Travel – Page 7

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".

IMG_0043b

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.

The Aguachile Negro and Jicama was just as good as what we'd had in the restaurant.

The Ceviche less so; but overall this was a nice, light meal.

Sky Bar (in Hotel Solar de las Animas)
Calle Albino Rojas #14
46400 Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico

And of course, our room with the amazing view was just a minute away.

The next morning, we woke a bit earlier than usual and took a stroll around town before our ride to the airport.

We were indeed taken be the art, the colors…..the Tequila…..but there was more that made our stay wonderful.

It was the warm people….and the pooches…..

That had us contemplating as I got that Birote yet again…..

That we'd return once again, in the middle of the week to enjoy Tequila…both the town and the drink!

Snapseed

Tequila Part 2 – Casa Sauza Tour Tres Generacions and Restaurante La Cueva de Don Cenobio

June 6, 2025 mmm-yoso Distilleries, Guadalajara/Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, Mexican Restaurants, Travel

**** Here's part 2 of my mostly photo posts on our stay in Tequila

We'd had a wonderful first afternoon and evening in Tequila and slept well. We slept in and just enjoyed the cool A/C and of course the view from our patio.

It was a clear morning and you can see Volcán de Tequila towering over the town. We had gotten some light breakfast bars at Oxxo the previous afternoon, so we had that for breakfast. The hotel was so peaceful and we quickly noticed something. We had a room in one of the towers on the top floor. Apparently, we were the only folks staying in the tower. The evening before our elevator was at the bottom floor when we finished dinner, in the morning, the elevator was on the same floor as our room…it seemed like it hadn't moved all night. We saw folks entering their rooms in other wings of the hotel, but no lights in any rooms in our tower. I guess Tuesdays and Wednesdays are pretty quiet here in the summer?

We had a tour starting at 1pm, so we had the entire morning free. We decided to just chill.

At around 930, I started getting a bit hungry. I had noticed a pedestrian street, Augustina Ramirez, right behind the Municipal Market seemed to have a bunch of shops and stands. So we headed over.

It seemed like a lot of locals were getting breakfast and brunch here and the stand making Tortas looked really good. I got one with chorizo……man, the Birote Salados, the sourdough bread smelled fabulous. The bread traces its history back to the second French intervention. You can read more about it in this post in Breadtopia.

Anyway, this was super good.

I would get one every morning in Tequila.

And half a block away; the Missus found Her Agua Frescas heaven! She loved the Coconut Agua Fresca from here.

She would have a liter in the morning and another in the afternoon. By the following morning, the gentleman manning the stand would just start pouring it as soon as he saw us!

We made the decision to do a bit more exploring. This time, we headed down to where we had entered the town via our driver the previous afternoon, on Sixto Gorjon.

This commercial strip was full of various businesses…..

And well behaved pooches….

We decided to take a short break before heading to our tour….but first, the Missus needed another liter of Her agua fresca!

IMG_9892b

Soon it was getting close to the time of our tour at Casa Sauza. I know, you figured we'd be doing Jose Cuervo, right? Well, we were doing that the following day. Most folks know Sauza Tequila for making the not-so-good Hornitos Brand. Casa Sauza however, has several product lines, as well as several tours. I went ahead and booked the Tour Tres Generacions, which can only be done via email. This is an upgrade of the high level Causa Sauza tour that also features a private tasting and a "gourmet" (it's usually a BBQ meal for the regular tour) meal in Restaurante La Cueva de Don Cenobio, located in Quinto Sauza.

The group met in the family's estates Gift Shop.

Where one could learn a bit more of the history of Sauza Tequila.

We were taken on a quick tour of La Quinta and also briefed on the history of Sauza Tequila. It's quite beautiful here.

There's even a chapel to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Having been to the location in CDMX where Juan Diego saw the apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1531, this really stuck with us.

After a tour of the casa were boarded a trolley and headed out to the agave field.

Where we were briefed on the life cycle of Blue Weber Agave. Unlike Mezcal, only one type of agave is used to make tequila.

And then we witnessed the Jimador showing off his skill.

Don't be fooled; this is hard work. That agave ain't small and you've got to trim it perfectly. And we all had a chance to check out the Coa de Jima which is super sharp. You could easily chop your foot off if you aren't careful.

After our time in the fields we were transported to the actual distillery.

Where the Missus and I were directed to a different spot from the rest of the tour. They would be heading off to do some tastings of Sauza and Hornitos. We met a different guide who took us to see the actual distillery which is not included in the regular tour.

Which was quite impressive.

IMG_9942b

We were then given a private tasting of Sauza's top of the line Tres Generacion, led by one of the master tasters….I think they call them "Maestros"?

