Cranberry Bogs and Desserts

After a week of visiting with friends near Portland, Oregon we are back on the road. Driving south along the Oregon coast on Highway 101 we saw a 'U-Pick Cranberries' sign. Having just gotten a new recipe for cranberries and never having seen a cranberry bog we made a quick stop. 

I was expecting to be wading through standing water but apparently they only flood the bog when it's time to harvest so the berries will float to the top while the machine pulls them off the plants.

This dessert is amazing! Give it a shot. It's easy and you will love it. The original recipe calls for walnuts but I think it's much better with almonds.

Cranberry Nut Dessert

• 1 1/4 cups cranberries
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup almonds
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• Powdered sugar

1. Butter a 9-inch pie dish and cover bottom generously with cranberries. Sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts.
2. Beat egg into a small mixing bowl. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar. Beat in flour. Slowly beat in melted butter. Pour batter over berries.
3. Bake at 325 for about 40-45 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Close Encounters

We're still in Denver enjoying the comforts of living on shore. Last week we took a little trip up to South Dakota to see "the heads" and some amazing wildlife. On our way back we nearly had a close encounter of a third kind in Wyoming...

Buffalo in Custer State Park

Devil's Tower (featured in the movie: Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977)

Prayer-flags at Devil's Tower

Mount Rushmore at night

At Bear Country

From the Ocean to the Prairies

After over a week on the road we just made it to our destination of Denver, Colorado where we are visiting with Mike's family. 

We've been camping out of our mini van, for which Mike built a platform-bed after removing the two rows of back seats. All of our clothes and most gear is stored in under-bed storage bins below the platform. Even my inflatable kayak is under there! 

We visited Utah's national parks from Arches to Zion, but the highlight so far was a 10 mile paddle down the Colorado River from below the Glen Canyon dam to Lees Ferry (where the Grand Canyon begins). 

On a side note, my folks are still in Mexico on their sailboat where they just finished the fifth installment of their TV documentary series Travel Secrets Mexico. The episode about La Paz is currently airing on TV or you can watch it (and all other episodes) here.

Cooking dinner

Kayak Storage

Bryce Canyon National Park

Raven

Picking apples in Fruita

Capitol Reef National Park

Rocky Mountains

Aspen

Even more photos...

America's Cup

We just returned from a 5-day trip up to San Francisco to see the America's Cup boats. Right now is the Louis Vuitton Cup, the races that decide who goes to the America's Cup which starts in September. Long gone is the big helm to stand behind - these boats are steered with the push of a botton and are so fast the sailors have to wear helmets. 

On the way home we drove back via Highway 1. If you have not made this drive I would highly recommend it. We've made it several times and never tire of the views.

The swedish boat sliding into the finish line

San Francisco's China Town

McWay Falls in Big Sur

Mike in the waterfall at Limekiln State Park 

Our new camper van - yes it's a mini van, no we don't have any kids

Well that just flew by - a year in review

After buying and moving aboard Camille Thanksgiving 2011 we set sail for Ensenada, Mexico just a short week later. With Ensenada being just a couple of hours from the border we were able to head back to California to easily buy gear we wanted to add to Camille.

January we celebrated Mike's birthday, continued installing gear like solar panels and watermaker, got a new dinghy, explored Ensenada and made countless trips back to San Diego.

After some final trips to San Diego to buy food and to sell the van we were finally ready to leave at the end of February. At the last minute we bought a used SUP which fit perfectly under the new solar panels. On our way south along the Baja Peninsula we arrived at our first anchorage in Turtle Bay.

March and Turtle Bay brought our first storm at anchor - and a sand storm to boot! When we finally made it out of Turtle Bay we sailed for Cabo. Our first warm water destination.

In April we sailed across to Puerto Vallarta on the mainland to meet up with my parents on their boat. A couple of weeks later we headed over to Mazatlan and then back across to Baja to start exploring the Sea of Cortez.

May brought our first visitors. Together with Mike's parents we explored the national park islands near La Paz.

In June we continued exploring the Sea, but with the start of hurricane season our time was running out. We visited some great anchorages as far north as Loreto and found a new use for the SUP.

In July we made our way back to Puerto Vallarta where we would be spending hurricane season. We beat against the wind to La Paz and then back across the Sea to Mazatlan. On our way to Puerto Vallarta we came across a sea turtle entangled in derelict fishing gear and were able to set it free!

In August we explored around Puerto Vallarta and spent a lot of time at the resort's pool. We rented a car and took a roadtrip into the mountains to get away from the heat.

In September we had special guests fly in for the TV series Travel Secrets Mexico and then my mom and I flew to Germany to visit family.

We spent all of October in California. The main reason was to upgrade and renew our captains licenses but also to get away from the heat. Now we are both 100 ton nearshore masters! We lived out of a rented mini van and visited every national park from the Mexican border to Yosemite.

November was spent waiting for the heat to subside - which it eventually did - in December. We finally got a sunshade between the bimini and dodger and spent lots of time on the beach.

In December Mike won third place in a SUP race and we spent Christmas with my folks who are still here as well.

With hurricane season finally over we had planned on heading south after Christmas. Right now I'm sitting here with a bad cough and it's pouring rain. We haven't seen any rain since the end of the rainy season in September and I haven't been sick since 2011. So I guess we're not meant to go quite yet. Oh well, maybe mañana....

California

After spending the entire month of October in California we are finally on our way back to Camille in Mexico.  We made the trip up to renew our captain's licenses and while waiting for Mike to be able to take his sailing endorsement test we took a bit of a tour of California. Even though I lived in California on and off for over 15 years there is always something new to see. What an amazingly diverse state.

There were a ton of hoops to jump and endless paperwork to complete but I'm proud to announce that both of our captain's licenses have been upgraded to 100 ton near coastal masters (from 50 tons)! So, who's coming out for a sail with us!?

Update November 1: We are back on the boat and I just added October's budget our expenses page. It is not cheap to travel California during record gas prices!

Mike after SUP surfing some "epic" waves in San Diego.

Cholla Teddy Bear Cactus in the Anza Borrego Desert. Don't they look cuddly?

Joshua Tree in National Park of the same name. See our photo album for our version of the U2 album cover. :-)

Camp fire under a starry sky in Kings Canyon National Park

Mike on a Sequoia Tree in Sequoia National Park (yes, that is a life-size Mike)

Our rented "camper" van (just add air mattress and down comforter) in Agua Caliente Hot Springs

Bee hive and Sequoia tree

Yosemite's Half Dome at sunset

Mono Lake

Buckeye Hot Springs

Wild Animal Park (now called San Diego Zoo's Safari Park). Thanks for a fun day Sandy!

Riding bikes in Venice Beach.

Tons more photos of our trip to California...