Travel – Page 6

Fauna – Valle de Guadalupe

August 7, 2025 mmm-yoso Baja California, Mexico, Fine Dining, Latin American Cuisine, Memorable Meals, Mexican Restaurants, Travel

For our blowout meal while visiting Valle de Guadalupe, I made reservations at Fauna which for several years had been touted among the "best" (in lower case and strong quotes) restaurants in Latin America. Of course…those lists…..Fauna was chosen as the "best" in Mexico in 2023 according to Eater. Of course, I kind of temper my expectations at bit. We've dined at Maido, which has claimed the title of Best Restaurant in the World in 2025 and Osteria Francescana when it held that title back in 2018. Both meals were good and innovative; but each with short comings for us. Still, what I had read and seen regarding Fauna was interesting, so I made those reservations.

Of course our driver, Ivan was super punctual, and off we went! We were dropped right at the entrance of Fauna which is located in the huge and sprawling Bruma Wine Resort.

We were greeted and seated. The Missus wasn't too fond of the communal seating arrangement, but I kind of enjoyed the social aspect.

I had a cocktail and the Missus wine while we looked over the menu.

We started with some wonderful shellfish. I think the Missus's favorite was the super sweet abalone, which came with a nutty pepito flavored aspic. The blood clams were so sweet and an umami bomb.

The Baja Oysters were mildly briny and refreshing, with a clean finish.

The Tuna Fin Sopes where a bit salty and the sopes were on drier-chewier side. For some reason, it also lacked a nice "maize" flavor as well.

The Octopus with Tomato was interesting as it was quite herbal. The octopus was cooked perfectly and quite tender.

The scallops in the Scallops in Eggplant Puree was so sweet and tender.

But the eggplant puree was thinner than I anticipated and really lacked the smoky-savory flavor we enjoy. It was also a bit on the salty side.

The Rabbit and Celeriac was an interesting dish as the rabbit was compressed.

Surprisingly mild in flavor, the rabbit was super moist and tender. The celeriac added some nice sweet tones as well. This was served with some blue corn tortillas, which, unlike the sopes were mildly sweet and "maizey".

Seeing Sweetbreads on the menu; you know I just had to order it, right?

Served on a savory, lovely potato puree, and with crispy fried kale to add an interesting bitter-sweet flavor and also textural contrast to the nutty-buttery, mildly offaly sweetbreads, this was an delici-yoso dish!

The Striped Bass with a Pasilla Adobo was very good.

The fish was perfectly pan fried, crisp exterior, moist and flaky, while a bit on the salty side. The adobo was wonderful, smoky, slightly sweet, mild spice, quite rich in texture.

There were two dishes we were advised to order by folks we know. The first being the Charred Cabbage.

Which lay in a large dollop of a sauce made of Chilhuacle Chiles, which was the sweeter side. The cabbage was fine….and we've been ordering charred cabbage this when we see it on menus since we had it at Senia. The cabbage was quite mild in flavor, even though it was charred and should have really developed a sweet smokiness.

And then there was the Wagyu which was served with a Pasilla Chile Stuffed with Cheese which was kinda overkill.

The steak was toothsome and quite beefy, though cooked past our preferred doneness.

The Missus did enjoy the desserts.

While the Missus was not particularly fond of the communal seating and definitely not in same league as Pujol; I think we'd return if we had a chance.

We felt sorry for the young man who was part of the Asian couple across from us. He was so excited to be dining at Fauna; but the young lady accompanying him was having none of it. She made many rude comments…sometimes not even touching what was on her plate! She just didn't want to be there it seems, making the meal as unpleasant for her date as possible, and was totally unable to just "suck it up" for the sake of the young man. Sigh….

Fauna
México 3 Km #73
Francisco Zarco, B.C., Mexico

After dinner we strolled around the area a bit.

Thinking that perhaps we might want to stay around here should we return to Valle.

