In between trips…

December 29, 2014February 27, 2015 / Bulldog Travels / 2 Comments

What do restless hearts do in between trips? They plan the next trip. Prior to planning an upcoming trip to Belize I happened to hear an NPR report on a website called AirBnb (www.airbnb.com). I had heard of it before but more or less ignored it. Having a little bit of trouble finding interesting hotels for less I decided to check out this website.

AirBNB is a pretty sweet little website full of entrepreneurial people renting their properties out, renting rooms to strangers, or sharing properties between people. It was created by some folks in San Francisco who decided they wanted to make some money renting their couch out to travelers. They wanted to create a site to encourage people to connect while traveling. While my couch surfing days might be over I still love the website as an alternative to traditional hotel websites and even to www.VRBO.com which has been a mainstay for me for some time.

AirBNB has wonderful search features, low to high prices, great photos of the properties, and bios of the owners. An app can be downloaded to your phone. There is a sense of community on this website that is reminiscent of Facebook or similar sites. I booked three out of my four properties on this site. The prices were very fair and the houses we are staying in seem very interesting and fun. Owners have already reached out to me with recommendations on things to do in the area, websites to visit for snorkeling tours, golf cart rental, water taxi times, etc.

Sites like AirBNB are the future of traveling. AirBNB and Uber are exciting new inexpensive and convenient ways to travel. Apparently using the code JSCHULTE26 will give you $25 off your first booking. Check it out. Even if you aren’t traveling anywhere check it out and look at some interesting properties and compare the prices to places you have traveled before.

I’ll let you know how it turns out after my first stay!

***Update*** Well, I am back from Belize and stayed at three different properties in the country. My AirBNB stays were mixed. I will start with the good. I stayed at an apartment owned by Austrians in Placencia and had a glorious stay. I wish I could have moved in with these people they were so nice and their place was so quaint and awesome. They gave wonderful advice and even let us borrow their boat to go out on the lagoon.

However, the second place we stayed at was impossible to find, had bats living in the walls, had no drinking water, and the water to the house ran out while we were there. We were forced to “dry camp” for two days while there with no shower water, water to wash dishes, or toilet flushing water! Yikes!

The third place, greeted us with roaches on the day we arrived and another on the day we left. The photos misrepresented the place entirely and it was a bit of a disappointment. It was filthy and in a terrible part of town.

Having said all of that, I think I would still book an Air BNB again. Only, I don’t think I would do it unless I am going to stay for an extended period of time. It was hard getting in touch and meeting with the owners without a cell phone to contact them. And sometimes having employees at a hotel is convenient or even coffee and breakfast at some can be nice depending on where you are staying.

Victorian Christmas in Nevada City

December 22, 2014August 21, 2015 / Bulldog Travels / 9 Comments

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. After what felt like a year without a single rain drop in California it seems all of the missing rain was dropped in only a few week’s time. Along with all this water the leaves have all dropped and the temperatures have cooled. The malls are full and the UPS drivers seem to go past the house five times per day delivering their joyful packages. Lights are up on the house and fire places are smoking. Bakes goods are plentiful, pot lucks are seemingly daily events, and consequently my pants are fitting tightly. All of these things mean one thing! Christmas time is here again!

While UPS drivers and pot lucks are certainly a sign of the season where, you ask, does one go in Northern California to feel truly in the holiday spirit? The gold country is often where I flock to if only because the gorgeous little towns are decorated in such a charming fashion. Placerville, Columbia, Angel’s Camp, Sonora, Coloma…all lovely spots worthy of future blog posts.

This year, I finally made it to Victorian Christmas in Nevada City. Clearly everyone else had the same idea after being cooped up indoors during the torrential floods of the last few weeks. Crowds were enormous and the energy was high. Children dressed up in various forms of Victorian garb were dancing, singing, and playing instruments. Lots of dogs were decked out in funny little Christmas outfits. Carolers were singing. Even Santa and Missus Claus delighted children and adults alike. A man walked around with mistletoe on a stick catching unsuspecting couples whether they came together or not…

Shops were busy and full of customers which makes me especially happy. The last several times I have been to Nevada City the shops were very slow making me worried that the economic downturn was desperately hurting local businesses. My favorite antique stores were thriving including The Toad Hall Book Shop, one of my favorite books stores of all time.

Street vendors could barely keep up with demand selling mulled cider, jewelry, candles, toffee, peppermint bark, handmade scarves and hats, and antiques. Traditional Victorian food vendors sold falafel, fried Twinkies, hot dogs, and BBQ. (Hey people have to eat, right?!)