We got tastes of the Blanco (aged less than 2 months in steel), Reposado (aged from 2-12 months in Oak), Anejo (aged 1-3 years in Oak), and something that was new to us at the time, Cristalino which is a Anejo that is filtered in charcoal so that it loses it's smoky personality and also becomes clear…like a Blanco (more on this in my next post). At the end the Maestro asked us what we enjoyed. Strangely enough, both the Missus and I actually liked the Blanco, the unaged in steel vats, cheapest version. She asked us why and we both said that you could really make out the agave – citrusy-grassy-slighlty fruity. She smiled and nodded saying "yes, most like smoky and rich, but I am glad you like the pureness…." I guess we scored some points?

We were then transported back to Casa Sauza and the restaurant onsite, La Cueva de Don Cenobio. We were met and seated at a nice little table. We saw the group that we were with earlier, they were just finishing their meal.

Because we had our own special tour, we had a special three course meal with two choices for an soup, main, and dessert. So, we got one of each.

In keeping with the brevity of these posts; I will say, this was our favorite meal of our stay in Tequila. That blanco tortilla soup was amazing, as was the pork belly. The fish looked totally burnt; but that charring was done on purpose, it was actually smoky, crisp, with a hint of spice and sweetness.

This was a fine meal and a nice way to end the tour. The service was very professional and while the portions weren't very large, this was more than enough food for us.

La Cueva de Don Cenobio (In Casa Sauza)
Calle Luis Navarro 70
Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico

It was past 5pm when we left Casa Sauza. It had been a full afternoon for us.

We spent some time strolling around Plaza Principal. It was the end of the day and folks seemed to be out and about.

We were enjoying Tequila!

Tequila Part 1 – La Antigua Casona and Hotel Solar de las Animas

June 5, 2025 mmm-yoso Guadalajara/Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Travel

I'm catching things up on our trip to Jalisco. Basically doing a "Clearing Out the Memory Card" and mainly posting photos as it brings back some nice memories. I'm dividing this visit into 3 parts.

We had an awesome driver who was quite prompt and made the hour and a half drive from Guadalajara to Tequila a breeze. Why Tequila? Well, personally, I enjoy my Mezcal. Meanwhile, the Missus enjoys Tequila more. We had already visited Oaxaca so the Missus requested equal time for Tequila. So, I went ahead and booked us three nights in the town. I was told that we should just do the Tequila Express from Guadalajara to Casa Sauza and more or less to a day trip. I thought spending a few nights in one of the Pueblos Mágicos would be fun.

We knew we were getting close to Tequila when we started passing all the fields of Blue Agave.

We were dropped off at our accommodation; the Hotel Solar de Animas, which turned out to be a fantastic choice as it was centrally located, had beautiful gardens, a restaurant, two bars. The place was super quiet…..I was told that during the middle of the week Tequila is more mellow. And we ended up with a top floor room in one of the towers.

With a small patio and awesome views.

And most importantly, a potent A/C, since the temperature was no joke!

After settling in, we decided to take a stroll. First exploring the hotel grounds.

The center of town is basically around the corner from the hotel.

We quickly noticed all of the artwork. This one is in the Edificio Municipal, basically the city hall.

Which stands across from the Plaza Principal…the main square with even more lovely public art.

Much of which feature the all important Jimador.

Right across the street is this lovely church; the Parroquia Santiago Apostol.

Here's a bit more info on it.

The street that bisects Plaza Principal and the Municipal Building is named Jose Cuevo….you know why, right? We had a tour lined up for Jose Cuervo and Fábrica La Rojeña on our last full day of our stay, so we just took a quick look.

The name of that sculpture is named "Cuervo", by artist Carlos Terrés. Why the crow you may ask. Well, Jose Antonio Cuervo was the first person granted permission to produce Tequila for sale by King Charles IV of Spain in 1795. And the crow adorned those bottles and has become the symbol of Jose Cuervo.

Also just a block away is the Municipal Market which is full of stalls and eateries, but the place was closing up for the day.

It was pretty darn hot out.

So we decided on taking a break in the air conditioned comfort of our room.

We also decided on an early dinner. The restaurant in the hotel La Antigua Casona, "The Old Mansion" seemed to be highly rated, so we decided on having an early dinner there.

Even though the dining area is located in a patio/courtyard area, it is protected from the direct rays of the sun, making it quite comfortable.

And a nice cocktail; this is called the Afortunado does help things out.

We ordered a bunch of smaller dishes and a salad. Strangely, our favorite item was the simple jicama. With the nice salsa rojo, it was so refreshing. Tied for second would be the rather refreshing Aguachile Negro and the Soft Shelled Crab Tacos which was fried perfectly.

IMG_9832b

The Barbacoa Flautas were nicely put together, but the barbacoa lacked the savory-spice we enjoy. It seemed a bit dumbed down.

The House Salad was fine, but nothing special.

Service was superb, as would be expected.

La Antigua Casona (in Hotel Solar de las Animas)
Calle Albino Rojas #14
46400 Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico

We took our typical after dinner stroll. Thru Plaza Principal.

Right across form Parroquia Santiago Apostol is this.

It's the Capilla del Antiguo Hospital de Indios. Built in the 16th Century by Franciscan Monks, the hospital served the local indigenous people who were ravaged by the diseases brought by the Conquistadores. The red finish was part of a redesign that took place in the 1940's.

