Clover Color Story

Somewhere in the neighborhood of Kelly green, a bit lighter than emerald, you’ll find Clover. It’s the color of lots of leafy growing things and glass bottles, and it brings an eye-catching vibrancy anywhere you add it.

A few places and projects that look great in this green…

Jungle Garden in Pasadena

1. Jungle Garden at the Huntington Library in Southern California. / from our 2016 Pasadena trip

A-frame Cabin

2. Tips for building an A-frame Cabin on UO Journal. / Photo: Carey Quinton Haider

aerial embroidery of the British countryside

3. Embroidered aerial views of the British countryside by Victoria Rose Richards. / via @chromato_mania / +See more modern embroidery projects.

Cauliflower tacos at the Coronado

4. Cauliflower tacos we enjoyed at The Coronado in Phoenix. (They’re  delicious!) / from a date day in 2019
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July 2018: San Diego Shadows

Dragon tree shadows on the sidewalk

I think the fantastical plants I kept seeing around San Diego are called “dragon trees”.

coronado dragon trees

On the way back from Coronado Beach, I noticed the playful-looking shadows they cast on the sidewalk. So, once again, I stopped in my tracks to take a photo of the ground.

La Jolla Cove sunset

Other photo favorites from July include a sunset in La Jolla (San Diego) and Quijote looking at the ocean.

Dog at the beach

Have you seen anything interesting on the sidewalk lately?


Microblog Mondays: Write in your own space

San Diego Sights Worth a Second Trip

palm trees in la jolla

While I’ve never spent more than a few days at a time in San Diego, it’s been part of some very memorable trips.

Windansea Beach San Diego

We camped at a State Park just outside of town on the final night of our trip down the coast in 2012.

Back when Phillip worked for an airline, we flew in just for an afternoon once, because we could go for free.

Another time, we took the San Diego Trolley south to the end of the line. Did you know it goes all the way to the U.S.-Mexico border? We crossed over to visit friends in Tijuana.

And, of course, there’s the trip I took with my grandma. We packed a lot of sightseeing into just a few days!

San Diego marina

Fast forward to this year.  When Phillip and I decided we’d join my brother, sister-in-law, their kids, and my parents on their San Diego trip in July, I started thinking about previous trips and what I’d want to see and do again.
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Year Four in Nine Videos

Sculpture

Today marks the fourth anniversary of Travelcraft Journal! (And the 350th post!) I thought we could take a look back on the past year in 4 places, 4 projects, and 9 videos.

Pasadena City Hall

1. Southern California/Pasadena

First, let’s road trip to Pasadena in one minute. Of course, we’ll stop for date shakes on the way. Once we get there, we can visit the Norton Simon Museum and the jungle garden at the Huntington.

Video: Phoenix to Pasadena in one minute

Project: In honor of sea breezes and Santa Ana winds, make a mobile or wind chime!
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6 Airbnb Getaways in the Western US

life-crush-1-wildflowers

There is something so restoring about getting into nature, whether you’re taking a hike or just taking in the view.

If you’re feeling like you need a weekend away, here are some peaceful spots we’ve booked through Airbnb that are perfectly positioned for enjoying the great outdoors in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Nevada. All of them are close to hiking and most have kitchenettes.

I’ve included drive time to nearby cities and towns for reference.

Airbnb tucson

Airbnb 101

For those who have never used Airbnb, it’s a site that allows people to rent out spare rooms or guest apartments, so you end up with a really unique stay with a more personal touch. As you’ll see, we’ve used it to find and book places like a cottage in remote Southeastern Arizona, a trailer near Monterey, and a cabin room near the San Juan Mountains in Colorado.

You can get $40 off your first stay when you sign up at airbnb.com/c/sliebold2. (Full disclosure: using that link also sends some credit my way…so win-win!)
Pasadena-airbnb-1

California

1. Pasadena Glen Separate Cottage

The Setting: Lush, quiet neighborhood at the foot of the San Gabriel mountains that’s maybe technically part of Pasadena but feels like its own world.

  • Old Town Pasadena (or The Huntington) – 15 minutes
  • Downtown L.A. – 45 minutes
  • Phoenix – 5.5 hours

Pasadena-airbnb-3
The Room: The cottage is like a standalone studio apartment next to a larger house.

  • Very comfortable bed.
  • Included mini fridge, dishes, fruit, breakfast bars, electric kettle with Starbucks Via and a selection of teas.
  • Lovely garden/mini-yard area outside with a table.
  • Private 3/4 bathroom inside the apartment.
  • Separate entrance with keypad.

Continue reading “6 Airbnb Getaways in the Western US”