The LONG PAUSE

11/21/2018

Exactly one year ago today we were camping between Monterey and Santa Cruz. I’d been alone with the kids for several days, Ann had been on a week-long business trip and I had completely spaced to come up with a plan for us in terms of where we would keep the camper (we flew) AND our dog, Bug, for our trip up to Seattle for Thanksgiving to visit family the very next day.

I had met the campers who were in the campsite right next to us just the night before, they invited me over for food and cocktails after the kids went to sleep. They told me that they lived in a nearby town so I decided to walk over and asked them if they knew of any place that was trustworthy so that I could board our dog for about a week, it was a long-shot.

Their answer?
“Brooke, don’t board her, we will take Bug for the week we have two other little dogs and we’d be happy to have her.”

I quickly said “no thank you, that’s very kind of you to offer but I don’t think you wanna do that, Bug is small and cute but she can be handful”.

My kind camping neighbors then asked me, “what you gonna do with your camper while you’re gone”? I told them that I figured I could just leave it at the airport and pay for parking there.

Their answer?
“Brooke, you don’t need to do that, we have land nearby, you can keep your camper there, it’ll be safe, will give you the code to the gate and feel free to drop it off anytime”.

I try to retort again but to no avail. Due to my silly oversight, I knew that my options were non- existent and my time was running short, I eventually took them up on their ridiculously kind offer.

Needless to say one year later, I am so so thankful for the graciousness of our camping neighbors and I tell this story often when people ask us about our nearly year-long trip on the road in the camper and when people ask us what the best thing about being on a nearly year-long trip in a camper was? I always say, the people.

Especially, THESE PEOPLE.
Angie Varni Darrel Varni

One year later, I continue to have gratitude and thanks for the Varnis’ and their unbelievable generosity.

Happy Thanksgiving

Ann Martin

04/04/2018

Ann Martin

This place is old world European charm with a seedy underbelly. A little Santa Fe, a little Southern, a little Vegas (you can take your cocktails anywhere outside), a lot Bayou.

Sconces w flames everywhere. NOLA is much bigger than I thought it would be. Very artsy. Palm trees and weeping willows. Casinos and cobblestones. Very seedy but gorgeous, it feels pretty dirty and swampy but still so rich in history, locals are nice but they look tired. Tons of Creoles and Dutch, French smoking ci******es and drinking lattes. It's the tourists that drink the frozen hurricanes. 😉

This town smells; like horse manure, ci******es, dead fish, ma*****na, vomit (apologies but it’s true), diesel fumes, fried chicken, jasmine, old wood, coffee, flowers and mowed grass, mossy trees, and sweet desserts. BUT ITS STILL AWESOME, somehow.

There is a continuous buzz of music and chatter and excitement in the air; most is good energy, some is well...a little uneasy. Most are singing and speaking with a joyous intensity and some are drunk and not so joyful. Either way, the atmosphere is intoxicating. It’s not for everyone but it’s exciting!

The FOOD reigns supreme here; boudin, etoufee, Cajun everything, and a dish that has ruined me forever in terms of oysters and now Ann has to learn to make it somehow in Colorado....Chargrilled Oysters! I like Cali Baja fare (tuna poke and fish tacos) so far the most on this trip but this place is a close second.

Next time we come back here it has to be with Carla Anna and Bucky Jaquess. Sans children. No offense children.

03/19/2018

Ann Martin

This wine and hill country in Texas is just fine with us! Smells like flowers, bbq and summer.

On to Austin, food trucks and live music. What else should we do? We’ll be here for two days...!?

03/18/2018

Ann Martin

We hit up Carlsbad, NM Caverns National. It was rad but I gotta say...we had NO IDEA that there would be a 750 foot ascent (that’s 75 floors) after an adorable descent in the elevator from the visitors center that dumps you into the Big Room (extraordinary).

It was extremely challenging and despite Sam being tired and under the weather, we all did it, I’m pretty proud of us.

Straws, stalactites and stalagmites everywhere, so cool. And BATS, lots of bats.

Go BUT eat a meal beforehand and bring water with you, we did not. Should have done some more research prior so...you’re welcome ;)

03/15/2018

Ann Martin

Goodbye Arizona, hello New Mexico!

