaFO2b9SRHbTHGH8tXIzsr9OkIzk1KzBBOwCimBzP5trFDupQszwsIu89NXWCcmxIrUrY0vTrkFT7uyWSOZfMiYh/s1600/whale+tail.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyDHscwnfaGozuTVMVGJOrGo2lYwY9eRiWfpubOH8o6_efksk-C35xaFO2b9SRHbTHGH8tXIzsr9OkIzk1KzBBOwCimBzP5trFDupQszwsIu89NXWCcmxIrUrY0vTrkFT7uyWSOZfMiYh/s400/whale+tail.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479813234134603458" /></a><br />See what's out there just a little past the wave? We think it's one of the whales...fun! Didn't realize we'd managed to capture any of them on camera!Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-74335763914260407772008-11-14T20:12:00.000-08:002008-11-15T12:50:29.278-08:00WhalesWe've migrated north a couple of hours to an 800-acre ranch with sheep, horses and wild boar. We've done some exploring on and off the property. Two miles west and 2,000 feet down is the ocean, where we spent a lovely 80-degree day today climbing and picnicking on sea cliffs, misted by the salt spray of massive frothy waves exploding on the moonlike rocks. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySqvZDI1PddNP0Kc8Bgqj1CHuhy1onBGKGxplnoPCkckOjdXZ1hHXFHZjdNfqbzuJWB-34sz2fA-wjzVkSFumV3YBR5sfjUNXHqRLRuGq8tbALUxO2crUTw7pPt67SX93YW3gda1dR5Tr/s1600-h/IMG_4689.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySqvZDI1PddNP0Kc8Bgqj1CHuhy1onBGKGxplnoPCkckOjdXZ1hHXFHZjdNfqbzuJWB-34sz2fA-wjzVkSFumV3YBR5sfjUNXHqRLRuGq8tbALUxO2crUTw7pPt67SX93YW3gda1dR5Tr/s320/IMG_4689.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268765841709005138" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3YcaF4vSUnGmetbGM3tIJLHZjrX1q3rtF59IsrBxdHEUKzewnBjMV14Rhudf7Qrll06y0eZyBSkBjEr1BTZOaLRmNoflqYRKabvl9EVMp99ci_2f96Zgv9t3yF6Xm8jT56_SAN2wUrKL/s1600-h/ocean.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3YcaF4vSUnGmetbGM3tIJLHZjrX1q3rtF59IsrBxdHEUKzewnBjMV14Rhudf7Qrll06y0eZyBSkBjEr1BTZOaLRmNoflqYRKabvl9EVMp99ci_2f96Zgv9t3yF6Xm8jT56_SAN2wUrKL/s320/ocean.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268718812197533810" /></a><br />As if that wasn't enough, we looked out a few hundred yards, past the swath of reddish seaweed, and whales were playing in the water, flipping their tails and dorsal fins and blowing spumes of water in the air. They had black backs and white bellies, which led us to believe they were killer whales, but then we don't really know a whole lot about whales except that we want to get out closer to them and see more! What a treat!<br /><br />We spent the whole day at the oceanside (though the whales only stuck around for about an hour) and downed some fish 'n' chips and a cold drink while listening to an animated conversation about land rights from some leftover hippies at a nearby table at a little roadhouse. We were seated on the patio overlooking an inlet where a small seal was swimming around, and the staff said he had been entertaining them all day. We watched him and some pelicans doing a funny water-bathing dance while the sun set in the most unusual palette of violet water, sea-green sky, and blood-red clouds. We stopped on the way back to take pictures that we knew would never do it justice...see?! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHH7uI_IsdPLx9ek-AND5jJHtmYumwVvzao6hh7HO0TOaRkfXdEdnvv0gbXfPGK_aVr8SnOzP_k_jf_Zt0B47hUbumKhTVCDMm7M2Vlna1C9RDvzuVstP891pfKPxwJpAbm7q8WuXxWLjS/s1600-h/IMG_4697.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHH7uI_IsdPLx9ek-AND5jJHtmYumwVvzao6hh7HO0TOaRkfXdEdnvv0gbXfPGK_aVr8SnOzP_k_jf_Zt0B47hUbumKhTVCDMm7M2Vlna1C9RDvzuVstP891pfKPxwJpAbm7q8WuXxWLjS/s320/IMG_4697.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268772996738132738" /></a><br />Pulling back into the yard after dark at the ranch, we had to brake as two deer ran across the driveway and bounded off toward the barn. It was a nature-filled day, the kind that we used to wish for when we got tired of the pace of city life. We noticed how the crash and echo of the waves against the rock walls reminded us of the percussion of fireworks echoing off of downtown buildings on the fourth of July, and thought it strange that it would be the natural sounds reminding us of the manmade ones, instead of the other way around.Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-16680688296840484952008-11-14T20:11:00.000-08:002008-11-14T22:13:16.777-08:00San FranciscoAbove the clouds...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wOYCSRt1OzAwTXORLHESEEKyQy3aLwOEgNqUz013yj7LIIHZqIhBiR01YPLBRg2oeZSPDOTuoKinKXp27Pyoh80xX7paup90JnQmPq_J9AosOU5M1vZArn9HH5BibO5Aji1bdRXUHii6/s1600-h/IMG_4679.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wOYCSRt1OzAwTXORLHESEEKyQy3aLwOEgNqUz013yj7LIIHZqIhBiR01YPLBRg2oeZSPDOTuoKinKXp27Pyoh80xX7paup90JnQmPq_J9AosOU5M1vZArn9HH5BibO5Aji1bdRXUHii6/s320/IMG_4679.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268761731187131282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhp1u021xrcenIw9Ju4PfqBq31m8-2Mj9ZYCX4jRyQy8Rq43OFdRRtDPBW7Tk_1ori4sHKcfHRddj1-LctK9QcKH-n_HIyizgopMuROLzv3FwvKoBIAfHrSUX0kjeRziv2v98Vj0_yy_b1/s1600-h/IMG_4648.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhp1u021xrcenIw9Ju4PfqBq31m8-2Mj9ZYCX4jRyQy8Rq43OFdRRtDPBW7Tk_1ori4sHKcfHRddj1-LctK9QcKH-n_HIyizgopMuROLzv3FwvKoBIAfHrSUX0kjeRziv2v98Vj0_yy_b1/s320/IMG_4648.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268762986203186258" /></a>Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-18499507920293476762008-11-14T19:58:00.001-08:002008-11-17T17:34:43.289-08:00Elephant Seals and Bull HornsTuesday afternoon we went down to Santa Cruz. Tom, Jay and their friend Peterson rode a four-hour mountain bike trail down to the coast, and we met them at the beach with a support vehicle and a change of clothes. While we waited for them to get there, we took a hike in the Ano Nuevo state park to see the young elephant seals congregating there. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeK4LMVQnhT7YmvUxEabu6yFU6JxtM6P7Kk_iMOGtjhMBY7V509u-dABHZPcRzGkYM0R0wd1LDq-0pVlHnXx5V4NjnUm8AxuFnIFcQQXk8eML7faTVvJqAz2lyJN94m9skwNCQdKd5C_Y/s1600-h/IMG_4607.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeK4LMVQnhT7YmvUxEabu6yFU6JxtM6P7Kk_iMOGtjhMBY7V509u-dABHZPcRzGkYM0R0wd1LDq-0pVlHnXx5V4NjnUm8AxuFnIFcQQXk8eML7faTVvJqAz2lyJN94m9skwNCQdKd5C_Y/s320/IMG_4607.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268738292814607090" /></a><br />"We've got about 200 animals right now!" said a very excited park ranger who obviously LOVED his job, and come January when all the big dogs come in from sea, he said they'll have about 6,000 elephant seals, some almost as big as the conversion van we were driving, crowding the beach for a long way down the coast. Apparently this is one of only two spots in North America where the elephant seals come ashore, so it's a pretty cool thing that we got to see them. We had to hike in a couple of miles to the north point to get to them, at the furthest end of the trail, but the guide made up for it by taking us in really close.