Nevada City Victorian Christmas was a delightful way to spend the afternoon and get in to the spirit. This blogger wishes you and yours a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. I hope you find whatever puts you in to the Christmas spirit wherever you are.

May Santa bring all of us a sack full of frequent flier miles.

Winter Camping on the Beach in California

December 6, 2014August 19, 2015 / Bulldog Travels / 2 Comments

I have likely mentioned in previous posts how glorious living in California can be, politics, traffic, and just general weirdness aside. One reason California is awesome is that it affords us the opportunity to winter camp on the beach. Those outside of California will probably visualize me with braids in my hair and a flower crown. The reality was I was in rain boots, a Northface beanie, long underwear, and a rainproof jacket pretty much 100% of the time. Choose the visual you would prefer friends.

We tried something new this year and went to Doran Beach in Bodega Bay for crab season. Normally we camp at Wright’s Beach but we decided to shake it up a bit. Doran was delightful with a flat, dry, and convenient camp area. The ocean is on one side of the camp site and Bodega Bay is on the other. The ocean break wont break your neck on this beach so kids and dogs can play in the water if they are brave enough to tackle the cold.

Friends took over multiple campsites and had a good old fashion crab feed in the rain. Mother Nature was kind enough to make the days dry and the nights a sailor’s nightmare. The foghorn tooting every five seconds grew tiresome but eventually one fails to hear it any longer. Regardless, my rain boots and I had a great time getting out of town for some post-Thanksgiving camping.

Giant’s Causeway – County Antrim, Northern Ireland

December 2, 2014August 22, 2015 / Bulldog Travels / 1 Comment

My brother Sean and I had long heard stories of Giant’s Causeway and driving all the way to Ireland’s Northernmost tip in County Antrim was a must for us. The journey was half the fun but this geological wonder and UNESCO Heritage site was worth the travel.

Giant’s Causeway is made up of area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns which ultimately hailed from a volcanic eruption. This natural wonder if amazing to behold and begs legends to be told of its grandeur.

Our grandmother had long told us the story of the Giant Finn McCool. After we got old enough to do proper research I heard stories of Finn McCool in many different ways. But legend has it that the stepping stones were created when Finn scooped up part of Ireland and threw it at an enemy causing a walkway between Ireland and Scotland.

One day Finn heard another Giant Benandonner was coming to fight him. Unsure if he could fight off this giant he devised an ingenious plan. Finn’s wife dresses him as a baby and hid him in a giant cradle. When Benandonner arrived and saw the size of the baby he realized quickly that its father Finn must be of enormous size and stature. Benandonner ran scared back to Scotland via the causeway never having seen the Giant he came to fight.

Here are a few photos from the way back machine. If memory serves these photos were taken on Sean and I’s first trip to Ireland in 1999.

Solvang Pit Stop

November 22, 2014August 21, 2015 / Bulldog Travels / Leave a comment

My parents took us to Solvang many times as children probably on the way too or from Los Angeles. When I was small I thought I was actually in Denmark! A child’s mind can’t understand why a town would dress itself up like Hans Christian Andersen and still be in California.

Solvang is much bigger than it used to be. An hour isn’t enough time to enjoy some good hardy food, try on a dirndl, have a pretzel and some chocolate, and to visit all the shops.

Let’s face it Solvang is as kitschy as kitsch can be. But, it’s classy and fun. The shops are somewhat upscale and the touristy shops are enjoyable too. Breweries and coffee shops line the streets now next to the traditional bakeries, antique stores, chocolate shops, and restaurants.

Next time you are in the Santa Barbara area looking for a great way to kill and afternoon transport yourself to Denmark and give Solvang a try. It’s got something for everyone.

Edible Mushrooms – Mendocino Mushroom Festival

November 17, 2014August 23, 2015 / Bulldog Travels / 1 Comment

Having eaten a beautiful and delicious mushroom meal at the Stanford Inn to celebrate our anniversary and the Mendocino Mushroom festival we had one more thing to do before leaving…

The day prior Eric and I had collected some hedgehog and chantarelle mushrooms on our guided mushroom walk. I cleaned the mushrooms as best I could and kept an eagle eye out for worms. I washed the mushrooms even though we were told we didn’t need to. We took our guides advice and sauteed them in a pan with no butter or oil on a high heat. The water within the mushrooms quickly seeped out and the mushrooms shrunk to half their size. I dumped out most of the water and continued sauteing. I added a touch of salt and it was the moment of truth! Do we trust our guide? I sent off a text message to some friends at work bequeathing them my unfinished projects and sequined office supplies and dug in.

