May 172015
 

Kalaloch Beach State Park on the Olympic Peninsula via J5MMM.com // RV Lifestyle #Airstream Style

“Mommy?  Mommy, are you still sleeping?” B is whispering this into my ear as I sleep  . . .

I don’t say a word, hoping he will take pity on his poor tired and sleepy mom and let me be, for at least a moment longer.

“Mommy?  Mommy?”

This boy of mine.  No matter what time he goes to bed, as soon as the crack of dawn is upon us, he is up and at ’em.

“B — we are on vacation — you can sleep in if you want . . .” I try and convince him.

He is still standing next to me, I can feel his presence — he is probably pondering his next move . . .

Then hubby says, “Good Morning B,” with all smiles (I can hear him smiling, does that make sense?)  and he is next to rise and now it’s official, our day has begun.  But after the fog clears from my sleepy head, I am grateful for the early morning wake up call.  I look outside and see that the clouds moved out overnight and a beautiful pastel sunrise is on its way.

These two posts of mine covering our trip to Kalaloch Beach State Park is proof of the Olympic Peninsula’s moody weather behavior.  Cloudy, cozy and drizzling one day and the next?  Nothing but blue skies.  I took at least a million pictures.

Hubby and B headed down to the beach for a game of soccer while Oliver and I pulled ourselves together and made a skillet breakfast fit for an Olympic Peninsula king :)

Kalaloch Beach State Park on the Olympic Peninsula via J5MMM.com // RV Lifestyle #Airstream Style

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Oct 082014
 

Suddenly Last Summer with our Airstream via J5MM.com

Fall is upon us now and the other day, it suddenly dawned on me, that last summer — a lot of cooking had been done in my silver kitchen which never made it onto J5MM.  Pouring over all my photos I took of my culinary creations made me realize also — what a beautiful, gloriously long summer we had here in Washington.  The warm breezes continue to blow, even now in what should be a chilly October.  We have our funny days where temps reach 80!  But today will be a nice mid 60’s October day according to the weather woman.  I’m ready for warm sweaters in the upcoming season and exhilarating early morning hikes where the frost graces the edges of the creek near my home. Continue reading »

Apr 242014
 

Springtime In The Forest via J5MM.com

This forest, right behind my house is a very special place for me.  For almost 15 years I’ve been retreating to mothers nature’s magical playground to think, clear my mind and take in the fresh air.

There is no time better in my opinion, to hike these woods than in the Springtime.  Little flower buds are popping out of woody dangly branches, the curly fiddleheads of the fern plant begin to slowly emerge and colorful flower blossoms seem to bend your way as you walk by so you can admire their beauty.

Oliver and I set off on a hike the morning before Easter to experience all the beauty that lay in these woods.  As we hiked along, I thought about Easter dinner the following evening.  The Bennett family was coming over and I always love to cook for them.

Today would be a test run of some of the appetizer and side dishes I had in mind to serve and I could hardly wait to get started.  Practice menu runs for me not only give me peace of mind the following day when cooking, it also gives me the opportunity to fine tune and perfect any given recipe. Continue reading »

Mar 032014
 

Schweitzer Mountain Resort Guided Snowshoeing Hikes

Snowshoeing was big for me at Schweitzer Mountain Resort.  Did you know?  Schweitzer is the largest resort in Idaho and Washington with 2900 acres of amazing terrain and renowned tree skiing located in the rugged Selkirk Mountains.  It was in these these mountains where I enjoyed many days of snowshoeing enjoying the peacefulness of nature while getting a great workout. If you love to ski but are looking to switch up your days with another winter sport, snowshoeing here at Schweitzer Mountain Resort is truly a once in a lifetime experience.  On guided tours you meet at the Information Center which is next to the Selkirk Lodge, get your gear and head out with your group up the chairlift and begin your hike.  Want to go at it alone or with a group?  No problem — enjoy the great trail system where you can hike  to your hearts content.  Just make sure to fuel up with a hearty breakfast that will keep you going all morning long before you head out ♥

Guided Snowshoe Hike and Fondue Dinner at Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Idaho via J5MM.com

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Feb 072014
 

Black Truffled Deviled Eggs

It happened just days before Christmas of 2013.

I was perusing the isles of my favorite Asian grocery store when I took a double take.  There in front of me, all lined up in a row were tiny individual packages of black truffles.

“Black Truffles?  Really?” I thought to myself.  I could hardly believe my eyes. Continue reading »

Oct 232013
 

A Fall Harvest in Roslyn, Washington with our Airstream trailer

There is something about the Fall season that simply warms my heart and gets me thinking about the cooler weather ahead.

Our Airstream, which currently happily waits for us on our piece of property in Eastern Washington sits amongst heirloom apple and plum trees surrounded by this new season.

And it never fails — with the abundance of those late summer fruits — apples and plums — that I’m continually tempted into my silver kitchen to cook . . .

. . . and to escape the everyday hustle and bustle of corporate America.

For me, this is my refuge. Continue reading »

Jun 132013
 

Airstream trailer road trip and glamping around the Olympic National Park

Map of Port Townsend Fort Worden

It was our last night glamping with our Airstream at Fort Worden State Park.  Around 2 am we awoke to winds howling and rain pouring down.   I’m glad we were smart and put the awning up before going to bed.  Have you ever had to put your awning up in the middle of the night because of strong winds and heavy rain?  Not a pleasant experience, that’s for sure.

Stormy night at Fort Worden

While the boys slept in, I took Oliver for a walk up to Fort Worden to get an up close and personal look at the historic buildings and also get a feel for where the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman,” was filmed.  I also thought about those crepes I would make for the boys when they woke up . . . Continue reading »

Jun 112013
 

Airstream trailer road trip and glamping around the Olympic National Park

Map of Port Townsend Fort Worden

It was day three of our Olympic Peninsula Loop which meant, two more days before returning back to reality of corporate America (insert sad face).   We enjoyed a breakfast of chocolate croissants, coffee and hot cocoa. With maps spread out over our morning table we began analyzing how our day would be spent.

“Can we go to the beach mommy?” B asks me pointing to Rialto Beach on the map . . .

Hubby and I looked at each other — “Yes! Let’s do that.”

And off we went . . .

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May 092013
 

Last year, this time we were returning from Oregon’s high desert making a stop along its majestic coastline on this beach called Tierra Del Mar.  It is a trip that is still very vivid in our minds . . .

Airstream on the Beach

When you spend time in Oregon you begin to realize just how incredible it really is here in all that it has to offer. Dramatic coastlines, high deserts, state parks galore and so much more.

A couple more places to visit were on our agenda and then our trip would come to a close. On this day we stopped at one of our favorite places to be with our Airstream.

Right next to the sea.

Hubby and B started exploring and I started preparing lunch for us.  Continue reading »