The cream-colored gypsum sugar sand in White Sands Monument is out of this world. It’s hard to believe this sand is surrounded by cactus and mountains.

On to the Carlsbad Caverns!

01/28/2018

Santa Cruz/Monterey/Carmel-by-the-Sea:

I had just spent a forgettable week alone in a very rainy San Francisco and as great as San Fran is, it's not optimal to see the city alone with kids and in the rain.

I had been to Carmel and Monterey only once before several years ago when Ann ran the Big Sur marathon and couldn't wait to get back. Monterey and Carmel are two of the most breathtaking places on the planet; the rugged Pacific coast cliffs, scenic drives, beaches, and golf courses are continuous eye candy. We found the perfect place to post up in the camper that had easy to access to Santa Cruz and both coastal towns, a Holiday KOA near Watsonville on La Selva Beach. We don't normally stay at KOA's, they can be very hit or miss but we did the research on this location and it's a kids camping paradise. I felt pretty guilty for the boring week in San Fran so we splurged a bit on it but it was well worth. This KOA had a palm tree climbing wall, two playgrounds, a convenience store, a pool and hot tub, and giant jumping pillows and sunshine in the forecast.

First stop and only seven miles away was Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is a rugged surfing town with an awesome boardwalk. The boardwalk wasn't open but it's still open to walk along and it's one of the few places on the west coast, that we have experienced, that you can find a carnival-like, old-school boardwalk with rides, palm trees, arcades and piers. It was November and a local crew was setting up the Santa's Corner, it's pretty strange to see Christmas decorations in 75 degree weather and fake snow under palm trees. The pier is so long that they allow cars to access it and the cost is only a buck! There's no shortage of seafood restaurants and souvenir shops on the pier and the kids and I love watching the sea lions bark and argue with each other while trying to find the most comfortable spot in the sun, it's hilarious to watch. Ann doesn't do well in most marina/pier-like settings; there's only so much a Kansas girl can take with a crazy three-year old running amuck with only aged wooden rails in the way and 1,000 pound animals fighting each other a few feet away.

One of the best things about travelling is getting to see your friends and family that visit you along the way. On a virtual whim, my sister Jenny, came to visit us while we were camping near Santa Cruz, Monterey and Carmel in CA. The timing was perfect, Jenny was ready for some respite from the cold in Colorado and Ann left the day after our Santa Cruz visit on a business trip and it's ALWAYS nice to have a helping hand when Ann is away.

I couldn't wait to show my sweet, hard-working, wonderful sister this part of the world! Jenny was open to everything but she had a bucket list item; the Redwoods. At first, I was dismayed, as much as I wanted to show Jenny the amazing Avenue of the Giants, it was way too far to backtrack to Northern California. After a quick search, I realized that the coastal Redwoods at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park was just above Santa Cruz. The trees at this park are coastal so they get a lot more moisture and tend to not grow as large but you can still find a few impressive groves with giants. Despite the insane rainstorms, we only had a few short days and we still had all of Carmel and Monterey to check out so we stayed on schedule and headed out. We weren't surprised that the park was void of anyone else, this wasn't just rain, this was an all day long bonafide deluge. The best place to see the big boys at Henry Cowell are on the Redwood Loop Trail; it's about a mile long with historical information and pictures along the way. We brought umbrellas, hats and raincoats but it didn't matter, we were cold and soaking wet within minutes and we basically just gave up on staying even remotely dry which made it that much more fun. One of the best things about camping full-time and being on this journey is realizing that you are in control of NOTHING and nothing is easy and that's okay.

Watching my sister run in the rain with Sam and hearing them giggle is a memory I won't soon forget. The rain isn't convenient but it's beautiful and invigorating, especially among these thousand(s)-year-old trees. Another reason why there may not be a lot of people in a rainstorm in the Redwoods? They FALL...because they are soaked. We know because one began it's descent to the earth not sixty yards from us. Where do you run when a Redwood is falling? No one teaches you this and the answer is, nowhere...because you don't know where it's going and you don't know where the other trees that the original tree hits will fall either. We both grabbed a kid and crouched down in a Spider-Man position trying to figure out what do. Even with the storm, the sound of the cracking booms of the trees falling was so intense, scary and exhilarating. As soon as we saw the last tree fall, we booked it to the trailhead high-fived and caught our breath. June was incredibly frightened and the experience happened so quickly that she didn't know what had even happened and she wasn't happy about our little survival celebration, at all. In short, it was AWESOME but your takeaway here is obvious...do NOT go to the coastal Redwoods in a rainstorm.

