http://www.thespicetin.com
The Spice Tin is a great shop up in Murphys. Great fresh spices!!!!! Check out there website that has great recipes also
http://www.thespicetin.com
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We had a great time at the Fresno State - Nebraska game. Yes - the game didn't turn out the way we wanted, but we had a great time with all of the Nebraska fans! We had a great tailgate with the States family and Drew Wilson and his family and friends. About 20 of us huddled under a pop up in 100 degree temps - 4 Fresno State fans and the rest a part of Husker nation.
Here is the beauty of a great tailgate - food and friends! We had Lockeford sausage, tacos with all the fixings, chips and salsa and of course - dogs! Kids throwing footballs all over the grass area. It was great to share some food and fun with people that had traveled so far for the game. I have been to numerous Fresno State games over the years....this was really one of the best. And it had nothing to do with the game itself! Cheers to all the Nebraska fans that made the trip!!!! And..................Go..................Dogs!!!!!!!!!!! Trent and I were able to head down to Los Angeles and watch the USC - Fresno State game. Real quick road trip, but well worth it! Trent's first time to see the Coliseum. Great moment was when they lit the Olympic Flame! Some notes of advice if you are going to the LA Coliseum for a game: There is a great parking lot right across from the entrance on Martin Luther - it costs $60, but worth it for convenience and security. Much easier to make sure your gas tank is full heading to the Coliseum than trying to find a gas station in Downtown LA after the game! I could spend hours fishing. It’s so relaxing! I don’t even need to catch a fish. Being in a remote (no phone service!) area along a stream, casting my fishing pole across the clear water is my little piece of heaven. I was in major need of my heavenly environment, so today, I gathered up my fishing gear,packed my jerky (by the way Bass Pro makes some really good jerky!), gathered my son and wife and we headed up highway 108 for a fishing adventure. The ride up was gorgeous; vibrant green pines lined the road under a bright blue sky. The temperature never got over 75 degrees; a perfect day in the mountains. Traffic was light and got even lighter as we passed the entrance to Pinecrest. Our first destination was Clark’s Fork. We found several spots along the road to throw in our poles. The views up and down the creek were stunning. We then headed further up the road and made stops in Dardanelles and Kennedy Meadows. These two destinations also had plenty of places to pull off and fish. Unfortunately, the fish gods weren’t generous to us today. We did see a couple swimming by us and ran into a person who did catch two fish earlier that day. As I said before, it really doesn’t matter because to me it’s all about the fishing, the environment and the company. On the way home we stopped in Strawberry and had lunch at the Strawberry Inn. Customers were able to choose to sit outside by the creek, inside or at the bar. The food was decent as well as the service. Overnight customers could check-in to one of the rooms attached to the restaurant. As a side note, there were several campgrounds in all three of the areas we visited to dry camp. The nice part was that there were very few campers and the river was close to most of the campgrounds. This is an area were you can definitely get away from your normal routine.
A drive up through some winding hills led us to a point close enough to get a picture of the impressive and nostalgic Hollywood sign. Even though we couldn’t get any closer, it was definitely worth the drive up. Okay, so that checked everything off of our daughter’s list so that meant we could sneak in a stop for us…Pinks Hot Dog Stand! You might think that a hot dog is a hot dog…not at Pink’s! It took us a while to read the menu and then even longer to decide which assortment of hot dog delicacies we wished to indulge ourselves in. The hot dogs were GREAT! And so was our timing, because when we left (around 11:00) the order line was increasing down the street.
So, next time you are driving to LA and you happen to pass by Hollywood think about pulling off and spending a day…you might be pleasantly surprised.
We have always enjoyed our trips to Monterey and Carmel visiting our favorite pub (The Crown and Anchor), roaming through the aquarium, driving through 17 mile drive and walking Canary Row and downtown Carmel. Our last visit presented a two night stay in downtown Carmel. The evening started by hooking up with our friends and having a couple of pints. As their night ended (they had been golfing all day- but we like to tease them about how they can’t keep up with us!) we walked down Ocean Avenue to see what we could find. We found a treasure at Jack London’s Grill and Taproom. Not only were they pouring great ales but we were treated to great entertainment by Casey Frazier. He was fun and amazing! We didn’t know anyone in the room yet it felt like we knew everyone because we were all singing along and making requests. The dude nailed every song! This would have been a great way to end the evening, but on our way back to our hotel we heard a racket coming from one of the side streets. Since we are always up for an adventure, we decided, “What the heck!” We made some more friends who enticed us to a few rounds of Fireball shots…oops…maybe not the wisest choice!! For some reason, the next morning seemed to fly by because the afternoon came quickly upon us! Our next adventure with our friends was a trip to Spanish Bay Lodge. We ventured out to the back patio where we found a cozy table by the golf course and overlooked the ocean. We were quickly greeted with cocktails, appetizers and blankets. If you time it right (just before sunset) you will get to witness a kilted person walking across the green playing the bagpipes. This is definitely an item to add to your bucket list. Just when we thought nothing could top this….we headed to our dinner destination back in downtown Carmel. The place was Dametra Cafe. It is Greek restaurant that serves all the authentic dishes along with all the Greek charm. The waiters and staff went out of their way to make our visit simply fantastic. Make sure that you stay long enough to hear the singing and dancing…who knows, you might even become part of the entertainment. Dametra’s is a very popular place, so you will want to make reservations well in advance.
