Won't You Take Me To Dodgertown?

Ah yes, baseball is in the air! What better way to enjoy Spring Training season than to visit the newly opened 141-acre complex called Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. This state-of-the-art facility is the new Spring Training headquarters for the Dodgers and the White Sox.

As my husband and I approached the complex, the jolly sound of steel drums grew louder. It seemed as if the lively Carribean beats were being played by a Baseball Pied Piper who is luring fans of the sport and promising them a day of enjoyment. The day couldn't have been more beautiful in baseball wonderland: sunny with blue skies, calm winds, and a high of 88 degrees.

Walking past the main gate, we made our way to the genuine MLB merchandise store FIRST and got us some Dodger hats and shirts. (Of course!) Then I had to stop for some grilled corn-on-the-cob, brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with seasoning salt. (Just couldn't resist.) Finally, we followed a winding pathway to the stadium to find our seats. The Dodger players were already warming up on the field. I ran to take a picture of Ethier (ooh, Ethier!), Kemp, and Pierre. (I almost lost my hat in the process!)

The place was just gorgeous and everyone around was friendly and in good spirits. The lemonade vendor walked up and down the stands yelling "GIT yer ICE cold LEMonade...RIGHT herrree..." while I was busy digging into my backpack for all my gadgets: camera, videocam, and camera phone. Thank goodness I sat next to a Whoopi Goldberg look-alike who was happy to take our picture.

The are 13 full baseball fields in this facility: 6 for each team plus the 10,000-seat main stadium. A man-made lake in the middle of the property separated the Dodger team practice fields from those of the White Sox.

We returned the next day as early as 9 am so we could watch the players practice. It was amazing to be among these great MLB players up close! Players like Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin were just a few feet away from us. Funny how their warm-up exercises -- stretching in the outfield, catching and throwing drills, and batting practice --were not any different from those performed by college baseball players.



Amidst all this excitement, little miss mini bladder here wandered into a building looking for the ladies room. In the hallway, I walked up to a man wearing a badge. "Which way to the restrooms?" I asked and he politely gave me directions. The restrooms were clean and regular-looking. But on my way out, I began to think that there was something peculiar about the place.

I saw a media room where two young uniformed players were reviewing a video tape. Across was another room that had a big green screen and a professional camera in front of it. This place is a bit odd, I thought. I glanced around and to the left of the hallway I found a cafeteria, a therapy room (with rows of massage tables), and a gym. To the right of the hallway, I noticed...(gasp!) the Manager's Office...(double gasp!) the Coaches Lounge, and...(triple gasp!) the Players' Locker Room! OMG! I was in the Dodger Clubhouse!

Later on, I found out that officials told my husband to shoo when he happened to stand in front of the pathway leading to the building. He was told that only those with proper credentials are allowed in the area. I still don't know how I got there or how I didn't get kicked out right away.

As the players left the practice fields, we joined the fans in approaching them them to take their pictures and request for autographs. My husband asked me if I wanted a picture with Furcal. "Where is he?" I asked with wide eyes and then hurried to the spot where he pointed. I couldn't believe that the Major League player leaned close to me (we were almost cheek to cheek) for the shot!

"Ugh! My eyes are closed!" I cried when I reviewed the photo. But that's not all. I later realized that it wasn't even Furcal. It was Xavier Paul. But hey, he's still a Dodger!

Captivating Coraline

Valentine's Day

Everything we did during Valentine's Day this year was different. It wasn't that we did anything extraordinary. Just non-traditional. So was the choice of movie that we decided to see. The little child in me, who enjoys animation like no other, kept bugging Alan to see Coraline. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have given in. But since it was "Love Day," he relented. (Hooray!)

Coraline, based on the award-winning children's classic by British author Neil Gaiman, is a story about a young girl's adventure. Having moved to a new home, she discovers a secret world where things were seemingly perfect. When this alternate world turns perilous, Coraline uses her determination, wit, and bravery to battle her way back home.

The 3-D movie was a product of a team of animators led by director Henry Selick, who likes "unusual and scary animation." Through their clever use of stop motion and puppetry, their hand-crafted miniature puppets, props, and sets vividly brought to life the words and the storytelling of author Neil Gaiman.

