Category Archives: Travel

by | February 23, 2012 · 9:36 pm

Back to Fountain Hills

After seven hours on the road, I’m back in Fountain Hills, Arizona again!
We got to set up during a warm sunset and then retired to Sofrita for dinner and to rehydrate.
I ordered a vegetable tamale and a chicken tamale which came with a healthy dose of sour cream and salsa. I’ve never been a fan of tamales until I tried these at Sofrita last time I was in town – so happy to see that they’re still on the menu!
And of course rehydration was necessary! The memory of their red berry sangria was dancing through my head the entire drive out. I knew I had to order one!
A close up of the fresh cranberries, apples, strawberries and other deliciousness.

Tomorrey promises beautiful weather and tons of food options – my favorite kind of day! Fry bread, sushi, barbecue, smoked turkey legs… Decisions, decisions…

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by | December 29, 2011 · 11:16 pm

San Diego Bombardment!

I was blessed enough to be able to have a mid-week weekend down in San Diego with our family friends. Prepare for an onslaught of pictures.
Stone Brewing – I made my own flight: Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Black IPA, IPA and Smoked Porter.
Depressing Beer Mac ‘n Cheese. This was not even half as good as the first time I went there! They served it in a mini bowl with three pieces of sausage and still charged an insane amount. Mac ‘n Sadness.
Pictures of my pops taking pictures of me in the beer garden. We’re cool like that.
Our families spent the evening sipping fine brews, wines and playing charades. My throat still hurts from laughing so much. I loves me these people!

Next day!
Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern. Turkey chili and an albacore tuna melt on parmesan-crusted bread. HEAVENLY!
Three-quarters of our family friends: Dave, Terry and Jenn.
The other quarter – Bryce and me, being ourselves.
Walking the harbor after lunch at Jimmy’s.
Ditto.
The view at Cabrillo National Park.
The monument at the park.
Pops and Bryce pretending to be normal…
Pops and Bryce being themselves.
Pretty aperture.
Gazing at the military base.
Boat.
Museum a la park.
Preserved inside of the lighthouse.
Gorgeous ocean views.
A beautiful bathroom overlooking the ocean. A bathroom I wouldn’t mind living in.
Definitely wouldn’t mind the view.
Peaceful sigh.
Concert time!
Gorgeous venue – Anthology.
Food?
FOOD! Organic chicken breast over truffle risotto.
Beer!!! Mission IPA.
Dave Mason. Awesomeness.

TODAY!
Look familiar?
Growler fills at Hess Brewing – Barleywine and coffee porter. My pops says that their barleywine is his all-time favorite, and that’s saying something! He’s very picky about his barleywines. Thanks to tasting room manager Michael Skubic for letting me drop by early – (your mini-growler awaits you at Enegren Brewing)! And good to meet you, Curtis! I didn’t find out what you were planning on brewing with all the grains you got!
Iron Fist! Growler fill of Velvet Glove and a quick taster of the Martial Law.

SLEEP TIME! Up early to go to the shooting range! Fancy heeled boots and guns – yay or nay?

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by | October 21, 2011 · 9:23 pm

Ojai and Zombie Prevention

The lovely Allie and I went up to Ojai on Wednesday for a girls’ day. Our first order of business? Azu in Ojai.
I ordered the exact same thing as last time – the portabella sammich. Allie ordered the filet mignon tacos and we split. Those tacos majorly trumped the sammich this time. Filet mignon shall be my obsession of the week…
Afterwards we walked through town and then got into the car to get lost.
I got lost and found a place I’d been before. This meditation mountain is my favorite part of Ojai, besides the food of course…
Allie a la Meditation Mountain.
A beautiful, completely natural day…
This was a totally candid, natural pose… (I loves me some HDR and tone mapping!)

We spent the day wandering the town, exploring the hills and then went to Wades Wines for a beer tasting. Important zombie prevention techniques were discussed, diagrams were designed… It was a successful day.
Zombie Prevention: Don’t get caught without ammo.

