Travel notes

I arrived back home the day we heard we'd lost Rogov. So I haven't felt in much shape to talk food and wine for the last while.

The Francophile and I have been to the south-west US, where we spent 6 weeks trailing round parts of California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and a very quick hop into New Mexico. About half the time we were on a birding trip with a British group (Arizona) or being hosted by our good friends from just south of San Francisco; the rest, the Francophile and I were on a road trip in a rented car, binoculars at the ready, visiting national parks.

Food highlights.

Well, first a confession. I always said that they would put on my tombstone, "She never ate at McDonald's." I can't say that any more. The birding trip has rendered that null and void. To save time, we ate breakfast at McDonald's most days. There was usually one near our (bargain basement) motel; they open early in the morning. I didn't mind their iced coffee, but I hope never to eat another Sausage McMuffin or Egg McMuffin as long as I live. The one good thing about breakfast at McDonald's was the day I spotted a male cactus wren sitting on the railing just outside the window as we tackled our McInedibles.

Best restaurant meals:
The Outside Inn, Sierra Vista, AZ. Great steak, and nice wines by the glass.
Wranglers Steakhouse, Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley. Even better steak, and good wines by the glass, plus a very smooth waiter.
The Mountain Room, Yosemite Lodge. Just plain good. We ate there three nights running, and it was very good each night.

Interesting restaurants/meals:
Miramar Beach Restaurant and Bar, on the sea front at Half Moon Bay, CA. Apparently this place was a sly grog joint and bordello during prohibition. A very satisfying seafood meal, without being outstanding. Forgettable wines.
Breakfast at the Buena Vista Cafe, San Francisco. We had bacon and eggs and two Irish Coffees, and rolled out of the door feeling very mellow
Gateway Restaurant, Three Rivers, CA. The food was OK without being spectacular, the wines were forgettable, but we ate there three nights in a row and by the last night we were on friendly terms with the locals in the cocktail bar, the waitress, and the manager. Also, the place is built right on the banks of a very pretty river, so we enjoyed gazing out at the boulders and the ducks.
Cameron's Pub, Half Moon Bay, CA. The food is supposed to be English. Bangers and mash, fish and chips, etc. It wasn't very good. But the beer really was English. We played at the Open Mic night - had fun.

Matilda Goes to McDonalds.JPG

I always said that they would put on my tombstone, "She never ate at McDonald's." I can't say that any more.

Matilda,

Be careful that McDonald's don't pick up that photo for their PR!

I well remember our compromises with American fast food while on a similar trip a few years ago. The low point was something that was supposed to be a pizza, purchased at the Southern rim of the Grand Canyon. The only way I could describe it at the time was "an insult to the view"...

best,

Mike

[Jenise]

Thanks for the report, made me smile! Especially the thought of you having Irish Coffees with breakfast, of all things. You guys DID get around, though! Half Moon Bay, Yosemite, even Furnace Creek. But you used McD's the way we do: the coffee's decent and there are worse things when you're hungry and in a hurry early in the morning.

I'll have to remember the place in Sierra Vista. Did you happen to go through Patagonia, in southern Arizona?

Yes, we spent several days around the general vicinity of Patagonia, and had several lunch-time stops there. There was quirkly little place called the Gathering Grounds cafe where we ate lunch. Great salads and sandwiches, good coffee. Patagonia was full of art galleries. Arizona seems to have a number of towns that attract artist communities.

Yes, we spent several days around the general vicinity of Patagonia, and had several lunch-time stops there. There was quirkly little place called the Gathering Grounds cafe where we ate lunch. Great salads and sandwiches, good coffee. Patagonia was full of art galleries. Arizona seems to have a number of towns that attract artist communities.

My parents lived in Patagonia for many years, having moved out a couple of years ago, and my sister and her family are still there. My dad was the original owner of the Gathering Grounds, and you may well have been served there by my nephew. I think that's one of the prettiest areas in Arizona.

Well, how about that? Small world. That 'six degrees of separation' thing.

Matilda, I really enjoyed reading your post. Was the weather awfully hot while you were there? Did you get to the Palm Springs area? Had I known I could have steered you toward a few of our favorites there. Sounds like you had a nice trip! Thanks for sharing the highlights.

I laughed out loud about the McDonalds story and for some reason your photo caption really struck me as funny. It reminded me of the first time I visited Europe. I was there (all over the place) for more than a month, and I had a similar mantra. I wanted to eat "local" whereever I happened to be. Of course, being from the U.S., I'd had my share of McDonalds as a last resort kind-of-thing (and never liked it!) At one point during the trip, I took an overnight ferry from Portsmouth, England to Cherbourg, France. From there I was catching a train someplace...(I'd have to look it up, but I believe it was Eperney. This was a long time ago!) and I had several hours to kill before my connection. Being in Cherbourg at 6am you can imagine nothing was open at that hour...except...you guessed it...the golden arches welcomed me and I went in and had an egg McMuffin. The memorable part of it was that here I was in McDonalds, but had never seen such an orange egg-yolk. That was the start of noticing these orange egg yolks everywhere I had breakfast in Europe. I know it must have to do with what the chickens eat...right? In the states they are much more yellow. (Corn?)

P.S. I do have to say that I am a fan of McDonald's coffee. They serve Newman's Own Green Mountain, and it is really good. From time to time, I hit the drive thru for a cup.

Was it hot? Carrie, it was HOT. Plenty of 100 degree plus days all the way through Arizona. A hundred and sixteen on the day we got back to Phoenix after the bird trip. The Brits were melting. At least the Francophile and I are used to hot weather in summertime. When we were travelling back to California, in Death Valley the temperature hit 126 F, according to the outside-temperature gauge in the car. The Francophile got out and stood in it just so he could say he had. I stayed in the car, grumpy. "Hot is hot. I'll take it as read."