Right from the beginning of the movie, I was transfixed. Everything looked so real…like you can almost touch and feel everything you see. It’s as though you were physically there with Coraline. Unlike Wallace and Grommit films, the characters’ movements in this movie are much smoother and more true-to-life.

There were parts of this fantasy/adventure that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. It was surreal and at times absurd…but always enchanting. Also typical of Henry Selick’s animated films (think “A Nightmare Before Christmas”), the presentation of this fairytale nightmare was spellbinding even if at times dark and creepy.

Completing the overall effect was the music. They had children's choirs from Budapest and Nice providing vocals that enthralled you and transported you to this incredible and magical world.

Reading about the making of this film helped me to appreciate it even more. Would you believe it took 3 years of hand-making? Everything...the set, the costumes, the puppets...everything was handmade! Check out this video. Please excuse the 15 seconds of commercials. Click here to "meet the cast."

The official website's introduction describes it best:
“You’re about to enter a world where everything you’ll see has been created by hand…like a forest of cherry blossoms made from painted popcorn.”

Vino at The View

February 7, 2009

Today's showers and chilly 45 degree temperature made it the ultimate "I-just-wanna-snuggle-in-bed-all-day" weather. While I didn't make it to my friend's birthday party for her 2 year old twins in Pahrump, (sorry again, Amy), I somehow made it to an evening of Wine Tasting at View 215. My friend Cameron invited me earlier this week and I gladly obliged. I knew it was going to be a fun event.

I've driven past the View 215 building before but I thought it was just a restaurant. Dubbing themselves "A Special Place for Your Special Occasion," it is a new event venue and banquet facility.

After registering at the reception desk...and getting suckered into signing up for a raffle (still don't know what the prize is), I was directed to take the elevator to the 3rd floor. My final destination was a gorgeous banquet hall large enough to seat 50 guests when set up theater-style for a wedding. But for tonight's event, it was set up cocktail style with an estimated 150-200 guests buzzing about, hopping from one wine tasting table to the next. Providing a dramatic backdrop was a panoramic view of the Las Vegas Strip's colorful neons. At the far right end, couples on the dance floor were swaying to slow jazz tunes rendered by a live band.

Being a VIP guest (ahem), I was led to a private room called the "Bride Room." During weddings, this room is used as the bride's dressing room. It's about the same size as a standard bedroom with its own bathroom. Elegantly furnished, this corner room led to a patio that overlooked the same breath-taking view that I saw in the main hall. (Must be great to be in this very spot on New Year's Eve to watch the city's fireworks display!) You can view more pictures with this link: http://www.view215.com/gallery.php. Sitting below the picture window was a black leather sectional sofa where a few friendly guests gathered (like Raquel and Monica shown in photo). They were sipping wine while watching a UNLV Rebel game on the flat screen TV.

Not long after, I finally found Cameron (and also met David) and we began our wine tasting tour. We sampled different vinos such as J. Lohr "Old Vine" Zinfandel, Willakenzie Pinot Noir, Michele Chiarlo "Nivole" Moscato, Rosenblum "Desiree" Port, and Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc. In between tastings, we visited the food station where they had chicken and beef satays, sushi rolls, and cocktail shrimp. Another table offered fresh fruit, cheese and crackers. By the time I reached Wine Tasting Table 4, they were out of the Little Black Dress Pinot Noir. What? Darn, I just missed it! But I wasn't too disappointed because they replenished the dessert station -- a chocolate fountain with plenty of goodies for dipping: fresh strawberries, brownies, cream puffs, marshmallows, and pretzel sticks. I believe we spent most of our time here.

What caught my eye was the table where they had 7 unopened bottles of "Seven." I did not see anyone manning this table and while there were little plastic cups next to the bottles, no one was serving and no one was drinking. The only other thing on the table was a laptop playing an informational video about this beverage. So leave it to me, the curious adventurer, to find out more about it. I approached the gentleman from the nearest Wine Tasting Table. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was just as curious as I was. He gladly opened one of the bottles and let me have a taste. (As did he.)

