VIA magazine pointed us to a gem of a diner, Nancy's Airport Cafe, in Willows, and also highly recommended the The Goat Tavern in Mt Shasta, 150 miles north. According to the article's writer, a food critic for San Francisco magazine, "I found spiritual uplift less than a mile off the highway in a juicy... Continue Reading →
Burney Falls
Often described as one of the most beautiful falls in the world, 129-foot Burney Falls is accessible in a state park far removed from a major thoroughfare. Continuing northward along Highway 89 in California, we wanted to make the falls a stopping point. Meltwater from Burney Mountain makes its way down through the porous volcanic... Continue Reading →
Subway Cave
Not far from the junction of Highways 44 and 89 above Old Station is an interesting volcanic attraction that you can walk through. It is a lava tube about 1,300 feet long that was created less than 20,000 years ago when lava flowed over this area. Tubes are formed when the top part of the... Continue Reading →
Quick Trip through Lassen National Park
If it hadn't been for a comment made by my son-in-law, I might never have considered going to this national park in Northern California. He said that it was underrated and that it deserved to be visited by more people. I can understand his opinion because as a geologist, the park is a showcase for... Continue Reading →
Olive and Wine Country: Corning, CA
A giant replica of a martini olive sits on the corner of South Avenue and Hall Road in Corning, California. It isn't someone's idea of a practical joke but a symbol of the fruit's importance to this part of the Sacramento Valley in California that produces olives and olive oil. A visit to Lucero Olive... Continue Reading →
Lunch at Nancy’s Airport Cafe (Willows, CA)
One of the best surprises of eating on the road is coming across little gems. It wasn't that Nancy's Airport Cafe happened to be the closest place at mealtime. It was mentioned in an article in the latest issue of a bimonthly AAA magazine published in Northern California, called Via, in which a food critic... Continue Reading →
Gone to Seed
South of Williams in California, there are vast fields of sunflowers almost abutting Interstate 5. In bloom right now, they are hard to miss with their bright yellow petals. But, rather than growing them for florists, they are grown for a different commercial purpose: their seeds. Such a pity because these sunflowers would brighten up... Continue Reading →
Lunch at Los Agaves (Santa Barbara, CA)
Every one of us can recall when one of our favorite restaurants closes its doors for good. It's all the more upsetting when it was responsible for introducing you to a defining dish, one that stays in your memory long after you've had it, one that hasn't been matched by any restaurant since. Such was... Continue Reading →
Zut! est Bien
We had hoped to pass through Berkeley at around noontime or so for a quick snack. Visions of a legendary dessert at Bette's To Go—the chocolate espresso twinkie—played with my mind. This Hostess namesake, a dense chocolate cake filled with espresso cream and enrobed in chocolate icing, landed in the Sterns' 500 Things to Eat... Continue Reading →