Okay….so, we could have gone home from there, but hey, when you are that close to “The Crown”….you’ve got to do what you got to do (especially since it was St. Patrick’s Day!) So, we gathered the troops and found our way back into Monterey. Now we ALWAYS have fun at Crown and Anchor, but there was a special green vibe going on today. In fact, green was everywhere and if you felt the need for more, employees quickly supplied you with green tattoos, green spray for your hair and green trinkets. Thank You Crown and Anchor for always providing us with great memories!
We just visited our first KOA camp and we were very impressed. The campground itself is large and has full hook-up sites for RV’s or trailers. Tenters are also welcome. There were also several cabin-like buildings that ranged in size. One of these areas was being used by a group for a family reunion (great idea!). The campground was clean, easily accessible and full of activities. Employees happily greeted us as we checked in and were always there to assist us during our stay. Unfortunately, the walk to the beach was a long one. We had to walk because we have an RV (people with trailers or campers staying in the cabins could easily drive to the beach). It took us a good 30 minutes to reach the 170-step staircase (yes, we counted them) that led us down to the beach. On a positive note, you do get to walk through a strawberry field on your way and the smells are delicious!! The beach (Manresa State Beach) itself was wonderful. There is plenty of sand for all to enjoy. Surfers enjoyed the gentle waves, dogs chased their toys, children buried their siblings in the sand, joggers strolled the shoreline and sunbathers soaked in the sun rays. Back to camp life…everyone always needs to know about the facilities! Bathrooms were in good shape. Shower stalls were located in the bathrooms and could be used at no cost. There was a pool, hot tub, miniature golf course, large playground, a giant jumpy structure, a climbing wall, game rooms and a pet area. If you have children, then this would be a great campground for you. There were plenty of things to keep children busy. The camp also offered activities throughout the day. On the day that we were there, they had train rides, a t-shirt tie-dye event and a pancake breakfast. If you are mobile, you are a short distance from the Santa Cruz boardwalk and downtown Capitola. KOA Santa Cruz/Monterey is definitely worth checking out!
Mexico is a great getaway destination. The area from Cabo San Lucas to San Jose del Cabo provides great food, relaxation and golf. I was able to golf on two of the courses. They both had great views and challenging holes. The cactus adds another realm to the game of golf….players beware! Traveling by taxi was a little expensive, but the drivers were all fluent in English and were willing to share their culture with you. We were lucky to find one driver who took us to the local’s favorite: Taqueria Rossy. The food was amazing. We feasted on scallop tacos and smoked marlin tacos!! Downtown San Jose was very quaint with its market areas and mission. Be sure to stop by Shooters Sports Bar (great view of downtown) and the Tropicana (yummy mojito). When you head the other way towards Cabo San Lucas, you will find the area to be more about the tourist. You can visit the glass blowing plant, shop at the upscale mall or local shops, take a boat to the arc, snorkel, fish, tequilla taste or explore the area. One place you will need to visit is The Office. The food is tasty and the drinks are bountiful. It is a great place to kick back and relax. If you are interested in purchasing intems from local vendors then you need to ask for a table close to the water.
Pinecrest Lake is a great place to take the family – either for the day or for camping. The lake offers many activities – check out the Marina where you can rent a boat to fish or just hang out on the water. There is also a beach that is perfect for the kids to hang out. It is a great place to camp – crowded but still comfortable. The General Store carries all of the basics – the Steam Donkey is great place to relax and get a drink. The kids like the hut by the lake. Frosty ice cream cones are always something to look forward too!
The Fox and the Goose is one of my favorite pubs in California, located in Sacramento. I love English pubs and this is a great one!
I am a huge fan of Fuller’s beer. They have 3 on tap – my favorite – London Pride – as well as ESB and Porter. They have a good menu with several pub favorites, such as Shepard’s Pie and Bangers and Mash. The Sunday brunch is outstanding. Cheers! |