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18BQS9wcHO5iMeyug21z3_MElR6jtLAjCAeqEn_7BP5-S4JLkdJMftnpOC1DLFKLZebp09OCIXLpNwlTwfRm49pZG1AHVTHrrIvlzS2NkQBrTy2z0jPajpCVnp9OrM-FQS9TAMbLuOPmV/s1600-h/IMG_4606.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18BQS9wcHO5iMeyug21z3_MElR6jtLAjCAeqEn_7BP5-S4JLkdJMftnpOC1DLFKLZebp09OCIXLpNwlTwfRm49pZG1AHVTHrrIvlzS2NkQBrTy2z0jPajpCVnp9OrM-FQS9TAMbLuOPmV/s320/IMG_4606.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268756838601988066" /></a><br />They were soft and fuzzy-looking, with cute little whiskered faces like our pup-dog Greta (r.i.p.). Some were playing in the water, and the rest were making really funny snoring/sneezing sounds as they snoozed on the beach.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcn8OnGKVyrUmbPiIa3DE_kJGAncQ_YUZN67UmWiIPrqhnBIumEuJlTA7P20r8gbB5C6l2OELlqwYm1NF-z5Cr3s7gA3b2LFHTp8Of7AvpjF3l6BmC-WPYtQ76_ucF_zmgjS2nAvD0zIj/s1600-h/IMG_4626.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcn8OnGKVyrUmbPiIa3DE_kJGAncQ_YUZN67UmWiIPrqhnBIumEuJlTA7P20r8gbB5C6l2OELlqwYm1NF-z5Cr3s7gA3b2LFHTp8Of7AvpjF3l6BmC-WPYtQ76_ucF_zmgjS2nAvD0zIj/s320/IMG_4626.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268746202115102594" /></a><br />Then we toured a bamboo bike workshop, where they're building bikes out of materials readily available elsewhere in the world. (This bull horn cruiser, though mostly made of bamboo, is not typical of the ones they're making in Africa - it was just a fun side project that turned out pretty cool and we all had to take it for a spin.)Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-33169178240411681132008-11-08T22:13:00.000-08:002008-11-17T17:24:25.287-08:00Wild Boar CurryWell, we're finally getting a chance to do the thing we hoped to do: rest. The airstream project is on a bit of a hold for now, while we take some time to enjoy being in California, spending time with friends we haven't seen in a long time and making new ones, building bikes, exploring the Bay area, watching wildlife, playing with the two sturdy farm cats that think they're dogs, spider-stomping (there are some big ones out here), and lots of good old home cooking. Tom's got a Kitchen-Aid mixer, a food processor, a dishwasher and a well-stocked spice rack, which combined with the spices Lisa brought along in test tubes, has her quite happily baking her heart out, keeping us in fresh whole wheat bread, carrot-banana bread, and cookies. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj15AMvjepMhmdkUilK0ehzm5rJt-ztvYOyRNEzS0CADKss9FjqwPZEMzULx7-HG1-XA393nwLd8fPwWPinIxtEQp5pogWWqrHzksWX5-o2xL9sDm4UQQOP__a_p66XORIc3xohfC_21zQ/s1600-h/bread.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj15AMvjepMhmdkUilK0ehzm5rJt-ztvYOyRNEzS0CADKss9FjqwPZEMzULx7-HG1-XA393nwLd8fPwWPinIxtEQp5pogWWqrHzksWX5-o2xL9sDm4UQQOP__a_p66XORIc3xohfC_21zQ/s320/bread.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269802091833467618" /></a><br />The other night it was rainy outside and we got a hankering for some curry. We had lots of yogurt and sour cream on hand so thought we'd make an indian-style yellow curry. As we debated which vegetables to put in it, Tom opened the freezer door and waved his hand from top to bottom, like a magician with a trick up his sleeve. "Pig meat!" he said excitedly. "A wild one I got up at the ranch." Before the onions were even sizzling, he'd chopped up two frozen-solid roasts into bite-sized pieces with what must have been a very sharp knife, and we were off and running. On closer inspection there were still a few bristles attached, so we picked those out as it cooked. <br /><br />Everyone hung out in the kitchen over a curry cooking class and some made-up, state-fair-style games, like trying to get a ringer throwing round rubber gaskets at bottles, chandelier lights, and cabinet door and other assorted handles (you had to call your shot before throwing it). We'd never tried that particular type of curry with pork before, but it all came together. Spicy enough to make your nose run a little - just right for a rainy night. Served it up on some brown rice with whole coriander and cumin seeds sprinkled in for flavor. It was a fun night. <br /><br />Our next house HAS to have an open kitchen-dining area. That's definitely on the short list of non-negotiables.Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-52177143094962420442008-10-30T08:41:00.000-07:002008-11-01T11:26:17.381-07:00California or Bust<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU9aRmc-2gN9l5wlemvJedws5FyQGpne3N_r-9qcacxoCxaN3QUVmDGmLFieRL4OWnqESrp4K6axWngTgsnRmN0Z2vcYgPugFq_SQvmDiZNiAChUTtyaGSzxMVmTS0qmd7JuhbXPpvnio/s1600-h/rearview.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU9aRmc-2gN9l5wlemvJedws5FyQGpne3N_r-9qcacxoCxaN3QUVmDGmLFieRL4OWnqESrp4K6axWngTgsnRmN0Z2vcYgPugFq_SQvmDiZNiAChUTtyaGSzxMVmTS0qmd7JuhbXPpvnio/s320/rearview.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263002414631230834" /></a><br />5.5 days<br />10 states (count 'em!)<br />2650 miles<br /><br />It's been a couple of weeks since the last post, and a LOT has happened in that time, so here are a few highlights so as not to bore you. We drove an average of 9 hours a day, so we could see the beautiful places we were driving though, arrive most places before dark and get set up.<br /><br /><br /><b>Wednesday, Oct 22 :: Gadsden AL - Tupelo MS - Memphis TN - Little Rock AR</b><br />- Stopped in Memphis for some BBQ ribs - you just gotta!<br />- Checked Mississippi and Arkansas off Lisa's "states i've never been to" list.<br />- Airstream weathered its first rainy night at an rv park in Little Rock - didn't let in a drop!<br /><br /><br /><b>Thursday, Oct 23 :: Little Rock AR - Oklahoma City OK - Amarillo TX</b><br />- Lost our brand new Alabama trailer license tag somewhere on the bouncy roads in Oklahoma...along with the whole metal piece it was bolted to! Guess we shoulda riveted the plate on...whoops. Had the paperwork at the ready. Never got pulled over.<br />- Stayed in an Amarillo rv park<br />- Had warm, happy memories of Birmingham's best birthday cake from our early party. Really, it was like a wedding cake. For breakfast. Mmm. Happy birthday Laura!