In other news: I officially signed up for the Certified Cicerone Exam this afternoon. I’ve got plenty of time (NOT ENOUGH) before I take it, and I’m sure (COMPLETELY TERRIFIED) that I’ll do fine (FAIL MISERABLY)

I’ll be at Enegren Brewing all day tomorrey, for any of you locals who want to come by and say hello!

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by | September 13, 2011 · 8:21 pm

Joie de Vivre!

I’d like to introduce you to a happy place. To some *cough* the couple who was getting “frisky” next door *cough*, this place may be happier than it is for others. Either way, the Domain – a Joie de Vivre hotel, in Sunnyvale is a lovely place to be.
Once you enter the unassuming building, you’re greeted by a blast of deliciously icy air conditioning and an equally luxurious scent that wafts about the lobby. If you’ve ever been to one of those fancy hotels like the “W” in Beverly Hills or the Aria in Las Vegas, you know what I’m talking about. They actually create their own “lobby scent” that you can purchase in the gift shops! I didn’t look to see if the Domain sold their scent… I wish I had.
The inside is basic, but full of character and unique touches. For the rooms that have windows facing the lobby, there are sheer curtains, rustic wood slats and woven tapestries to give privacy and filter out the soft glow of the lights.
The rooms are spacious yet cozy with different quotes adorning the walls in each suite. “Real genius is nothing but the supernatural virtue of humility in the domain of thought.” The Sleep Number beds (once you figure out how they work) adjust to your specific comfort needs. The alarm clock holds a docking station for your iPod so you can wake up to the tranquil sound of your own quiet music as opposed to the blaring sirens that most hotel alarm clocks utilize.
The wall that leads to the balcony is covered by blinds, giving the illusion that it is covered with windows. The window and door allow in just enough of the streaks of light from the sunset to bathe the room in a warm glow.
The bathroom features a quaint little rock garden in which the bamboo and lemongrass scented shampoos and soaps are set, enhancing the relaxing spa feel of each suite.
The cafe downstairs features a breakfast buffet in the morning…
…and an extensive dinner and beverage menu featuring cocktails such as “Technopolitan”, “Esc”, “iDrink” and “Social Media Refresh” to reflect the technology that is Silcon Valley.
I went for the aptly named “Joie de Veev” – acai liqueur, ginger ale, lemon juice and pomegranate juice over ice. I was indeed full of joy after finishing this delicious drink!

If you ever are looking for a hotel in Sunnyvale, I highly recommend the Domain. The staff is eager to assist and incredibly friendly. While you can’t control who your neighbors will be, or what they decide to do from midnight to 7am,  the entire experience in this hotel will more than make up for it!

I’d recommend it MUCH more than this hotel, that’s for sure!

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by | August 1, 2011 · 11:09 pm

A Day in Seattle

I spent a full day doing ridiculous touristy stuff in downtown Seattle. I tend to stray from tourist attractions when I visit places, but this time I decided to embrace it with open arms and a fanny pack. I’m just kidding, I don’t own a fanny pack – but know that if I did, I would’ve been rocking it today!
I took the bus from Bellevue to Seattle and hiked a few blocks to Pike Street.
This market has everything!
Public Market is the longest running, continuously open farmers’ market. They just celebrated their 100th year.
Mmmm, carbs!
Mmmm, lobster butts!
Mmmm, fish face!
How could I not?
Definitely did NOT! The line was around the block and, let’s face it, it’s just Starbucks…
I definitely DID stop across the street at Piroshky Piroshky and got a potato, onion and cheese piroshky. Mmmm, starchy, cheesy carbs!
Oh, baby! Seattle, you’ve won me over.
Touch tank at the aquarium.
Bwahahahaha! My sense of humor belongs to a teenage boy, but I just find this hilarious!
Super Puffin!!!
Super tourism!
In Seattle, many suffer from insomnia.
Deliciously abandoned.
They can do no wrong. Crazy, Stupid, LOVED them in this movie!

