A treehouse grows in Oregon

I had a treehouse when I was a kid. And I’m pretty sure I slept in it once or twice.

As a grown-up, the idea of sleeping in the trees, on the bare wood floor of a drafty, spider-infested, rickety old treehouse, doesn’t sound so appealing.

Ah, but what if you could find some relative luxury up in those trees?

That’s what you’ll get at the Out ‘n’ About Treehouse Treesort, in Takilma, Oregon.

They have 18 different cabins built in the trees, connected by various suspension bridges, platforms, ladders, and ropes. Each and every one of them is different. You’ll find a few of them as high as 50 feet, while others may be a little closer to the ground in case you suffer from acrophobia.

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The entrance to L.L. Bean in Freeport, Maine

A visit to L.L. Bean is practically mandatory when visiting Maine. The famed outdoor gear and clothing company was established in 1912 and has been a fixture in the coastal town of Freeport since its inception. The very first product – leather uppers for workmens’ boots – evolved into the Maine Hunting Shoe, and launched the beginning of a product enterprise that has grown to include the vast catalog of clothing and gear that L.L. Bean offers today. The company’s attention to product detail and truly exceptional customer service are a consistent example of “the way life should be”.

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As mentioned previously, we were on our way to do a whole lotta nothin’ in the town of Ojai, an hour or so outside of Los Angeles.

Before leaving, I had done a quick Google to see what it was known for and here’s a few that caught my eye:

From the cities main website, I discovered that they were making a big push for artists to help out renovating something in town – what it was escapes me now, but I liked that the lead story reached out to the right-brainers in town. Below that, however was a phone glitch affecting city hall’s runnings and that intrigued me even more – a $40,000 purse for whomever had the best eye for making the town better, but in the office of those who ran it, the voicemail wasn’t working properly. Read More »

Purple Roofs is “your GLBT key to world travel” and features Gay and Lesbian Bed & Breakfasts, Inns, Guesthouses, Hotels, Travel Agents, & Tour Operators.

The site is run by Mark and Scott and they have been kind enough to share some of their favorite vacations with us.

Today we’re looking at the weekend getaway of Amador County in Northern California for wine tasting, bed and breakfasts and everything in between.

When most people think of California wines they think of two places: the Napa Valley and the Sonoma Valley, and then they go there by the busload.  This premier wine region in Northern California overflows with tourists in the summertime, and wine tastings are often $5, $10, or $15 a glass.  Yes, for a tasting.

However, there are a number of other lesser-known wine regions in California that offer fantastic local varietals, scenic vine-covered hills, and best of all, elbow room.

The Shenandoah Valley in Amador County is such a place.  It is a lovely wine-growing region about an hour southeast of Sacramento. There are at least 32 wineries here within 15 minutes of each other, most of them can be found on one large loop of road that makes it easy to enjoy the grand tour.

How to Get There:

From the East (Lake Tahoe/Highway 50), catch Highway 49 in Placerville south. In 14 1/2 miles, you’ll reach the small town of Plymouth – make a left onto Fiddletown Rd., and you’re there.

From Sacramento proper, you have a couple options. The shorter route is to take Highway 50 up to El Dorado Hills. Take the Latrobe Rd. Exit (it only goes south), and follow Latrobe Rd. about 14 miles south to Old Sacramento Rd. This runs about 5 miles into Plymouth, and becomes Fiddletown Rd., leading you right into the wine region.

For a slightly longer scenic route, exit Highway 50 at How Ave. Go South on Howe and make an almost immediate left onto Folsom Blvd. Stay to your right – in about a block, Folsom veers left and Jackson Highway (16) veers right. Stay on 16 for about 30 1/2 miles, passing through lots of farmland and rural scenery. 16 then becomes 49 north bound and veers to the right – a little more than 2 miles takes you into Plymouth. Make a right onto Fiddletown, and you’ve arrived. Read More »