Green Christmas: A Traveler's Wishlist

This is one of the Christmas lists from last year, but all of the links are updated and on point. I still think Paige's list has lots of great ideas on it! Plus, now she travels for work all of the time, so the description fits her better than ever. 

Paige Greene is an adventurer. She has traveled to see us in California and Seattle, and I love to hear about her adventures. Paige has noticed some things about her trips though:

"I realized that when I travel, I am basically an eco-terrorist. My goal is always to take things with me that I can throw away or leave behind so I have more space in my suitcase; hopefully on my next trip I can avoid that practice and just learn to use the space I have."

I love that she is thinking about this, because I am trying to figure it out as well! Paige put some awesome gift ideas for travelers like her on her Christmas gift list:

Re-useable Travel Bottles
Headphones
Packing Cubes
Luggage Tags
Walking Shoes
Ostrich Pillow

I love her ideas, and I think a lot of these suggestions would make perfect Christmas gifts that the receiver can enjoy over and over again. As per usual, Paige will do a good chunk of the talking, and I will chime in.

Bottles for Shampoo, Body Wash, Etc.- "Usually I end up buying cheap plastic ones at a dollar store (almost always made in China) and then I throw them away at the end of my trip. I know there are some silicon ones out there that look pretty nice. The cuter the better, because if they’re actually worth something than I won’t feel like I need to throw it away! Bonus points if I can put them in the dish washer."

My Ideas- First of all, Paige, I have obsessed over this same issue! I get why we use tiny bottles when we travel, but those tiny bottles create so much pointless waste. Why not get something refillable and just put in the shampoo you already like and use? And why don't hotels put in the pumps rather than those tiny obnoxious bottles? We can do better!

from amazon

There are plenty of great options- these ones look the cutest to me. I love the bright colors (that can help keep the different contents straight) and the wide openings, so no one has to waste bunch of time trying to get the shampoo back out. There is plenty of variation on this basic setup, and I am willing to guess most come from the same factory. It's not a perfect solution, but if a person uses these instead of travel shampoos every trip, I think the plastic saved would be perfect. This one is called a Vital Travel Buddy, and they come in cooler colors.

We actually got a set of these last year for Christmas (as did Paige) and they have turned out pretty handy? We brought them with us on a big trip, and it was too long for them to last the whole time. I would recommend traveling with them inside a bag (we use biobags) in case the hard top pops off the soft body. It happened to us once, so learn for our foolishness.

Eco Tools makes travel bottles out of recycled plastic, which makes a lot of good sense to me, though they would be harder to squeeze, and how would you differentiate one from another? When you gift these, maybe do it with some stickers to add on!

The Boy bought me these for my stocking last year. They are awesome. Definitely recommend if you are going this route.

If you use hard soaps and shampoos (I have been working on this), you can also get Go Tubbs which are completely recyclable and hopefully keeps you from the tiny dove soaps and all that packaging.

from amazon

Headphones- "This is more an ethical issue I have than an environmental one. I would like a nice, sturdy pair of headphones that can cancel jet-noise (I am somehow always right by the engine). Who is making American-made headphones that aren’t ridiculously overpriced?"

My Ideas- I recently bought 2 different pairs of headphones that use less plastic and more Earth-friendly materials. The big winners turned out to be House of Marley headphones, which are made of FSC wood, recycled plastic, and recyclable materials. They even come with really smart storage pockets (especially for travel). They are pretty dodgy about where they are manufactured (it looks like China?), so I am not super optimistic about that, but they seem to me to be the best of a bunch of junky options. The on-ear option is also gorgeous to look at, and they make it with eco-friendly materials.

We also tried Symphonized NRG headphones as well, but I thought House of Marley came out as the winner.

For long flights, SleepPhones look like the most comfortable option for headphones, and they consist of all recycled materials!

Packing Cubes- "Because an organized traveler is a happy traveler. Plus, this is one more tool to help avoid the end-of-trip-purge."

from Ouch Pouch Shoppe

My Ideas- I honestly had pretty bad luck trying to find packing cubes made of recycled material or even made in the US, but I am not giving up! Blue Ridge Overland Gear sells eco-friendly packing cubes all made in the US, so they are the big winner! Beckel Canvas Products makes some luggage pieces that I think would work well for this purpose as well.