GUESS WHAT! I’m gonna receive EVEN MORE money! Seattle is SO lucky for me!

I really don’t wanna be arrested, interrogated or prosecuted for money laundering, so I’d better do as they say…
Mac and Jack’s African Amber. Good Monday!

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by | July 10, 2011 · 10:34 pm

A Day in the Life of Becki

I’ve had some questions regarding what I actually do for my job. I decided to show you some of what’s involved in a day in the life of Becki (that’s me!). Answers may be even more vague than any prior info. I give you: today.
Cake for breakfast. This was a gluten-free chocolate cake layered with orange crème brûlée (delicious déjà vu!), raspberry jam and chocolate mousse.
Second cake for breakfast: Gluten-free chocolate layer cake. Soft, pillowy layers of almond-flour cake sandwiched between rich, luxurious chocolate mousse, topped with an edible gold leaf.
Portable amusement park rides.
After seeing a ten year-old throw up on this, I decided not to ride it. I love roller coasters. I do not love roller coasters coated in vomit.
Heavy lifting. My favorite part of the job.
Using power tools. That’s a tie with heavy lifting.
Gigantic Lagunitas IPA. Okey, I take back the heavy lifting/power tools. THIS trumps all. Delicious malt, blunt floral hop aroma followed by the whispering kiss of bittering hops on the end. Happy sigh.
Ridiculous amounts of delicious food. Tonight was a gigantic roll of sushi to accompany the above beer.

I’m sure this cleared NOTHING up for you about the aspects of my job, but it’s all true. And I love it.

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by | July 6, 2011 · 8:18 pm

Rock-A-Hoola Waterpark

Have I mentioned that I adore abandoned buildings? Was my post about the Camarillo State Mental Hospital not clear enough? I can remedy that. Today on the drive home from the Vegas, I pulled off on a side road to get a closer look at something that has been lurking in the back of my mind for YEARS, begging to be trespassed and visited.
Rock-A-Hoola Waterpark, located in Newberry Springs, California.
This waterpark (originally named Lake Dolores Waterpark) was designed back in the late 1950s by Bob Byers.
His original plan was to have this park for private use of his extended family.
Over the next 25 years, rides were added and the park expanded as tourism to Las Vegas rose, as did interest in motocrossing in the sandy area.
The park was incredibly popular from the 1970s to the mid-1980s.
The popularity ran out in the late 1980s, and Byers sold the park in 1990.
The new owners tried to revitalize it with a new name (Rock-A-Hoola) and re-opened it in 1998.
The park was open for three more years and amassed three million dollars in debt.
In 1999, a park employee was paralyzed after he used one of the slides after hours.
He went down the slide and into the runout lane, but the water wasn’t at the height that it was supposed to be.
He realized that he wasn’t slowing down as much as he should have been and hit the concrete end of the runout lane, which you can see in the picture above.
He was paralyzed and sued the park. He was awarded $4.4 million dollars, which undoubtedly lent a hand to the upcoming bankruptcy and closure in 2000.
In 2002, new owners decided to give it another go. They spent $400,000 updating the park and renamed it “Discovery Waterpark.”
The park was open seasonally until 2004, when it closed for good.
Since then it’s been ripped apart, piece by piece, and sold to other waterparks.
Vandals have also gone wild, spray painting every standing structure, prying open doors and shattering any glassware they can find.
The lazy moat is filled with tattered mattresses, and the vandals really want you to know that “Nutsaks” are available there. (See the bridge above)
No, seriously. They really, really want you to buy some of their “Nutsaks”.
The stairs that led up to the tallest slides have been overgrown by large bushes. Sharp bushes. They hurt to walk through. I suffer for the good of my blog.
This park is beautiful and tattered, eerie and forgotten. I think it was made just for me.
I really need to find a history class that teaches only about abandoned towns/buildings/parks such as this.
This was my idea of a perfect day.