Fauna 00

Valle de Guadalupe – Vinicola Retorno, Vinícola Emevé, and Staying at Contemplación Hotel Boutique

August 2, 2025 mmm-yoso Baja California, Mexico, Mexico, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

**** No food in this one; just two wineries, and where we stayed in Valle

After a very satisfying lunch at El Guero we headed down the 10, then back up the 3 toward our accommodation. When chatting with Aimee, I mentioned that we really wanted to relax and enjoy and not do too many wineries and that the Missus was partial to whites.

The first stop was a charming and tiny little tasting room for Vinicola Retorno.

The young man working was an absolute joy; so welcoming and friendly.

He was so gracious and generous with our tasting and perhaps it's because there were no other customers on this day…he took us on a tour of the production facility in this tiny winery.

He even scaled the barrels to give us tastes of different vintages…..

The Missus really enjoyed the two whites using Chenin Blanc type grapes. Because this was our first stop, we didn't buy any bottles….but as luck would have it; we'd end up returning the following day.

Definitely the Missus's favorite stop.

Vinícola Retorno
Santos Degollado 161
Villa de Juárez, B.C., Mexico

Our next stop before checking into our accommodations was in total contrast to Retorno. While our previous stop was quaint, tiny, and rustic, Vinícola Emevé was quite modern.

We did enjoy the view and the staff was also quite friendly as well.

We had a tasting of four different wines from Emevé, but the what stays in our memory is being able to walk along the lovely vineyards.

Escorted by this wonderful pooch!

I can see how experiencing moments like this can bring you "closer" to the wine you are imbibing……

Vinícola Emevé
Parcela 67
El Porvenir, B.C., Mexico

Soon enough it was time to head on over to our accommodation. I had booked our stay at Contemplación Hotel Boutique mainly because of the lovely setting; it also had villas, which seemed just the perfect place to relax.

There's a restaurant onsite which included breakfast daily. And the villas were large and comfortable.

We loved the view of the vineyards right out our window.

We'd enjoy walking the grounds a bit later on during our stay.

For now…well, we needed a short break before heading out to dinner!

Thanks for stopping by!

Puerto Nuevo – Restaurant Bar El Guero

August 1, 2025 mmm-yoso Baja California, Mexico, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Seafood, Travel

I'm not sure why I took so long to do it…..many folks I know have been to Valle de Guadalupe, not only for winery visits, but also because of the ever elevating cuisine that is being presented in the region, which includes several Michelin listed restaurants. I guess we'd been too busy visiting CDMX and other wonderful areas within Mexico, that we just never got around to it. So finally last year, as a late birthday thing for the Missus, I decided that we should "dip our feet" into the Valle. I also decided that perhaps not driving around in an area I'm not familiar with after imbibing might not be a great idea and really wanted to make this something special for the Missus. It just so happened that I listened to the now inactive "All in San Diego" podcast and heard an interview with Aimee Cruz, who is the founder of Valle Guadalupe Baja Tours. She sounded so upbeat and positive that I went and sent an email and got a very quick response and then had a lovely phone conversation with her. It was a wonderful experience….and no; Aimee does not know I have this blog at all; I'm not one of those influencer types….just some guy that likes to eat…and travel occasionally. Things ended up quite customized, we had our drivers, I made the reservations for accommodations after reviewing some recommendations and checking online. I made dinner reservations and Aimee provided a nice list of possible wineries with their attributes. Everything was scheduled at our pace and preference and once Aimee found out that we enjoy dining she coordinated our lunches along the way. Our drivers, Ivan and Isaac were wonderful, and because it was just the Missus and I, things were flexible and we made a couple of stops that weren't on the itinerary.

Because this was just two evenings we were able to use backpacks for our belongings and take the trolley from Clairemont Drive to San Ysidro, where we met Ivan and crossed over to Tijuana. One other thing of note; we loved it that Ivan and Isaac were always at our meeting spots at least 15 minutes early!

The drive was relaxing and Ivan was quite friendly and full of information. When it was time for lunch, Ivan parked at this corner in Puerto Nuevo and walked us into the restaurant; named El Guero. We got a table with a view.

