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Ecuador – El Pahuma Orchid Reserve and San Tadeo Birding

Buffets, Ecuador, Travel

**** Not much food in this one…..but there’s a very unique experience you might enjoy!

As I mentioned in my last post on Ecuador; because I wanted a bit of a buffer in case something happened, we had almost a full day in Quito on our return. Since we were staying at a hotel located at Mariscal Sucre International Airport, I went and booked us a private tour of the Mindo Cloud Forest. You can read this Wikipedia page in case you want to know what a cloud forest is.

We had a quick breakfast at the hotel before waiting for our driver.

We’d be making several stops during the day; so we did the check out thing at the hotel and stored our luggage and were off. Our guide/driver quickly informed us that the difference between a cloud forest and a rain forest is that cloud forests are at altitude and the plant life depends on an almost constant mist/condensation/dripping to keep vegetation watered.

The drive to Mindo takes a bit over an hour from Quito. And our first stop was at the side of the road where there stood a welcome center, a small mini mart, and parking lot.

Across the street was El Pahuma Orchid Reserve.

A lovely, easy trail.

Of course there were some beautiful, almost tropical plants.

And we even had our own “trail master”.

Who guided us to the lovely waterfall.

The indigenous inhabitants of the area; the Yumbo considered waterfalls and ponds to be sacred.

In fact, they still hold various sacred ceremonies here during the year! The trail almost looks like it was dug into the earth like a trench. We were told that they call this a “culunco”, a trail dug into the ground by centuries of use!

This was a wonderful start to our tour. And our next stop is one that we’ll never forget. After about a 45 minute drive, we headed down a short road to a small parking lot. Which had a wonderful view!

This is San Tadeo Birding, a well known spot for bird watching…..

But is know for one other thing……we were given some coffee and walked around a bit, with our guide pointing out the various birds occupying the vegetation.

We were then walked to a little clearing and handed these little red hand feeders and instructed on where and how to stand…completely still, with feeder in hand. And then it started to happen!

The hummingbirds started coming over to feed on the sugar water!

It was an amazing experience…one that we wished never ended!

Different species of hummingbirds were pointed out to us.

I asked how these wild hummingbirds got trained to do this….our guide laughed and said the training goes both ways…for the human and for the birds. Hummingbirds are drawn to the color red, so things are done with stationary or hanging feeders first.

Then the birds are slowly transitioned to feeding from feeders in people’s hands. We were told that the place was closed to visitors during Covid and during that time, they got used to feeding from the staffs hands. And it’s now been 2 generations since then….so it seems that the info has been passed down!

It’s moments like these that makes these trips exploring our wonderful planet so wonderfully inforgettable!

Thanks for stopping by!

Bello’s Tacos and Burritos (Bay Park)

Food Trucks/Carts, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

While driving up Clairemont Drive a few weeks ago, I noticed a new Taco Trailer in the parking lot of V Outlet. This is where the La Chorreada Truck used to reside, before moving a bit further up the block.

I thought this was interesting since is there really a need for two taco trucks in less than a block? Plus, there’s the Roberto’s and California’s Taco Shop all within a block? Then I noticed the $1.69 Fish Tacos. Well now, there’s always room for a decent fish taco and a good price, right?

So, when I had a bit of time, I walked on up to the trailer……I had major positive vibes since the last taco trailer I visited was Tacos Minali which I thought was pretty good.

There’s a small makeshift dining area alongside the trailer.

As I walked up to the window to order I took a look at the menu and “holy sticker shock Batman”!

Yes, the fish tacos were $1.69……but Carne Asada and Al Pastor $3.99? Tripas and Cabeza $4.99…burritos like $14 and up? I mean really……I was pretty sure this wasn’t Mesa Agricola, right?

Well, I decided to trying that Fish Taco ($1.69), and since La Chorreada’s Adobada has been disappointing, I ordered the Taco Al Pastor ($3.99), and finally went with some Tripas ($4.99). On a good note, I was asked if I wanted my Tripas crispy or soft….well, it was crispy of course!

I was handed two little food trays with my order and I headed on home. The one table was filled by the time my order was ready.

When asked which type of salsa I desired, I asked for a recommendation. The nice gentleman working said, I liked picante, to get the Habanero Salsa….which is what I got. Nice heat and tangy finish.