<br /><br /><br /><b>Friday, Oct 24 :: Amarillo TX - Albuquerque NM - Flagstaff AZ</b><br />- Had some seriously yummy (New) Mexican food for lunch. Smoky chipotle peppers. Discovered sopapillas.<br />- Were surprised to discover a pretty decent fixed gear bike scene in Albuquerque.<br />- Stayed in a hotel in Flagstaff because weather dropping to 20* overnight and Airstream not yet fully insulated.<br /><br /><br /><b>Saturday, Oct 25 :: Flagstaff AZ - Grand Canyon AZ</b><br />- Both saw the Grand Canyon for the first time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQdIKx9kwZRefI306uQ8W49SaKAtNvv8Wfjo20h0_9rF0S2Uc73igeD1qjUNuzF9_qe2g2fV1BzH4kuEs-x9VZAak0H6DF7oORBwLbvfCvkosgFI6mr6zrwzaES-sWM2HCLkKCTGM64aW/s1600-h/bike+canyon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQdIKx9kwZRefI306uQ8W49SaKAtNvv8Wfjo20h0_9rF0S2Uc73igeD1qjUNuzF9_qe2g2fV1BzH4kuEs-x9VZAak0H6DF7oORBwLbvfCvkosgFI6mr6zrwzaES-sWM2HCLkKCTGM64aW/s320/bike+canyon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263001323087689954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbjv6e4VxpR-K4Tviy364kwwwrGxx6lRhPd2tzaFO0XHI9S45KxifR4shHM32t9xvL-TsmEqA4CV9Q3clvurw0n07EhTsIi6uqi8MMeMMa-JrvjF_O88ftAErkR7OZnvKONL49JloyCqV/s1600-h/airstream+canyon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbjv6e4VxpR-K4Tviy364kwwwrGxx6lRhPd2tzaFO0XHI9S45KxifR4shHM32t9xvL-TsmEqA4CV9Q3clvurw0n07EhTsIi6uqi8MMeMMa-JrvjF_O88ftAErkR7OZnvKONL49JloyCqV/s320/airstream+canyon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263000128613458290" /></a><br />- Decided to camp up there that night and enjoy it some more - weather was really suprisingly warm, even overnight.<br />- Put a hole in the air bed (temporary set-up until we can rebuild the interior) - whoops - patch had a slow leak too - only had to reinflate once (at 3 am).<br /><br /><br /><b>Sunday, Oct 26 :: Grand Canyon AZ - Hoover Dam - Las Vegas NV - Bakersfield CA</b><br />- Woke up early - got on our bikes and rode down to the canyon rim to watch the sunrise - took lots of pics of that - bedhead and all.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00SYoNUO_cQnsAnI0nRc8YcGvtsXaNC9r5KiTRK19QNUmhNPi7NOv795Dq5zZvKOxz9mWpUtwhocNGj1sxUFwwiNy50LUghYJ-t6ILfFqx2zU7WzATdu2Yl1ohRFrYtWBQwT7RrGmpCmT/s1600-h/us+at+canyon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00SYoNUO_cQnsAnI0nRc8YcGvtsXaNC9r5KiTRK19QNUmhNPi7NOv795Dq5zZvKOxz9mWpUtwhocNGj1sxUFwwiNy50LUghYJ-t6ILfFqx2zU7WzATdu2Yl1ohRFrYtWBQwT7RrGmpCmT/s320/us+at+canyon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263003600453659554" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPk9Zm_qvxqyHcTq2-dWfmczp_AwYYuq8oNQ3Vrj0j9C3SG3ShsLjVYzxcbWdw8y85_pmUH2YnyrP4QOH08h-O0nHl1wmBDHK3ezfGahO90rhOv7edFjCCZjzgQNo0bAhdL3iDq5LS8Vvd/s1600-h/nevada.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPk9Zm_qvxqyHcTq2-dWfmczp_AwYYuq8oNQ3Vrj0j9C3SG3ShsLjVYzxcbWdw8y85_pmUH2YnyrP4QOH08h-O0nHl1wmBDHK3ezfGahO90rhOv7edFjCCZjzgQNo0bAhdL3iDq5LS8Vvd/s320/nevada.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263001893786726898" /></a><br />- Drove across Hoover Dam - they're building a HUGE bypass bridge up over it.<br />- Did the obligatory cruise down the strip and back - and are proud to announce that Vegas claimed a whopping total of $0 from these tourists.<br />- Felt glad that we had decided against claiming the radio-show-prize-package-turned-sketchy-time-share-"opportunity" at a new resort that ended up being on the far outskirts of town. We figure, if we never even really wanted to go to Vegas once, why should we obligate ourselves to go there every year? <br />- Checked Nevada off both of our lists.<br />- Stayed in a hotel in Bakersfield so we could get cleaned up and well-rested before arriving at our destination.<br /><br /><br /><b>Monday, Oct 27 :: Bakersfield CA - Palo Alto CA</b><br />- Considered going all the way out to the coast and driving up scenic Hwy 1, but decided to just take the quicker back way up 5 and get there already. Will do some day/weekend trips. Maybe when the trailer's all polished and shiny?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoos-3SqM8g7gEgrh5OPBWhz9ulDvPsl2vHXfP9ffKnNnO5SBeETYL6bgh54RkZ6CRt4E3XXCEC9Wo3zu8Jeif9GuzD6DqLBExRvhKbZmUe1j6Bv8MV8DW3V_yljebcYsGMRb5ReHiJrf/s1600-h/open+road.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoos-3SqM8g7gEgrh5OPBWhz9ulDvPsl2vHXfP9ffKnNnO5SBeETYL6bgh54RkZ6CRt4E3XXCEC9Wo3zu8Jeif9GuzD6DqLBExRvhKbZmUe1j6Bv8MV8DW3V_yljebcYsGMRb5ReHiJrf/s320/open+road.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262978201899555890" /></a><br />- Drove up the San Joachin valley and gained a new respect for an underappreciated part of California - it was pretty and peaceful - vineyards, orchards, cacti, ranches, mountain ranges, and the occasional Airstream (even though we saw about 8-10 along the way, that was the first vintage one we saw on the road besides ours. Shared waves and grins with drivers).<br />- Not to discredit the aforementioned peace and beauty, but at one point we stopped and looked at each other and noted that the "Adopt-a-Highway" signs had tapered off somewhere behind us and we'd been seeing some <i>weird</i> trash on the side of that road...car bumpers (plural), luggage, a baby seat, caution tape, a hubcap halfway up a mountain...?<br />- Arrived at our "home" for the next few weeks, in the Santa Cruz mountains on the peninsula about 25 miles south of San Francisco. We can see the Silicone Valley from here (except in the early morning when it's a big lake of fog with a mountain top sticking out of it) and if we climb the hill across the road, we can see the ocean about the same distance away. <br /><br />Therapeutic. <br /><br />As I told a friend the other day, we're the kind of people who tend to err on the side of actually enjoying the view instead of missing it while trying to capture it for posterity...just a little thing we discovered about ourselves during our last ten years of traveling. Hence the delayed blogging. We did get some pics, however, as you can see, and if the ones here aren't enough, Ben posted <a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=64778&id=532301382&ref=nf">more pics of the trip</a> on his Facebook page.<br /><br /><br /><b>Tuesday Oct 28 :: Palo Alto CA</b><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90j56VjnyVuHsH40MudJFZlwtEUzbVo8BZ6g9ElTgZ_-O0a7pXhM-sforSd-EhwfTe-WvqJDzA2MMRrjSm1xSZ4owK_4Tk__31FTbZ9nhOeh1BNeRtC31LEE8hreiacL5F2ejcWKfTuzq/s1600-h/ben+and+jay.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90j56VjnyVuHsH40MudJFZlwtEUzbVo8BZ6g9ElTgZ_-O0a7pXhM-sforSd-EhwfTe-WvqJDzA2MMRrjSm1xSZ4owK_4Tk__31FTbZ9nhOeh1BNeRtC31LEE8hreiacL5F2ejcWKfTuzq/s320/ben+and+jay.