The vibe was friendly and relaxing. No customers when we arrived; but the place soon started filling up….a mixture of tourists and groups of folks speaking Spanish.

Ivan told us that El Guero was known for the langostas; lobster, so of course we had to order that.

Things started with some fairly routine chips and salsa.

We also ordered some Aguachile.

As you can tell this was Aguachile Negro. The shrimp were nice and plump, the cucumbers added a mild refreshing-light brininess and a nice a sprinkling of Tajin added a bit more puckery-heat to the dish. Overall not bad.

And then the star of the show.

Man, look at the langostas! The beans were bland and watery and the rice on the harder side and also very mild in flavor, but those lobsters! There was a time when the Missus just didn't care for lobster; having had quite a few bland versions of them . But time and visit to places on the east coast and Canada, She has come around. And these were delicately, sweet-oceany, with a firm, yet pliable texture.

Initially, we weren't quite sure about the flour tortillas, as large a frisbee; but they held the lobster well, had a mild, almost sweet-buttery flavor that actually enhanced things.

No wonder they call Puerto Nuevo the "Lobster Village" of Baja!

Restaurant Bar El Guero
Anzuelo 15
Puerto Nuevo, B.C., Mexico

Ivan told us to text him via Whatsapp one we were done and he'd pick us up. But after such a rich meal we needed to take a short stroll first.

I'm not sure if this is normal for Puerto Nuevo, but we found the town to be quite sleepy on this Tuesday afternoon.

We had a nice stroll, before texting Ivan, then meeting him near the Shark Statue.

And then we were off….first we'd be doing a few tastings; then we'd head on over to our accommodations to freshen up before dinner.

This was a nice way to start our short trip!

Road Trip – Tiger Bar & Cafe (June Lake) and it’s back to Erick Schat’s Bakkerÿ (Bishop) and Alabama Hills Cafe & Bakery (Lone Pine)

July 26, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Pubs and Pub Grub, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

I thought I'd best finish up this series on our stay in June Lake so here goes…..

After the Missus did Her morning paddleboarding while I got breakfast at Silver Lake Resort Cafe and then hiking the Reversed Peak Loop Trail, we headed back to June Lake to freshen up. We waned to grab a quick lunch and just relax. Right across the street from our accommodations is the Tiger Bar & Cafe, one of the few places opened daily from nine to nine.

The place serves everything from breakfasts, to "Mexican" dishes, to burgers, to salads……you get the picture. We decided to just get a simple sandwich and you know the Missus….She loves Her bacon; so we got a BLT on sourdough, with chips as our side to go and walked on down to Gull Lake, returning to pick up our lunch.

Once we picked up our order; we simply strolled across the street, to our accommodations, and split our sandwich in the comfort of our room.

This was pretty much a by-the-book BLT. The chips were a bit thicker than we prefer.

The bread was a bit under-toasted, but the bacon was nice and crisped, the tomatoes decently ripe.

Would I go out of my way for this sandwich…..well, no. But since it was right across the street…..

On my way out, I noticed the "specials" menu.

I noticed a couple of items that we interesting. Plus, the Missus and I just wanted to relax before leaving the next morning. So, after our afternoon nap, we decided to head on over for an early dinner.

It was 4pm and there were a few customers already in the place….most of them having a "happy hour" it seems.

The Missus had a glass of wine, I had a light and refreshing Mammoth Brewing Pilsner.

And we ordered from the specials grease board menu, all items were priced at $9.95. Our Server was very nice and friendly.

First to arrive were the pork rib tips.

This was actually pretty good. Not a huge fan of the overly sweet, mass-produced BBQ sauce; but the rib tips were fairly tender, with nice cartiledgeous chewiness. A decent amount of smokiness with a mild rub. It was better than we had expected.

Next to arrive were the fried pickles. Man, the portion size was pretty large.

Crisp outside, with a sour-tangy-saltiness, this was a nice version.

