Slight Detour: Butterflies, Bars, Et. Al.

Our oregano patch west of the house was buzzing yesterday morning.

The buds have popped out into blossoms and the neighborhood honey bees are busy hopping from top to top.

By afternoon, butterflies had joined in on the fun, some pretty ones too.

Neither bees nor butterflies have much patience about posing for pictures, so I had to be on my toes to catch a few good shots.

There is SO much going on right now with the garden and all the other herbs, fruits, etc.

It's all keeping me on my toes picking, watering, removing deadheads and just plain admiring the beauty and upcoming bounty.

And, now, it's time to mow the lawn again. Before I do, however, Bill and I are headed to town this morning for a picture-taking event.

It's a fun one, so stay tuned.

One more discovery after no dust from the road. I'm sure these currant bushes have been across the road all along, but yesterday was the first time I've seen their fruits. I wonder how many other discoveries we'll have, thanks to no dust.

😉😉😉😉

The other day I saw one of the photos below on Facebook and was pretty sure that I recognized the bartender as someone from the neighborhood. So, I sent a message and asked.

Sure enough, it was Katie Hansen who grew up with her wonderful family about a mile away from us over on Forest Siding Road.

A mobile bar sounded pretty fascinating, especially knowing the family associated with it, so I thought it would make a neat blog topic.

Katie was kind enough to send me some information and to answer a few general questions about the concept which she and her husband Jake envisioned and subsequently developed into a fun, classy and successful enterprise.

Jake and Katie Hansen and their Travelin' Tavern

Travelin' Tavern

from Katie Hansen:

This whole journey has definitely been a mix of dreaming big and taking one step at a time. I’ve always admired people who bet on themselves and go after something they believe in, and at some point I just thought… maybe it’s my turn.

I can’t claim to be the first person to think of a mobile bar—I’ve seen a handful on social media over the past few years—but the idea really started to take shape after a few weddings last summer.

I’d get invited as a guest and, without fail, they’d ask, “Hey, would you mind bartending too?” And honestly, I always said yes. Being part of someone’s special day, in that way, just felt really special.

After one of those weddings, we were driving home from a camping trip, when my husband Jake and I started tossing around the idea—what if we actually did this?

A little mobile bar business of our own.

We went back and forth—should it be a horse trailer? A cargo trailer? Just a standalone bar?

We both work full-time and have two busy boys, Erik and Bryant, who live and breathe baseball, hunting, and fishing… so the “how would we find the time?” question definitely came up. But the more we talked, the more it felt doable—as long as we treated it like a team effort.

Coming up with the name might’ve been the hardest part. I had pages of ideas that just never felt quite right.

Then one night, lying in bed, it just hit me—"Travelin’ Tavern." I immediately texted my sister and my friend Ashley so I wouldn’t forget (lol). Once the name stuck, everything started to fall into place.

We (mostly my husband) began building the first bar in late October 2024. I wanted it done in time for my sister’s surprise 40th birthday party on Nov. 15th—and we made it happen!

After that, we started working on the keg wall. My husband has truly been the mastermind behind all the technical stuff—CO2 lines, jockey boxes, taps, tubing—he’s spent hours researching and making sure it all works smoothly.

Photo credits: The Valley Studio

Katie Peterson Hansen, the bartender for Travelin' Tavern, grew up right here in our neighborhood.

Below: the bar set up at a wedding.

My favorite part of the entire bar is the bar top itself. It’s made from rough cut wood that my Grandpa Duane [Peterson] milled in the 1970s.

After he passed away, we found the boards tucked away in a shed on his property. He and my grandma were such an important part of my life, and I feel so honored to have a piece of him with me on this journey.

Just recently, we added a trailer to the mix! We’re still deciding how to outfit it, but eventually we’d love to add a more modern bar setup and maybe even a tiny tavern to the lineup. The possibilities really do feel endless.

We did a wedding in mid-June with about 250 guests. There was definitely a learning curve, but it turned out to be a great experience.

A good rule of thumb is to plan for about one drink per guest per hour, depending on what’s being served—beer, wine, liquor—there’s just a little math involved.

I provide each client with a customized alcohol shopping list based on their guest count and drink choices, and we take care of the rest: cups, ice, garnishes, etc.

Our first official wedding was a huge success! At the end of the night, there was even a little left over for the bride and groom to take home, which they loved.

I think one of the reasons mobile bars have become so popular is that there are no markups on alcohol like you'd get with a restaurant or caterer, where you’re paying per drink.

With us, you decide how much to spend on alcohol, and whatever’s left over at the end is yours to keep!