The Fish Taco was as I expected. A sliver of fish the thickness of my ring finger. Can you even see it in this photo?

I had gotten soggy by the time I’d walked home…a simple ten minute trip. It had a mushy texture and muddy finish, so I’m thinking it’s swai or tilipia….not my favorite and something I’d never recommend. Pass….

The Al Pastor had a mushy texture.

While quite savory, it lacked that mild sweet-smoky flavor. The tortilla was really thick and more than up to the job of keeping form, but lacked a good maiziness. For some reason, it reminded me more of chorizo than adobaba/al pastor.

And then there was the five dollar “teensy” tripas……which was nice and crisp.

Loved the texture, but found this to be really mild with regards to the typical earthy-funky tones I enjoy in tripas.

That squeeze of lime helped, but the habanero salsa overwhelmed things. Not sure I’d have this again, but if I did, I’d probably go with a salsa verde….

Actually, with the prices and what not, I had decided not to return…..and actually to not even do a post. Until……one of the really nice folks who work at BHT, Diego and I had a short chat about Bello’s and he also went “no bueno” on the fish tacos and al pastor. But he did mention that the Quesabirria was worth the price. Soooo…….I decided to return and order the Quesabirria which was $13.99. The really nice guy working handed me chips while I waited, very nice!

I was handed my tray and headed home….and realized that something was missing. According to the menu, the quesabirria came with consomme…..but I guess they didn’t have any on this day? Oh well, I guess the chips made up for that, right? It did feel quite heavy and it was indeed quite large. This seemed like good ten inch tortillas were used for this!

Nicely griddled, the slight crispness had held out on the short walk home.

In terms of the birria…well, it was beefy, a bit on the drier-chewier-stringy side, milder in flavor than I prefer. Totally lacking in spice, the salsa roja came in handy….I could have even used a second container of it.

The cheese was mainly a textural thing…..stretchy.

Overall, based on portion size, this might be worth it…though some consomme for dipping would be really good.

As for now…..unless someone has a good rec for this trailer….I need to head back to La Chorreada. I’m wondering what the prices there are like now?

Bello’s Tacos and Burritos
3020 Clairemont Dr.(In the Parking Lot of V-Outlet)
San Diego, CA 92117

So Saap Revisited

Lao Restaurants, Thai Restaurants

After having the leftovers from Kin Saep, the Missus wanted to revisit So Saap. Hard to believe it’s been over a year since we last visited!

We easily found parking on the street….that parking lot is a horror show and with all the guys hanging out having coffee at the Starbucks parking spots are hard to come by at times.

The restaurant was deserted when we arrived, but soon started to fill up. The older woman working was so sweet in a “auntie” kind of way. We ordered two of our favorites from previous visits and tried one new dish.

Things started off with the Lao Sausage (Spicy).

Man, this was even better than we recalled. The casing was crisp, lots of herbs, decent spice, but the most interesting things was how very tender the filling was…in fact, we actually saw globules of fat in the sausage!

While the beef was on the chewy side, we enjoyed the nutty flavor of the roasted rice powder, good amount of lime, nice beefiness, though it could have been more spicy.

Still, we enjoyed it.

We decided to try the Hat Yai Fried Chicken on this visit. In addition to the sticky rice, it came with a super lip melting and spicy, though kind of thin curry soup. And also had Thai Roti, thin and nicely griddled, yeasty, with some crispness.

The chicken was simply fried, the exterior pretty crisp. The seasoning was on the milder side, the flesh very moist and tender. Great fowl-ly flavor. Overall a pretty nice dish.

We enjoyed this meal and made sure to finish the chicken and had one sausage and the rest of the nam tok for dinner……where it had become pretty darn spicy!

Since Spicy Lao Kitchen had gone downhill, So Saap seems to be one of our top choices these days and this meal didn’t disappoint!

So Saap
4134 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Current Hours:
Sun – Thurs 1030am – 11pm
Sat – Sun 1030am – Midnight

Lee’s Sandwiches (Rolando)

Banh Mi

With the recent “more than warm” weather, I’ve been craving banh mi. So, during one lunch I was thinking of Banh Mi Express…except that it was during the time they were closed. Then the other usual suspects came to mind...Avian, Paris, et al…..