The Fried Brussel Sprouts on the other hand was our least favorite.

The batter didn't hold up well and was quite salty. The actual brussel sprouts were mushy and had a weird texture.

Still, two out of three ain't bad. Again, I wouldn't go out of my way for this, but being across the street…..

Tiger Bar & Cafe
2620 CA-158
June Lake, CA 93529

Of course, after all of that fried food, we needed to take a walk and headed back down to Gull Lake to watch the day turn into night.

The next morning we headed out early and made a stop in Bishop at Erick Schat's.

This time we got the Sheepherder Bread and of course more cookies for the Missus.

That bread is great…..this will be a regular stop for us from now on.

Erick Schat's Bakkerÿ
763 N Main St.
Bishop, CA 93514

About an hour south of Bishop is Lone Pine and it seemed like a good idea to make a brunch stop before the five hour plus drive home. We decided on revisiting Alabama Hills Cafe. We stopped an easily found parking and unlike our previous visit, things were rather mellow in the restaurant.

The Missus got the bacon and egg breakfast, which came with a rather dense biscuit, and breakfast potatoes….and of course bacon.

While the potatoes had a generous amount of bell peppers and onions, it was bit on the greasy side. No complaints about the bacon as She also ended up poaching some of mine.

Having thought that the BLT I had for lunch here was decent; I got the Breakfast BLT.

Other than the bread being a bit under toasted….and the interesting portion of grapes….I guess they wanted to make sure I had some fruit with breakfast; I enjoyed this sandwich. Even though the eggs could have been a bit more runny; there were no off flavors, the nice smoky saltiness of the bacon (before the Missus stole it), acidity of the tomato, this was a decent sandwich. I'd have it again.

Typical diner-ish fare; pretty much what we expected.

Alabama Hills Cafe & Bakery
111 West Post St.
Lone Pine, CA 93545

And then we were headed home……intent on getting some Asian food for the Missus!

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – Silver Lake, Silver Lake Resort Cafe, and Hiking the Reversed Peak Loop (June Lake)

July 12, 2025 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

Since I've posted on these places before, I'll just mostly do photos for this one.

After a pretty busy evening, we both slept well. The next morning the Missus was ready to get Her paddleboard out. I had suggested Silver Lake, which always looked quite nice in the morning…plus, well, I knew I could get a decent breakfast nearby while She was out on the lake.

After getting our caffeine fix at The Lift, we headed on out. This time we parked in the Silver Lake parking near the boat ramp and the Missus headed on out. It was as usual during our visits, a lovely day.

Once the Missus was out on the water, I headed across the street to the Silver Lake Resort, which is the oldest "resort" in the Easter Sierra's; formerly known as Carson's Camp it was established in 1916. It's basically a bunch of cabins and RV parking, but it has a shop and most importantly, Silver Lake Resort Cafe, all of which I've posted on before.

Quaint and charming, it's a great place for an old school breakfast.

A bit busy on this morning, I found a spot at the counter. Deciding what to get was easy……

Nice, hearty breakfast…and heck, that slice of watermelon helps suppress the guilt from enjoying that sausage gravy.

Looking at this photo makes me miss Perry's. I guess I need to get back to Rudford's one of the days!

Silver Lake Resort Cafe
6957 Hwy 158
June Lake, CA 93529

After my filling breakfast I sidled back to the boat ramp to see what was up with the Missus. Lot's of folks fishing and pooches splashing!

I could see the Missus make a turn and head back to shore.

While I waited for the Missus a boat was being winched up the ramp. One of the guys was really friendly and he'd done quite well fishing, don't you think?

Once the Missus got to shore, we stowed Her paddleboard and headed back to our room where we freshened up, before heading right back out to our next stop; the Reversed Peak Loop Trail and 4 Lakes Loop.

The beginning was pretty steep with a 600 foot climb, but things flatten out after that.

You do see a couple of lakes/ponds.

Though some had already dried up.

I enjoyed the rock formations and the view of the mountains.