I did find tons of great travel pouches, which I think could definitely make a traveler both happy and organized. I would suggest Ouch Pouch Shoppe as a first stop, because you can get tons of variation in size to find what works for you. The other really great place to start looking is Maptote, who has pouches in all sorts of sizes. Some are pretty sweet and cute, like this floral pouch. I like these simple pouches from Archival Clothing (I like all their bags, but the pouches help in this case).

from rockcycleonline

from Off Chutes

Luggage Tags- "To replace the cheap plastic ones the study abroad office hands out to freshmen." 

My Ideas- This is such a fun Christmas gift, because you can find any luggage tag out there! Small, practical, and you can find one that perfectly fits the traveler in your life that you love. I have two I love so much (and are both recycled!) that I can't decide which I would pick- this glamorous Michael Bolton tag (I can hear him singing about Captain Jack Sparrow) from rockcycleonline and these bright, eye-catching (which is important!) geometric tags from Off Chutes. 

from Wanderlust Woodworks

You can also buy leather tags from RSVP Handcrafted, Holtz Leather, and Wanderlust Woodworks (this one reminds me of Paige). This one is made of recycled wood. You can even get tags made out of sailboat sails! Don't see one that fits? No problem! There are tons on Etsy to browse through.

Shoes- "Toms are great, but they don’t have a lot of support. I need something that doesn’t scream “tourist” but still has the comfort of a tennis shoe."

My Ideas- I feel like a good walking shoe that doesn't look like a tennis shoe is a pretty wide category, and it can be tough, but I did find a few options. I can't vouch for the long term comfort of these beyond the reviews, but you know what works for you (or you can ask the traveler in your life).

Toms are beloved by people who have them, and their one for one arangement is pretty cool, but they are criticized for not using fair trade labor practices. If you want some casual shoes with more developed and ethical approaches to their factories, I would suggest Oliberte or Sole Rebels. Check out their Urban Runners. Natural World prioritizes eco-friendly shoes as well.

from zappos

The Munro American is mostly a work shoe, and I think the black looks that way, but I like the maroon color. If it can stand up to a long work day, it can probably stand up to a long walking tour too!

If you want to do something a little more girly, I did find Made in the USA ballerina flats. Tic Tac Toes makes plain leather flats that look adorable and i bet would greatly outlast all those pairs I used to buy at Payless (oh Payless cheap shoes, I really will miss you).

Frye's American-made shoes are mostly known for their boots, but they do sell a few designs of lace up leather shoes that might be a grown up alternative to the Chucks that a grown man could wear all the time. Still has a slightly playful feel, but a little more mature for sure. Again, not cheap, but they are leather not canvas, so they will probably last a lot longer

As a side note, if you are the kind of person who wants some straight up walking or tennis shoes, shop New Balance! They are the only athletic shoe company that still manufactures in the United States, so the shoes haven't traveled long distances. They have had some weird moments politically lately, so I feel a little split, but if you believe in American manufacturing, they are your shoe. These ones are so ugly I find it endearing. I imagine them with a 1980's power suit.

Ostrich Pillow- "I can’t believe there isn’t someone on etsy making these! I don’t care how dorky they look. If I’m on a red eye, I will do whatever it takes to get some sleep."

from 6sqft.com

My Ideas- Whoa, Paige. You actually use this? I had to look it up, and I feel I am appropriately horrified/ filled with awe and respect. You do you. I also don't understand how the hand part helps. But I also agree, sleep is always worth silliness. That being said, I can't find anything like this on etsy (or anywhere else for that matter), but I did find one gem of a travel pillow.

from biomed design

This biomed design travel pillow doesn't have the pizzazz of an Ostrich pillow, but it does promise cervical support, and whose cervix couldn't use a little more support? Bonus points for weirdness. It also does look pretty comfy and might support your head a few different ways because of its shape, so it has some flexibility depending on how your traveler likes to sleep.

A Few More Gift Ideas for the Traveler in your Life

from Push Pin Travel Maps

Travel Maps- I think this gift idea kicks ass. When you love to travel, you are always plotting your next trip and reminiscing about trips before. I love these pushpin maps, that a traveler can put up on their wall to track where they've been and dream of where they will go next. If you have a traveler, domestic or international, I think this is a perfect gift for them. My favorite are Kristin Douglas Art maps, which are fun to scratch off and look absolutely beautiful. She is one of my Etsy favorites.