Despite our crazy adventure, we changed clothes (one of the perks of having all of our clothes in bins in the car 24/7) and headed to Monterey, about 40 minutes from Santa Cruz. The Monterey Aquarium is considered the best in the world. It's pricey (about $45 a person) but worth it; this place is huge with countless exhibits and a huge aquarium that runs through the entire museum. There are views of the coast and indoor/outdoor exhibits everywhere. Within walking distance of the Aquarium is Cannery Row; a historic waterfront street that used to be full of now-defunct sardine canning factories. It's now full of piers, restaurants, and shops but they've managed to keep the working port/nautical feel of the area.

We headed out early to Carmel-by-the-Sea the next day. Carmel and Monterey are just a few miles from each other. Our first stop? The 17-Mile Drive. If you haven't spend the hour or so it takes to make this trip, you have to try to get it on your bucket list. Talk about feeling like you are in CA coastal heaven; every twist and turn brings a new look at paradise and the homes are insane. It runs through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula, which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses. My favorite part of the drive is stopping at Cypress Point, Spanish Bay, Spyglass and Pebble Beach courses. To my surprise, you can access quite a few holes and the grounds are fairly open to the public. We, of course, stopped for a pic at the iconic Lone Cypress, a tree that stands on granite with the Pacific ocean as it's backdrop, a must stop.

You can't go to Carmel without hitting Carmel Beach. It was windy but sunny and we took full advantage. The sand on this beach is sugary, more like the sand in Florida than much of California. It's small but clean, with dogs romping in the surf and Pebble Beach's 16th and 3rd holes in the background. Jenny took a well-deserved nap with the sun on her face while the kids and I played in the sand with a fleet of golden doodles, the apparent dog-of-choice in Carmel. We stuck around to grab a quick bite, do some people watching (there are a ton of famous people that live in Carmel) and watch the sun set at the beach and I'm so glad we did.

I can only try to describe the feeling of spending these few days with my sister. We have that easy, comfortable relationship that you really ONLY have with a sister; one that overcomes all obstacles in life, big and small; one that allows you to laugh at everything, because nothing is off-limits with your sister and you don't have to worry about offending anyone, we love that and we laugh, a lot. Your sister knows when to tell your kids to knock it off and knows when they need a hug and there's not a worry about it, I love that.

More than that, my sister is also my hero and has been for as long as I can remember. She's been my protector, my friend, and the person that taught me to do things the right way the first time; and definitely long before she started having to fight cancer (and currently kicking it's ass thank you very much).

01/25/2018

01/25/2018

CATALINA ISLAND!

About a month ago we were camping near Huntington Beach at a campground on the beach called Bolsa Chica. We wanted to come to Catalina Island then, it’s just 24 miles from the coast, but we weren’t fully aware of the fact that it does take some planning in order to get here but we vowed to come back and here we are!

We have spent the last few weeks in Palm
Springs, Joshua Tree National, and Borrego Springs (in the middle of nowhere CA). The camper, aka “PeachOne” is at a RV repair shop in Indio...guess who left the awning up during a desert windstorm??? We did, yay.

As it happens, we have friends coming in to see us from Denver (see you manana Carters) in Long Beach so we decided to come back before they visit and make our long-awaited getaway to Catalina. A win-win!

Getting to Catalina: We took the Catalina Express ferry catamaran service from Long Beach. The ferry also has service from nearby Dana Point and San Pedro. It’s about 60 bucks round-trip per person, kids are a little less expensive. There is secure garage parking at ferry terminals for about $20 a day. There’s no extra charge for dogs (of all sizes) and as long as you have a muzzle on them or they’re in a carrier, they are welcome and no one even batted an eye at Bug. The ride is about an hour from Long Beach to Avalon, the main town on Catalina Island. The ferry boat ride over was terrific, not a cloud in the sky, we even saw a huge pod of dolphins. The Express also provides booze and snacks, convenient.

