Luinil - Traveling with the Blue Star



About Luinil
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Copyright © 2015 - 2023 Larrie Easterly
 my sillowet

Luinil comes from the Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. Luinil is the bright blue star that was created, along with other stars, by Varda (know as Elentári to the elves), Lady (Queen) of the Stars, so that there would be less darkness at the night. Going from darkness to light is part of life's journey and the blue star helps light the way.

Retiring has been like going from darkness into the light for me. I have time to rediscover some of the loves that needed to lay dormant over my working years. Some of those loves are writing, photography and driving the backroads to see what is there.

This site is a place to combine those loves, as well as others, and share them with my friends. Some of the trip reports are from my solo travels and some are from travels with my delightful wife, family and friends.

I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures.

Larrie

2023 Travels

October, 2023 — Owyhee River East Side, Part 1

Owyhee River

Owyhee River

I joined some friends on a camping trip to the east side of the Owyhee River. We visited Leslie Gulch, Jordan Craters, Birch Creek Historic Ranch, Three Forks, Peter French Round Barn and a few other places along the way. There are two videos in this series.
Watch the Videos




May, 2023 — Base Camping Setup at Sand Lake

Base Camping

Base Camping — Watch the Video

Hello everyone. Was base camping for a few days at the Sand Lake Recreation Area on the Oregon Coast and thought I would show you my camp setup. Watch the Videos





September 2023 — Sand Lake

Sand Lake

Sand Lake — Watch the Video

Sand Lake Recreation Area is one of three sand dunes in Oregon. Located on the Oregon Coast about 90 miles southeast of Portland. It is jointly managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the Siuslaw National Forest. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by trees the 1,100 acre of dunes is a great place to practice driving on sand. There are three developed campgrounds plus areas of dispersed sand camping. Watch the Videos


October, 2023 — Loading up the Jeep for a Trip

Loading the Jeep

Loading the Jeep — Watch the Video

In this video I show you how I pack my Jeep for an upcoming camping trip to Eastern Oregon. Watch the Video







August 2023 — Up and Down the road to Timbabichi

The road to Timbabichi

The road to Timbabichi — Watch the Videos

The road down to Timbabichi on the Gulf of California coast through the Sierra La Gigantia Mountains in Baja California Sur drops about 1,000 feet in 2-1/2 miles. The road is definitely not for the faint of heart. Part one is going down the mountain and Part 2 is coming back up. Watch the Videos




April 2023 — West Side Story with SW Idaho Overlanding Episode 1 and 2

Owyhee River Canyon Trip

Owyhee River Canyon Trip Watch the Videos

My buddy George, from SW Idaho Overlanding, set up this trip to explore the west side of the Owyhee River Canyon. I drove over on Friday and camped near an Oregon Sunstone mine. The next morning I met up with George and the rest of the group near my campsite. We then headed south into the Owyhee Canyon country where we spent the night at the William Griffith Ranch. The next morning we continued south towards Rome, Oregon only to be stopped by snow before reaching the top of the plateau. As a result we had to turn back and retrace our route. The good news was that the clouds had cleared away and we had sunny weather and beautiful views of the river. Watch the Videos


March 2023 — Jeep Conversion, Daily Driver to Camping Rig

Jeep Conversion

Jeep Conversion Watch the Video

My 2015 Jeep Rubicon is my daily driver and the back seats are needed to haul the grandkids around. In this video I show how I convert it from a daily driver to my overland camping rig. Watch the Video





February 2023 — Baja Questions and Answers Part 1 and 2

Baja Questions and Answers

The Bat House — Watch the Videos

People ask me questions about traveling in Baja expecting me to know all the answers. I am by no means an expert on Baja and just pass on what my experience has been in the hopes that it will help someone else. This video answers some of the more basic questions that I get. I hope you find the information provided in this video helpful. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to watch our videos. Watch the Videos


Past Travels
Ann and the Whale

Ann and the Whale

Singing Canyon

Burr Trail

Beach at Conception Bay

Baja California Mexico

Hawaii

Hawaii

282 feet below sea level

Barrancas del Cobre

282 feet below sea level

282 feet below sea level

Summer Lake Hot Springs

Summer Lake Hot Springs

Twin Rocks

Twin Rocks