Then I realized something. Though I’d been to Lee’s Sandwiches all over OC…in those days when my work was sending me there, I’d never really done a post on my visits. Though Cathy has done a post on Lee’s in Rolando, the only one I could find was from all those years ago when we stopped on the way to LAX. Well, since I had some time for an early lunch, I thought why not make the effort to head on out.

I arrived to find both the parking lot and the shop empty. The last time I’d been at University Square were during my visits to Pha Khao Lao last year.

Even though the price of the usual Banh Mi here is now $7.95….well, it’s still cheaper than the last one I’d had which was nine bucks.

I placed my order and stepped aside and waited….

And in less than 10 minutes, my banh mi was ready to go…..I ordered the Cha Lua Pate.

The bread here like what’s used at Paris and K are of the longer variety. I really liked the fact that it has been nicely heated/toasted. The crust was a bit too thick and chewy for my taste. It was nicely yeasty though the bread was still a bit chewier than I prefer.

Good amount of funky-savory pate and perhaps a tad too much mayo and only two slices of cha lua, but everything was decently layered thru the sandwich. Except for the really thin slice of cucumber.

Nice portion of cilantro, though a bit too many stems, the jalapenos added the fun “pepper roulette” to things.

The pickled radish and carrots were nicely cut and ratio’d adding a good, refreshing crunch to things.

I still prefer Paris Sandwiches with regards to this “long style” of banh mi…..so, I’ll need to return there to compare. Still, I’d rather have a banh mi from Lee’s than from K Sandwiches.

Lee’s Sandwiches
5801 University Ave. B-1
San Diego, CA 92115
Current Hours:
Daily 7am – 6pm

Kokoro Closing on August 30th and It Looks Like it’s Now Dumpling Express in the Old Taste of Hong Kong Space?

Chinese Restaurants

We’re in the midst of yet another road trip with JJ – so just a quick post on something I saw the other day. I went to see what was up with the Taste of Hong Kong space. Just last month it was something called Grill N Malatang? And then of course there was the IG post saying they were “taking a short break”.

But as I was driving by; I noticed some new “signage”.

It says “Dumpling Express”?

After a doing some searching, I found the business’s IG sight. Looks like they are opening soon?

So, I guess Grill N Malatang is on a longer “break” now? And what about that AYCE Sushi Bar named Shinjuku Station that is supposed to be in this spot? Well, the chain’s website still says that their San Diego location is opening at this address!

Man oh man…can’t wait to see what happens next!

4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Kokoro’s Last Day of Service is on August 30th:

Funny, I was just thinking about revisiting Kokoro when we get back into town and then this came up in my IG feed:

The owners are retiring. They’ll be missed. This place was also a favorite of the late Ed From Yuma! I hope they have a wonderful retirement!

Kokoro
3298 Greyling Dr.
San Diego, CA 92123

Soup du Jour and Joyee Noodle House (UTC) Revisited – A Popcorn Chicken Compare (and other stuffs)

Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chinese Restaurants, Taiwanese Food and Restaurants

Ever since they opened in Renaissance Towne Center back in April, Joyee’s has been a fairly regular take out stop for us. I’d place an order online and sometimes take JJ on over to pick up our food. It’s always the same two dishes…the Smoked Duck and Popcorn Chicken. I then have to actually use the air fryer to heat up the popcorn chicken to make it palatable. But the Missus insists it’s Her favorite…though I honestly think it’s because of the price, $11.99 and portion size. I mean, I have to actually cook it to make it edible for the Missus?

Personally, I thought the popcorn chicken…it’s called Spiced Street Chicken on the menu at Soup du Jour is actually better overall.

So recently, I decided to try them both over the course of a couple of days……..

Soup du Jour:

I know, interesting name for a place that makes a bunch of Chinese/Taiwanese Dishes in an apartment complex. I really hadn’t been back since I did my mega post back in January.

Even though the patio is dog friendly…it was just too hot to take JJ…so I just went and did a take out order.

Along with an appetizer of Spiced Street Chicken ($15.50 – you can also get it as a plate), I got the Honey Glazed Spareribs ($17.50) which the Missus enjoys.

Here’s what the chicken looks like.

It’s quite crunchy, has a nice white pepper – salt – basil flavor, good aromatics. Mild five-spice. Nice and fragrant.

Moist meat.

The Missus’s main gripe is that it doesn’t refry well in the air fryer.