And I learned a new term on this trip. I've been fascinated with the dead trees I've seen on hikes, I found out that they are called "Snags".

The hike was a bit over 3 1/2 miles, with an 800 foot elevation gain. We finished in about 2 hours, not bad. But at this altitude the sun does get to you and there's no shade on the trail.

I'm glad I had my hearty breakfast. And the Missus had gone paddleboarding, plus we'd gone on a hike….and it wasn't even lunch time yet!

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – Alabama Hills Cafe & Bakery (Lone Pine) and Returning to June Lake

July 11, 2025 mmm-yoso Diner, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

Just a couple of weeks after returning from June Lake and Tahoma, the Missus had me back on the road again with a return trip to June Lake. This time the Missus wanted me to cook for Her coworkers who regularly camp at June Lake. Yeeesh, talk about having to do a bunch of prep and then organize and pack!

So, off we were again. We decided to make a lunch stop in Lone Pine again, though not at Lone Star Bistro. Instead, I'd read that Alabama Hills Cafe seemed like a good stop, with diner-ish breakfasts and sandwiches. It's located right off the 395 and on this September early afternoon, the weather wasn't scalding hot yet.

So we walked in and looked over the menu…..

Placed our order and took a seat outside. We had a lovely view of Mount Whitney from our table.

And things started with some ice tea for the both of us.

The sandwiches looked huge, so we decided to share a California Club. And yes, that sandwich was quite large.

We subbed onion rings instead of fries which was a $2 upcharge. The onion rings were incinerated which kinda killed the flavor.

I've mentioned my nostalgic love for club sandwiches in various posts over the years. It brings back memories of having lunch with my mom….you know a "clubhouse sandwich". Anyway, this one was pretty good. The sourdough bread was fine and the Missus enjoyed the addition of some creamy avocado.

I know folks that balk at the addition of cheese on a clubhouse, but the provolone added a nice milkiness, and this was overly slathered in mayo. The turkey was standard issue stuff and there wasn't enough smoky-salty bacon for the Missus so She poached all of mine. I think we'll order extra bacon if we get this again.

Anyway, no muss, no fuss…we'd end up back here for breakfast on the way back from June Lake.

Alabama Hills Cafe & Bakery
111 West Post St.
Lone Pine, CA 93545

From here, it was a 2 hour drive to June Lake. And as before we stayed at the June Lake Villager. Our room had a full kitchen which made my prep for dinner easy.

After prepping for the campsite dinner, we took a stroll down to Gull Lake.

On this day the June Lake Jam Fest was going on! Even so, it wasn't overly crowded.

And the attack cats, remember them, where busy patrolling the grounds.

We took a look at relaxing and serene Gull Lake.

Then headed back to the room…packed up and drove to the campsite where I made dinner for everyone; which they enjoyed! Whew….

Road Trip – Erick Schat’s Bakkerÿ (Bishop)

July 6, 2025 mmm-yoso Bakery, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

On the way back from Lake Tahoe, I wanted to make a stop at an iconic Bakery in Bishop. I had been reading about Erick Schat's Bakkerÿ for ages. Originally working at the Bishop Bakery established in 1903 by the Schoch family, Jacob "Jack" Schat an immigrant from Utrecht, who's family has a long history in baking came to Bishop in 1950 and found work at the Bishop Bakery, eventually buying the business and naming it after his son. The bakery has become an institution. It is said that it has over 2 million visitors a year! Atlas Obscura mentions that the bakery produces 25,000 loaves of bread a day. Considering that the population of Bishop is around 4,000, that would be 6 loaves per person….that's a lot of carbs!

We headed on thru Bishop and stopped entered the crowded parking lot, and voila! A car was just leaving a space! Must have been fate, right?

We had decided to stop in for an early lunch. The place was bustling, even in the middle of the week! The shop is packed with loaves of bread, cookies, and a sandwich section. The Missus decided to go bread and cookie shopping.