It turns out that this special drink is a fusion of seven powerful exotic ingredients that help promote vibrant health:
1. Gac fruit - known to help promote smooth skin and bright eyes
2. Acai berry - believed to have phenomenal healing powers
3. Goji berry - helps to promote health and longevity
4. Noni fruit - also has mythical healing properties
5. Fucoidan - a nutrient found in a South Pacific seaweed.
Its nutrition closely resembles human breast milk.
6. Mangosteen fruit - known for its amazing restorative and medicinal properties
7. Seabuckthorn - legendary in its potent nutrition and source of vitality

And how are these 7 ingredients blended together? With structure water -- which is, according to the website, "similar to the fluid found in healthy cells. With a higher pH, structured water can be more easily absorbed by your body." This explains my reaction when I took a sip. I thought it tasted like crushed berries and water. The promotional literature encourages people to take a 7-day challenge towards a healthier lifestyle. eXfuze Seven+ is a liquid supplement rich with nutrients that fight against lack of energy, poor sleep, aches and pains, unhealthy weight, and poor nutrition. Ha! I learned something new again tonight!

To Hookah or Not to Hookah

Inhaaaaaale . . . hold it all in . . . take a shot of Jägermeister . . . then, release the smoke . . . and aaah . . . now repeat . . .

I smoked hookah for the very first time at Santa Fe Station Casino's circle bar called Club 4949. My husband, Alan, was hesitant to join me at first. He thought we were going to a dance club. Far from it, actually. It's a contemporary lounge -- a place to just hang out, listen to Metal Rock music, have a few drinks, and smoke hookah.

By the time Alan and I arrived, our friends Jay and Deb (a young couple who invited us to experience this craze) were already seated at the velvety dark brown sofa at the far end, opposite from the entrance. They had just finished smoking mojito-flavored tobacco.

Sitting atop a low table in front of them was the fancy waterpipe. Its water-filled base looked like a flask, triangular in shape at the bottom with a long narrow neck and stem. Connected to the stem is a hose used to smoke the tobacco. Charcoal and tobacco is stored in a bulb-looking container on top of this gadget.

I guess how it works is that the water acts as a filter and cools the burning of the tobacco. It makes inhaling the smoke a lot smoother than smoking a cigarette. And you don't really need to deeply inhale. You can take in just enough and let it linger in your mouth before releasing the smoke clouds. (See more resources at the end of this article.)

Deb handed me a plastic disposable tip to put on the hose for smoking. (We each had our own to use as we took turns with the hookah.) With the hose on my lips, I inhaled like sucking on a straw. The water in the base bubbled up as though rocking to Golden Earring’s “Radar Love” (check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeRa3RtBiIU) which was blaring through the speakers. I let the cool smoke fill up my mouth and then slowly, I let out itty-bitty smoke puffs.

It didn’t make me feel dizzy nor giddy. What gave me a buzz were the shots of Jägermeister I had in between puffs. :o)

So is hookah good for you? Here’s what I found: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hookah/AN01265

Smoking – no matter how you do it – is still smoking.

Resources:
How to smoke hookah
http://www.hookah-shisha.com/hookahlove/70-how-to-smoke-a-hookah-hookah-charcoal-and-heat-management.html
To find out more about Hookah lounges in town and how much it costs: http://vegasmadeeasy.com/nightlife/hookah-lounges/52-las-vegas-hookah-lounges

To see a diagram and how it operates:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah

Something Bean

New Year's Day 2009


Got an e-mail invite to a New Year's Day Champagne Brunch at Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe. [Wait! Isn't Tommy Bahama an island-inspired clothing store? Well, yes, but there are a few store locations with a cafe. One of them can be found at Las Vegas' Town Square. It's an ideal concept meant for visitors who love being able to shop for clothes while sipping their favorite tropical drinks.]

Working on New Year's Day is not unusual in a city that never sleeps. Danielle and I were among the "fortunate few" who had to show up for work on the first day of '09. I shared with her the e-mail and it didn't take much to convince her to go with me. She thought it was a genius idea! By noon, our excitement had built up and we made our way to the restaurant.

As we approached the hostess stand, I noticed their "Top Shelf Bloody Mary Bar" where you could select from a wide array of top shelf imported and domestic vodkas with garnishes and mixers including Pickled Green Beans, Maytag Bleu Cheese Stuffed Olives, Celery Stalks, and Asparagus Spears, to name a few.
The courteous staff led us to a comfy booth in their Garden Room. Large throw pillows with typical Tommy Bahama colors and prints were already seated and anxiously waiting for us to join them. The palm tree designs and accentuating green tea color in the room created a soothing ambience. Add to that the ceiling fans and the Carribean tunes in the background and voila! We immediately switched on an island attitude. It reminded me of Tommy Bahama's company mantra: "Relax...Life is One Long Weekend." It made our mimosas taste even better!

