Author: Jess

Categories
Holidays & Bdays

Christmas Activity Advent Calendar

Christmas is in full swing in the Curren Airstream! Thanksgiving felt like it went a little long, since we didn’t actually leave family until December 4th, but we managed to get some decorations up  and start listening to Christmas music in the meantime. Last year we posted about 6 easy Christmas traditions you can do with kids while traveling, and we’ll manage to do most of them this year as well! I can’t wait.

First up is our Advent Calendar. Last year we cut out the circles and put them over the door, this year Rachel had the idea to cut out and paint a tree instead. I cut the tree out of a paper bag, and she did the rest. Awesome, huh? She’s so creative. Since we have very little wall space, we chose to split the tree in half so we could center it over the closet doors. That way we can still open it and get our clothes out!

We originally got the idea from the amazing Laura Winslow, and I’ll admit I’m a little jealous of her beautifully crafted tree. Sigh. Not that I’d trade our traveling adventures for a Christmas tree mind you, but a girl can appreciate sparkly, pretty things.

Every morning we pull off the number and see what the activity for the day is. The kids look forward to this after breakfast and get super excited!

On our list this year:

Last night was beautiful as we walked around the Oakland LDS temple grounds, viewed He is the Gift at the visitor center, and chatted with the missionaries. It was the perfect event to kick off our Advent Calendar activities!! What about you guys? What are your favorite holiday traditions?

 

Categories
Hiking Oregon Outdoor Adventures Video

Wandering Update: Hiking at Cascade Head near Lincoln City, Oregon

Cascade Head Hike_11

While we were staying along the Oregon Coast, we managed a hike to the top of Cascade Head near Lincoln City, Oregon. This was probably the one day it didn’t rain in about a week of being there and we took full advantage by getting out and exploring. To find our hike, I basically Googled “Hiking in Cascade Head” and we found an article on Portland Hiker’s Field Guide that had a great description and directions.

Check out our video of the hike:

The trail started out on a small path next to the road until we hiked up to the original trail head (we believe it was moved due to lack of parking). Things got pretty interesting as the terrain was steep and involved some serious stair stepping.

Cascade Head Hike_01Once we made it out of the trees and up on the bluff we were greeted with views like this:
Cascade Head Hike_04

And this:

Cascade Head Hike_10

The wet mud was great for spotting recent elk tracks, and the kids had fun pointing them out. Down on the ridge just above Sam is a whole herd of elk. Super far away, but that’s the way we like them.

Cascade Head Hike_12
Cascade Head Hike_09

Overall the hike was about 6 miles, and the kids did great on the muddy trail. It’s amazing to me how we can be warm and sweaty on the way up, but need to pull out the jackets at the top and on the way back down. So proud of our little hikers!
Cascade Head Hike_13

Categories
WanderLog

Thanksgiving in California

November 22-28 2014

Travel Dates: November 22 -28, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving! We have had a FABULOUS week hanging out with friends and family. Lots of cousin time, an afternoon playing in the surf at the beach, great food, Airstream improvement projects, and a memorial service for Sam’s grandmother who passed away a few months ago.

It’s amazing to me how little we post on Instgram when life is busy and we are doing more “normal” things. We are excited to get back into traveling this week as we start heading south towards Las Vegas!

Categories
Fitness & Recipes

Airstream Kitchen: Sweet Potato, Apple, & Avocado Salad

Sweet Potato, Avocado, Apple Salad

This salad is ridiculously delicious. Prior to trying out a similar recipe from Sprouted Kitchen, I had never thought of putting sweet potato in a salad. Its fabulous! Now I can’t seem to stop. I like to play with the ingredients, but I thought I’d post this one as it was a total winner.

Salad

  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 1 lb. sweet potatoes (about 2 large), cut into 1/2” cubes
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 large apples, diced (granny smith is my favorite!)
  • 8 cups packed baby greens (I use mixed green leaf & spinach)
  • 1 avocado, peeled & chopped
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
  • Feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and toast the quinoa for two minutes.  Add 2 cups water and bring it to a boil. Turn it down and simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until water is absorbed and quinoa is nice and fluffy. Set aside to cool.

Toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and some salt and pepper and lay out on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside in a bowl to cool.

Build your salad! Quinoa works best when you layer it right on top of the greens (totally did it backward in my photo), then add apples, avocado, and tomatoes and top with Feta cheese and dressing.

Bon Appetite!

Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 tsp. dijon mustard
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • pinch of salt and pepper

Whisk together in a small bowl.

 

IMG_20141028_133009-EditIMG_20141028_132959-Edit

Categories
WanderLog

Rogue River Valley & Headed South

Nov 15-21 2015

Travel Dates: November 15 -21, 2014

It’s been a quiet week as evidenced by our lack of Instagram photos. We stayed a few more days at Valley of the Rogue State Park, and then courtesy parked one night with our new friends in Grants Pass. We also made it out of Oregon and are currently with family in the Bay Area for Thanksgiving. We couldn’t be more excited to hang out with them and celebrated everything we are grateful for!