Mar 092015
 

 

Last Saturday night a friend of mine on Instagram tagged me in a post.  It was a photo of Northwest Travel Magazine with a cover image of a little boy playing in the sand with an Airstream in the distance.

She continued:

“Please tell me this is you or else I’ll be on dish duty tonight.”

 

Northwest Travel Magazine, April 2015 Issue via J5MM.com // Monica Bennett #Airstream

 

I had to smile (big) because that was my photo and she recognized it.  I had no idea the magazine was out on newsstands yet so of course the next morning I had to drive to the store to see it for myself – and there it was.   Thank you Susy for letting me know xoxo

The article that my photo represents is about traveling in the Pacific Northwest over Spring Break with a focus on RVing.  My favorite mention in the piece is the recommendation of visiting Jetty Fishery in Oregon. We actually stayed there shortly after I took the cover image for this magazine.  I truly believe that Jetty Fishery is a hidden gem and if you are a fan of dungeness crab, this is the place for you.  You can either rent a boat and catch your own crab or simply pick and choose from the fresh tanks they have on site.  I clearly remember during or visit, people pulling off the road to enjoy fresh cracked crab at picnic tables overlooking the bay.  Truly, truly a beautiful spot.  Here is my blog post about our visit to Jetty Fishery if you’d like to learn more.

 

Jetty Fishery Marina via J5MM.com // #Airstream
Image taken at Jetty Fishery // Spring 2011

Thank you for being here — hope you are having a great start to the week xoxo
~ Monica

Sep 122014
 

DeschutesRiverOutfitters_1

Fishing on the Deschutes River with Matt Carter and Nate Turner with Deschutes River Outfitters via J5MM.com

Matt Carter, our guide — from Deschutes River Outfitters showing me how it’s done.  Matt is a super talented angler and has been featured in many magazines and recently was featured on the cover of Fly Fisherman.  In addition, each summer he travels to Mongolia as a fly fishing guide.  Kinda crazy if you ask me, but follow your passion I say and this man certainly does :)

Continue reading »

Jul 172014
 

Peak to Valley Airstream Road Trip via J5MM.comCampfire Cookout via J5MM.com

It’s getting close to one week when we returned from a beautiful summer road trip through Idaho and Oregon.  In between working in corporate America, taking care of hubby and B, walking Oliver and the rest of the usual day to day activities I am doing my best to sort through all of the photographs I took during our Peak to Valley adventure.  I call it Peak to Valley because our trip took us from the peaks of alpine life in McCall, Idaho to the valleys down below where Hells Canyon in Idaho and the Deschutes river in Oregon call home. Continue reading »

May 302013
 

This was our last stop during our Oregon Coast trip last year and I can honestly tell you, from the bottom of my heart — Jetty Fishery is a true hidden gem.

After our beautiful day that we spent at the beach we headed north on Hwy 101 and arrived at Jetty Fishery.

We could not believe our eyes.

To us, we just discovered a hidden gem and probably one of the most perfect spots that we had ever been to with our Airstream. The spots here come with full hookups, are covered with grass and come with amazing scenic views of Nehalem Bay.

It could not have been more of a perfect place for us to be.

Continue reading »

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 »

Apr 182013
 

Oh beautiful Oregon.  How I love you and how much I realize a trip back is in order.  Our trip visiting with you last Spring was one we will never forget . . .

We were sad to be leaving Kahneeta.  We had such a wonderful time spending our days hiking, swimming, golfing and just relaxing.  We will forever remember the good times we had there.

Like anything else in life, it was time to move on.  We had a schedule that we needed to stick to if we truly wanted to visit all of the places we had in mind in Oregon.

So off we went.  Our next stop was Smith Rock State Park in Terrebonne where we would be able to see some rock climbers in action.

When we arrived We pulled the Airstream into a nice big spot and had a picnic lunch of prosciutto, feta and tomato tartines accompanied with Burrata.

Oh that Burrata.

Continue reading »

May 082012
 

Our trip through Oregon’s Spring Splendor was coming to an end.  It would not have been a proper trip to Oregon if we hadn’t stopped off at Cannon Beach.  Full of rich history, fabulous restaurants with the friendliest hosts, candy shops galore and boutiques upon endless boutiques to fullfill your shopping desires are just a few of things you will find here.

Of course I won’t forget to tell you all about the sandy beach with infamous Haystack Rock.  Maybe my pictures will help you understand just how breathtaking it is here.

Oh, did I mention the surfers?

They are amazing.