This map, from Push Pin Travel Maps, has that super fun side, but it also comes in more subdued, adult colors. I think it might make a perfect combination to have up on a wall. I also LOVE this flat, graphic version from Rasure Prints LLC in black and an "adventure awaits" white version from Paper Planes Prints. Map Republic sells a brighter, more playful version. JW Designs has a really wide variety to choose from too.

Luggage- Yes, It's perhaps on the obvious side, but if the person you love has a bag on its last legs, you might be able to ease it into retirement. Luggage, as a rule, is crazy expensive, but it is also almost always in thrift shops. You might be able to find a bag that only needs a teeny bit of coaxing to be awesome.

from Tough Traveler

If you can't find anything on that level used (or you are looking for a big spender type gift), you can also find every option you would need made in the US. For large duffels and rolly bags, you can get great options from Tough Traveler (I bought one of these bags as a gift a few years ago, and I think it went over pretty well). Filson sells all sorts of American-made bags (roller and duffle) at a higher price point. If you want to have a heart attack or you discovered gold in your backyard, check out the rolling luggage from Ghurka.

For travel bags and duffle bags (like a carry on), Equinox sells sportier eco-friendly duffles between 40 and 100 dollars. Duluth Pack also sells  gorgeous duffel travel bags and garment bags. Wood and Faulk makes leather and canvas duffle bags and totes- on the steep side, but they might be great if you just want one very reliable bag to keep forever. 

From millscanvas

For travel backpacks and small totes  (a personal item), I love these "flight bags" from Wm J Mills Canvas. It's 140, so not cheap, but you can poke around and find some other bags as well. Backpacks from Topo Designs in Denver, Colorado come in around the same price point, but it might be just what your seasoned traveler needs. I also love the Chester Wallace backpacks and totes, which are handmade in Portland, Oregon and look tough enough to withstand lots of travel. Duluth Pack sells travel packs as well.

Lens Sleeves- If someone travels with a nice camera, this gift could help them keep their lenses clean while in transit. Simple idea, but it makes a big difference! 

Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

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6 Things from this Weekend- San Francisco Edition

1.Nostalgia Food- It's amazing how many of the things we miss from our five years in California are edible (also, my dentist and lady doctor- less edible, equally amazing). We drove all over the Bay getting our favorite sandwiches and paella, and it made for such a fun (and filling) weekend. I may never need to eat again, but I am sure the fetus would object. It really highlights a downside of eating local- when you go, you really miss the food!

2. Awe-inspiring Recycling- Rather than toss their horrible hotel art, the hotel we stayed at ingeniously re-used their pictures of flowers and columns to decorate their underground parking garage. I want to give whoever thought of this a hug, because it is both eco-friendly and hilarious.

3. Getting to put my Shoulders out there- I love the off the shoulder trend, but it is hard to pull off as a prego. This is a non-maternity, Made in the USA My Space dress (super affordable), sized up one size and cinched with a belt. I think it looked pretty cute in my second trimester, though now in my third it is really being put through it. Still, if you are like me and want one ruffly thing, this could be it

4. First Drawing as a Family of Four- Yes, Scorpion is a Scorpion. Still, pretty cute!

5. The Science of Sharing at the Exploratorium- This science center always has a space for social phenomena and learning, and right now the exhibit is about how and when people help each other and share. It was both depressing at times and really uplifting in others. It also made me feel really grateful for all the sharing cultures I have seen taking place. I truly believe God designed us to share as humans, and that if we want to do His will, we should give what we have constantly. It's interesting to see the instincts of self-preservation that keep us all from that goal, but I am going to keep trying and I hope you will too.

6. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge- The last time we did this, we were moving away from the Bay Area, driving up the coast to move to Seattle. I was also pregnant with The Bub, but I wouldn't find out for another week. It's only been 2 and a half years, but it does feel so much longer. Anyway, it was good to revisit the bridge with Baby in tow, and I felt way more choked up about the whole thing than I expected to.

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Picture of the Week- Open your Golden Gates

We took a quick trip to San Francisco and the Bay Area this weekend to see some old friends and eat. Like a babymoon where you bring your spawn along. This is one of the beaches I came to when grad school stuff fell apart. Amazing how different life is now.

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My Ten Tips for Traveling while Pregnant

On Monday, I took my last flights as a pregnant lady at about 30 and a half weeks (I could probably still fly for another week or two, but it depends on what my doctor would say). I love traveling, pregnant or not, but there are a few things you have to keep in mind a little more when you are carrying your parasite inside of you.