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263000649217745138" /></a><br />The guys started doing their frame building apprenticeship...Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-63263596864024489342008-10-11T22:04:00.000-07:002008-10-13T18:59:43.717-07:00Unlucky Lizard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WzeM6wsl_Pp-ycLeN-5bO_CeJjkztHxaImOrvZ5x2v5cSx1ZaN_WZgzbRF7zxqdba7FJWfM4_RkU2ts7hldiK4fQ2LLX4pVkHVjmkRn-xLGGrbamZidxJXQM2oTAo2TIjVjX1Z6Sys1K/s1600-h/IMG_4213.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WzeM6wsl_Pp-ycLeN-5bO_CeJjkztHxaImOrvZ5x2v5cSx1ZaN_WZgzbRF7zxqdba7FJWfM4_RkU2ts7hldiK4fQ2LLX4pVkHVjmkRn-xLGGrbamZidxJXQM2oTAo2TIjVjX1Z6Sys1K/s320/IMG_4213.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256823195601539714" /></a><br />Maybe the coolest find yet: a mostly-still-intact lizard skeleton in the taillight cavityBen and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-44674899038060815832008-10-11T21:45:00.000-07:002008-10-14T03:20:32.224-07:00Noticeable Improvements...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8Euf-fV2QyGpHdNaFzikL-GDbLj5U842faQoXd8jwE1WWFQtZqP-21fx2gFlKX8c92G3rQ0U76q5XwcjewcmjA8m8rJMbtIaAiPwIhcg3feIYoxBt_qh9HQn5OhmrSKAbav99mIwPmMm/s1600-h/IMG_4215.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8Euf-fV2QyGpHdNaFzikL-GDbLj5U842faQoXd8jwE1WWFQtZqP-21fx2gFlKX8c92G3rQ0U76q5XwcjewcmjA8m8rJMbtIaAiPwIhcg3feIYoxBt_qh9HQn5OhmrSKAbav99mIwPmMm/s320/IMG_4215.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256819438123810626" /></a><br />This one's a few posts within a post - it's been a busy but productive week. Plans to weld on Wednesday were thwarted by two days of much-needed rain, which normally wouldn't have been an issue in the shop, but since the trailer's down in the corner of the yard with its wheels off, they have to pull a rig down to it and run an extension cord out there, so they decided to wait until Friday to do any welding.<br /><br />In the meantime, we worked on a few other projects:<br /><br />- Put a hitch on our car (finally!)<br /><br />- Started looking at the electrical situation. We're obviously going to get the running lights working before we can go anywhere, but the rest of it will be a project for later on. We had been thinking to replace the existing wiring with new while the bottom was off of it, but it turns out all the wiring for the outlets runs up to the top of the trailer, and since the outlets are above the windows besides, there's no way we could replace it inside the walls like the original without popping all the rivets and taking the inside wall panels apart. Not gonna go there...at least not this week. The insulation's still intact (albeit old asbestos) so we're leaving those walls alone (at least until we get settled in California in a couple of weeks). Options: open up the walls and replace the insulation while we're at it; just put in some new outlets lower down the walls to come in from below (would have to do that right now while it's still open) and cap the old ones; run conduit on the inside walls of the trailer, which we could also do at a later date as we go. Need another remote consultation with Lisa's dad!<br /><br />- Opened up the screen door that the previous owners had bolted shut. Protected this whole time, the screen's still like new in there, except for the tidy screw holes around the edge, and the ubiquitous periwinkle paint - yeah, the whole screen is blue too!<br /><br />- Cleaned out the two air vents on top. They had been left open and had rusted and stuck that way, allowing rain in, as well as providing the squirrels yet another handy hiding spot for acorns. They're shut now, but are going to need replacing.<br /><br />- Replaced the round plexiglas windows on the endcaps. We used one of the original windows to trace the new ones before it fell apart completely, and cut and smoothed the edges with a grinder wheel on the circular saw. Ben wrestled the new windows into place Wednesday morning and secured them with the original rubber and aluminum trim, and then PawPaw came by that afternoon with some clear caulk and they sealed 'em up. "Son," he said, brightening up, "I'm startin' to have hope for this ol' thing!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLObK_HyS20HWuIuRdS8slHVlmNbJLRNp0RA3zTsYFxl9OBW6zuDqZocInJ2dZYcp40Tqbylo-FUMyMZ033i_xDLBrxKJNY53fyBzeVBYyJXLub2deD1NgW3U8TZylrTlllp4NAqnF2Y0a/s1600-h/IMG_4210.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLObK_HyS20HWuIuRdS8slHVlmNbJLRNp0RA3zTsYFxl9OBW6zuDqZocInJ2dZYcp40Tqbylo-FUMyMZ033i_xDLBrxKJNY53fyBzeVBYyJXLub2deD1NgW3U8TZylrTlllp4NAqnF2Y0a/s320/IMG_4210.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256819860026853410" /></a><br />Only the side windows are glass, and some of the panes are broken, but rather than just cut new glass we've got to find replacements for the whole mechanism that opens and closes them because those are pretty rusted out. We found one on ebay, but it's not the right size, and there's only one. We're still thinking about it - maybe we could alter it and have new glass cut. But we'd still need two more. And we want to check out Sonny's stash first...we've got a lead on a place south of Birmingham with about four old chicken houses full of Airstream parts. If we're really lucky we'll find some there. If not, we're just going to seal and secure the side windows for the trip out west and keep on looking as we go.<br /><br /><b>A Sturdy Welded Steel Frame</b><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzXidxjDbBJH2vEuTAtavKI86EBg7WCXiYmU7tp-6anewucCADl7hSbLVKuMW5HmmDrTRqnKIbJsbY-TeX_fV9HRrVDotDrZeanF5PlJn4Ienjdjqm0OBij7zX6citM2MZzGPUPwat0lj/s1600-h/IMG_4233.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzXidxjDbBJH2vEuTAtavKI86EBg7WCXiYmU7tp-6anewucCADl7hSbLVKuMW5HmmDrTRqnKIbJsbY-TeX_fV9HRrVDotDrZeanF5PlJn4Ienjdjqm0OBij7zX6citM2MZzGPUPwat0lj/s320/IMG_4233.