The Missus enjoys the kind of Asian Fusiony Honey Glazed Spare Ribs.

No, these aren’t smoked pork ribs. It is supposedly braised overnight and has a nice balanced umami-sweet-savory flavor. I know it doesn’t look very pretty or tender…..but looks are deceiving.

It’s quite moist and tender and comes right of the bone. The Missus actually likes the leftovers along with the roasted veggies….which I still kind of find weird, over rice the next day.

The portion size is quite generous for the price….for these days.

Soup du Jour
8583 Aero Dr.
San Diego, CA 92123

And then a few days later…..

Joyee Noodle House(UTC):

It’s really easy online ordering, then pick-up. The same ‘ol, same ‘ol.

The Popcorn Chicken ($11.99) and the Smoked Duck ($19.99).

Let me tell you….that Popcorn Chicken just doesn’t look very good.

I had the Missus try a piece before doing the air fryer thing and She took a bite and made a face and put it back in the box!

The Missus says the smoked duck tastes like how they make it in Shandong….very savory.

They’ve been getting kinda sloppy recently and seem to just throw stuff into the container…..pieces stuck together, skin fallen off….. Still the Missus enjoys the flavor.

Here’s what things look like after the air fryer and air roast.

The Popcorn Chicken is still fairly moist, but becomes crisp.

The texture is more like what we like in Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken…..I believe they are using potato starch for the batter. It’s a bit milder in flavor, but nice and crisp-crunchy.

I put the skin back on the pieces of duck and air roast.

And this suddenly looks much better too, right?

Still, I don’t think I should go and to takeout, then have to cook the food again to make it to our standards, right? What do you think?

Joyee Noodle House(UTC)
8935 Towne Centre Drive
San Diego, CA 92122

And, I’m open to any Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken recommendations…though let’s not do Bopomofo ok?

Mesa Agricola (Escondido)

Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

In the comments section of my post on White Elephant Asian Kitchen, “FOY” RedDevil mentioned enjoying Mesa Agricola, a farm to table taco shop specializing in guisados that opened in Escondido in August of 2025. I had read about the place and had it on my list. Recently, I decided to take that 25 mile drive to check the place out. The tiny shop resides on South Escondido Boulevard which parallels the I-15. I don’t recall being around these parts before?

I found parking and walked over. It was just 15 minutes past eleven and there were folks eating already!

There were a couple of tables on the sidewalk and three small tables inside the tiny shop.

There was a woman hard at work making tortillas on the griddle. I understand that the menu constantly changes based on what is available. The owners also have their own farm as well!

Tacos run at $5….so it’s definitely not your typical taco shop fare that’s for sure. I decided on three tacos; the Cochinita Pibil, Mushrooms al Ajillo, and Chorizo con Nopales.

After a short wait, my food was ready. I had taken a seat at one of the small two tops.

Nice looking tacos. The tortillas were tender, yet up to the task of holding the food. It almost seemed fluffy! The maize flavor was on the milder side.

The Cochinita Pibil was first.

It had been garnished with the very hipster pickled onions which kind of made me laugh. I really enjoyed the earthy black bean which were perfectly cooked. For some reason, it made me think of Tacos Hola in CDMX which specializes in Tacos Guisados. Man, that chicken was so moist and tender…perfect texture for guisados. I did find the flavor to be a bit mild for my taste. I prefer a stronger sour-citrus acidity in my cochinta along with more aromatics. In terms of texture and size this was quite good. I even enjoyed the rice in the tacos as well.

The one taco that really interested me was the Hongos Al Ajillo…the mushroom al ajillo.

While I would like more of a garlicky “hit”, the mushrooms were so earthy and not mushy, but almost rich and meat like in texture. There was a mild smokiness to the mushrooms and the black beans and pepitas really added interesting textures and flavors. The milder flavor of the tortillas did well with the hongos. This taco would be perfectly at home served in a guisados tacos shop in trendy Roma Norte or Condesa in CDMX.

I loved the “neba-neba” texture of the nopales in the Chorizo con Nopales. But was expecting a bit more sharpness and spice from the house made chorizo.

There was an abundance of the gooey nopales and the black beans actually seemed to have more flavor than the chorizo. I thought the salsa rojo provided came to it’s best use in this taco as it added smokey heat to things.