My $17 brunch entree, the "Tommy's Crab Cakes Benedict," was exactly what I hoped it would be: deliciously poached eggs and panko crusted crab cakes on sourdough bread with Canadian ham served with classic hollandaise. It was accompanied by Idaho breakfast potatoes and tropical fresh fruit. Yum!
Danielle on the other hand opted for the "New Orleans Shrimp & Grits" -- Lightly blackened jumbo shrimp on jalapeno and Tillamook cheddar cheese grits with creamy Creole Meuniere sauce. Both were mmm...good! With every bite, we reaffirmed our earlier statement that this was a brilliant idea. The friendly and attentive staff also helped make our experience a pleasure.

But what really caught our attention was this item on the menu: "Something Bean, Something Green, Something Ham....Start off 2009 with some good luck...New Year's Day Black Eyed Peas: A Bowl of slow simmered Black Eyed Peas with Country Seasonings, Smoked Ham and Collard Greens. (A Southern Tradition for Good Luck in the New Year)"

I've never had that before nor heard of that tradition. It was Danielle who suggested we order it. I just had to try it...and when I did, I was pleasantly surprised! I could definitely taste the salty ham flavoring which livened up the soft, creamy black eyed peas and collard greens. Delicious!

Of course, the curious side of me had to learn more about this tradition and here's what I found on Answerbag.com: "This is a tradition that began in the south. On December 31, 1862 many African Americans waited up all night for President Lincoln to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Several renegade confederates had their last raid on the slave quarters and took all food from them except the black-eyed peas because they had black in them. The Blacks rejoiced because the soldiers left the black eyed peas, cracklin and they had greens. They had been spared and the peas brought them good luck. Thus on New Year's Eve many Black Churches have the Watch Service and celebrate with black eyed peas, greens, cornbread, cabbage and some sort of pork potluck."

I also learned that the black eyed pea is actually a bean which is low in fat and sodium, contains no cholesterol, but high in iron and potassium (important for building muscle and metabolizing protein and carbohydrates). It's believed to have its origins in Asia, brought to the West Indies and then later to the southern United States by way of the slave trade. They are traditionally thought to bring luck and prosperity when eaten on New Year's Day. The peas symbolize coins while the greens symbolize paper money. They also say that since black eyed peas swell when cooked, it symbolizes swelling of good fortune.

Of Planes and Uniformed Men

Nellis Air Force Base
November 9

I've always been fascinated by F-16s. Growing up, I remember vacationing at my grandmother's place inside a military camp -- where the US Air Force, along with US Army and US Marines, are deployed for training.

I'd wake up to the thunderous sound of a low-flying F-16 and the violent rattling of my bedroom. Still groggy, I would witness from my window how this aircraft could zoom horizontally and then, in a split second, shoot up vertically. I could tell the pilot was having a helluva time just by watching him maneuver the flying object with great precision.

Going to the Air Show in Nellis Air Force Base this year reunited me with the fabulous F-16 and introduced me to several other aircrafts. The gigantic C-5 Galaxy, the largest aircraft in the US, was the first attraction. It was hard to miss. Standing in front of it, I looked like a small fish about to be swallowed up by a monstrous shark! There were several airplanes on exhibit ranging from World War I biplanes as well as World War II bombers and fighter jets to contemporary aircraft inventory including the sleek B-1B Lancer and the newest supersonic fighter F-22 Raptor. The video can walk you through my Air Show adventure. For more info about the show, you can visit: http://aviationnation.org/.

The highlight of course is the demonstration of the Thunderbirds (Nellis Air Force Base is home to these babies). The F-16 Fighter Falcons -- dressed up in red, white, and blue -- look sharp both on the ground and in the sky. It's hard to explain the exhilarating sensation one gets when these Thunderbirds fly by.

During the final presentation, the Fighter Pilots seemed to march in slow motion with smooth yet stately cadence...they were just as cool as Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in that famous flick, "Top Gun." Yeah, there's something about men in uniforms...I get a high just watching them too. For more info, check out: http://www.nellis.af.mil/ or http://thunderbirds.airforce.com/

Petzo

On our way to work one day, Alan and I caught a glimpse of a prominent billboard. Its main image, a heaping plate of black-tipped crab claws, was difficult to ignore.