Obviously, everyone's really different, and the experience of pregnancy differs hugely from prego to prego, so giving this kind of advice comes with the caveat that none of it will work for everyone, not to mention some people's doctors do put the kibosh on travel. Do what works for you, but this is what I have learned while traveling (we took one trip to Nashville, 3 trips to Pennsylvania, one trip to Baltimore, one to LA, one to New Orleans, and a few small road trips) during my own pregnancy.

1. When you are thinking about it, just do it- You aren't dying, you aren't diseased, you are just pregnant. If your doctor says it's fine, then it is, so go do something that will be harder once baby comes. There is always a reason not to travel, and this counts, but the person you are robbing is yourself. Take a roadtrip. Fly to see a family member you miss. Go on a completely pointless adventure. Plan a trip worth being excited about.

Travel can disrupt two emotional symptoms of being pregnant: first, it is easy to get in a planning holding pattern, where you are so focused on what is coming in weeks or months that you don't enjoy the present. This time is so great, so enjoy it! Also, being pregnant can become a myopic endeavor, because your body is constantly coming up with new, often gross, ways to keep it interesting. Between the constant tectonic shifts in your midsection and the fears, plans, and dreams attached to the future, it is all too easy to fixate. Plan other things, because it will give your brain a baby break.

2. When you plan, buy aisle seats and pick roads with rest stops- If you are planning ahead, you don't know for sure how much your body will be a peeing machine. It is the simplest switch, but aisle seats protect you from having to keep pushing annoyed seatmates out of their comfort zone. Nobody likes that person, and nobody wants to be that person. If you can count on one thing in pregnancy, it's peeing.

3. When you plan, give yourself a little extra time- On a related note, depending on where you are and how your pregnancy is treating you, more time is kinder. You may not be able to do the span of the US in 3 days like you could, and if you try, you will make yourself miserable. A lot of pregos also advocate for rest as a key part of pregnancy transit and visits- I have never found that I need a ton of down time, but it certainly can be nice. Longer layovers can be nice too, so you don't have to worry about long runs through airports (I think I did it twice while pregnant, and it wasn't so bad, but I bet I would have wanted to skip it in the moment if I could).

4. When you pack, keep your lifting limits in mind- A bunch of smaller things trumps 1 big thing when you have to carry it. By late in your second trimester, you are probably enough woman that carrying a big bag, even if it is light, can be a monumental task. For me, it also meant cutting down the weight I carried on my back over the course of the day. It's not something to obsess over, and honestly people will probably help, but if you can strategize to be kind to yourself, just do so.

5. When you get ready, wear whatever will make you comfy-Oh, your cute days in the airport might not be over, but your days wearing tight jeans to fly definitely are. My current theory is that about 70-80% of what you buy as a prego should be soft and stretchy. A maxi skirt, leggings, and a t-shirt worked well for me, but I would just encourage you to cut anything that is going to bug you after 5 hours in an uncomfortable seat (or puts pressure on your bladder. No one needs to help you pee). This works for car trips as well. Sitting too long is never good when you have a bowling ball up front, so anything you can do to make yourself comfortable, just do it.

6. When you get ready, pack an extra empty water bottle and a bottle of Purell- Just because you are having a travel day doesn't mean you should give up on drinking your weight in water. We have started bringing an old bottle with us and filling it up in airports so we have water on flights, not just the wimpy glass they give you. In the same way, you can refill your water bottle at reststops as you drive. Also, bring something to sanitize your hands, because public bathrooms come with so many quirks (and germs). If you have your ID, water, and purell, you have everything you need. The water may seem to encourage the peeing problem, but it's a good thing because...

7. When you are traveling, walk around whenever you have a chance and treat your body kindly- Walk. Get up and move around. This is the nicest thing you can do for yourself, so when you can, just move around a little.

8. When you are traveling (and you want a good laugh), drink a cold pop- I don't know if this works for everyone, but since I only let myself have a pop when I fly, Bumbo Baby is crazy impressed by the blast of cold sugar. Sometimes because we run around so much on travel days, it just feels good to have him dancing around to let me know he is in there, fine, and having quite the fanta-inspired partytime. If you need that little bit of encouragement that everybody is fine, I recommend this trick.

9. When you are traveling, buy snacks! Never go without them- By the end of a five hour flight or a long stretch of road, I am super hungry. I may even get a little hangry, which is way out of character for me. Don't risk the anger, just have pretzels or crackers or an apple or something. I won't judge you for what you pick, but I do think a little snack can take things to a much happier place.