Overall, this was a fun meal. No, this isn’t your local taco shop or taco truck fare….it’s quite trendy and a bit hipster. So no, don’t expect $3 tacos here. If Mesa Agricola was a bit closer in distance I’d take the Missus there; I think She’d enjoy it. I do intend to return…maybe on a weekday when things aren’t so hectic and busy. And when gas prices come down a bit.

Mesa Agricola
707 South Escondido Blvd.
Escondido, CA 92025
Current Hours:
Wed – Sun 11am – 6pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday

Thanks again for the recommendation RD!

Prime Grill Revisited

Korean Restaurants

You know after our terrible visit to BiBimBoom that I’d be wanting to get my Bi Bim Naengmyun fix, right? Where else for us to visit than Prime Grill? While we’d had some plus-minus visits over the years, as a whole Prime Grill still makes my favorite version of Bi Bim Naengmyun. So, we headed on over for lunch.

We arrived and were seated by the no-nonsense “Ajumma” who have been working here for years.

Of course the Missus was going to get the Dolsot Bi Bim Bap. And while looking over the menu…..

I know the Missus wanted to try the Dak Kalbi here, so I thought I’d just get the Naengmyun combo. But then the woman asked me if I wanted the Bi Bim Naengmyun with the combo! Nice!

Today the baechu kimchi tasted nicely fermeneted…it had that deep sour flavor! Mus have been our lucky day!

The Missus’s Dolsot Bi Bim Bap arrived quickly.

She let the stone bowl sizzle away for a good amount of time to develop a rice crust.

Meanwhile, I received a bowl of broth…but it was that squeeze bottle of cho-jang that was really put to good use!

After having such bland food at BiBimBoom we went after some spice and flavor and indeed must have used a third of the bottle!

The Missus destroyed the fluffy gyeran jjim in minutes!

I didn’t even manage to get a taste!

Meanwhile my Naengmyun arrived, with the typical small bowl of chilled broth.

Those stretchy, chewy noodles….I’m always thankful for the “four cut” otherwise I’m be dodging all those bits of sauce that would be flying about from those elastic noodles. The egg was a bit overcooked…..but for me it was all about the soup and cho-jang. I added even more to this bowl mixing everything well…..and used the nicely chilled and icy cold soup to “recover” while dabbing off the sweat on my brow.

This is my current favorite version of Bi Bim Naengmyun and it was the perfect thing on a scorching day!

The Dak Bulgogi arrived last on the sizzling plate.

This was interesting. The chicken was super tender, we gave things a bit of time to let things caramlize a bit. The flavor wasn’t super spicy; more savory, with nice hints of sesame oil. Of course we added more cho-jang! While I think it could have used more pungent tones; the Missus really enjoyed it. We only put a small dent in the portion. That combination of the naengmyun and duk bulgogi is definitely worth the $25.99 in our book.

The Missus took the leftover bi bim bap and chicken to work for lunch the next day. The lways serious women working were efficient and even brought out a second serving of panchan for us!

I was glad to get my “fix” after having such a terrible lunch at BiBimBoom!

Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Daily 11am – 10pm

Sunday Sandwiches – Surf N Sub Deli

Sandwiches

If this ain’t sandwich time with all the warm weather…well, I don’t know…..

As I was heading back to Mercury Street after checking out Kearny Mesa Deli, I passed another sandwich shop basically just a block away on Vickers Street. I noticed that the name of the place was Surf n Sub Deli, so I went and checked the hours and such….and decided to head on over for an early lunch.

Much like many of the sandwich shops I’ve visited, this one is in a business park/mall. There was a lot of parking when I arrived.

The interior is the typical “lets feed the workers” design. Chips and grabbables, a fridge with drinks……

The menu here is huge……with the usual suspects and many other “themed” sandwiches with Surfer and San Diego – beachy names like the “Spicoli” or the Wind n’ Sea….perhaps you’d like a “Bird Rock”……you get the idea, right?

After a bit of analysis paralysis, instead of my initial plan of just trying a “basic” sandwich, I went with one of their “Epic” versions, the Fiery Beef ($13.49). When asked what kind of bread I wanted, I let the nice woman working choose and she told me to get it on Squaw Bread.

This is a one woman operation….at least on my visits, so she went ahead and made my sandwich.

This was a pretty good sandwich; it reminded me of the Spicy Julio at Sandwich Emporium….though a little more “fancy”.

