camping tips from a pro...well,not really

hey guys! i thought it would be fun to talk a bit about some of the things that tom and i have learned about camping that have helped make it a bit more enjoyable and since summer is coming to an end many of you might be taking those last minute ventures into the woods.

since tom and i mostly bike camp we have to be sure we not only pack lite but that everything we bring is necessary. first, we like to start with a list. this helps a ton and since our last adventure went oh so wrong, we were determined not to forget the necessaries, like, oh,... tent poles. i know they make camping list pads but for us it isn't bike camping specific but if you are a first timer, it is always helpful to know what to bring.

once, you have compiled a list it is helpful to add things that can make the trip fun. i bought tom this awesome solar paneled crank radio and we bring it everywhere. it is perfect for hanging out by the creek and listening to some tunes! plus no batteries are needed. we also LOVE dominoes but a stack of cards is always a great idea too.

 don't forget boooooooooze!!!!!! since tom and i have to pack light, a wine bottle is just too heavy but never fear! this company makes awesome wine in a small box. it's lighter aaaand has more wine then a wine bottle, booyah baby! plus on the back of the box, it tells you 10 reasons why they rock and they are pretty much right on target ;D

rope. thank goodness tom and i at least remembered rope on our last disastrous trip otherwise we would have been sleeping under the stars and would have gotten rained on the following morning. rope is really handy for just about anything and makes for a perfect clothes line. like i have said, we have to pack light so washing our bike clothes is a good idea and saves space in our bags for other things.

lastly, baby wipes. i like to stay as clean as possible while camping and i like our "house" to stay as clean inside as possible too so when walking around the camp site in flip flops your feet can get a little dirty so wiping your feet before you get in keeps all the dirt and pine needles out of the tent. plus it is less clean up when you are packing up and heading for home. coleman makes biodegradable wipes but we ran out of time and didn't get a chance to pick them up.

i hope we can squeeze one more trip in before winter sets in, typing this out really made me want to go asap. i would love to hear if you have any other tips too!
xo,
cb

the illustrated lady

hey everyone!  hope everyone had a great weekend. we spent ours up north again hanging out with kelly-anne, working out and dying my hair. it was very fun!


on to the fun news! tom has a flickr account and is friends with a few bike industry peeps and last year when we went on one of our a tandem bike camping trips, swift industries (an awesome bike bag & accessories shop) favorited this picture.

then a little later, they contacted tom to ask if they could use the picture for their summer ad campaign!! i was more then thrilled because what an awesome opportunity and how cool that someone liked the picture so much that they wanted to use it! and this is how it turned out!! 

drawn by karl addison

i really really love how it turned out. the colors are awesome and it just really rocks all around. they are having a essay contest about riding a bike and the winner receives 15% off their next purchase and tom and i have been eyeing  another pair of bags for our camping trips, so i took the opportunity to submit something. here is what i wrote and the picture i submitted........wish me luck!

Riding has changed me. It has changed how I see the world, where I want life to take me, and what truly is important to me. Being able to power my own way through life and feeling independent from what the mass majority of what society thinks and does is such a freeing feeling. Cycling started as a way to better my health & to be happy about my body by feeding it what it needed, and then it grew the more I rode, the further I went and the harder I pushed myself to tear down mountains that I thought I could never climb. It has put into prospective what matters: living life to the fullest, trying and challenging myself, not just on the road, but in other areas of my life. Now more then ever I feel like I am on the right path to where I have always wanted my life to go. I have a partner who shares my goals and who pushes us to keep going and when that hill is super steep and we are in our granniest of granny gears, to put your head down, keep breathing and keep pedaling. There is nothing like conquering that hill, looking back at what it took to get there and then flying down the other side to reap that oh so sweet soothing breeze. It is so easy to jump in a car, put it in cruise control and be taken on a ride but nothing is more satisfying & empowering to truly earn that final resting place.

And there is no better resting place then that of the ancient redwood forests. Touring has opened up so many wonderful worlds and so many other places that are yet to be explored. There is a warmth on that open road that I often do not feel on my everyday commute, a solitary nod from my fellow cyclist acknowledging that in that single moment that we are both out for the thrill and joy of living an awesome life. Although I have had my run in with unfriendly motorists, it doesn't stop me from living how I want to live. It is more important to preserve rather then to hide when the road gets a little bumpy. That is what riding on two wheels is all about.




is there anything in your life that has changed you and your perception on life?


xo,
cb

hot hot hot!

tom and i have been searching for a new place to go bike camping. we found one that was super close to home. they were all booked so tom and i decided that we would just ride out there and check it out. when we got of the bart train in pleasenton it was HOT, like blazing hot!! i have never applied so much sunscreen in my life and i am happy to report that it paid off, neither of us got at all burnt!!

the way there was pretty easy, lots of bike lanes (yay!!) and it was pretty much flat, or so we thought.... since it was so hot out we took a few breaks one being at this awesome little fruit stand, where we refueled on ice cold water and the yummiest yellow nectarines i haven had in a while.

to the left you can see the road going down, that is where we were coming from and we weren't half way up!

