It's been seven days since I've driven my car

Surprisingly, being carless for almost a week hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be.

That's my car. I visit it from time to time, it's almost like it's in prison and I have visitation rights from 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM, the time when the garage is open and I can borrow hubby's car to drive to see it before he goes to work. Mostly I drop by to drop off more parts for the work the garage is doing to make my car safer and tow-worthy for my upcoming road trip.

Have I mentioned before it's 19 years old? Some people think I'm kind of crazy to have such an old car, and to want to use it tow my trailer, but I love my car. It's paid off, the registration is affordable, and for almost two decades it's been superbly reliable. It's an old Acura Integra that's solid as a rock. The only major breakdown it's had was the distributor needed to be replaced a few years back. Besides that it's only required the usual maintenance of oil changes, brake pads, tires, and a new battery every four years or so.

I brought it in to add the trailer hitch, battery isolator, brake controller, transmission oil cooler, a new radiator, and the taillight wiring kit. I also had a safety inspection and tune up done. Among other parts, pretty much everything made of rubber is being replaced particularly the hoses and belts because some are beginning to crack or bulge as they've lost their elasticity. Soon it'll be good to go. And we'll be on our way.

For now I've decided to hold off on painting the car until I return, then have the car and trailer painted at the same time.

I'm still thinking this is the look I want to go for:

It's been suggested I should get a cheap paint job on the car and a good one on the trailer. I'm thinking that'll be the way to go since I'll have the trailer longer than I'll have the car. But, I was told by an Acura rep at a car show years ago that my car can make it to 300,000 miles, and it's only at 141,000 now so I could be driving it for a couple more decades. LOL.

But seriously, I'm hoping that soon someone will come out with an electric car capable of towing The Glampette around. I've been told some Tesla Roadster owners have added hitches to their cars. While it would look ridiculously cute towing The Glampette I just can't see myself driving (or affording) a Roadster. It's too sporty for me. I'm more of a simple gal with pragmatic tastes. Hoping for an all electric or at least a hybrid that is capable of towing and has some interior storage space. For now my little Acura will have to keep on keeping on.

An on the road bathroom alternative

One of the first things people ask me when they see pictures of The Glampette is "Is there a bathroom?" It's a good question. The trailer is so small I suspect they expect me to say no. But, I say yes because one of the first things I purchased for it was a Thetford Porta Potty. It's small, modern, easy to use, and even easier to clean.

But this past weekend my friend Gordon, clearly a close friend, surprised me with a trailer gift. A box of Travel John disposable urinals. LOL I told him I'd use them as guest bathrooms.

The box contains three biodegradable urinals that are shockingly leak proof, even if you tip over or puncture the bag. They're for men, women, and kids.

They seem like a good thing to have in general in case of a natural disaster where you lose plumbing for a few days, when a public restroom may give you privacy but it's too dirty to use, out on a hike, or if you're caught unexpectedly away from a bathroom for a long time like on a highway when there's been a road closure and you're trapped with no exit.

While men could use this in the car no problem, for women, I'd keep a sheet in your trunk that you could basically hang between two open doors to create a privacy tent by catching the fabric by opening and closing your windows on it, and maybe a few safety pins to hold the sheet securely in place across the other two sides.

The box alludes you can use them in vehicles, on planes, boats, in tents, while handicapped, and bedridden.

Here is a pictorial about how the disposable urinals work. For men it seems easy enough. For women? I think a test run while standing in your bath tub wouldn't be a bad idea. LOL

Travel John also makes a similar product for solid waste and a portable toilet and privacy tent for campers.

Thanks Gordon. It's good to know I have friends who have not only my back but, err, are considerate enough to address the needs of my bodily functions too.

Dog friendly road trip advice

Today Kitai did not have a fun morning. He had to go to the Vet to update his rabies shot for our upcoming road trip. Some campgrounds will require proof of his vaccination for him to be able to stay on their property.

At first he was ambivalent.

After having his temperature taken he gave me the stink eye.

He got his shots, had a sample taken from what turned out to be a harmless cyst, and a blood draw to test for heartworms. He couldn't wait to leave.