While I decided to get a sandwich for us to share. Calvin had told me his favorite was the turkey on the special bread of the house Basque Sheepherders Bread which has been trademarked since 1938.

I stood in the queue, placed my order, and picked it up when ready. The Missus was still shopping so I found us a table outside.

It was a nice morning, the heat hadn't settled in yet.

As for the sandwich….well, the bread lives up to the hype. The crust had a mild chew to it; the bread was so soft and almost fluffy, with a light yeasty-sweetness.

Loved the sprouts and tomatoes, but that turkey was so try and tasteless……

I'll pass on sandwiches from here in the future.

And the Missus went with a sourdough loaf instead of the Sheepherders bread! Though we'd get that on our next trip thru Bishop.

And the Missus really enjoys the cookies from here.

Just the bread and the cookies makes this a regular stop for us when we're in the area.

Erick Schat's Bakkerÿ
763 N Main St.
Bishop, CA 93514

Road Trip – Hellman-Ehrman Mansion, Sugar Pine Point State Park, and a Return to the Dog & Bear Tavern (Tahoma)

July 5, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Gastropub, Lake Tahoe, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

**** Not much food in this one, so perhaps you'd like to return tomorrow!

I had decided to create a category for our Sierra Nevada road trips, when I suddenly realized that I never finished my posts on our stay in Tahoma. So, I decided to do something rather quick. Here goes.

We had strolled down to Sugar Pine Point State Park the previous afternoon and Lake Tahoe looked so beautiful and calm. So this is where the Missus decided to do Her paddleboarding the next morning. We drove over early; the place was so serene; paid our $10 entrance fee and parked in a space that was strategically placed with shore access. While the Missus did Her paddling; I decided to take a stroll around and just enjoy the serene beauty of the park.

Lovely trails/paths and views.

I walked past the pier with a boat house in the distance.

There was a cabin alongside the boathouse. I came to find out that this was the cabin of William "General" Phipps, who was the first non-native settler on the west shore of Lake Tahoe.

Who settled here in 1860. His original cabin burned down, but this one was built in its place.

I walked to the area where General Creek empties into the lake.

And then decided to turn around. On the way back, I ran into this.

An honest to goodness Ice House!

So, this really got my attention. You see, right up from the pier is this mansion.

The is the Pine Lodge, better known as the Hellman – Ehrman Mansion. Designed by Walter Danfroth Bliss, completed in 1903, financed by San Francisco banker Isaias W. Hellman, who made it his summer home. It is said that the area reminded I.W. Hellman of his homeland Bavaria ,so he started buying up property. So, what about the Ehrman part? Well, upon his death in 1920, Hellman's daughter, Florence, who managed the property for her father, inherited it. She was married to Sidney Ehrman and thus added her married name to the estate.

The view from the porch of the property is quite lovely.

And there were quite a few structures on the estate.

At this point I was quite interested in taking the 330 tour of the mansion. So, I decided to head on over to where I would meet the Missus and see if She was interested.

As I waited near the parking lot area, one of those amazing little incidents happened. A woman walked by with a sweet Rottweiler who I just needed to pet. After a short chat, she asked me if I'm from Hawaii!! I guess I still have that accent! Well, wouldn't you know, this woman and her late husband used to own a small cattle ranch in Waimea on the Big Island! Of course we both called it Kamuela! I mentioned that Kamuela is one of my favorite places! I had a blast talking story! I'm not going to mention her name since Tahoma has a population of just over 1,000 and I'd like to respect her privacy! She walks her pooch to the park daily during the warm months. During the winter you'd need skis or snowshoes! She also introduced me to one of the Park Rangers…..she knows them all by name!

I met the Missus and we stowed Her paddleboard. I then mentioned the possibility of doing the 330 tour of the Pine Lodge and She was all for it! So, while the Missus showered and stuff, I walked over to the Nature Center/Gift Shop….which I think used to be a water tower to purchase tickets for the tour. Which were $15 a piece.

There were some signs with interesting tidbits of history along the way.