 the moment we mentioned how awesome and flat the ride was, it got crazy!!!! and i mean super crazy! we were almost to the lake and the last oh, 4 miles was up hill! it was bananas and on top of that it was about 91 degrees and no shade! the road we were on was part of the tour de california which is a bike tour that just happened about a couple months ago. the part of the ride we were on is called king of the mountain which is one of the hardest rides and whoever gets to the top of the hill first wins a prize. we both kinda felt like rock stars but sweaty tired rock stars.

we got to the lake, refueled on some homemade veggie sandwiches, and of course a push pop and preceded to have a kick-ass time at the lake. the water was pretty much perfect except for a slight breeze but other then that it was awesome. we listened to npr and did a few puzzles and really really enjoyed each others company. it was flippin' fantastic and so hard to get back on gilbert because the way out was worse then the way in....yea.

it was the most fun we have had on gilbert for a while. it is always nice to find a new place to ride to and plus ending in a lake is pretty much awesome because it is such a perfect reward for busting up that huge ass hill! now i have a nice little tan, toned legs and a great memory of a truly rewarding day!

xo,
cb

a ride around golden gate park

hi lovelies!
we finally got our film back from a little bike adventure a couple of weekends ago. friday tom and i really wanted to get some exercise so we took gilbert into the city. we had big plans of riding out to the beach but when we got to the city it was soooooo foggy, it was raining! i am not sure if anyone else experiences weather like that but here in the bay area it is the land of sea & fog. it is very beautiful but we were gonna get soaked. we made a pit stop at work to say hi to my co-worker and to decide what we wanted to do when it cleared up so we headed to golden gate park instead.

 this is my favorite park. every time you go, you discover something new. we made stopped at the garden between the california science academy and the de young museum. i remember coming to this very spot when i was little. i loved it and still do. it reminds me a lot of europe and the piazzas.

i just know how to turn that romance on with just.one.look...right...

 we then headed out to the beach where we stopped at the little pond were i have always wanted to check out these little greek pillars....so strange and out of place but it is kinda romantic.

 the pond was FULL of ducks and geese. just look at these guys! so awesome right, with their red faces.

 once at the beach we turned around and made our way back. there was a lake that just opened up again called stowe lake where you can take out paddle or row boats. i had never been so we went to check it out. when the weather gets warmer we are for sure coming back and renting a row boat and getting all romatanical :D

it was about lunch time so we headed to our favorite bar, where they serve the most excellent salad and pizza and of course we had a couple of beers to wash it all down. we rode by the civic center where they always have an art exhibit in the square. i want a dragonboat house, anyone else?

we felt like we didn't get as much exercise as we wanted so we decided to hit up the local roller rink where i had my birthday. the people there were so AMAZING and i was totally green with envy for their mad skating skills. it really made me want to come more often so i can fullfill a life time dream of being a rocking roller skating diva with my high waisted runner shorts and knee high socks! then tom and i could do tricks and blow everyone's minds with our awesomeness! some day this, will happen.
xo,
cb

our little getaway

happy monday! hope you all had a lovely weekend! tom and i had the best little getaway, really just what we needed.  we are waiting for another roll of film and will share that when it is ready but for now here are some snippets of our weekend.

of course we rode gilbert out to point reyes but had to go through sf to get there...on the way to the golden gate bridge we spotted the banana guy from jamba juice, poor guy...i hope he gets paid more then minimum wage to strut around in that get up and i am sure he was less then please to have me take a picture of him while we flew by on gilbert.

we stopped in the redwoods to catch a break and drink some water, man the weather was AMAZING and it was hot as hell too! could not resist taking a picture of the moss, soo cool!!!!!!

this was a our case for the next two days, isnt it adorable?!?!? we had a hard time leaving, the little back yard was awesome! we hung out there alot, drank wine while listening to npr and tried not to get poked in the face from the hummingbirds that were chasing each other in the yard.

we spotted so much wild life, this little guy being one of them. i am so curious as to what he is gonna look like when he comes out of his cocoon! we also ran into 4 snakes, one being dead, thank goodness, sorry not a huge snake fan, 1 sad little bat that was dead on the side of the road and 1 hawk, a swarm of quials and countless deer. this time of year is deer mating season so there were tons of them everywhere! oh and don't forget the cute little hummingbirds!

we went on a "hike" which ended up being the worst idea possible. it was HOT, no shade and tom was inappropriately dressed for hiking, long pants, thermal AND flannel, in the hot weather. he ended having to buy a t-shirt at the store. we sat, drank a shit ton of water and stuffed ourselves, well actually speak tom did, hehe.

found some awesome wood teepee's and then headed right to the local saloon to grab some much needed cold beers to wipe away the "hike" from hell. hehe

 we ate out both nights, heaven, drank local beers and downed some local oysters, my favorite! the first night we had brick oven pizza while enjoying the awesome backyard of the restaurant. the view from our table was amazing, i actually took several of these shots because i was obsessed with the little vignette.

 point reyes station is tiny but lucky enough to have the yummiest CUTEST dinner EVER! we ate there twice. it was a yummy farewell. we headed out early friday morning and enjoyed awesome weather on the ride back home.

we are planning our next trip back. it was just a great place to really get away from everything and spend quality time with each other but sometimes i wish that we could just escape from everything and live out in the hills in a tiny little town with the hills and ocean as our backyard...***sigh***

oh and don't forget 15% off in my little store, sale ends november 1st, use SOINLOVE code at check out!


xo,
cb