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256822556431851538" /></a><br />So Friday was the big day as far as the frame reinforcement went. Ben had been working by himself on most of the projects this week, so working with those guys for that one day straight gave him a whole new album of stories, which we are going to have to tell you on another rainy day 'cause it's just that good. In short, they navigated some setbacks, mostly of their own creation, Ben heard some new cuss words he'd never heard before (and we've hung around some colorful people!), and the result was that the frame is reinforced and level, the new tongue and hitch are in place, and a WONDERFUL discovery was made about the axle and wheel hubs. <br /><br />The original drop axle is solid steel, and built to last. They opened up the hubs to see what kind of condition they were in, and the roller bearings and everything in there is still shiny new, packed with the original grease, and spinning freely. Excited, they called all those guys in to look at it, because they "just don't get to work on stuff like this anymore." They said that the axles they use are made of hollow tubing, and nothing's gonna be as strong as what we've got. We'll have them replace the small hardware that actually attaches it to the frame, but we're hanging on to the original axle and hubs, which the guys were going to overhaul and reassemble first thing Saturday morning on their own. Will update next week when we see how that went.<br /><br /><b>Collinsville Trade Day</b><br /><br />We weren't planning to go down to the shop on Saturday morning - Ben's brother Will, his wife Laura, their son William and Polly the pup dog stayed over Friday night and we all went over to Collinsville Trade Day in the morning to see what we could find. That "one special treasure" eluded us, but we did get to see a whole lot of tools, animals (mostly chickens, bunnies and pit bull pups, but plenty of other varieties to go around), t-shirts, fried food, and miscellaneous junk. And the people-watching is out of this world. Laura's favorite overheard conversation: <br /><br />"Y'all got 'ny duffel bags?"<br />"Yup. What kind you need?"<br />"I been lookin' all ov'th'place for 'em. There ain't none here to Tuscaloosa."<br />"How many you lookin' for?"<br />"Just one. My husband gon' fill it with dirt'n' teach my grandson how to tackle."<br />"Well, that's a good i-DEE-a!"<br /><br />Ben stopped by a knife stand and had his sharpened, and we came out the other side in the most incredible farmers' market that'll put any city version to shame. Tell you what, Mexican immigrants know how to grow some food! Laura thought everything looked more bright and colorful too. Lisa bought armloads of fresh veggies and we came home and grilled up a fabulous feast of steak and shrimp kabobs, hamburgers, curried potato salad, spicy pickled okra (wow! who knew that was so crisp and good?! Thanks, Will!) and corn on the cob.<br /><br /><br /><b>Next Steps</b><br /> <br />reattach axle, new wheels, interior paint stripping, subfloor & insulation, rivet belly pans back on (not necessarily in this order)Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-44318377080424677072008-10-04T07:10:00.000-07:002010-06-06T17:05:08.375-07:00A Weld-less Trailer?Progress over the last couple of days:<br /><br />Lisa gave herself a good bruise whacking her thumb knuckle with a hammer while chiseling up the floor tile. We got a good look at the subfloor, which was in surprisingly better shape than we'd expected but still needs to be replaced, so that came out too. Now it's completely gutted except for the frame. <br /><br />Would you believe there's not a single weld on that thing? They put the whole trailer together with screws, u-clamps, bolts, and buck rivets (the old style that took two people to put in, one on each side). All the weight of the front and back ends is hanging on these sketchy joints where the steel pieces butt up against aluminum ones. It's amazing it lasted as long as it did - if it hadn't been stationary it probably wouldn't have! So the next step now is to beef up the frame with steel beams. We drew up some plans and figure it'll add a couple hundred pounds to the trailer, not a big deal considering it was only about 1,500 to start with.<br /><br />The new center pipe came in Thursday - another 4-inch round like the original, only we're going to weld steel beams to it instead of screwing it onto aluminum. The guy who delivered it looked kind of puzzled. "I've been bringin' square pipe to this place for years, and they ain't never ordered nothin' like this round one!" We're planning to do the frame welding on Monday when Gary's back from his deep sea fishin' trip down in the "Gu'f." <br /><br />Also on the docket for next week is to strip the old paint out of the interior. We tried some paint stripper last week that just didn't make a dent in the 50-year old paint. We picked up some more potent, industrial strength stuff and tested it on a small patch, and that worked. We'll deal with that next week too so when the frame welding is done, we can put the new subfloor in.Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-49736821771201284162008-10-03T16:12:00.000-07:002008-10-04T06:41:02.833-07:00Lucky TigerAs mentioned, the guys at the shop had already pulled off the belly pan from the front and center of the trailer, but the back one was still on. So when Ben pried up the subfloor back there, he was in for an adventure. A lizard went scurrying for cover. <br /><br />He called to one of the guys, "Hey, you ain't faint of heart, now, are you?" <br /><br />"Naw, not me." <br /><br />"Come over here and look at this." He pointed to some 4-inch cockroaches. <br /><br />The guy backed up, shaking his head. "Oh, no no no no. Uh-uh."<br /><br />Apparently squirrels had been nesting in there for generations. While hauling 20 gallons (literally - 4 five-gallon buckets full) of acorns and shredded paper and t-shirts out of there, Ben also discovered a spice ball, a key of some sort, a fuzzy miniature rabbit, and an old red bottle of Lucky Tiger Rose Hair Dressing (with Lanolin - just 39 cents!). His granddad, PawPaw, stopped by to see how things were going and said he remembered that Lucky Tiger. He popped the top and stuck it right up to his nose. Ben's dad said that's the kind <i>his</i> dad (Pops) always used.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglY6zhu2kzSbFHRkwQjboICuEwlVcg4wYd8e5ZD0j6OygghAyDkZt3WiaKgDWOFqbzcaeajrAv3CzJgY73KINMdJkIjxNS0ml8zlha4IHiFAONvFP4JHFVx_-0BMYmXDfQkqzOE95fiQHq/s1600-h/IMG_4200.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglY6zhu2kzSbFHRkwQjboICuEwlVcg4wYd8e5ZD0j6OygghAyDkZt3WiaKgDWOFqbzcaeajrAv3CzJgY73KINMdJkIjxNS0ml8zlha4IHiFAONvFP4JHFVx_-0BMYmXDfQkqzOE95fiQHq/s320/IMG_4200.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253075923914601218" /></a><br /><br />Oh yeah, and a decrepit hundred-pound water heater, still full of water, that had sunken through the floor in the back under the bed. Out it went.Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-25808621762047474362008-09-29T17:17:00.001-07:002008-09-29T18:34:50.015-07:00Up on BlocksArrived in Alabama at 1 am last night, after a 19-hour drive. Saw three Airstreams on our way down, but they were all the newer models. Made us really excited to see this little gem again:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTMm7FraY_vOsPgfAyRQJXas80rpfVK7YOJUSdXgr6RSfIbUY9EvVUTxoTGUm912cBzw_ALlRBTEYndWQRgz2DzrkoMw50bOPkncVY016d32YD1vDtmos8jFRkHdNc7hL8nAlEV-4uyJs/s1600-h/nochasis.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTMm7FraY_vOsPgfAyRQJXas80rpfVK7YOJUSdXgr6RSfIbUY9EvVUTxoTGUm912cBzw_ALlRBTEYndWQRgz2DzrkoMw50bOPkncVY016d32YD1vDtmos8jFRkHdNc7hL8nAlEV-4uyJs/s320/nochasis.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251601958915980530" /></a><br />While Ben unloaded our car and got our stuff settled in, Lisa worked remotely this morning and early afternoon, until her computer strangely overheated and the screen started turning black and the plastic frame started melting. A call to IT support at work revealed that the computer is so old that Dell didn't even recognize the service tag number. We've got a small Mac from the bike shop that will have to serve as a temporary replacement starting tomorrow morning, but since it happened around 3:00 this afternoon, she took it as a sign that it was time to sign off and enjoy day one of our 'working sabbatical.' <br /><br />So we made our first visit to Outback Trailers today in Steele, AL. The owner, Gary, said that since our Airstream has been at his shop, he's had a couple of people a week coming in and trying to buy it from him. He and a couple of his guys, Dewey and Columbus, had already taken off the front belly pan to get at the rusted-out center pipe that runs the length of the trailer (see below). It came out without much of a struggle. Seems back in the '40s they didn't even used to weld them in...it was only secured with screws! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijN9H8zzAzdbbedujA_NwKaDo4-AvCyVqUi9ingz4lmhONZc6e0bLB3ahHLPiRXo1pkcdz-1vPdI9YZSLqQe3fMHXTwOnkrvaX5VZOnhjInN83s-UlMGwmG3Ahec4NlCbUfmbA-f_mRjs1/s1600-h/benandgary.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijN9H8zzAzdbbedujA_NwKaDo4-AvCyVqUi9ingz4lmhONZc6e0bLB3ahHLPiRXo1pkcdz-1vPdI9YZSLqQe3fMHXTwOnkrvaX5VZOnhjInN83s-UlMGwmG3Ahec4NlCbUfmbA-f_mRjs1/s320/benandgary.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251602238982775106" /></a><br />We're happy to report that the steel and aluminum frame has been preserved in <i>way</i> better shape than we expected. Rather than take the whole shell off and rebuild the entire frame, it looks like we will only have to replace the center pipe and add some steel reinforcements in place of the aluminum crossbars so it can be welded instead of bolted back together. We're still planning to put a new axle, shocks and tongue on it.<br /><br />Next steps are to pull out all of the wood furniture and shelving inside and pry up the floor tiles to gauge the condition of the subfloor. Ben will get cracking on that tomorrow morning.Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-12704860116290720962008-09-08T18:30:00.000-07:002008-09-08T19:48:26.961-07:00Getting Ready to RollWell, we're really doing it. We're moving out of our house in three weeks, putting everything in storage except what we'll need on the trip (and that fits in our car). <br /><br />The Airstream is still in Alabama, our first stop. We'll be there for 2-3 weeks getting her road-worthy. We've teamed up with a welding shop to pop the rivets and do a shell-off frame rebuild. While that's going on, we'll be visiting a nearby stockpile of Airstream parts we learned of, replacing damaged windows, and scraping the peeling paint from the interior to shine it up before rebuilding any of the interior wooden parts. As soon as the frame is done, we'll rivet the shell back on and build the new sub-floor. <br /><br />We'll do the majority of the restoration while we're on the road, but in the meantime, between bouts of work, sleep and packing, we've found a renewed passion for the kinds of creative projects we used to do together. We're limited as to what we can do from a distance, but this weekend we put a few personal touches on the Airstream, including a spice rack made of test tubes with wood burner-engraved cork stoppers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKqjL-PauLnTq2NRP2nkTmKKa2Rwxx2vGZccFep4eTNg7mQ2zLkafYqeR-jd2hSfm7YGkRyzhJ6SSo6RifKrMh3ugM0IhykboBOq_6WKs9HvbJaijm5wpG9IaCZBeqcATkATiu-oQFX87/s1600-h/IMG_4187.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKqjL-PauLnTq2NRP2nkTmKKa2Rwxx2vGZccFep4eTNg7mQ2zLkafYqeR-jd2hSfm7YGkRyzhJ6SSo6RifKrMh3ugM0IhykboBOq_6WKs9HvbJaijm5wpG9IaCZBeqcATkATiu-oQFX87/s320/IMG_4187.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243845068107538690" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUsREUIdXR_RKG32Uy95g-Dv8gVWBMhOzKcCeechDtLZ3L5-xP5rqPSIVy3ynMRxU1ZAkROJGGUeNU3ui2elqtuA81pGUEbTepUdLHEzmA2SX02yfDgsURwOvuDDNc7POqOdF9H01TMdC/s1600-h/IMG_4191.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUsREUIdXR_RKG32Uy95g-Dv8gVWBMhOzKcCeechDtLZ3L5-xP5rqPSIVy3ynMRxU1ZAkROJGGUeNU3ui2elqtuA81pGUEbTepUdLHEzmA2SX02yfDgsURwOvuDDNc7POqOdF9H01TMdC/s320/IMG_4191.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243846976355411778" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOSMIgmjbPPsYN76Kmg1sQ93eKYyfVhUV-CxyzcEUer2jIwc00huHGQlcekfTGJTfDJhQL72ty9cGmkvQNZJyfQXV9TGjCP6sJHvsCKequzJ4ozryGAYTSxZHFH_57RqwtK8s3sSxF4GG/s1600-h/IMG_4180.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOSMIgmjbPPsYN76Kmg1sQ93eKYyfVhUV-CxyzcEUer2jIwc00huHGQlcekfTGJTfDJhQL72ty9cGmkvQNZJyfQXV9TGjCP6sJHvsCKequzJ4ozryGAYTSxZHFH_57RqwtK8s3sSxF4GG/s320/IMG_4180.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243847330343099842" /></a>Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-27056319562439348462008-08-03T17:23:00.000-07:002008-08-03T17:48:35.085-07:00Identifying our Airstream<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRf1fRxwRzhaFvEdArULL9dttNYWM2GVplBSKjWXbepWTbJ06fsEqLSGry2jHUn5oyoXF8n_hc9ZtQxBy8TErYoHe5KEWJCM5zK25cpTTm5fuyXNF_dad51RBKwhBq0ViJ4NOH1KBo3F7_/s1600-h/AirstreamTitleFront.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRf1fRxwRzhaFvEdArULL9dttNYWM2GVplBSKjWXbepWTbJ06fsEqLSGry2jHUn5oyoXF8n_hc9ZtQxBy8TErYoHe5KEWJCM5zK25cpTTm5fuyXNF_dad51RBKwhBq0ViJ4NOH1KBo3F7_/s400/AirstreamTitleFront.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230413009967336114" /></a><br /><br />The previous owner had a title issued in the 60’s identifying her as a ’48. That year, Airstream had issued the 19-footers without a model name, temporarily calling them the “no-name nineteens” and asking the public to name the model something to do with “wind.” The winning entry was Trailwind. We had read that the ’48 Trailwind serial numbers started at either 5000 or 5001, and if it was 5000, that meant our #5018 could be the 19th no-name nineteen!