10. When you are traveling, look around and notice all the babies traveling with their parents, and feel happy- Traveling is as much about making priorities as anything else. Just like with pregnancy, your ability to travel with baby is dependent on a bunch of factors you can't control, but it isn't entirely out of your hands either. If it is what you want to do, you probably can! So feel encouraged that other people are making it happen for their families, so you aren't stuck on Baby Island forever (and for that matter, neither is Baby).

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Today's Inspiration- Maxime du Camp

Do you ever read about early travel photographers and jut think we should all be traveling all the time, because contemporary travel's demands are so easy and cheap compared to what people went through to see the world? Go read about Maxime du Camp, who was pretty rich to begin with, and you will know exactly what I am talking about. He was one of the first to publish pictures of his travels in his travel books (I wonder what he would think of the world now).

 It took a whole team of people to create each of these images; they had their own tent to process the photographs and they basically learned exposure and timing through trial and error (gah, 19th c. photographers had it rough!). When Maxime du Camp began to sell these images, he became rich and famous overnight. Imagine that no one had ever seen photographic images of Egypt before, just drawings and paintings (now I wonder if the ubiquity of these images actually keeps people from going and experiencing the world themselves- it's not the same).

 This is some of his photography from Egypt.

Cidi's Tomb, Upper Egypt, around 1850- from theredlist.com

Abu Simbel, 1850- from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1981.1229.2

Untitled, 1849- from http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/10/30/the-birth-of-travel-photography-du-camp-and-flauberts-1849-trip-to-egypt

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My Favorite Things from our Quick Trip to New Orleans

1. Collaborative Packing- This fine art nearly transforms the chore into fun. Nearly. I feel like we will spend the rest of our life perfecting the strategy and getting our time down. I think we have finally reached the point where it takes more time to unpack than to pack, but we still overpack every single time. Does anyone have any tricks for this?
2. Horse paintings- On Thursday, I genomed a lot of beautiful things from a gallery in Hong Kong, and was shocked just how often horse paintings still came up (historically, it makes sense, but horses still dominate the contemporary work as well). Jack Donaghy would approve (especially if you threw in some ship paintings).
3. Green Onion- Makes anything instantly seem super fresh.
4. The African Cafe in the Seattle Airport- On Friday morning when we walked by, "Circle of Life" was playing. That is how legitimately "African" this restaurant is. Also, they don't sell any actual African food.
5. Spiderman kid in the Houston Airport- I am not impressed by the Bush Airport; there are no maps, it makes no sense, and they only put moving walkways in places where you do not need them. It actually seems to want to impede your  ability to make decisions (we can all just imagine the political joke that will get me angry family emails here). Truly, this airport is a mess. On the other hand, there was a kid (in a suit no less) who was doing spin moves and casting webs all over the place. Why didn't Sartre say "Heaven is other people, at least the ones pretending to be Spiderman"?

6. Our First Kitchen Nightmares Restaurant- How did we kick off our trip to the Big Easy? By going to the place where the owner threatened to feed Gordon Ramsey to the alligators. And we ate alligator. The Boy read that the busy idiot brother is no longer attached and the place is pretty good now. I have fried oysters, and they were awesome, so I agree, though Gordon would not like the pictures in the menu. Also, we had the first of MANY super kickass New Orleans servers.

7. Late Night Beignets at Cafe du Monde- We planned on going for breakfast, but we just happened upon the cafe on our first walk around the French Quarter (drunks, but mostly sloppy not belligerent or angry), so we went for it. It reminded me of those dates  you go on where you are having such a great time that you add another activity on to the end. Just the kind of business you can't pull with spawn, and therefore a perfect part of our babymooning.

8. New Orleans Cemeteries- I knew that New Orleans funerals were these kind of joyful, musical events, but the cemeteries are also amazing. Like beautiful little death cities. Apparently because of where the city is built, bodies will eventually float back up if you bury them in the ground, which sounds pretty horrible for everyone involved. So this solution proves to be creepy and beautiful, while avoiding the body floating which is plenty creepy, but not beautiful.

