Food Blogging from the Road

Laura maintains a food blog with her sister at www.lowcarbsisters.com, where she publishes new material weekly.  What that means is that even when we are on the road in the motorhome, Laura is always writing, shooting photos of her work, and posting it all online for those that follow her blog.

Site #302

In true tailgater fashion, we set up the propane grill at the rear of the motorhome so Laura could work on her next food blog posting.  As one who eats Laura's creations, they are delicious.

Laura grilling her Farmer's Market finds.

Laura tops the grill grate with a pan designed for vegetables

With a couple of collapsible tables, we set up an outdoor kitchen for Laura.

The final result.

Check out Laura's story about the meal at:

http://www.lowcarbsisters.com/grilled-italian-sausages-with-sweet-peppers-and-onion/

Live well, Laugh often, Love much

Saturday Farmers Market - Port Townsend

Living with the constraints imposed by an RV sized refrigerator, we've actually converted the downside into an upside by making the quest for meal ingredients part of the adventure of being out in the motorhome.  Laura's love of cooking, combined with locally sourced meats, cheeses, breads, and produce has turned the ordinary into a much anticipated culinary treat every evening.

While much of our grocery shopping occurred at the Port Townsend Food Cooperative, Aldrich's Uptown Mini Market, Safeway, and QFC, the most fun was had visiting the Saturday Farmers Market in Uptown Port Townsend.

Farmer's Market in Uptown

In addition to the stalls selling produce, flowers, bread, meat, cheeses, art, you could also get lunch and listen to music.

Laura's creative juices were typically flowing as she thought about how to MacGyver what she found into meals.

Lots of organic produce

These were great grilled.

Lots of heirloom varieties

The colors were great

These were fun

We had been to the Farmers Market a couple of times in the past, but this was the first encounter with www.mo-chillibbq.com.  Laura says the BBQ was amazing.

Beef  Brisket BBQ

Live well, Laugh often, Love much

Port Townsend Shipyard

Boatbuilding in wood is a beautiful art form.  From commercial vessels still making a living fishing to recreational boats preserving the look and feel of another time, there is much to see when visiting this seaport.  The Port Townsend Shipyard is home to some of the best shipwrights in the Pacific Northwest.  It is a great place to see wooden boats up close.

Like glass.  A calm morning in Port Townsend.

A wooden commercial fisher still making a living

Wooden small boat

The 1890 tug Elmore.  It was in the yard in April when we visited.

The bottom planking looked much older than the black painted planks at the bow.

The bottom of Elmore being prepped for re-caulking.

Built between 1938 and 1940 in Astoria, Oregon for the USCG.

Used as a survey ship by the Geodetic Survey (now part of NOAA)

Love the classic fantail stern.

Converted fishing trawler.

The fishing schooner Cape Cleare.  Nice article at:
www.ptleader.com/news/cape-cleare-fishery-to-raise-sail/article_1c1a4da6-32ef-11e4-b8e2-0017a43b2370.html

An interesting dinghy that had once been painted all blue.

Although weathered, it is still a work of art.

Beautiful wooden sloop.

Nice details in the cabin construction.

The process of bending wood to form the graceful lines of a sailboat still seems like magic.

I spent thirteen years on wooden Sea Scout boats from sixty-three footers and thirty-four foot Chris Craft to eight foot El Toros, and graceful sloops.

I've watched this restoration for years.

Another multi-year restoration

So much skill required to produce this section of the hull.

I typically visit the shipyard in the morning just after sunrise.  The air is crisp, the water flat, and the light perfect for photos.

Live well, Laugh often, Love much

Evening Stroll and Guinea Pigs

One of the reasons we like to do an extended stay at a destination is the opportunity to adjust the pace at which we take in everything.  No longer do you have to get it all done in a day or two.  Suddenly you have time to take in the architecture, the landscaping, the decorating, and the people.

Old ferry landing.  The waterfront is great to explore in a kayak

One of the nice features of Port Townsend is the number of public piers.  They provide a wonderful chance to capture shoreline photos without having to be aboard a boat.

Looking north to the Northwest Maritime Center and Hudson Point.

One of the many small gardens sprinkled about Port Townsend

Laura just killing the Guinea Pig mask

Over the two weeks we spent in Port Townsend, we visited most shops at least once.  Looking frequently turned into buying as we always had an eye out for possible family Christmas gifts.

Live well, Laugh often, Love much

Camping in a Gravel Parking Lot

Point Hudson is a terrible place to stay, so spread the word😉. 

Office with a View

Surrounded by 270 degrees of water, situated next to a marina, and holding down one end of Water St. which runs through one of the most preserved Victoria era seaports on the west coast, Point Hudson Marina and RV Park sees a lot of business.  The sites are big rig friendly, even if the access roads are a little narrow.  I'm always hoping that the negative reviews about the park's gravel parking lot camping sites will scare off folks, but it hasn't happened yet.

The is the view out my motorhome's "office" window as I work from the road.

Typical August sunrise in Port Townsend

Parking Lot Style

By August, the grass median strips between RV sites are brown, and the gravel can be dusty if folks drive too fast.  The sewer, water, and electricity work great, and the views are spectacular.

In site #302, looking north.  Motorhome facing south overlooking the marina and into town.

Despite being August, there always seemed to be sites available during the week.  Friday and Saturday nights seem to be the gating factor if one is trying to enjoy a longer stay. 

Behind site #302

The roadside sites like #301, were even empty on Friday and Saturday nights.  Their closeness to the paved access road contributed to their lack of popularity.  If the RV park installed some fencing or better yet some plantings, it would go along way to providing folks a sense of privacy.

Site #301 next to ours was lightly used during our two-week stay.  The cones and logs helped, but folks would still use the site as a turnaround.

The tire marks in the gravel, are evidence that folks are ignoring the signs on the cones.

Restaurants and other businesses occupy the old military buildings

The two restaurants near the point contribute to the traffic and the parking problems.

Looking toward the marina and town

A view toward the breakwater and one of the boondocking sites.

The View - It's All About the Location

If you like boats, walks on the beach, and endless people-watching opportunities, then Point Hudson delivers on the promise that location is everything.  We walked every day, launched kayaks from the shore, sat on the beach watching the ferries and boats pass by, and enjoyed frequent trips into town to explore the eclectic shops.

Best breakfast at the Point Hudson Cafe.  Order the cherry, cornmeal, flapjacks.

Entrance to marina

Northwest Maritime Center

North side of the marina entrance

Looking across the tide flats to Fort Worden State Park and Point Wilson Lighthouse

The walking trail that follows the shoreline

Live well, Laugh often, Love much