We had basically one full day in Idyllwild and the Missus wanted to get a hike in. After searching around a bit, we picked the Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail, which was about 5 miles, but was also shaded…..since JJ doesn’t care for direct sunlight much.
Idyllwild is so peaceful in the morning……
We got to the trail early so had no problem with parking. There’s some inclines and such, but it’s a lovely trail.
I enjoyed some of the rock formations.
As did JJ….but for different reasons……
He seemed to like jumping on the rocks to taunt me….as in “hurry up daddy, you too slow!”
We took about 2 1/2 hours to complete the trail then headed back to the room to freshen up, then headed down the street to grab an early lunch.
There were a few choices….I guess we could have gone to the Red Kettle again….but we’d been-there, done-that and wanted something different.
Right past the Red Kettle is a little alleyway/lane called the Village Lane.
I had noticed an ice cream shop named the Atomic Cow the previous day, but taking a closer look, we saw that they did sandwiches as well.
While the Missus watched JJ, I went in and ordered us some sandwiches. I got us an Italian Sub and also the Cubano which featured an interesting ingredient.
The Italian Sub was typical, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, dressed with a vinaigrette.
I did like that they used Amoroso Rolls, very mild in flavor. This was your basic ham-pepperoni-salami-provolone sandwich.
The “wildcard” was the Cubano.
You see, this “Cubano” features; in addition to the ham, “Kalua Pork”! Say what?!? We actually enjoyed this sandwich.
This didn’t have all the veggies and was also toasted. The provolone cheese had melted, adding a nice milkiness! The “Kalua Pork” was basically pork made with liquid smoke, but was smoky, tender, salty, and savory….and it went really well with the ham! Who’s have thought, right? We enjoyed the pickles and mustard in this as they helped balance out the rich saltiness.
Well, this was a pleasant surprise. We polished off the Cubano, which was enough for the both of us, and saved the Italian Sandwich for breakfast.
Atomic Cow
54200 N Circle Dr.
Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549
We then headed back to our room….it was time for a nap.
Upon waking we decided to get an early dinner and slowly made our way down to our dinner destination. Located in the Strawberry Creek Shopping Plaza is the Idyllwild Brewpub. You see the sign and then head down the flight of stairs…..
We had a nice table on the patio.
Where JJ could just chill. The Servers were quite friendly. Since this is a brewpub, my initial thought was to grab a beer, but the cocktail menu was intriguing.
All the syrups and fruit juices are made inhouse…..so we had cocktails.
The Missus had the Devil’s Slide….She does enjoy Her Tequila and this was pleasantly stiff.
I got the Smoked Old Fashion.
And while this won’t make me forget about The Alchemist’s Garden or even Shelter Distilling, it was very nice; aromatic, smoky, not overly sweet.
As for food, we just got two dishes. Starting with the Mountain Wedge Salad.
Nice and refreshing; the bacon bits and the blue cheese crumbles make this salad.
And I wanted to try the Fried Cheese Curds…..
The batter wasn’t particularly crisp, though the cheese was nice and gooey. A bit short in terms of flavor…I think horseradish might have been a good “dip” for this. Still haven’t found anything that matches up with what I’d had at the Old Fashioned in Madison.
Overall, a decent dinner. We’d return on a follow-up trip a few months later.
Idyllwild Brewpub
54423 Village Center Dr.
Idyllwild, CA 92549
I know “FOY” Junichi also visited the Brewpub! Junichi, I’m wondering what dined on?
Walking back to our accommodations; I could tell that J was pretty tired. He’s had a busy day after all.
The next morning, I saw something while walking JJ at 5am in the morning. I saw what looked like 3 dogs roaming down North Circle Drive. They basically walked past us…Coyotes! Walking down the main street like they owned the place.
Later in the morning, we decided to walk into town to grab some coffee and then finish up the sandwich from the day before. This is Idyllwild at 7am.
We walked down to the little mall that houses Pure Bean Idy.
JJ hung out with the Missus while I went in and ordered our coffee.
Very nice service and I enjoyed my Cold Brew.
Pure Bean Idy
54245 N Circle Dr.
Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549
After finishing up, we packed up and headed home. The two nights went by in the blink of an eye, but we’d be returning id a couple of months.
Thanks for stopping by!