9. Creole Tomatoes- I love a tomato, and love a tomato salad even more. I wanted to try the creole tomato, because it has a reputation for being really sweet and delicious. It reminded me of tomatoes people grew in Pennsylvania, but it still made me happy.
10. New Orleans Service- Almost all of our servers were awesome. We were nervous to go to Commander's Palace (we just feel like posers at fancy places), but the whole jazz brunch had a fun playful atmosphere, and our server was funny, odd, and really welcoming. God bless a server who can see you are pregnant and comes up with some cocktail ideas for you. Also, her food runner had a ridiculous mustache, kept dancing when he thought people weren't looking, and requested the band play slayer. He also gave the Boy a hat for finishing his dessert. I guess the focus on really capable and warm servers makes sense with the Southern hospitality deal, but it still caught us by surprise.

11. Pag's future career- Commander's Palace (and many other local restaurants) has a jazz brunch where a small ensemble plays while you eat. I can totally imagine Bullyhill Brass doing it, and we heard so many songs that I mostly have only heard my relatives play, so that was exciting.
12. Dude Pool- I was so excited to go swimming (seriously, the best feeling ever to walk into the pool right now), but it turned out to be very busy in the afternoon (despite the impending thunderstorm). It was busy with dudes, looking for hot girls in swimsuits. The ratio of men to women was like 10 to 1 (and most of the women were older or me), and the bros were each pretty bro-ish. Two women were at the pool, and I saw the men kind of circling, but neither woman looked all that interested. The Boy says New Orleans serves as the Las Vegas of the East, and it did have large collectives of dudes, but I have to believe Las Vegas pools are luckier for the men. Also, I would like to be a yenta and just brazenly force people's love connections.
13. Pregnancy stories- People in New Orleans were really friendly and ready to share their own pregnancy and delivery tales. My favorite/ the most traumatizing was told to us by a girl in a candy store, whose cousin gave birth to triplets when they thought she was only expecting one baby. I do not understand how this could possibly happen, but it is truly horrifying.
14. The Besh and his hair- We went to a John Besh restaurant, and they have all of his cookbooks right up front, so in case you didn't know before, you are eating a beautiful person's food. Also, the food was delicious. Best pasta ever (with more tomatoes!).

15. Street musicians who are really freaking good- the majority of the Seattle street musicians play acoustic guitars and mumble. On our last night, we just walked around the city, and we came across the best trio ever (though Nick felt they played the same song too long). One of my favorite moments of the whole trip.
16. D2, DC, and too much time in the airport- We showed up at the New Orleans Airport 2 hours before our flight (our standard time) at 11 AM. We were through security at 11:06. The terminal only had 12 gates. We perhaps made a mistake, but we had a fun time doing laps in the airport, because we are weird like that.
17. Pens that explode- About once a year, I have a pen destroy my hands, some chunk of clothing I am wearing, and The Boy's fledgling belief that I am sort of like an adult. It's worth it to use nice pens, not horrible ones like he does.
18. The Sadness of a Trip being over being Replaced by the Comfort and Drive of getting back home- I think we get sad every time we have to leave, and this trip was perhaps even worse, because we knew we wouldn't be adventuring again any time soon. But you get home, and you can be in your own bed,  and you start checking things off your list, and it mostly feels really good. Back to work!

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Today's Inspiration- Umbrellas in Portugal

Since we are going home to a town that is fueled by great community events and culture, I thought my inspirations this week would focus on public art in small towns. I think people who have only ever lived in big cities often (wrongly) believe that the only art-making worth seeing happens in large cities (New York and LA if they are particularly uppity), but anyone who has a smaller hometown knows this is crazy talk. Art in these kinds of spaces (like the alley murals in Franklin) can play off of collective visions and the kind of collaboration that doesn't happen in the same way in cities. Economists have also noted that investment in the arts fuel development in these places. I love seeing art pieces, monuments, temporary exhibits in smaller places, and they deserve more attention. Does anyone have any great examples of this? Please send it my way if you do!

from flickr.com

Alright, if you are on pinterest, you have probably seen this before, but you may not know the story behind it. These umbrellas go up in the streets of Agueda Portugal every July (for only 3 years.. that's how quickly it has caught on) for their arts festival- Agitagueda. To try to attract more people to their hot streets for the festival, this installation was planned to create more shade and cover the city in color. The plot has made Agueda and its once "unimportant" art scene into a bucketlis destination for pinners and art lovers alike.

from travelcommodation.com

from dailymail.co.uk

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Thoughts on Bed and Breakfasting (Or "We Just Aren't that Grown Up Yet")

 

This weekend, the Boy and I  headed up to (very) Northern California to see Redwood National Forests. We wanted to do something different, so we decided to stay at the Lost Whale Inn. It is a Bed and Breakfast which is right on the water in Trinidad. I am not sure I have ever, at least definitely not in my adult life, stayed in a Bed and Breakfast, so these are my thoughts on the whole experience.