That's when Alan said, "The next time we go out to dinner, let's try Joe's Stone Crab." So for my birthday this year, we made our way to the famous restaurant, deep in the heart of Caesars Forum Shops.

We were led to a booth from where we could see much of the inner section of the place. The restaurant, just like its menu, is straightforward. It wasn't ornate nor intimidating. The walls were a pale color accented with dark wooden beams. On the walls hung pictures from circa 1940s, detailing the restaurant's rich history which now spans almost a century. While Louis Armstrong's crooning provided background music, I couldn't help but smile. The waiters in their tuxedos reminded me of characters from The Sopranos.

For our main entree, we opted for the obvious excellent choice: steak and stone crab. We didn't realize that our timing was slightly off. Stone crab season in Florida actually runs from October 15 through May 15. Nevertheless, we savored every bite of the succulent seafood phenom. The stone crabs -- all claws -- were served chilled with the crab shell already cracked for ease of consumption. The best way to enjoy it, we discovered, is to dip it in the killer sauce a.k.a. Joe's signature mustard sauce. Finger lickin' good! Even the filet mignon with its special spices and the sides --creamed corn and lemon-garlic buttered broccoli -- were all magnifico!

The menu included some background history on the humble beginnings of Joe's Stone Crab as well as trivia information about the popular delicacy. I found out that:

1. Stone crabs are captured by trapping.
2. Only one claw is removed and then the crab is returned to the water. In about 12 to 24 months, the crab will grow back its claw into "legal size" again (about four inches from the first joint all the way to the tip). By removing only the one claw, these stone crabs can still defend themselves from predators.
3. It is not allowed to declaw female stone crabs.

To learn more, visit http://www.joesstonecrab.com/
Our dinner experience was wonderful! Service was attentive and yet unobtrusive. But I didn't want to leave without getting the name of the bread we were served with our dinner. So I flagged down a busperson and asked, "Excuse me. The bread that we had earlier -- was that what you call a baguette?"

The friendly gentleman who sounded like Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite quickly responded, "Oh, Petzo."

"Pet...zo?" I repeated hesitantly.

"Yeah, Petzo! You want some more?"

"Oh no, no, thank you. I was just curious," I said feeling a little embarrassed.

But I had a nagging feeling that I didn't get the name right so I asked again when our waiter came back to our table, "Is there a special name for that salty bread you served us earlier?"

He blurted, "Nah, we're not fancy around here. It's just pretzel bread."

Are you Elzby?

I’ve never been to my friend Wendy’s version of “Family Night” before. It’s a unique party concept: each invited guest is assigned to bring an ingredient needed to prepare a main dish. Last night’s party was Mexican Family Night and I was excited to go.

Like the theme suggests, the party’s recipes revolved around Mexican fare and the designated cook for that evening was Elzby. She was going to make, among other Mexican delicacies, the popular Posole -- a clear stew made of hominy, shredded turkey, garnished with Romaine lettuce, radishes, and oregano.

The invitation encouraged guests to arrive at 7:30 pm so that cooking could begin immediately after. Alan and I made sure we were on time. That is past my normal dinner hours so you can just imagine my eagerness to get started. By 7:45 pm, I must have greeted every single person who walked in the door with, “Are you Elzby?” Followed by a muttering of, “I’m hungry!” Though each time I was disappointed to learn it wasn’t her, my greeting made for an effective ice-breaker. I learned everybody’s names soon as they arrived.

Eight o’clock finally rolled around and alas, my hero came. A petite lady with long curly locks strolled in; carrying plastic grocery bags filled with what will soon dispel my pangs of hunger. She went straight into the kitchen as the other women guests trailed behind her. We were all ready to help make the most-awaited dish.

While the buzzing went on in the kitchen, the men were content with their favorite drinks and settled in comfortable spots in the living room area. The giant screen in front of them featured a UFC fight that kept their eyes glued to it. It was a relaxed and unpretentious social gathering.

Wendy prodded Elzby to show us how to make the appetizers. So she pulled out a tostada, which looks like a big round tortilla chip, then spread cream over it and sprinkled it with crumbled Queso fresco. She topped it with shredded Romaine lettuce and a spoonful of mild salsa verde. The result was an oh-my-god- this-is-incredible appetizer.