After this, we decided to do more of an extensive walk, so headed down Calle Juarez, which turns to Hidalgo, all the way down to Toluca. Heading toward Toluca gives you a more realistic view of the town.

Though Toluca has quite a few hotels on it.

It was fun checking out all the well behaved pooches.

We headed back to the hotel via Calle Leandro Valle because there was a statue I had wanted to see. Near the corner of Calle Francisco I. Madero and General Atreaga stands this statue.

It is of the Goddess Mayahuel, the goddess of the Maguey (Agave) plant.

From here we headed on back to our hotel. While walking past Parroquia Santiago Apostol, this pooch came rushing toward us. I wasn't sure what was going on. But as soon as she got to us, she rolled over……she just wanted some belly rubs!

Her owner came rushing over to apologize, but we used our poor Spanish and hand signs to indicate that we loved it!

It was still pretty warm when we got back to the hotel.

I had read that the hotel had a "Sky Bar" with a nice view; so we decided to check it out. It was quite relaxed and lovely.

And the view was nice as well.

We relaxed. The Missus had a Margarita; I got myself a beer.

We noticed that there was an abbreviated menu of La Antigua Casona available. It had our favorite dishes from that meal, so we'd end up having dinner here on our last evening.

It was lovely way to end the day.

And I had a lovely view as I typed away on my laptop…..

The hustle and bustle of city life seemed galaxies away.

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – Shugrue’s Restaurant & Bar (Lake Havasu City)

May 24, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Road Trip, Travel

We needed a place to stop for an evening on the way back from Winslow. Heading back to the Phoenix area or even heading back to Flagstaff or even Sedona might have worked. But having JJ along made a 7+ hour drive seem a bit too long. We had never been to Lake Havasu City and there was one thing I did want to see after watching a BBC documentary a few years back.

So, we made the drive to Lake Havasu City. We were staying on an area called "the Island" and since we'd be only spending the evening thought it would be nice to have a view of what I had wanted to see here; the London Bridge. So, I booked a dog friendly room at the Heat Hotel, which had a patio and a view of the Bridge.

And yes, this is really the "London Bridge". It was built in the 1830's and had become unable to handle the traffic in the city by the early 1960's. Robert McCulloch, the founder of Lake Havasu City (which was founded in 1964). I enjoyed this historic documentary on it.

And having recently been to London made it even more significant to us.

We got to the hotel a bit early and our room wasn't ready; so we took JJ for a short walk along the London Bridge Beach area.

It was a bit warm, but JJ did fine.

I hadn't done much research on Lake Havasu City; so it was interesting to see all the "snowbirds"….like I felt like a really young!

We checked into our room and then decided to find a place to get some dinner. As I mentioned earlier; unlike what I'd usually do, I hadn't done much research on Lake Havasu City…….we were just going to chill and not worry about things.

When it came for dinner; I looked for a pooch friendly place and we decided not to stray too far. We basically went across the street.

It seems that all the restaurants are owned by the same company. But here we were…and I (at least) was tired, so I walked into Shugrue's and the very nice young lady greeted me. I asked if we could have the outdoor table, which was right at the entrance of the restaurant. The folks here were quite welcoming and they did love JJ. And the view from our table was not bad at all!

We started with some nice brews…..

And, as we will often do these days, we just went with appetizers.

For some reason, I just decided to order the Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts ($16), which had a "sweet maple glaze". It just didn't seem like something we'd like, but this was our favorite dish of the night.

I'm usually not a fan of sweet stuffs as a main or appetizer; but we enjoyed the smoky-sweet-nutty flavors along with the salty-crunchiness, with the pineapple which actually did a nice job as a palate "cleanser".

I don't know why, but I enjoy fried pickles. But this version ($12) was not a favorite of ours.

There's a ratio of breading to pickle that I think is optimal, which balances out the sour to texture. This was just huge spears which were not evenly breaded.

The Flatbread ($15) was also not a favorite.

A bit too soggy-doughy and too sweet for our taste. We could have used more Portobello Mushroom and less Balsamic Glaze.

Still, the folks Serving were so nice….especially to JJ.

Shugrue's Restaurant & Bar
1425 N McCulloch Blvd.
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403

And after dinner we took a walk across the bridge.

Where we got a nice view of our hotel.

Our walk on the other side of the bridge was interesting as it seemed to be party central……well, over 60 party central……think Gaslamp for seniors….

After getting back to our room and settling in….well, it was time for JJ's nightly "walk".

And there just happened to be an outdoor bar along the way! How convenient! I got a gin and tonic nightcap overlooking the bridge….

And had a chance to chat with the bartender. I really hadn't done a whole lot of research before choosing Lake Havasu City. I found out it's a haven for snowbirds and seniors and then party central for college students during weekends and spring break which was coming up. I guess we lucked out visiting during the middle of the week in March before Spring Break.

Lake Havasu City was a interesting stop on the way back home. Not sure we'll return; but we got to see the London Bridge!