You can call Catalina Express directly to get tickets, use Groupon, or you can book through your hotel, which is what we did. The hotels usually have packages that include tickets to and from Catalina Island. We ended up making our trip two nights and two days which is about the exact right time with kids.

Where to stay: We stayed a little bit inland at the Holiday Inn Resort, the price was right and in general just better for us with kids...because you know, they had two screaming matches over who uses the shampoo first and Bug had a queasy stomach so...now, if we did not have kids we would’ve stayed right along the harbor front at either The Avalon or the Pavilion Hotel. They are the poshest hotels on the island but still under $250 a night. There are AirBnB properties everywhere and even a campground (tents only).

What to do: There’s so much to do here. This is definitely a tourist town but it also gives you a really good taste of rustic 1950s California with a distinct Mediterranean feel. This place makes you feel like you’re far away on a tropical vacation; worlds away from the “normal” everyday American life BUT there’s also a school here with summer baseball, community centers, and playgrounds; you forget that this is a living, breathing American community.

If you want to party you can do that here (big time). If you want to take a kayak and go camping across the island or zip line across canyons, you can do that too. If you want to rent a boat go fishing for the day you can do it. There is also a casino here and a theater attached to the casino where they have live music (the big white iconic Wrigley building that you see in the photos). There’s a golf course and country club with a few par 4’s but the course is mostly par 3’s, I didn’t play it but it looks well manicured. There’s also a cabaret, an escape room and more spas then you can count.

The waters are crystal clear around the island and the views are spectacular. We chose to see the waters on a glass bottom boat. The kids can feed the fish through some of the portholes. It was 45 minutes for the four of us and cost $65 (yes, we had to tip and buy fish food, ok...). The kids liked it and we were the only ones on the boat. Ann and I could have skipped out on this outing, it was pretty cheesy and we only went out maybe 100 yards into the ocean but again, the kids liked it?

On the first day we were here, there was a docked crew ship and the town was bustling with people everywhere. The next day we practically had the island to ourselves. Both days were great but it was nice to enjoy the serenity of the island.

Where to eat: The food here is mostly standard California fare and is well, standard. Nothing really blew our socks off, you can find seafood, sandwiches and salads in abundance. There is no available tap water, everything is bottled water. There is a drought and Catalina Island apparently is one of the first places in California that gets hit by the state restrictions on tap water. We had a couple of average meals which we’ll skip over and then two stellar ones. The Avalon Grill offers sig cocktails, seafood and gelato. It’s pretty fancy but keep in mind that we are parents of young children so we consider anything with glass on the tables to be pretty fancy. We also really liked Luau Larry’s, it’s not nearly as fancy but has that Copacabana feel, we had great oyster shooters and I had a tasty poke bowl.

Getting around: Catalina Island is pretty small, it’s completely walkable if you’ve got a good pair of shoes and the motivation to do it, you can pretty much walk everywhere. The main mode of transportation here is golf carts. We did get a golf cart (a must do) the first day we were here and it was really affordable. We spent $45 for two hours and the access to the island with the golf cart is awesome. You can go all over the mountain just shy of where the buffalo are (that’s right buffalo). Apparently in 1924, there was a movie that was shot here and they ran out of funding halfway through it, the movie had 14 buffalo in it and no means to send them back so...there’s are herd of buffalo about 60 strong on the other side of the mountain. We didn’t do this of course, we live in CO so we can see or not see buffalo any time we want near Genesee Park. You can pay for a tour for $200 for three hours to see the whole island and the Buffalo.

On the golf carts, you can go almost anywhere in Avalon and take in unobstructed views of the Pacific. You can ogle the insanely cool homes that are tucked up in the mountain side. The golf carts are great in terms of touring if you don’t want to muster the energy to climb the hills or if you have small children, they’re handy. We did have the kids walk the rest of the trip and they still did fine. There are no guard rails and the drive can be very steep with abrupt cliffs but the golf carts only go so fast and as long as you’re safe and adhere to regular traffic rules it’s pretty relaxing and complete fun. Plus, Sam and June thought Mom was pretty cool driving one 😉

Experiencing Catalina is more than we would normally spend but so well worth the extra effort and money (and we found it to be fairly affordable). Annie and I are writing this from our lanai overlooking palm trees and the city lights, sharing a bottle, the kids are settled in for the night and we are thankful that we made this trip that we’ll never forget.