In the past few days I've been getting great advice from other dog owners about traveling alone with a dog. Some points I can share with you:

• Kitai is already microchipped in case he gets lost
• He always has a tag on with my cell phone number so if he's lost I can be contacted directly
• He is always leashed when out of the house
• When I walk him he wears a separate harness with a second tag so that he won't ever slip his collar and have no tag on
• He has a seat belt that hooks to his harness for riding in the car so if I slam on my brakes or we're in an accident he won't become a projectile in the car or be ejected
• Kitai has a reflective leash for night time and a small LED light that clips to his collar so he's more easily seen 
• I already always clean up after him in public because it's the law here in San Jose

New ideas from the forum include:

• Create a lost poster with photos of him ahead of time that I can print and bring with me so that if he were to get loose I could handwrite in his last seen location and put them up immediately
• Get a small window shade that I can put on the passenger window to block direct sun from hitting him and making him too hot
• Adding"Reward if Found" to the tag he wears on his collar
• Getting a small battery operated fan in case he needs more air circulation in the car or trailer to be comfortable
• Bring a copy of his most recent vet records
• Get a thermometer to check the indoor temperature of the trailer so that I can learn how my trailer heats up and when it's safe to leave him in the trailer alone while I run into a grocery store (in the morning only) without putting him in danger of heatstroke.

Aside from these points it will take a bit more effort, finding restaurants that offer patio seating, and stopping and letting him stretch his legs throughout the day but those inconveniences will be worth having my little buddy with me instead of leaving him home.

If you have any other tips please leave them in the comments. I want to make this experience as smooth as possible for both of us so that our trip is as fun and relaxing as possible.

The not-so-secret waterfalls of Mill Valley

Just minutes north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge you can find some very special Marin waterfalls. I say special because they're beautiful and surprisingly easy to get to once you know where to find them.

They're called the Cascade Falls and my friend Jason Mitchell told my friend Carl and I about them back in January of 2011 when we mentioned we were heading to Mill Valley to visit Tyler Florence's West Coast Kitchen store. Carl and I didn't take the time to find them that day because we were headed to SF to look for food trucks.

Over a year later I thought they would fun to visit as hubby and I were taking our nephew Josh to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and didn't feel like going into the city before or after.

Here's how we got there. From HWY 101:

1. Take the Mill Valley Stinson Beach 1 Exit
2. Bear left on HWY 1 and go back under the freeway
3. Turn right on Almonte Blvd
4. Almonte becomes Miller - Stay on Miller
5. Turn left at Throckmorton Ave
6. Throckmorton becomes Cascade Drive - The trail head is on Cascade Drive

Note it will take you longer to drive from the freeway to the falls parking lot where you'll see this sign than it will to hike to the falls once you've parked. It's important to note because I decided not to carry my tripod in because I thought the hike would be long. It was less than five minutes.

From the lot you'll see Cascade Creek, ferns, redwoods and a foot path to the left of the creek.

Follow the foot path until you reach this bridge.

Cross the bridge.

You'll be able to see the falls to your left even before crossing the bridge.

Gorgeous!

It's definitely a place of peace and serenity. The green ferns, pebbles through the water, mossy rocks, falling water, and the shade from the towering redwoods all combined to create a place of tranquility.

You'll find roughly hewn benches near the falls so you can sit and enjoy the solitude if no one else is around.

The reason I brought my tripod that day was to take long exposure shots of the falling water if we were successful in locating the falls. Instead, I had to hold/lean/press my camera on rocks and trees to brace it since I was feeling too lazy to walk the short distance back to the car to retrieve it.

For the most dramatic view of the falls visit in the winter after it rains when the creek is running full. As the spring and summer wear on the water level will drop and the falls will become less dramatic but, imo, no less beautiful. I loved that you could see through the semi-sheer veils of water as they dropped from the rocks above.

Of course I can't go anywhere without breaking out my macro lens. This lichen was begging to be photographed.

This branch too.

I simply love being in redwood forests and wish I'd begun visiting them decades ago when I first moved to California instead of waiting until last year.

And of course there's a restaurant recommendation. As we drove down Miller Avenue as we were heading towards the falls we passed Grilly's. It's a Mexican restaurant that serves both meat and vegetarian dishes and I have to say they make some awesome nachos. Instead of adding a meat to them I asked if I could have both refried and black beans. I will do this at any restaurant that will let me from now on because it was better than one or the other.

I wish they were closer because their nachos were awesome and they use my favorite fire roasted salsa on the nachos instead of the chopped fresh tomato variety. I will definitely be returning for an encore.