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by | · 12:19 am

The Road to Vegas

Vegas is so much fun if you’re drunk and rich! I am neither, but here I sit. After twelve hours of driving through the desert, I really needed wanted a Cadillac margarita. This is why:
Downpour number 12…
Escaping death trap number 31 – Highway becomes river.
A breath of calm, 10 hours into the drive.
Narrow canyons with gusty winds.

Now to the REALLY scary part!
THE VEGAS STRIP! AAAAAAAAH!
MAGIC CASTLES AND CROWDS OF PEOPLE! AAAAAAAH!

And now the good parts:
PASTRIES! Aaaaaaaah!!!
GELATO! Aaaaaaah!
The view from our hotel. It’s so pretty from way up here!

Five hours on the road tomorrey, then I’m finally home! Only to leave a day later. It’s okay though – I still love my job!

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by | June 30, 2011 · 9:35 pm

Podunkville, USA

TWELVE HOURS on the road today! In case you’re unaware, I’m on the way to Breckenridge, Colorado to work an art festival. The art festival just so happens to be directly across the street from Breckenridge Brewery. I just may happen to be eating every single meal there in addition to touring the brewery and getting some insight into the brewing process and history from the brewers themselves. In order to prepare myself for the amazing foods and brews I’ll be experiencing over the weekend, I needed to visit some crappy little podunk restaurant so I could fully appreciate it. Enter Green River, Utah (aka Podunk-bloodthirsty-mosquito-ville, USA).
Tamarisk Restaurant. On the corner of this:
And this:
You won’t miss it. It’s one of three restaurants in the entire town.
It’s a classy little place. Can’t you tell from the mood lighting?
And the wide variety of wilted greens in the salad bar…
I’m being cruel. It really wasn’t that bad. They at least had three choices of craft beer from a brewery I just recently tried.
Uinta Golden Spike Hefeweizen. I realized after I’d poured it into the glass that there was sediment on the bottom I’d forgotten to agitate. I like a healthy amount of yeast in my hefs.
I poured a little in to give it more depth. Whether or not you want to pour that extra layer of sediment on the bottom in is a personal preference. It doesn’t make it any less “Hef-y” if you don’t. I wasn’t a fan of this beer – there were absolutely no hops aromas and zero bitterness.

I drank it anyway – I’m self sacrificing like that…

I ordered the special of the day: Coconut Crusted Tilapia with steamed broccoli.
Obviously frozen and pan seared, but except for the excessive amount of sodium, it wasn’t half bad. The best part though? Wait for it…
Packets of tartar sauce. Nothing says “gourmet” like processed tartar sauce encased in plastic!

I’ll be heading into Breckenridge tomorrow morning and will get a post of the brewery up as soon as I’m done setting up tomorrey night! Any Breckenridge Brew recommendations? It’s my first time trying any beer brewed by them!
Ohhhh, yeaaah!

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by | June 13, 2011 · 1:04 pm

Camarillo State Mental Hospital

This is how I prefer to spend my weekends. Nothing like a little trespassing to liven up the day!
Camarillo State Mental Hospital (Now known as California State University: Channel Islands).
All of these pictures were taken at the South Quad, where the school hasn’t quite gotten around to fixing things up, or the buildings have been deemed unstable.
This mental institution opened in 1936 and housed mentally ill and disabled people up until 1997.This is a look inside one of the many, many bedrooms that housed anywhere from 2-6 patients. In a lot of the buildings, there are still tattered curtains hanging on the windows.
Above many of the patients’ rooms, there are alarms and lights that designated when the door to the room was locked.

Now, there are tons of windows that have been shattered either due to the elements of nature, or due to the rocks and beer cans thrown through them.

This old courtyard has been completely engulfed in grasses and weeds. Sigh, I’m in love! LOVE LOVE LOVE abandoned buildings and cities. The history that lived here is fascinating!

Everywhere I walked, something else stood out, begging to be seen and photographed.

If you’re interested in some of the history, there are tons of great links HERE and HERE and HERE.

Any abandoned buildings or towns in your area? I’m thinking I need to take a road trip!

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