wintermute.com.au

25September2015 04:23

so this evening I flew from Vancouver all the way to Los Angeles, back where I started this trip; looking down at the land and ocean and cities I’d driven up through hit me right in the feels (pictured is around the Bay Area just after sunset; impossibly to capture the sheer magnitude of all that sprawl!)

23September2015 21:46

regram @adrinkingproject (since that’s a thing I’m doing now) (@ CRAFT Beer Market Vancouver)

22September2015 18:58

trekked out to @49th for a bit more coffee, and a @luckysdoughnuts lemon and poppyseed (@ 49th Parallel Coffee)

22September2015 03:05

so today in Vancouver I was poisoned (just bleach, I’m okay), walked an 18km round-trip to the northern-most point of my trip (pictured), poisoned myself with alcohol (I’m ok), finally learnt how baseball works (!), learnt a little bit about how ‘French’ Canadians coexist here, continued to misunderstand NFL (they fight even nowhere near the ball?), heard accents from all around the world (including Aussie!), got a little bit burnt even with no serious sun and yep, it’s time to come home (just after a bit more coffee and the wallabies game and an attempt to figure out what west Hollywood is all about)

18September2015 22:06

my novel POV story lines got so complicated I had to stop and map out where they were going before I can write again #sneakpeek

18September2015 22:02

Vancouver, bringing the flat white and amazing @49th espresso (@ Prado Cafe)

16September2015 23:59

dat spectrum tho; after a white flight and a red I’m doing some Washington rosés (@ The Tasting Room - Seattle)

16September2015 22:09

I’m going to have to come back to Washington state because I’ve just discovered the best Syrah I’ve ever had (@ Purple Cafe & Wine Bar)

16September2015 20:41

this wine bar is totally for suits, but it’s quiet at the counter, and they’ve a big selection of tasting flights, so I’m discovering Washington wine (@ Purple Cafe & Wine Bar)

16September2015 00:03

wow, this delicious chickpea ‘cake’! (@ Local 360)

15September2015 18:56

pit stop in Olympia WA and having the best espresso I’ve yet had this side of the Pacific! cool local roastery with a smooth blend and a great selection of single origins (@ Olympia Coffee Roasting Co.)

14September2015 20:11

after a weekend of 30+ temps Portland has turned on that classic NW grey, so I’m taking shelter in a brewbar... hopworks are bike-obsessed, sustainable brewing, and a B-corp, and make some really great beer! (@ Hopworks BikeBar)

12September2015 00:01

the neighbourhood pub is all vegan. of course it is. oh Portland <3 (@ Bye & Bye)

11September2015 18:09

while in Portland, I had to hit @heartroasters — a lush ‘latte’ with the house cashew-almond milk, and a sweet Ethiopia Gera espresso (@ Heart Coffee Westside)

11September2015 03:10

the best thing about Airbnb has to be the dogs; spent a week with these two and apparently they hung out in the driveway waiting for me to come home the day I left :( Tickie is a corgi/chihuahua mix, and Frank an Aust sheepdog / border collie; this was the closest I got to a photo of his beautiful smile, he’s getting old and such a sweetie; she on the other hand is a total poseur, but super fun; both were great companions while writing and out walking

10September2015 20:23

stopped into Eugene for lunch at this vegan comfort food joint, and had one of the best ‘fish’ burgers ever (@ Cornbread Cafe - Organic Vegan Comfort Food)

10September2015 00:26

the photos of trees might be getting boring, but they keep changing as I’ve headed north; this from the very top of California, having crossed into (gorgeous) Oregon this afternoon the little trees in front and to the right here are ‘normal’ sized; the giant in back is centuries old (there are even thousand-year-old trees in the parks through here!) (@ Lady Bird Johnson Grove Nature Trail)

06September2015 21:09

hiking up a perilous trail, looking down into some prehistoric wilds (@ Russ Park)

02September2015 22:37

wild ocean at the end of the road

02September2015 22:36

can’t complain

02September2015 00:27

so Muir Woods was pretty cool, but on the road further north, Avenue of the Giants is just magical; massive old redwoods, lots fallen, lots of young growth, and so many spots you can just pull the car over and wander alone into the woods (@ Avenue of the Giants)

31August2015 00:46

wine tasting, Sonoma beating Napa; had a great hangout and drink and chat at Westwood, and love their wine-geek labels (@ Westwood Winery)

31August2015 00:44

another friendly pup at an AirBnB; this guy’s an eight year old lab who drags his heels and just wants to play or eat or anything really

27August2015 03:49

went non-veg tonight, for possibly the best food experience I’ve ever done; one which is so impressively seasonal and produce-obsessed, so filling across a range of small dishes, and so rich while being relatively light on the meat, that it reaffirms my mostly-vegetarianism great food, service, environment, ideals (@ Sons & Daughters)

26August2015 00:46

<3 this space, @sightglass — working roastery, cafe, and de facto office space (@ Sightglass Coffee)