Morris’ Fireside Restaurant was our stop for lunch.  It was hubby’s favorite place to go — for me, I have never been.  I was so happy he took B and I there. It was a slightly chilly day outside so you can imagine what a pleasure it was to walk into such a cozy and warm place.  The fire was so inviting along with the log cabin charm Morris’ offered.

We split a burger with some of the most delicious fries I have had in a long time.  They were definitely made here and they were not greasy but rather thick and hearty.  I loved them!  B enjoyed his little sliders :)  They were just the right size for his little hands.

We also enjoyed a Bloody Mary.  It was hands down, the BEST Bloody Mary I have ever had.

That’s Armando our host.  What a pleasure it was to meet him. He made me laugh and made our entire dining experience such a fun time. Oh and I should mention that the Bloody Mary recipe belongs to him so if you do stop by and you like this particular drink, I highly recommend it. It’s on the menu too “Armando’s Famous Bloody Mary.”

Armando :)

I am sad that our trip was over so soon.  We will definitely be back to beautiful Oregon.

From our memories of Kahneeta, Smith Rock State Park, and Jetty Fishery to spending time on the beach with our Airstream, it was all an incredible time.

As usual :)

 

Apr 202012
 

“I just don’t feel like cooking tonight,” I mentioned to hubby as we headed back down from the mountain (it was another beautiful hike that day).

I had plenty of delicious fresh goodies in the fridge, but tonight I wanted to do something different.  I wanted to go and see the Chinook Room located in the Lodge where I have heard from many guests here at Kahneeta that it is the place to go for incredibly delicious cuisine.

Apparently it is so good there that people drive all the way from Portland and beyond to enjoy the gourmet fare.

Boy were they right.

We enjoyed perfectly cooked salmon with hollandaise sauce, tender lamb (B’s favorite),  flaky elk empanadas (yes, elk — my first time ever trying it and it was delicious!) and thinly sliced venison that was topped with the most incredible berry sauce I had ever tasted.  The combination of all the flavors were perfect and everything was cooked to absolute perfection and served, once again, but a smiling face from our sweet hostess.

No wonder everyone is always so happy here and smiling.

It really is such a wonderful place to be — beautiful landscapes and amazing cuisine.

Bon appetit!


Apr 172012
 

Here everyone is all smiles.

Really.

So kind, so caring and so, well . . . always making sure you are having a good time.

This for sure, we were having. Especially B.

We could hardly wait to take a hike up into the beautiful mountains that surround Kahneeta.

The views were so beautiful.

So incredible.

To fuel our day I made chocolate crepes.  Oh those crepes . . . B is still talking about them.  This time we kept them plain with just a sprinkling of sugar and I can tell you, we probably won’t have them any other way after tasting them.  What that sugar does to those crepes, it’s magical almost.

I also want to share with you photos of double bruleed custard oats that I also made. The hard candy topping on the custard oats, well, it was almost desert.

There was so much to see on our hike from wildlife tracks (I am guessing these are mountain lion maybe?) high up in the mountains to the cool rushing river down below . . .

I also was eager to make beautiful bowls of berries with vanilla stewed rhubarb from my garden.  Greek yogurt with some honey finished it off perfectly along with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios.

It was quite the feast that morning that took us through to the end of the day when I prepared an amazing rice pasta and cheese dish (using this recipe and subbing out the pasta with the rice version).  If you want to add an extra layer of “cheesiness” to your mac and cheese — try a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.  It’s really SO delicious (and what is typically used as the main cheese substitute in vegan mac and cheese versions).

Kahneeta is a very special place for us.  It was our very first time here and it will most definitely not be our last.  The combination of the beautiful landscapes, outdoor activities, incredibly friendly people that always have non-stop smiles on their faces and just general overall feeling of complete peace really sets the stage for the perfect family vacation.

I miss it there, very much.

So does B.

“B, can I take off your wrist band for you?” (It was a wrist band for access to the slippery slides)

“No mommy, please don’t.  I want to keep it on forever.”

See?  It’s a paradise for children and adults alike.

Thank you so much Kahneeta for the memories that we will keep forever :) xoxo


Apr 162012
 

Dear friends,

Just yesterday is when we returned home from our spring trip to beautiful Oregon.  

Oh how I miss it already . . .

I took over 1,500 photographs on this trip if you can believe it.  I couldn’t help myself, Oregon is so beautiful with some of the most incredible landscapes you will ever find.  I keep thinking how I will put all of my photos together so I can clearly share with you our experiences.

Until then, I will leave you with some images of places that we visited and meals that I prepared.  If you can tell it, we had an incredible time and are already planning when we will return.  I can hardly wait.

“I wish we could have stayed for just one more day mommy,” said B over dinner last night.

“I know it darling.  Me too . . . me too.”