Our first (and Likely last) Camping Trip + A Guide to Eau Claire, Wisconsin

If you're not caught up from my instagram, here's the story. Five months ago Josiah and I had to move out of our Chicago apartment because of an act of violence that made it no longer safe to live there. Instead of just moving to a new Chicago apartment, we both figured out how to make our jobs mobile, bought an old camper, and renovated it in hopes of traveling the United States for six months to a year. A lofty and insanely adventurous endeavor for sure. 

Knowing we were still tied to Chicago until I finished wedding season, we decided to take the camper out for a short test run to get a feel of what things would be like living in it for an extended period of time. We quickly learned that hauling a camper across the country was no willy-nilly task. We left on a Friday after Josiah got off work and what was supposed to be under 5 hours took us over 6 hours to get there. This included bottoming out the camper midway between home and Eau Claire resulting in the camper pulling in a tug-of-war fashion the entire rest of the way and also resulting in both Josiah and I’s blood pressure staying at an insanely unhealthy level for nearly 2.5 hours. Not the greatest start.

We arrived at our campsite and began setting up IN THE DARK. A series of other mishaps and fails quickly opened our eyes to the difficulties that could easily arise living full-time on the road. When Josiah woke up on our last night in Eau Claire, I reluctantly uttered the words "I hate camping." He's always been the one more into the idea than I, so I was surprised and really relieved when he replied, "Me too." 

Over Labor Day Weekend, despite our hesitation because of how stressful the last trip had been, we packed up our camper and towed it to a state park that was 30 minutes from our house only to realize that something was wrong with one of the electrical connections on the camper leaving us with zero electricity. My dad, Josiah, and one of my parent's friends tried everything imaginable to get it to work and after two solid hours, we resolved to just tow the camper back home.

Just a few days after our second failed attempt, our jeep was totaled in an accident leaving us with nothing to pull it with. Fearful of being halfway across the country (trying to work!) and dealing with the incessant list of issues that seam to arise, our cross-country road trip we had planned, has been put on the back-burner. So as of now Eau Claire, Wisconsin still stands as our first and only camping trip. Whether future trips will happen or not, who's to know. Maybe we're just Airbnb people after all. Either way, renovating the trailer was half the fun. (Or three-quarters. or 99.9%) and we were so happy to have had the experience!

Below you will find recommendations if you are visiting Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Food

• The Nucleus - A really great brunch place.

• Informalist - The farm-to-table restaurant we went to for our anniversary dinner.

• Farmers Market - There are so many vendors and it's all under a covering so even if it is raining it's worth going.

Coffee

• Shift - A super cute bike and coffee shop put together.

• Racey's - A dog-friendly little coffee shop connected to The Nucleus. You can actually order food from the Nucleus and eat at Racey's.

Sights + Shops

• Farmer's Market

• Downtown trail - A fun, paved trail that goes through the downtown and by the river.

• Lake Wisotta State Park - Great Hiking!

• Mount Simon - This is only a short little hike to get some great views of Eau Claire.

• Volume One: The Local Store - A super cool gift shop that sells all local goods.

• Revival Records - A really cool record shop!

Super Simple Salsa

In a last chance attempt to bottle up summer, I’ve been making ALLLLL the salsa. This recipe is quick, simple, and is guaranteed to have your husband’s coworkers leaving notes asking “WHO MADE THIS AMAZING SALSA??” So grab yourself a couple of tomatoes and get to it before summer is completely gone!

SUPER SIMPLE SALSA 

• 4 medium tomatoes

• 1 tablepoon olive oil

• 1 jalepeno, sliced lengthwise and deseeded

• 1/2 a medium onion

• 1 clove of garlic

• juice of 1 lime

• 1/4 cup cilantro

• salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish and brush with olive oil. Cook for 20 minutes or until tomatoes seem cooked through. Remove from the oven. Place the tomatoes and remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until you achieve your desired consistently.  

Walnut Summer Squash Pesto

Summer is so close to being over. In just a few short days everyone will swap out their fresh tomatoes and berries for pumpkin and apple everything. Don’t get me wrong, I am just as obsessed with Fall and all the seasonal baking that comes along with it, but before we jump into that, let’s continue to savor the last little bits that summer has to offer. I can’t think of a better way to hold onto summer than by whipping up a batch of this walnut summer squash pesto. It comes together in less than 5 minutes and is so versatile. Throw it on pasta, spear it on a sandwich, cover your favorite salad, or even use it as a veggie dip — the possibilities are endless.

Walnut Squash Pesto

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 clove of garlic

• 1 cup basil

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 1 cup chopped summer squash

• sea salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined. It’s that simple! Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Super Simple Tomato Sauce

When I was a kid, although not a picky eater, I remember thinking tomatoes were kind of gross. I wasn't adamantly against them, if they were on a burger, I would just eat them, but I wasn't all that crazy about them. Now, as an adult, I crave tomato season from the moment it ends until its return the next summer. This year I've been making anything and everything I can with these gems. My favorite though, this super simple tomato sauce recipe. It's insanely easy and will make you forget about any grocery store jar you've ever picked up. 

Super Simple Tomato Sauce 

• 7 medium tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, diced finely

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• salt and pepper to taste

Heat a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat and place the whole tomatoes on the hot skillet. Cook the tomatoes on the skillet, rotating every few minutes to ensure all sides are equally charred, until the skins start to break open on the tomatoes. Remove the tomatoes from the heat and remove the stems. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and then add in the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pot and use a masher (or a wooden spoon) to mash to them. Stir, then add the balsamic vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Place in a food processor and blend until smooth. Store in an airtight jar and place in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.