We grabbed a few maps from the lobby and decided to check out the farmer’s market. At the market we grabbed a couple baked goods then drove back downtown. Again we parked at the hotel.  This time we walked the entire length of Water St. We bought a board game, some books, and some local soaps. We enjoyed browsing the Celtic shop, an importer of woodwork, and the wooden boat shop at the end of the street. We had lunch at Nifty Fifties, which is just what it sounds like: a fifties diner. The service was quick and the food was good.

After lunch we walked back to our car, ready for a cider tour. We chose to hit all three cideries: Alpenfire (formerly Wildfire), Eaglemount, and Finn River. The hostess (and co-owner) of Alpenfire was very nice and answered all our questions from organic tree growing to her travels in Europe to study cider history. The selection was the smallest (3 ciders) and the tasting fee the most expensive ($6). They also don’t apply the fee towards purchase (the other 2 do and are $5 per tasting). We picked up a bottle of their Spark cider, which was the sweetest.

Next on the list was Eaglemount. The brewer makes both ciders and wines. I think there were 6 cider varieties, all of them were good. We particularly liked their pear and raspberry-apple cider. The ginger was also notable. The host (owner) was again very nice and talked to us about his apple selection and his 100+ year old homestead.

Last was Finn River. Their variety was the largest, having both ciders and brandies. We got to taste them all even though we arrived 15 minutes before they closed. I particularly liked the Apple-Blueberry cider. We learned about their farm and cidery and had a great time. It was easily the hippest of 3 we visited. The owners were young and doing cool things with their ciders and spirits as well as their orchards and farms.

It was getting close to dinner time so we headed back into town. We walked around a little more and settled on a Thai restaurant downtown. The food was good and the service was great as well. We retired after dinner to play our new board game before bed.

The next morning we drove the historical building tour suggested by Richard at the front desk of our hotel. It took about 45 minutes and we saw over 50 locations. It was definitely worth the time. For fun we picked up some flyers from houses for sale and even drove out to the lighthouse in Fort Worden.

And now, on to us. This weekend we stained our upper deck and rearranged our kitchen and office area. The deck stain was the final step in our upper deck makeover that included new paint and a fancy new cedar plank ceiling. The staining is also part of a larger project: staining all our decks and bridge, as well as painting the handrails. If I’m lucky I might get some pictures up soon.

This term I am taking my first sustainability class as part of my MBA at Marylhurst. It is called Resource Economics and I am enjoying the class. Just the other day my professor pointed me toward Governing the Commons by Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom. Now that book is on my list too.

Do you have any book suggestions that go along with sustainability, gardening, or living green? I would love to hear about good books you recommend.

I recently saw a movie that really inspired me to focus on the planet. It is called Deep Green and is produced by a fellow Oregonian. He lives in a net zero carbon footprint house that I also had the chance to tour. The movie focuses on carbon emissions as the major downfall of our planet. Throughout the movie, the author showcases ways that governments, cities, and individuals are making a difference. Everyone can do something. As part of a team project at school, I videotaped myself changing out an old lightbulb for a new CLF bulb. We are putting together videos from everyone in the group and then calculating the effect of just one or two bulbs.

I came across a book that looks really good too. It is called Modern Homestead and is written by another Portlander, who keeps up a great blog. I haven’t read it yet but hope to read it before an interview I am doing with the author early next month.

I have been too busy to spend time on the Ghia. But, I have been thinking about it. At the house tour I mentioned above, there were several electric cars, one being a full electric VW Beetle (the original Beetle). I had been thinking about putting a TDI engine in the Ghia but electric would be even better. I wonder if anyone gives grants or sponsorship for electric car conversions. I think an electric Ghia would be the ultimate combination of classic styling and modern technology. I need to do alot of research but I am sure it can be done.

Speaking of other projects, I have a confession to make. For a couple reasons, we sold our beloved Volkswagen Bus. The time and money was right, plus it was going to another great family. We felt so much pride seeing someone else thoroughly love what we had done. After all, the rebuild was a bonding experience for me in many ways. I really got to know my best friend, wife, and the Volkswagen community at large through the restoration process. That is a major reason why we are getting another project car. This time I chose a 1972 VW Karmann Ghia. This project should test me in many new ways and should be a blast. We haven’t officially picked it up yet, but that should happen this weekend.

Our house is also keeping us busy. We have done many updates from recessed lighting to paint to insulation. A big project we are working on now is a garden space. Currently, there is an old shed in the way that we are trying to move. Once moved, we are going to put down river rock and build raised beds. I want to install a couple rain barrels on the downspouts to keep the garden watered during the summer months. We are planning a berry patch of sorts for blueberries and raspberries as well.

Stay tuned for LOTS of car updates as well as progress on the garden.

We have really enjoyed preparing for the holiday season this year. Claire is loving all the holiday decorations and traditions. Even Madeline enjoys the Christmas music and lights. We are enjoying three days of Christmas and will be spending Christmas Day at our house with just us. It should be really fun and stress free.

I have started posting some pictures on Flickr and can feel myself getting addicted. You can check out my photos here. I am just starting to upload pictures but please have a look and let me know what you think. I have to relearn how to post pictures here but I will some up soon.

It’s good to be back.

On our first morning a couple more friends came over for a nice brunch. French toast casserole, eggs, and fruit were in order. We took our time catching up and talking about movies and our childhoods. Lunch rolled around and we were ready for some In-n-Out Burger. We were headed for Santa Cruz and the beach. It was much cooler along the beach and much windier. We only stayed at the first beach long enough for a couple pictures and to dip our toes in the cold ocean. The next stop was much better with the aid of some large rocks to block the wind. We had a great time building sand castles, exploring the tide poles, and relaxing in the sun. We finished the day with some delicious Thai food and a movie.

The last day was spend in San Francisco and in San Francisco traffic. We had grand plans to walk the Golden Gate park and spend the afternoon at Point Reyes. We did enjoy the park. We saw turtles, egrets, ducks, and koi. The park is far too big to explore in a couple hours and we had plans. Unfortunately, the traffic heading north was at a crawl. We finally made it across the bridge but too late to travel further north. We did head up to a viewpoint made out of an old World War II lookout post. The weather again was spotless but a little windy. We could see the whole city and Alcatraz in the distance. The drive home was less painful and we relaxed while watching some TV and eating ice cream.

Monday was a driving day but we took it a little slower. We stopped in Ashland to play at a park and stopped at the in-laws for dinner. It felt great to be home after such a long weekend. We had a great time with friends and really enjoyed the warm weather. San Jose, we can’t wait to be back!

Even Madeline enjoyed the beach and couldn’t help crawling through the warm dry sand. The bus drove well, with only a couple small hiccups just before Tillamook. I pulled over briefly and filled the tank in Tillamook and the problem didn’t come back. We got some good shots of the bus with the ocean in the background. The girls love seeing out the windows so well. Now when we drive in the bus, Claire always asks if we are going to the beach.

We headed down to Eugene early Saturday morning. We made it to Westmoreland Park around 9 for a quick warm up round of disc golf. After playing, we headed east of Springfield to a home made course laid out on 26 acres in the hills. The course layout was unique with only 9 holes. Each hole was approached from two directions making a total of 18 holes. We played the full course twice and had a great time. BBQed burgers and home brew for lunch and we were in paradise. The weather was fantastic and the company was great too.

We stayed at a friends Saturday night and went bowling. We got up early the next morning too. We had just enough time to catch a memory round at our home course of Willamette Park in Corvallis. This is the course I learned to play on and have played several tournaments on. It was great playing a round here even though we both shot well above our best.