I am happy to report Eric and I have no ill effects and truly enjoyed our unusual mushroom’s earthy but not overwhelming flavor. It was something I have never been able to buy in a store and have certainly never foraged on my own before. This was an excellent way to end our time in Mendocino at the festival.

The Mendocino Mushroom festival was a delight. It wasn’t a true festival under a tent somewhere that you pay a ticket fee to enjoy. Rather it was merely a celebration of the mushroom where festival goers can celebrate in their own way. We spent most of our time outside enjoying nature and the beautiful weather where some could have spent large amounts of money on numerous beer/wine and mushroom pairings throughout the region.

Thank you mushroom for being such an entertaining part of our weekend. 🙂

Mushroom Festival – Stanford Inn Guided Mushroom Walk

November 16, 2014August 21, 2015 / Bulldog Travels / 6 Comments

Saturday we came back to the Stanford Inn for a guided Mushroom walk and talk. A guide brought all sorts of mushrooms she had picked within the last few days to delight us with. She took us to “Mushroom Ally” a bit of forest in the Jackson Demonstration forest. She frequents this spot because of the types of trees that grow there which attract edible mushrooms. Eric and I, along with a small groups of others, walked through the forest for hours admiring mushrooms you can eat and mushrooms that can kill you instantly. They were in abundance due to recent rains. If I wasn’t scared enough of mushrooms before I certainly am now. The only mushrooms we were brave enough to collect were hedgehog mushrooms and chantrelle mushrooms. (We cooked these babies up the next morning with breakfast and they were delightful!) The guided walk introduced new types of mushrooms that we did not see the day before at MacKericher. We saw many of the same mushrooms but a large group that only appeared in this forest due to the types of trees that grew here. Not to mention I think the guide had a better idea of where to look. It seems she has special mushroom vision glasses on if you ask me. Or she just knows where to look and what these mushrooms look like since many of them are rather camouflaged. It was delightful to be out in the cool wet forest with a purpose. Mushroom hunting was unusual and something I had never considered before. I would do it again in a heartbeat probably leaving all of the specimens where I found them though. It turns out many mushrooms look alike and can only be told apart by smell, whether they are slimy or not, whether they have spines not gills, whether they bruise blue and all sorts of rules that are difficult to remember. I will just go with photographing them in the future!

A few mushroom facts:

*Mushrooms should never be eaten raw otherwise one may develop a mushroom allergy. (Even the button ones in the grocery store we commonly put in salads.)

*Mushrooms should be cooked without oil, the water within them will cook out and then they are ready to eat.

*Almost never eat a mushroom that is orange or red.

*Most mushrooms are full of maggots, gross.

*Our guide maintains mushrooms don’t need to be washed rather just brushed off. I washed mine anyway…

*Hollywood should make a movie about killer mushrooms if they haven’t already because they are scary and aww inspiring.

Mushrooms encountered on our walk through Jackson Forest with a mixture of true names when I can remember them and made up names when I can’t!

Gummy Jelly mushroom – edible. Grows on dead wood.

Purple Death cap. (One of the prettiest colored ‘shrooms out there.)

Orange coral! (Coral…tell me this doesn’t look like it belongs under water.)

Red coral! (As if orange wasn’t pretty enough red coral is all over the place…)

White Coral (White and close to white anyway.)

Orange Buttons of Death

Pigs Ear Mushroom – edible as long as there aren’t worms! (I have to admit this one didn’t look too appetizing.)

Purple and slimy. These babies will definitely kill you and anyone you have ever met if eaten.

Bright orange blades of grass. Mother nature is a creative lady!

Mendocino Mushroom Festival Part Two – Stanford Inn Mushroom Dinner

November 16, 2014August 22, 2015 / Bulldog Travels / Leave a comment

We made reservations Friday night at the Stanford in for the Mushroom dinner. It did not disappoint. The Stanford Inn is a Vegan restaurant so having a five course mushroom dinner seems apropos. The photos are a little dark because the room was a little dark. But, please enjoy the menu, the mushroom “bacon” flat bread, mushroom “clam chowder”, mushroom risotto with chantrelle, and candy cap mushroom creme brule.

Mendocino Mushroom Festival – Day one

November 16, 2014August 21, 2015 / Bulldog Travels / 2 Comments

It’s no secret Mendocino is special to me. Eric and I took our first real camping trip to MacKericher State Park, my favorite place to camp in all of California. And he and I got married in Mendocino. Mendocino is also home to the best baguette in California at Cafe Beaujolais! 🙂 We go back any chance we get probably camping there at least twice per year. This year we decided to celebrate our anniversary attending a festival I have always wanted to visit…the Mushroom Festival.