Here are a few more articles about Cascade Falls and the nearby Three Wells:

Cole's Trail Tales: Marin Waterfalls Hike - Cascade Falls in Mill Valley
Towards an Enlightened World: Cascade Falls, Mill Valley, California
Marin Independent Journal: Hike of the week: Now's the time to catch Marin's waterfalls

Please use caution when visiting Monastery Beach

Almost a year ago I wrote a blog post about Monastery State Beach in Carmel, CA. Yesterday I received a private message from someone who lost her family members when they attempted to help help someone else who had been swept into the sea by the waves. The original victim was saved by another rescuer, tragically her husband and daughter didn't survive their rescue attempt.

Both to honor them and to warn others that though the beach looks peaceful and calm things can change in an instant, I'd like to repost the link to the original post: Beautiful and Dangerous: Monastery Beach, Carmel, CA

Please stay safe people. The life you may be protecting isn't just your own but those around you who would try to save you if you get yourself into trouble.

Trailer Gear: Foam mattress or camping pad?

Knowing I'd want to sometimes bring Kitai on trips with me I purposely designed the trailer to have enough room for each of us to have our own beds.

This is the configuration I've been planning on using.

I figured an ultralight, self-inflating, camping sleeping pad would suit my needs perfectly because they're light and partly because I could easily store it during the day leaving the floor open. I'd been considering a Thermarest sleeping pad because some are very highly rated for comfort.

But then I wandered into a Brookstone store and laid eyes (and body) upon a Biosense Memory Foam Mattress Topper. It was like floating on a cloud of comfort. It was CRAZY comfortable.

If I get the foam mattress we could sleep together but I'd have to cut it down and make it a bit more narrow. Google to the rescue. Turns out the best way to cut foam is with an electric kitchen knife. Who knew? I'd make it as wide as the floor space and Kitai and I could share it sleeping together.

Any thoughts? Have you ever used one or both? I'm still leaning more towards the camping sleeping pad for its convenience and versatility but I'm open to suggestions.

Trailer Update: She's done and her name is. . .

The tongue box is skinned and my trailer is done! This post contains the final batch of pictures my builder Fred sent me and a big reveal. Her name is a spin on Glamping, the practice of camping in a glamorous manner, combined with a nod to her petite size . . .

Meet my tiny travel trailer "The Glampette!"

Isn's she adorable? She only weighs 554 pounds, well within my car's 1000 lb tow limit.

This is what she looks like now. And, with the magic of Photoshop, this is what she'll look like painted. . .

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek! She's gonna be so cute!

My plan is to hire a professional auto painting company to lay the base coats and paint the large circle on the sides. The rest, I want to paint myself in a combination of by brush, stencil, and possibly air-brush. I'm an artist by nature with lots of painting experience so wielding a brush and paint isn't new to me. I'd have the pros lay on some clear coat after to protect the hand painted graphics and then she'd be done.

The things I had to consider when coming up with her graphics was the placement of the window, porch lights, wheel, and reflectors. Because The Flirty Blog is a lifestyle, food, and travel resource I wanted to convey those themes along with a fun retro vibe. This is what I've come up with:

You can never go wrong with cake.

And because it was my introduction to Sonoma Wine Country last year that really got the ball rolling on acquiring a travel trailer, I want to pay homage to the many wine growers, makers, and tasty wines I've met there.

Here are close ups of the details.

I opted for a mini canned ham shape so I'd be able to sit up inside with (relatively speaking) plenty of overhead space above the top of my head.

Instead of the hatchback that distinguishes teardrop trailers from all other styles, Fred suggested putting a swing out door on the rear so he could make my access in and out of the trailer easier.

He also added a rain gutter above the door and just beneath it the circular shape is an awning rail in case I want to set up some shade off the back end on sunny days.

The door swings open for easy access. I'll be building some cute, retro styled cabinets for the interior galley.

And just look at all of that empty space. All I see is a blank canvas. What to do, what to do. . .

Because people will see and read the rear while I'm parked at red lights, stop signs, in parking lots, and when I'm parked for the night, I decided to go all out with my branding. I think this little trailer will be the single best form of exposure my blog will ever have to pick up new, local readers.

Here's a close up.

Her tongue box is skinned and the only access is from the inside of the trailer. This will make it harder for battery thieves to steal my on board battery, a common problem for RV'ers.

The tongue, wiring for the trailer lights, and safety chains.

I'm still over the moon for my baby moon hubcaps.

And still thrilled we powder-coated the chassis, wheels, and fenders bright yellow.

Here's an undercarriage shot. 

And another.

She's ready and waiting for me. Soon I'll be hitting the road. Of course I'll be taking lots of pictures and blogging all about my trip! This will be my first time driving east of California so it's bound to be quite the adventure.