Camping at Gualala River Redwood Park

 We had the opportunity to camp in Gualala, California over our Labor Day Weekend. A few days before the weekend started, we got a text from one of our friend's saying that a family backed out of the camping trip and they had an extra space for us. We had just gotten our camper back and were itching to go camping so it worked out perfectly!The drive was insane. We decided to take an "alternative route" which (we later found out) was meant for sport bikes. Imagine poor Ethan having to deal with the stress of driving our giant truck and camper on tiny, gravel roads. There were a lot of one lane roads and several points where I could look down and see rocks falling. Add some crazy, windy curves and you've got yourself a sick stomach and a nice headache. After three hours of driving, we arrived at our campsite. It was small, but gorgeous. We were surrounded by tall redwoods and within walking distance there was a river.We spent the next three days with three other families. The kids played their brains out and we spent most of our time huddled around a campfire sharing stories and laughs. It was pretty cold since we were minutes from the beach. (It's still mind blowing for me every time I'm at the coast...to think that I'm at the edge of our country is pretty cool.) Our travel trailer was amazing. I loved that we had a space of our own amongst all the tall Redwood's. It was warm and comfortable. The other families would joke around and say stuff like, "Have fun sleeping in your condo!" Nonetheless, this trip definitely confirmed our love for the trailer. No more uncomfortable air mattresses. :)We had no cell phone service which was amazing. We all kept saying that normally we would have our phone glued to our hands. It was a refreshing time to just step back from the busy of life and just hang out. All these pictures are kind of random. I didn't take near as much as I normally do and I think that followed suit with the desire to set technology aside. I'm learning to be in the moment instead of merely capturing it. However, I still am posting a bunch of pictures so this is kind of a long post! Hopefully this will give you the camping itch. There's still time to go before fall arrives. :)

Travel Trailer Progress: New Paint

My motivated husband spent this weekend re-painting our old camper. It was absolutely filthy after our camping trip and so we had to wash it down before painting. I was pretty giddy because I've never been to a car wash where you do everything yourself lol. We couldn't paint together since one of us had to watch Kaiden, but it took Ethan about 2 hours to tape and paint. He did a FANTASTIC job and I couldn't be happier with the results!We will be adding a thick stripe just under the windows but I'm not sure what color we will do. I'm leaning towards more earthy tones since the inside will be decorated as such. As much as I would love to do a crazy design, it will be extremely difficult to tape and paint it ourselves with all the ridges that make up the siding.Some internal work that Ethan will be doing is replacing our water tank. He already re-wired some of the electrical work and replaced some old wooden boards. He is also working to ensure the stove and shower/toilets are working properly. I painted some cabinets with chalkboard paint but I will have to post those pictures later.Some short term decorating goals I have...

• paint one of the inside walls with color to add some pop
•  make cushions for the dining area
• makes curtains
• find rugs for the inside
• spray paint ugly, gold light fixtures
• replace headboard fabric
• switch out some knobs

Some long term decorating goals...

• redo back splash
• change flooring

 What color do you think we should paint the stripe? Comment below and let me know what you think!

We Bought A Camper!

Yesterday, I wrote about how we purchased a travel trailer. We just got it back from the RV service center so that we can use it in time for this weekend's camping trip! This is a 1964 Kencraft trailer with a shower, bathroom, bed and kitchenette. It's definitely "vintage" but that's why I love it. I didn't want something new and I'm glad Ethan was on board with it too...in fact, he is the one that found this one! The first thing he told me is that I can decorate it however I want!!!! Considering it's age, it's been well kept but it could definitely use some personal touches. Unfortunately, I've had a bad string of unsuccessful thrifting days when it comes to finding items for this trailer. I have a certain vision for it and can't quite find what I'm looking for. Re-decorating this bad boy will definitely be a slow process but I'm excited to be able to document the transformation. There are SO many amazing re-vamped trailers out there...the possibilities are endless!We wanted to buy a travel trailer for several reasons...our biggest reason was portability. By owning a trailer, the possibilities to travel are limitless since we are eliminating hotel fees and always having to eat out. (I definitely sound like retired people haha.) I've always wanted to take a trip up and down the California coast and now we can, at our own pace and speed. We also take a lot of surf trips. Our favorite beach is a 1.5 hour drive because of all the mountains you have to drive through. We end up spending the whole day there, still wishing we didn't have to leave. Now we can surf all weekend! Also, camping is definitely now more feasible with our crazy toddler. We can still embrace the wilderness while having a little space to call our own. Check out the pics and let me know if you have any decorating ideas! Did I mention that we got this trailer for $600? This particular model is typically $2,000 on Craigslist. I love that my husband is such a great negotiator!