We had to drive up to Trinidad from the city, and since we left just in time for rush hour, it took us about 7 hours. By the time we got to the B and B it was super dark, so it felt like we were just down some barren dark road. Our room was pretty little, but it was super cute and decorated in all sort of whale stuff. Clearly, whale decor is needed for a good time.

 

The next morning we woke up to a really pretty view. We were pumped for the breakfast, which is apparently why the place has such a great  reputation. It was super delicious- have you ever had peach cobbler? That shiz is delicious! Also, I have never gotten the appeal of scones- they are dry and chalky, but these ones had fresh raspberries which were awesome.

Despite the deliciosity of the breakfast, this is about the moment where we realized that perhaps Bed and Breakfast living is not for us. Do you know they expect you to  mingle? We had to share a table with another family and everyone wants to talk to everyone else. Oh boy. We were both horrified, because talking to strangers is like the least relaxing thing in the world. Don't get me wrong, we always meet people when we travel, and I generally like people. But the conversation just lasts as long as it lasts. This is more like the beginning of church camp, where you are mingling with people you are going to see the whole freaking time!

 

But did I mention how cute the room was?

 

And this is  the view from our window. It was so pretty and serene. A very different kind of beach view. You certainly complain about this, which I think is why some of the people there just kind of hang out there all day.

 

Before we headed out to see some trees, we wanted to check out the private path to the beach that the Inn's website talked about. We even heard July was the time of year where baby seals are around, so we weren't going to miss that.

 

The path was way more hardcore than we expected, and in the last 80 feet or so you have to climb down a ladder to get there. We felt like action heroes!

 

Then, suddenly you are at this gorgeous beach (it was really foggy all day which I loved). 

 

I don't have any pictures that really show it, but there were families of seals out on some of the rocks. It was very rocky, but it was just gorgeous, so I think the time we spent on the beach was worth the whole trip. And even if we winced every time the tire salesman tried to tell us about Jesus (we told him we were Episcopalean like 5 times!)- also, this is true and not an exageration or caricature.When you add in the scones, all in all it was good.

 

More pretty beach shots. 

 

Seriously! It was that good!

 

This is the Boy getting ready to master the rope ladder back up. The hike was probably 20-25 minutes, and it was so steep heading back up! It kicked our butt before we even got started!We didn't realize how tough it would be, so I feel like they should warn people more emphatically. I feel like the average age of the guests (there are only like 20 at a time) has to be 50 or so, and that is a really tough path.

At 4, the B and B has a tea time, but shucks we missed that. We were back to the Lost Whale Inn around 6:30 and a lot of the guests were all sitting out on the back porch drinking wine and talking. We friendly waved and briefly chatted about taking a lot of their advice of where to go (another plus, I guess). Then we stole a bunch of the tea time food (also delicious, but I think we can safely mark this as a less mature route than just being friendly while we eat our chocolate strawberries and asparagus toast and such). We hid in our room to eat, and it was so good we snuck down to steal more.

 

The next morning we sat with another family for breakfast, but the conversation just kept stalling. Does anyone else feel like they just run out of questions when talking to someone else? I do not have enough skills at this, and being a grad student, I find awkward silence sucks the life out of me. I didn't even feel comfortable taking a picture of our breakfast!  They wanted to talk about the massages they got the day before, but I am sorry, how much is there to be said about massages? Yes, they were great and relaxing. Isn't that nice. Blerg strangers! Why won't you let me change the topic when there is nothing left to say about how nice massages are!

 

We came back up to our room to pack up and the Boy wrote in their cutesy guest book.  It was about how we named all the whales, and if you thought they had different names you were a fool. Then we drew this picture. 

So my final thought is that we need to be more competent adults to appreciate all of the pluses of staying somewhere bed and breakfasty. Maybe I need to have a greater appreciation of massages, but I dont like staying still on trips. We are always there to explore! So, we probably won't do that one again until we master the art of conversation, learn to drink lots of wine, and stop hiding from strangers who want to talk to us. But we loved the peach cobbler, the beach, and the coziness of the room. So I feel like we failed the Lost Whale Inn, but the Lost Whale in did not fail us.

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