Ann Martin

12/19/2017

It’s a San Diego Christmas in the camper, “PeachOne”. Not sure we can deliver on Sam’s demand for snow but we did our best.

Bring it on Santa.



Ann Martin

12/16/2017

We tried to check out Solvang, CA but had to evacuate a day into our stay. The smoke and ash was overwhelming and was really aggravating Ann’s asthma. The campsite that we stayed at was filled with evacuees from the fires in Ventura and Carpenteria. We were in awe of these folks. So many people, doubled up with people they didn’t know, accommodated pets with borrowed crates and the campsite allowed horses to be boarded on their property.

We will go back. Solvang is a cool
Danish-inspired wine and vineyard village with close access to Santa Barbara and it looks the part with windmills, old world architecture, and Danish bakeries everywhere.

Our ultimate goal was to head to SoCal and there were two ways to get there; all the way inland and around which added 4 hours to the trip or straight down the 101, where most of the fires are. The 101 never closed so we took a chance even though the maps had the fires still blazing right up against the highway. You can see the charred homes, palm trees and the giant plumes of smoke just a stone’s throw from the 101. There are patches of land and homes that have been consumed where the fire completely jumped the highway and finally extinguished in the Pacific. Strangely enough though, no smoke along the coast.

We headed to Bolsa Chica, a State Park that sits right on the ocean and is two miles from the downtown/Main Street of Huntington Beach. Those are the advantages and they are big. We spent nearly every day in the 80 degree weather on the beach, collecting seashells, fishing and there are bonfire pits and we took total advantage.

BUT, if cleanliness and peace are what you need, skip Bolsa Chica. There are no full hookups and this is fine, but the showers and bathrooms don’t work and even if they did, they are repulsive, anyone and everyone hanging at the beach can use them. Our site, which was in a parking lot with a spigot, was right on the beach and the boardwalk and not all the folks that use the park are on the up and up. The kids couldn’t play without us completely cleaning the beach area first and sandals were a must. Not the kind of place you can leave even a pair of shoes out for the night, they’d be picked off immediately. And the main thoroughfare highway, you guessed it, right next to Bolsa Chica.

Huntington Beach itself however, is the quintessential surfing destination; an endless summer dream of tanned surfers of all ages and makes in wetsuits, cruiser bikes and vans. The CA cuisine is by far our favorite so far; fresh veggies and seafood combinations with island flare, SO good. There are several preserve areas on the bay side and tide pools within 10 miles of HB, always fun to see the different critters and birds in these places.

Catalina Island is half a mile away (pic from our campsite at sunset is Catalina) and can be accessed via catamaran through a couple of different outfits from Newport and Long Beach, a few miles away. Expect to pay a pretty penny, for a family of four the boat ride along will cost us about $230, this does not include food and play once you arrive. There are Living Social and Groupon coupons available if you book in advance. We weren’t able to work Catalina into our time there but we plan to head back up during our long stay in San Diego. We’re told it’s a preserved, old school 1950’s California experience. Good for kids and adults. We’re looking forward to the zip line, boat ride and the island hike!

Ann Martin

12/15/2017

Yup. We Disneylanded and had a great time doing it. The kids couldn’t believe their eyes, pretty special place.

Thanks to all the family for helping to make it happen!

Lee Anne Hille Martin. Susie Martin. Mary Miller. Katie Carol

Ann Martin

12/03/2017

Malibu. We do love you. A short visit but totally worth it. Fake snow on the pier at MALIBU FARM today (go here and get the Tumeric Coconut tea latte and anything on the menu). This place is gorgeous but the people watching is worth the price of admission. And the best part? Beach access steps away. The kids played all day, sunny and 75.

We THINK we saw Miley and Liam today headed into NOBU for lunch but we were 100 yards away and behind them but you never know...?

We stayed at the only hookup camping in town at the Malibu RV park, right off Highway 1 in town. It’s convenient and clean but the views are what you pay for ($50 a night) are stunning. The campsites are situated high above the Pacific with 24/7 views with palms and bougainvillea everywhere.
Ann and I came here sans children on a getaway last October and vowed we’d come back, didn’t know it’d be so soon.

Up next? Disneyland (sshhhh).

Ann Martin