We met our guide, Lindsay on the porch. The place was quite a "summer home".

Loved the wood siding and the spiral staircase.

Check out the wood paneling in the dining room!

The second floor features 8 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms! I found the circular bedrooms on each side of the lodge to be the most interesting.

Another thing that caught my attention was the elevator. I asked Lindsay about this and she told me it was installed in 1958 as Florence Hellman Ehrman was 76 years old and starting to have a hard time climbing all those stairs.

Of course I was interested in the kitchen. Lindsay told us that until 1945 they still used an "icebox" (aka cold closet) and the stoves were wood burning. A "state of the art" kitchen was installed in 1945.

During the summer season there were 27 staff on hand and 2 full time chefs! The butler and the maids actually have their own cabins on the estate.

We had a fun time on this tour.

Hellman-Ehrman Mansion (Sugar Pine State Park)
Tahoma, CA 96142

When dinner time came along, we decided to just walk on over to The Dog and Bear Tavern again. This time we just sat at the bar and who would we just happen to sit next to? Well, it was the woman we met earlier. She was wonderful; in fact, since she's a regular here, she ordered for us!

Never would have thought of having Hamachi Crudo in Tahoe, but heck she lived on the Big Island for decades so we trusted her. And yes, the two fish dishes were quite good!

I made sure to order her a drink to show our appreciation.

The Dog and Bear
7000 West Lake Blvd.
Tahoma, CA 96142

And as we were leaving she asked us if we'd like to see where she lived! After her husband passed away, after moving a few times, she found Tahoma and bought a condo on the water's edge.

I got to play fetch with her lovely pooch!

We had such a lovely time in beautiful Tahoma!

Where on the road were we?

June 19, 2025 mmm-yoso Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel, yoso-silly

Sorry for the lack of posts…..I guess I needed some time to recover from my last 7 hour drive home the other day. Heck, JJ even handled it better than I did!

Anyway, thought I'd share some photos. We headed out to a region we're somewhat familiar with, but an area we hadn't visited before. The Missus was really interested to see how JJ handled hiking and I must say, he was a champ!

We did five hikes and a couple of walks in three full days! Some of which were over five miles and 800+ foot elevation gain! Yikes!

We looked for hikes that had some cover because JJ doesn't like heat or prolonged direct sunlight and at the elevation we were at….well, that wouldn't be nice! We loved our accommodations, which actually had a decent kitchen, which we'll make sure to remember if we return. The place and the staff were super dog friendly….on one day, I counted 9 pooches staying there.

The Missus's and my favorite parts of our hikes were the beautiful lakes…..

Which were so scenic and pristine.

As for JJ….well, there were still quite a few snow banks along the way, which he loved. He would often get the "zoomies"….

And exposure to new situations were quite interesting…..

JJ has always hated water….in fact he used to have a phobia of puddles….yes…for real. So, it was interesting to see him overcome that as he figured out how to cross over streams.

One of us would be on each side of the stream or body of water and cheer him on. We'd let him figure things out for himself and he did well!

IMG_0743b

He got so good at this hiking thing that he'd get somewhat impatient waiting for me…the slowpoke at times.

Yep, that's his "hurry up daddy" look.

Personally, I enjoy taking my time…..well, maybe I'm just old and slow. But there were a couple of stops I really enjoyed.

Right across from our hotel….well, after a good amount of stairs was a large venue with several large restaurants, shops, and a distillery that made cocktails we really enjoyed.

Almost all restaurants had outdoor seating available and were dog friendly; though a couple were still in transition mode from winter to summer and not ready yet. Still, we'd usually get a late lunch and dinner at one of the restaurants. Nothing mind blowing, mind you; but not terrible.

Though by the end of our stay…..we had gotten to the point of doing takeout and eating on our balcony.

So, there you go….as my backlog of travel/road trip posts gets even larger!

Thanks for stopping by!

I'll get back to my regularly scheduled posts tomorrow!