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvYHP9sxgVTHJUcoOdwtJRg7SF03LzjBtzQmfPT_Xnmv-5nHZKC0IyLIIhEBdRhPO-anJMkJk_jxnhwofFPwjq2BHnIFwQBVcXHrdhbd5Ap0mHprmG6i7moTSBYaE9AtViAyMtjAQVLin/s1600-h/48Trailwindfloorplan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvYHP9sxgVTHJUcoOdwtJRg7SF03LzjBtzQmfPT_Xnmv-5nHZKC0IyLIIhEBdRhPO-anJMkJk_jxnhwofFPwjq2BHnIFwQBVcXHrdhbd5Ap0mHprmG6i7moTSBYaE9AtViAyMtjAQVLin/s400/48Trailwindfloorplan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230413381261733650" /></a><br /><br />Then when we actually got it up to Alabama and took some measurements, we discovered that the shell was 16’, making the trailer 18’ overall. And that it had a coupler on the front of the pipe frame, something that wasn’t introduced until 1949. We found a thread on a forum that identified #5017 as a ’48 19-footer. So according to everything we’re reading, that one was the last one and there is no “19th no-name nineteen.” We believe we actually have the first 18-footer.<br /><br />Either way, it’s one of a kind!Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-14849562093512893462008-07-28T20:21:00.000-07:002008-08-03T17:45:52.907-07:00"License and Registration, Please"As we fired up the truck to leave that night, we realized that our flatbed trailer lights weren’t working. On the way down, they had been working in reverse – when the truck signaled left, the trailer signaled right, and vice versa – but at least they were working. We couldn’t wrestle them into submission and it was really getting late, so we just decided to leave and drive carefully. Fortunately, we’d planned to stay a night at a nearby hotel and drive back up to Alabama the following day, so we could take some time the next morning to get things working again, as well as adjust the chains and straps for a tighter hold. <br /><br />We went just a couple of miles to find a nearby hotel and as luck would have it, we passed a police car right as we turned into the parking lot. He pulled up alongside us and Ben hopped out, apologizing for the problem with the lights. The officer dismissed it with a wave of his hand, grinning like a kid at Christmas. “Where’d you get that thing?!” When we told him it had been just around the corner all this time, he said, “Dang, I sure wish I’d known about that!” He walked around the trailer and peeked inside, just fascinated with the whole thing. He kept muttering things like, “You’ve got yourselves a cherry!” and “That thing’ll shine like a new dime!” He was so enthralled that he left his coke sitting on the wheel well of the flatbed and came running back over to retrieve it before we could take off and send it flying.<br /><br />The next morning at the hotel, I woke up early, excited about our new ‘baby.’ I ran to the window and peeked out. Yup, there she was in the early morning twilight. She didn’t gleam like the restored, highly-polished ones, but the mossy patina gave her an endearing quality all her own.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfB1G2NYzQNRYzhEWt03C7WX-hIQOO7Ox0uYgy8oklloSIQq1qfli_nmHYIbFllhxICV0Xrx0QxhU69d2jq3VC9ZKOmS9nSgFTRqP4Y043Q7JkZZTkJ57CDtYHLQD6FnvDwibgKsGJi7q/s1600-h/IMG_4116.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfB1G2NYzQNRYzhEWt03C7WX-hIQOO7Ox0uYgy8oklloSIQq1qfli_nmHYIbFllhxICV0Xrx0QxhU69d2jq3VC9ZKOmS9nSgFTRqP4Y043Q7JkZZTkJ57CDtYHLQD6FnvDwibgKsGJi7q/s320/IMG_4116.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230454177080499538" /></a><br /><br />Driving back on the 4th of July in the patriotic deep South, it was fun to see people’s reactions to this piece of Americana floating down the highway, being given a new lease on life. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnNbLaOvn6WO1fwpv1uJSXsyvA1JvbzNMZboNknRrKRhnw3hwmsOKQ1uJTi4mWpAgWhsdJnoqTgLa34X7AmS8uX63hEogc1Bng7SAjWg_OULyP5QgZlcWI1PNvPf5lU-yOLppVD9xXfhi/s1600-h/IMG_4124.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnNbLaOvn6WO1fwpv1uJSXsyvA1JvbzNMZboNknRrKRhnw3hwmsOKQ1uJTi4mWpAgWhsdJnoqTgLa34X7AmS8uX63hEogc1Bng7SAjWg_OULyP5QgZlcWI1PNvPf5lU-yOLppVD9xXfhi/s320/IMG_4124.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230455046788065458" /></a><br /><br />A family passed us up towing another Airstream, one of the big, newer models. They had their cameras out, snapping pictures of our cute little vintage trailer, and we caught eyes and grinned and waved. It was like a big happy family.Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-79860794154094654502008-07-28T20:19:00.001-07:002008-08-03T17:44:08.803-07:00The Big Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-mpWzGKcgT-bYf6loq7TmMvnAXlXwCBl5cFX8DMEZ8jZMCUBQORmpHFnSDms-a91eV1C24CigUbnZw4y4ji2a3NqZUd_9VAugTWyCp7M2Nq8wwwPBfvjitPyOfsrqpZApW3g9hPn-LoW/s1600-h/IMG_4113.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-mpWzGKcgT-bYf6loq7TmMvnAXlXwCBl5cFX8DMEZ8jZMCUBQORmpHFnSDms-a91eV1C24CigUbnZw4y4ji2a3NqZUd_9VAugTWyCp7M2Nq8wwwPBfvjitPyOfsrqpZApW3g9hPn-LoW/s320/IMG_4113.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230430011840405842" /></a><br /><br />Just getting her on to the flatbed was an adventure in and of itself. There was a narrow strip of grass the width of a driveway running along the side of the house, with a gate opening into the yard. The driveway was flanked on the other side by the neighbor’s vehicle collection, one of which had no engine and so could not be moved. The first careful attempt at driving in resulted in the truck wheels sinking down into the sandy Florida soil and spinning out. This turned out to be a good thing in the long run – better to get stuck there instead of way back in the yard with the trailer loaded up!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNvL0iv1SJ8bCy-SsBSKPQhz2vw3M7FCBpTKvYyOJUL2_pofWWyDoEgeLc7UoHzJFfWsSNis2CzwpXVCEnRnwvAf31wGaLkk5htlg2VILZFQkIDGC5dcsFg94mY8rvFgq6kiCb3kXBG3U/s1600-h/IMG_4099.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNvL0iv1SJ8bCy-SsBSKPQhz2vw3M7FCBpTKvYyOJUL2_pofWWyDoEgeLc7UoHzJFfWsSNis2CzwpXVCEnRnwvAf31wGaLkk5htlg2VILZFQkIDGC5dcsFg94mY8rvFgq6kiCb3kXBG3U/s320/IMG_4099.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230428484668620194" /></a><br /><br />The ol’ Trailwind was tucked into the back corner of the lot, and after a 20-year stint as a backyard shed, had dug its heels into the sandy soil. A tree had grown up around it on the back fence side, and its younger branches had recently begun to explore the interior of the trailer through a small, cracked side window. The tires were completely flat and the tongue had rusted 90% of the way through, so we really weren’t sure how we were going to move it. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTNwsj3B4vdGdcdQUC1Hb6smaMRCLqQInh530-sYsV4r-UnGOuGcGiTHuQ8EfvaRMj_SEsY2psaFskihzy09XQu-1eWOLvJyne1UgwC2rrpDYl263g2eCtSF-F3i1TnOTU9DsFUGv1WRb/s1600-h/IMG_0030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTNwsj3B4vdGdcdQUC1Hb6smaMRCLqQInh530-sYsV4r-UnGOuGcGiTHuQ8EfvaRMj_SEsY2psaFskihzy09XQu-1eWOLvJyne1UgwC2rrpDYl263g2eCtSF-F3i1TnOTU9DsFUGv1WRb/s320/IMG_0030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230315963422381138" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63W-m6h9hIjFuJReGwTO_-uMV3Zu7kJP7jrdh4Bf51a-NGbvcN6u9DC5TmqRyfGK0ZlWOhMSaLEDanFlNBoP9J0QyCHu6C_TilhlAt5NAStwFdpEUVxSFaCO6vlxhFBStrpo1L887s-bJ/s1600-h/IMG_4100.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63W-m6h9hIjFuJReGwTO_-uMV3Zu7kJP7jrdh4Bf51a-NGbvcN6u9DC5TmqRyfGK0ZlWOhMSaLEDanFlNBoP9J0QyCHu6C_TilhlAt5NAStwFdpEUVxSFaCO6vlxhFBStrpo1L887s-bJ/s320/IMG_4100.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230430324007546354" /></a><br /><br />Luckily some neighbors happened to have a four-wheeler handy and nothing better to do. That four-wheeler saved the day. We had to back the truck and flatbed trailer out and in again to get that thing into the yard, but it was well worth it, as he managed to yank the trailer out of its ruts and tow it all the way to about 10 feet from the gate before the tongue finally decided to give up the fight. At that point we were able to push it out the gate and over to where the flatbed was backed in, waiting. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fShQqHr1DFmPff33YRtvA6kLwkmvEENaiU9amurDGCdO4N79VCamW606Fl4wDwfWNiqwX8SQ_9ZzbCuIBxnBlDO9k5GNxZwN1s9gTRKeUhC2YjcgpC4FIfrmXNTlksmWXVNRDLbJ34uh/s1600-h/IMG_4096.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fShQqHr1DFmPff33YRtvA6kLwkmvEENaiU9amurDGCdO4N79VCamW606Fl4wDwfWNiqwX8SQ_9ZzbCuIBxnBlDO9k5GNxZwN1s9gTRKeUhC2YjcgpC4FIfrmXNTlksmWXVNRDLbJ34uh/s320/IMG_4096.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230156808313417426" /></a><br /><br />Since the tires were flat and not free-spinning, we started winching it up onto the flatbed with a come-along. The ramps weren’t perfectly aligned with the tires so at one point we actually had to rally about 6 people and lift the back end of the trailer to move it over so the rims wouldn’t give out. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtV7MtO-a2-5h8CwU5qFR0QWMFfcpG__OtRjPP3v4zZAYif42Vn55o92SP-5lO9_T8aK18imaP_nD7qmRKX5L2zMAfC9mimi5uLc2ERNoae7ouHEPlpPaNZnoyS3scQujgujb8RA3XN3f5/s1600-h/IMG_4101.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtV7MtO-a2-5h8CwU5qFR0QWMFfcpG__OtRjPP3v4zZAYif42Vn55o92SP-5lO9_T8aK18imaP_nD7qmRKX5L2zMAfC9mimi5uLc2ERNoae7ouHEPlpPaNZnoyS3scQujgujb8RA3XN3f5/s320/IMG_4101.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230430536243516962" /></a><br /><br />By this time it had gotten pretty dark out, so we were running around shining a couple of flashlights on the situation. Everyone was in pretty good spirits and determined to make it work…or at least determined not to have to deal with it in the morning! We got her up there without any more “incidents.”Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-44865429757265703992008-07-28T20:14:00.001-07:002008-08-03T17:22:21.947-07:00Former LifeOur Airstream had been in the same family for decades – it belonged to a lady named Beverly, whose father had left it to her. She had the title issued in her name in 1966, so she’d had it for 42 years now, and the last 20 of those it had been in storage in her backyard. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGFKm1VMWR2gWY_r0m_Q33FHJ7MicuRaet_K_-pGqly-rFRwPnqm64LK0ur5cNzSPG3fx8UllfCeJLf-VEgEZfJjpoMfauXP70Ml_ubQPV_d7RG9Zv9omUeeltou2-lc92kI2bs2813TB/s1600-h/IMG_0023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGFKm1VMWR2gWY_r0m_Q33FHJ7MicuRaet_K_-pGqly-rFRwPnqm64LK0ur5cNzSPG3fx8UllfCeJLf-VEgEZfJjpoMfauXP70Ml_ubQPV_d7RG9Zv9omUeeltou2-lc92kI2bs2813TB/s320/IMG_0023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230450942590522306" /></a><br /><br />She and her daughter Carol told me stories of the trips they’d taken in it. Carol laughed as she remembered how when they had first gotten the trailer from her grandfather, it was painted bright blue inside and out, to match the old car he towed it with! The first thing they did when they got it was to take some steel wool and scrub the outside silver again! A peek inside confirmed it – remains of that paint job were still in there, though much of it had long since peeled off the aluminum.Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5177140429753654808.post-81514026532044523752008-07-07T18:33:00.000-07:002010-03-17T19:12:53.569-07:00The Beginning<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXbO8dZkvkilyBSnil2d-D9Fe5YvPtpJjhKthioeovSrK6rRlbOPTdqg6wEcnB24_25uDTofbBPh79fEZe9jC74yYA4CSMVcAISzcyy9kreIrY1Ux0E8TNlKg_xEZz636gHJQWM6gRqKk/s1600-h/cyclist.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXbO8dZkvkilyBSnil2d-D9Fe5YvPtpJjhKthioeovSrK6rRlbOPTdqg6wEcnB24_25uDTofbBPh79fEZe9jC74yYA4CSMVcAISzcyy9kreIrY1Ux0E8TNlKg_xEZz636gHJQWM6gRqKk/s320/cyclist.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220457677823981090" /></a><br /><br />Our fascination began a few years back when we first saw the picture of the guy on a bicycle pulling an Airstream. Ben started researching everything about the gleaming capsules, from specs on various years/makes/models to just how much aluminum our car could tow. We watched...and waited...and watched...and waited...<br /><br />Over those same few years, we'd been talking about taking a time out from the non-stop action of our lives - we've been involved in several ministries over the last 10 years, and they've been both the most intense and incredible times of our lives. We experienced a lot of joy and pain and continued on without really taking time to process what we'd seen and heard and felt and learned. We saw a natural break in the action coming up this fall and winter, and after much thought, prayer and consultation, decided to go for it.<br /><br />The very week we made the decision and began to tell people of our plans, this little gem popped up on craigslist. It matched what we were looking for to a T, in terms of size, condition, location and price. We jumped and the rest is history (in the making).<br /><br />Ben and Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07855032500069104507noreply@blogger.com1