The ladies quickly formed an assembly line to systematically prepare the tostadas and hand them out to everyone. Apparently, I was being a perfectionist in the cheese-crumbling process. I was obsessed with making it pretty that Wendy turned to me and said, “OK, you and I need to switch places. You need to get outta there!” With swift movements, she crumbled all of the cheese and put them on top of the tostadas in seconds!

For the non-picky eaters, Elzby showed an alternative to enjoying this delicacy. She added refried beans, avocado, and chopped cactus. Either way was delicious! Some of us easily gobbled up 3 or 4 of them. Not long after serving tostadas, the much anticipated posole was ready for the taking. It was quite tasty too and I savored a bowlful. Dessert was nothing Mexican. We had yummy cupcakes from The Cupcakery and sang the happy birthday song to honor the celebrant Elzby.

But dinner was uneventful compared to the game of poker that transpired after. Six of us gathered around the dining table and the confusion that happened was just like the three jumbled decks of cards we had to start the game.

The distribution of the poker chips was a dizzying frenzy. We went three rounds in deciding which color represented what denomination. I couldn’t keep up. Much debate followed on who was the small and the big blind, and whose turn it was to raise, check, or fold. Everyone was talking at the same time about different concerns…and this was combined with some loving cursing, by the way. In the middle of the game, Alex questioned why the Joker card was being used and someone replied, “Dude, were you not listening? We agreed to substitute the missing 8 of clubs with the Joker.”

When things seemed to settle (or so I thought), I asked for a Corona. The lovely hostess Wendy obliged. Soon as she shut the fridge door, the bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label on top of it came crashing on the kitchen floor. Shards of glass and precious liquor spilled in front of the fridge. Wendy who tiptoed around with her bare feet got yelled at… by everyone…all at the same time. Danielle rushed to supply the paper towels; Phil was on his knees helping Wendy pick up broken pieces of glass; and I was next to them using the paper towels to soak up the pool of Black Label. Though Wendy succeeded in protecting her feet, she strangely managed to cut her finger. She remains puzzled about it to this day.

Meanwhile, the ladies who were still at the table wondered, “What is that awful stench?” when someone shoved the sliding door open and let in a rush of smoked fish odor wafting from the backyard.

“Doug, get the vacuum cleaner!” requested Danielle. It was the last procedure for the clean-up. “What the hell?” was his reply. Yet he sprang to his feet and succumbed to the request. And soon the mess…and chaos…were no longer. So then Danielle threw out another invitation, “Any of you [insert expletive here] wanna play poker?”


If you are interested in the recipe for posole, go to: http://www.southernnewmexico.com/Articles/Food/Posolestew-aNewMexicoholi.html

Posing for Posterity...in the Kitchen

Working on a photo shoot, I had the chance to rub elbows with some celebrity chefs! This was in September 2008.

Tom Colicchio - The famed Top Chef
Location: Craft in Los Angeles, CA


The contemporary looking restaurant was just clearing up after the lunch hour when we arrived. Tom graciously welcomed us. We took a quick site inspection in his immaculately clean kitchen to pick our photo shoot location. After a few discussions, it was on with the show. I think he was more amused with how we tried to elicit fun and smiles for the shot. But our antics worked and we got the shot that we wanted in no time!



Wolfgang Puck - everybody loves this guy!
Location: Spago in Beverly Hills, CA


We arrived at around 2:30 pm and the place was still packed and the kitchen was still buzzing! We had to make do with the little time...and the limited space...we had for the photograph. But wow, what a blast! He's such a ham! He knew exactly what he needed to do in front of the camera. He held out a small pan with pasta, drizzled it with olive oil, sprinkled it with some parmesan cheese, smiled and posed for the shot and then chucked the rest of the parmesan cheese at the photographer -- just for kicks!



Joel Robuchon - Chef of the Century
Location: Joel Robuchon Restaurant at MGM Grand in Las Vegas


This world-renowned and multi-awarded chef is soft spoken yet he quickly livened up in front of the camera. (I'm such a fan that I get thrilled when he gives me the typical European 3x buss on the cheek. I have studied Beginner's French twice yet I was at a loss for French words in his presence.) Everything in his kitchen is like a work of art -- just like his culinary craft.