Tequila Part 3 – Chocolate and Tequila Tasting at La Rojena, Fonda Chivo y Vaca, and the Sky Bar (Hotel Solar de las Animas)

June 7, 2025 mmm-yoso Chocolate, Distilleries, Guadalajara/Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Sandwiches, Travel

**** Here's part 3 of my mostly photo posts on our stay in Tequila

We started our last full day in Tequila, with a birote as I noted in my previous post. We wandered around a bit before heading to a tour and tasting I scheduled. We were in Tequila and it would be almost sacrilegious to not visit the oldest Tequila distillery, right? And to make things more entertaining for the Missus, I decided to do the chocolate and tequila tasting as well.

This would take place at Jose Cuervo's Fabrica la Rojena distillery. I mentioned that Jose Antonio Cuervo was the first person granted permission to produce Tequila for sale in an earlier post. Fabrica la Rojena, the distillery was established in 1812, making it the oldest active distillery in Latin America.

Finding the place was easy…..it's located on, you guessed it, Calle Jose Cuervo. The view up that street is quite lovely.

We met in front of the Mundo Cuervo Hall, where that giant crow statue stands and were soon guided on a tour of the place.

Making it to the back of the distillery where we got to see the "pina", the heart of the agave plants being delivered and prepped.

Like the previous day, it was getting pretty darn warm….this is hard work.

I had worried that doing tequila distillery tours two days in a row might lead to a lot of overlap; but to our extreme pleasure, what we learned here actually added to what we had learned the previous day. We got to be much more close up to things as well.

And there were actual displays along the way as well. I didn't know that American Oak barrels were used for Reposado and Anejo aging.

After the tour, the Missus and I met up with the nice young man who guided us thru our tasting which the Missus truly enjoyed.

What I most enjoyed was chatting with him about his life; he was born in Glendale and his family moved back to Jalisco and Tequila when he was 10 years old. Can you imagine how being seprated from your friends at that age must be? And he was more comfortable speaking English at that time. He also liked that we enjoyed the varied tastes of Blanco. And then we asked him about the new Cristalino Tequila; where Anejo is passed thru a filtering process, making it clear, and taking it back to almost being a Blanco….but charging a person even more than a Anejo? He laughed and said it's kind of a hipster thing right now…..'nuff said.

We enjoyed our tour and tasting at La Rojena.

When we were done; it was…well time for lunch. We just wanted something simple and hearty. And yes, we were in Jalisco; so Birria de Chivo was high on our list. And there was a place named Fonda Chivo y Vaca close by!

Turns out it was a three story restaurant with views of the street. We were seated on the ground floor.

Of course we got some Birria de Chivo and also Carne en su Jugo.

The Carne en su Jugo had a very upfront acidity, which was interesting…..the beans were so earthy and perfectly cooked.

The Birria de Chivo was slightly gamy; nice smokey flavors, a bit of spice.

The meat was on the chewier side. Definitely not like Birriería Las 9 Esquinas, but miles ahead of what we have here in San Diego.

Fonda Chivo y Vaca
Jesús Rodríguez de Hijar 17
Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico

On this day, we actually managed a nice siesta……..

And then we woke and took a nice stroll. On an interesting note, we saw the really nice young man who did our chocolate pairing at La Rojena in the lobby of the hotel talking to the staff. Apparently, Jose Cuervo owns Hotel Solar de las Animas!

As the evening rolled around we took a nice stroll. This was a Thursday and the hotel was getting busier. As we strolled around Plaza Principal we could see the families doing there "evening thing".

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We looked for a spot to have a seat and just take in the evening, but it was busy. It was then we saw a couple waving to us, they moved over on a bench and beckoned us over so we could enjoy the sights and sounds. These are the moments that make travel so special!

When dinner time came around; we just decided to head back to the hotel. On our first evening in the town, we enjoyed having a drink at the Sky Bar at our hotel. We also noticed that they had an abbreviated menu of La Antigua Casona, the very popular restaurant in the hotel. So, we just decided to have our last dinner there.

With a nice view of the town.