We arrived on a friday and set up camp. If you have never been to MacKericher you have been missing out. I will surely blog all about it another day. But, one of the awesome things about this coastal campground is its forest. And in November this forest comes alive with mushrooms. The mushrooms make the coast and the forests mystical and interesting. And while I might lament the lack of fall colors for only a second they are totally crowded out by fall mushrooms. We even had multiple mushrooms right in our campsite.

Before going anywhere for the festival we embarked, with Amelia in tow, through a large grove of forest that is parallel to the ocean. The mushrooms were overwhelming and plentiful. And since it is a state park no one was able to pick them. There were tiny delicate mushrooms, large red dangerous mushrooms, mushrooms with personality, mushrooms that looked like they could kill you, blankets of mushrooms, mushrooms that could win the prize for largest mushrooms, mushrooms that could take the prize for smallest mushroom, mushrooms that looked like candy, and mushrooms that looked like they were freaks of nature. Anything you want, this forest did not disappoint. At this point, we were totally uneducated on what any of the mushrooms were called and if any of them were safe to eat.

Stand by for part two of the Mushroom festival to come soon…

Muddy sailing in Ireland

November 14, 2014August 16, 2015 / Bulldog Travels / Leave a comment

Ireland has a strong connection to the sea. It is easy to see why so many songs were sung with hope and anguish related to the water. The famed Irish sweaters, with their knitted family patterns, were created as a way to identify lost sailors who might wash up later.

Ireland is full of surprises. It seems everywhere one goes even the most benign things are beautiful and interesting. For me every town, and every bit in between, brings something charming and new.

While traveling from Kinsale along the southern coast of Ireland we came upon these boats in a harbor bent over waiting for the Tide to awake them. I love how the small town is going about its business behind the boats normally. The boats seem to have personality to me. They look like proud boats just waiting for the tide to slowly regain their glory.

Below are a few Sea shanties to get you in the mood.

The Holy Ground

Fare thee well my lovely Dinah a thousand times adieu
We are saying goodbye to the Holy Ground and the girls we all love true
We will sail the salt seas over and then return to shore
And still I live in hopes to see the Holy Ground once more.
Fine girl You Are.

Now when we’re out a-sailing and you are far behind
Fine letters will I write to you with all the secrets of my mind
The secrets of my mind, me girl, you’re the girl that I adore
And still I live in hope to see the Holy Ground once more.
Fine Girl You Are.

Oh, now the storm is coming, I see it rising soon
For the night is dark and dreary, you can scarcely see the moon
And the good old ship she is tossing about and the rigging is all tore
But still I live in hope to see the Holy Ground once more.
Fine Girl You Are.

One More Day

Oh, have you heard the news, me Johnny
One more day
We’re homeward bound tomorrow
One more day
Only one more day, me Johnny
One more day
Oh, rock and roll me over
One more day
Don’t you hear the old man growlin’
Don’t you hear the mate a howlin’
Don’t you hear the caps’n pawlin’
Don’t you hear the pilot bawlin’
Only one more day a-howlin’
Can’t you hear the gals a-callin’
Only one more day a-rollin’
Can’t you hear the gulls a-callin’
Only one more day a-furlin’
Only one more day a-cursin’
Oh, heave and sight the anchor, Johnny
For we’re close aboard the port, Johnny
Only one more day for Johnny
And your pay-day’s nearly due, Johnny
Then put out your long-tail blue, Johnny
Make your port and take your pay, Johnny
Only one more day a-pumpin’, Johnny
Only one more day a-bracin’
Oh, we’re homeward bound today, Johnny
We’ll leave her without sorrow, Johnny
Pack your bags today me Johnny
Oh, an’ leave her where she lies, Johnny
Only one more day a-workin’, Johnny
Oh, come rock ‘n’ roll me over
No more gales or heavy weather
Only one more day together

Heave away

Come get your duds in order
For we’re going to leave tomorrow
Heave away, me jollies, heave away
Come get your duds in order
For we’re going to cross the water
Heave away me jolly boys, we’re all bound away
Sometimes we’re bound for Liverpool
Sometimes we’re bound for Spain
But now we’re bound for St. John’s town
To watch the girls a-dancing
Now it’s farewell Maggie darling
For it’s now I’m going to leave you
You promised me you’d marry me
But how you did deceive me
I wrote me love a letter
And I signed it with a ring
I wrote me love a letter
I was on the Jenny Lind
Sometimes we’re bound for Liverpool
Sometimes we’re bound for Spain
But now we’re bound for St. John’s town
To watch the girls a-dancing

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Bulldog Travels / Photos By Jenny

Everything and Nothing Plus Some Pretty Photos