wine – Page 2 – Canned Comfort

Silver Dreaming

We are prisoners of our routines. I know I feel like there is this hamster wheel I keep running on without the ability to jump off. Then I look out and see a glint of sunshine on our silver Flying Cloud that keeps winking at me. It seems to say “come on we should go someplace”. We just returned from the ice-cube travel to the Idaho countryside that took five days. We had a timeline, many miles and new lessons learned — NO MORE POOPSCICLES!

As we look at our work week and think there is not enough time or money to make another trip somewhere right now. Wrong, we live in beautiful Santa Cruz County on the Monterey Bay, hmmm. There are many state parks and national parks close by. The Pinnacles National Park is the farthest away at 90 minutes! Sea Cliff and New Brighton are 15 minutes away. They do need reservations all year round but well worth the planning. If you’re self-contained there are even more opportunities to run away.

When we first bought our beautiful Airstream I had many things on my mind, I did not want to rough camp, I wanted to be comfy, I did not want left over household items as our trailer pantry and stores and I did not want to create a large footprint as we traveled. I loved the pictures of others luxuriating as they “camped”.

The first five years were filled with meltdowns, tears, new lessons, forced communication all with new eyes to see our world. We have traveled from California to Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado. We marvel at the bigness of our country and the kindness of those we encounter. Again though that took up to eleven days to get there and back. That is too much time.

A friend of mine who lives in Aptos, California told me when his kids were younger they would get into their Class C RV and drive 10 minutes to New Brighton State Park and feel like they were worlds away from home and had fun like tourists do. Hmm hadn’t really thought about the local parks.

That makes escape easier and more relaxing. We have many wineries here in Santa Cruz County and Monterey County, Olive oil tastings, ocean shores, mountains and quiet relaxation. This doesn’t even touch on great foodie adventures. With our little Silver coach reminding us of the why behind our investment we smile. It is a new year with new possibilities for seeing what we don’t see every day. When I drive to work everyday I drive by miles of open beach, the Elkhorn Slough, miles of farmlands growing everything we eat but I just drive by and take it for granted.

We often lose sight of what we have right next to us because it is just there. Now we can see that with a little time spent on the State Parks and National Parks internet sites we can make a reservation and be on our way within an hour after work. This puts a little lift in my spirit and lets the stress release. I have made one day car trips to Lake County to pick up Six Sigma Wine, but it is a long day. Here I can go out of my daily circles and in 10 minutes to 90 minutes max, be in another beautiful place. If you’re prepacked with all your creature comfort have to haves, you just add a little sprinkle of your favorite wine, steak, comfort food and off you go! What we have and don’t see is what takes the energy out of our lives. We don’t have to go to Paris to find adventure. Here where we live, if we open our eyes we can find it here!

Winter wonderland and travel

OMG! Here I am making gifts of herb butters and planning a New Years trip. How do we plan our destinations and missions due for completion. Ohhhh that does not sound like fun.

Our cozy Airstream awaits its new mattress pad especially made for our 20 foot Flying Cloud . We are planing a quick 5 day jaunt to Idaho. The aroma of the herbal butters and cookie dough makes me think . . . . Oh what we could do to use these to enhance our travels.

We just did a pick up of our favorite wines in Lake County California, Six Sigma! It made us remember that friends, associates and the journey mean so much more and enhance our gentle luxuries. Great wine, great friends, and the feelings of the moment.

Our special wine connection! Six Sigma Winery and friends!

As I prepare luscious herbal butters for gifts I think, oh what a wonderful treat as we traverse the winter highways to our special destination . . . Eagle, Idaho and our daughter and grandchildren. We had not ever thought this would be a destination over the holidays but what a thrill!

Sumptuous plans for a gentle road trip. The snow will dictate our travel time as will our time restraints. We have five days and how do we plan? The Airstream makes the travel a breeze. We do not worry about warmth and comfort as it is so well insulated we are always comfy. I have come to appreciate the thought put into its design. There is no wasted space, we can hunker down in a monsoon, wind storm and blizzard! It has taken me five years to appreciate the design and thought put into our Flying Cloud.

So we plan for our creature luxuries, menu for New Years Eve, nosh on the road and reservations on the way to our destination. Just think herbed butter, we made, rib steaks, garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans with butter and shallots, Six Sigma 2009 Tempranillo and French press coffee with espresso shortbread cookies to bring in the new year! No matter where we are, if in our Airstream, we know we are not only warm and safe, we are more than comfortable.

We hope to bring in the New Year with style and panache! We do not need to be ever stylish but we know less is more and it is the little luxuries that make our lives special.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A WONDERFUL RIVETTED AIRSTREAM NEW YEAR

The inbetween time . . . . .

Waiting for the next trip or is it planning for the next trip that seems soooo frustrating? This is also of time of restlessness for me. I know where I would love to be going but there is no time yet. There are things I should be trying out, planning, researching and yet I sit.

I know what I want to put next into my grown-up glamping pantry but I procrastinate. I should be taking a photo of the next addition and typing a blurb about what I would add to the experience of our outings but I don’t. So I think alot like a certain bear we all know and dream about the perfect trip.

Yesterday we drove to Pietra Santa winery in the hills south of Hollister, California AGAIN. We learned there was to be “Music in the Vines” event. Driving from our home to the winery is beautiful and alot less treacherous without our silver friend behind us. Our truck was happier.

Thankfully we knew where we were going because there were no signs pointing to the event. We arrived and there indeed was music! The setting was beautiful. Very green with vistas that could have been set in the 1800’s of California’s past. Ohhhh so breathtaking.

We then walked into the winery and were abruptly met with a table with sales people ready to sell bottles of their wine and picnic goodies and water. I asked if we could taste any of the wines first and was told NO. I also asked about their olive oil and was also informed not at this function. Had we arrived during regular tasting hours it was available. We bought a bottle of red and one bottle of white, water and the cheese bundle they were selling. Wine good, the cheese bundle gave me ideas. The cheese etc were from Trader Joes and were tasty enough to compliment the wine. Why not Trader Joe’s for a large group you may meet on the road as we travel the riveted lifestyle? Well because the local cheese we find on our journeys is more of a find and story.

As we left for home we turned right onto the two lane road going south not north toward our home. The ranch lands were vibrant, quiet, glowing with the rays of the setting sun. This vast, vital landscape was worth the disappointment, again with this winery. If you are going to the Thousand Trails campground, now open to the public, or on your way to the Pinnacles, Cienega Rd is a road less traveled and full of beauty. It would take you maybe an hour out of your way but you end up on Airport Hwy and can continue on your journey.

If you are lucky you may actually get to taste some little known wines and taste local olive oil from 100-year-old trees!!! We are planning on actually camping at the newest National Park the Pinnacles. Happy wanderings.