The squaw bread did add a touch of light sweetness and an almost nutty flavor to the sandwich. I was warned about this being “spicy”, but the chipotle sauce wasn’t very hot. I was thinking that cheddar cheese might be a bit much for the sandwich; but I could barely make it out.

The bacon added a nice salty flavor and the avocado some additional creaminess. Not a bad sandwich at all!

So, a couple of weeks later I was in the area and decided to return.

This time I got the “All About the Bacon” ($13.49)……just because the description included something called “crispy chicken”? Was it like a fried chicken sandwich with bacon? I got it on Sourdough.

I wish the bread was a bit more toasted as it got soggy fairly quickly. The chipotle sauce was a bit of overkill on this. I was also told they used bacon flavor mayo….nut I really couldn’t make things out. The crispy chicken was a breaded chicken cutlet. The chicken was surprisingly somewhat crisp, though the breading was falling off.

There was a good amount of fairly crisp bacon on this and this time around I really enjoyed the creamy avocado.

Overall, I enjoyed my sandwiches from Surf n Sub and the woman working is so nice. I also got two of the most expensive items on the menu. They also do half sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches/burritos as well. If I worked close by I’d grab a sandwich here every so often.

Surf N Sub Deli
8340 Vickers St. Suite C
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 730am – 330pm
Closed on weekends

I know you might find these sandwiches posts fairly boring; but I enjoy these little mom-and-pop shops that keep the folks working in these business parks fed.

Hope you all have a great week!

Road Trip – Seaside Gardens and Zookers Restaurant (Carpinteria)

American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Dog Friendly, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

On the way back from Summerland, I decided to make one more stop. The Missus is really into Her plants these days….and I had read about Seaside Botanical Gardens right outside Carpinteria. Yes, it’s a nursery and plant shop….however, it spans three-and-a-half acres featuring plants from various regions around the world.

It’s also dog friendly……and plants are separated by region. The folks working here are so very knowledgeable.

It was so relaxing and yet overwhelming at the same time…….it just went to point out how little we know!

We’ll be stopping here whenever we’re in the area!

Seaside Gardens
3700 Via Real #3050
Carpinteria, CA 93013

When we got back to the downtown area, we decided to do some shopping…..the Missus had fun with some of the thrift stores….some of which had fun items…..

And no….that’s not a “real” goldfish!

Walking down Carpinteria Avenue we passed this huge tree.

This is the Wardholme Torrey Pine, standing at 126 feet tall, it is the largest Torrey Pine in the world!

After a short respite in our room, we decided to head on out for dinner. I had chosen a place a short walk away, named Zookers. Located in the Casitas Shopping Center, Zookers also has a meat and seafood market…so I thought the food might not be too bad.

Plus, they had a large patio area…perfect for JJ!

Service outside was a bit slow….we noticed this for others who sat al fresco as well. Very nice and friendly folks though. The Missus enjoyed Her glass of a White Blend from Paso Robles and I got a Island Brewing Blond, made locally in Carpinteria, fairly clean and refreshing, with a hint of hops.

We ordered one starter and an “entree” salad.

First up were the Duck Confit Tacos ($22).

Man, this was not very good. The tortillas were waxy-mass produced stuff. The duck “confit” was dry and chewy; really lacking in flavor as well. Not enough cheese to have an affect on the tacos as well.

What was good was the Dry Aged Rib Eye Steak Salad ($33). I think I need to put salad in quotes since the only representative “garden green” in this was the very crisp and refreshing Romain Lettuce. It was quite good and we were told it’s locally grown.

The rib eye, while a bit overdone for our requested medium rare was very tender in spite of the looks! It was perfectly seasoned and man, it was so beefy and earthy.

Since Zookers had a meat market; in spite of the Missus’s reservations, I wanted to order some red meat and I’m glad we did! This was our favorite meal in Carpinteria and nowadays, the Missus will order a steak now and then! It was a nice way to end our little road trip.

Zookers Restaurant
5404 Carpinteria Ave. (in the Casitas Plaza Shopping Center)
Carpinteria, CA 93013

Breakfast was provided by the hotel. And the next morning, before checking out I took JJ for a short walk where he managed to meet a “cousin”, named Louie…..who it turned out was also staying at the same hotel!

It was a rather short, but fun road trip…..the 11th week took in 2025! Crazy, huh?