Riding the Rails in Joseph, Oregon

Last fall we had a family trip in Eastern Oregon.  The little town of Joseph is a hidden gem full of surprises, with some fun and unusual things to do. 

I think my favorite thing was the Railrider trip. An ingenious former bike shop owner, Kim Metlen, built these lightweight cars that you peddle on abandoned railroad tracks.  This route had us riding 6 miles to the Terminal Gravity Pub in the town of Enterprise, and then returning back to Joseph.

The scenery along the way was so beautiful, and peaceful!  We saw lots of cows, white tailed deer and open fields, plus a few abandoned railroad cars.

Our son Bryan, organized the trip, and it almost looks like he's sitting on an old horse and buggy.

The cars are lightweight enough for two people to lift them off the tracks so we enjoyed a beer, and split some yummy Nachos at the Terminal Gravity Pub.

You don't want to overdo the spirits since you have a 6 mile ride back, uphill with a 1.5 grade. 

This was so much fun!  I can't wait to do it again!

Ironically, as I was writing this post, a show on OPB, Oregon Field Guide,  http://www.opb.org/television/programs/ofg/segment/railriders/was airing a segment on the Railrider cars - talk about serendipity!

2015 opening season for this fun activity starts May 22nd, through Oct 4th, three rides daily F-M. 

More Tiny Trailers, Girl Caves, and a Step Back in Time

Last Saturday, my 'partner in crime,' Barb, asked me to accompany her to the annual Junk Salvation, out at the Hillsboro, OR Fairgrounds.  Vendors come from all over with Vintage goods, antiques, and re-purposed items.  We got there as there doors opened, and a long line had already formed into the parking area.  

I was hoping to see more Vintage Trailers at the show, since I love to see how people have renovated these timeless gems, but I only found one.  It seems like there's lots of interest in Vintage Trailers and Tiny Homes, with the whole downsizing, minimizing movement. However, I found this cool website which featured a Vintage Trailer classified section - messynessychic.com where there is lots of eye candy for the renovated trailer lover

Meanwhile, this trailer captured the ambiance of the day - the flamingos, the Tiffany Blue, the melamine dishes.  Unfortunately, there were no palm trees in sight!

Above, I love how compact this camper is with the table turning into a bed for more sleeping, and the kitchen area so accessible. This set up brings back a lot of memories of camping with my family on trips to Lake Shasta and Lake Almanor, in California. I also love the idea of using these renovated trailers for a girl cave, office, or guest quarters.

My friend Barb with her 'Vision Board' trailer.