Road Trip to Creede, Colorado

Just after sunrise on September 6, Alan and I hopped into our rental car -- a yellow PT Cruiser with a sun roof -- and began our 12-hour journey to Creede, Colorado. We promised to visit Al & Carol who were staying in an RV Park up there. Along the way, we found various interesting sites!

September 6 - 10, 2008


Our route included a scenic drive through the southern tip of Zion National Park, which showcased fiery red cliffs, astounding sandstone formations, and beautiful canyons. Intermittently carved out vistas along the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel served as windows with panoramas between the Zion Canyon and the East Entrance to the park.

There were phenomenal landscapes throughout our travel route: amazing canyons and cliffs, mesas and plateaus...of different sizes, shapes and colors. There was one that reminded me of a layered chocolate cake sprinkled with powdered sugar. It looked good enough to eat!

Though our trip was lengthy, we delighted at the visual bonanza. We crossed Glen Canyon Dam, caught a glimpse of Lake Powell and Monument Valley in the Navajo territory, touched the Four Corners area until...

Aah...Creede at last!

Mountain Views at Rivers Edge RV Resort
A small cabin in the same RV park was reserved for Alan and me. However simple, the cozy cabin was complete with a full size bed, a sink and a stove, a large multi-purpose table with chairs, and a full bathroom.

When we opened our cabin door the next day, we were wonderfully surprised with the sight! Right in front of us were pristine rolling hills of green. To the left was a trace of the river waters of Rio Grande. The weather was calm and the air oh so fresh! It was just heavenly to be there.
Perhaps the better surprise, though, was the breakfast feast prepared by Al & Carol. They had everything ready for us: peaches, cinammon rolls, freshly baked biscuits, ham, bacon, omelette, pancakes...you name it! They knew exactly how to spoil their guests! Soon after we "recovered" from breakfast, we went around town for some sight-seeing.
Here are some interesting highlights:
Main Street - Century old buildings, restaurants, and quaint shops filled the Main Street district which is nestled at the foot of the canyon. Taking a break from our stroll up and down the street, we stopped for some ice cream at The Old Firehouse (where their idea of a scoop is equivalent to a pint!)
Next we drove up Bachelor Loop. The 17-mile loop took us through the historic silver mining district and ghost town. In the 1890s, Creede was one of the largest producers of silver in the US. We were awestruck by the remaining mining structures. What an incredible sight!
Continuing through Bachelor Loop, we played hide-and-seek with the afternoon sun as we drove past groves of Quaken Aspen trees. Some of these trees already began to change into their fall colors. Their heart-shaped leaves of gold shimmered as they rustled in the wind.

Underground Mining Museum - After visiting this museum, we have found a new appreciation and respect for miners. The tour enlightened us about the miners' way of life back in the 1890s...how they were exposed to unhealthy and often dangerous circumstances. I'll never forget the "honey pot" which was their makeshift toilet situated in the same area as their mess hall.
Lake City - The waters of the Rio Grande seemed to follow us on the road to Lake City. The trees spilling over the mountainsides looked like battalions of soldiers standing in attention as we passed. The little town of Lake City was adorable with its historic dainty churches and small souvenir shops. We tried to enter the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church but it was locked. Later, we circled around the pretty Lake San Cristobal and stopped at a lookout point to admire it.

Antlers Lodge - Not far from the Mountain Views RV Resort is this lovely property tucked away in a hidden bend of the Rio Grande River. We had a luscious dinner at the Lodge's Riverside Restaurant. It was an adorable place! I enjoyed the riverside view from the restaurant patio and considered staying in this place the next time we come up to Creede.

Going Home, we took a moment to visit the Four Corners Monument for a photo op. Most people got on all fours to touch all four states at once. One couple had a creative idea. They stood back to back with their arms outstretched, forming a big T where the four states intersected.

For our return trip, we followed the reverse of our original route except instead of cutting through Zion again, we dropped down to Fredonia and went via Arizona's Colorado City (known to be home to polygamists). Alan joked that we just might pick up another wife there.

Our most precious find from the trip was this peculiar waiting shed in the middle of Highway 98 (somewhere between Klethla Valley and Kaibito). It was painted to look like a tropical paradise and a group of stuffed animals occupied the bench as though waiting for the next bus to arrive.