13 Restaurants
2 Bakeries (like worst count ever)
2 Ice cream
2 Drink places
Before & After
Friday, November 30th, 2018
MKE to DEN to ONT
Saturday, December 1st, 2018
1AM, arrive at Aimee’s home. Sleep.
El Paseo, the high end shopping district of Palm Desert.
Breakfast at Wilma & Frieda. The morning we left home it was 12 degrees. Now breakfast here.
She went with Blackberry Custard French Toast. It was like a dense and flavorful bread budding.
I went with Griddled Meatloaf. And had to admit it was better than any I’ve ever made.
Ran some errands- Macy’s, nursery and car shopping. She went with the McLaren 600LT.
I with the Aston Martin DB11.
A panaderia in Cathedral City.
The Araby Trail starts in SE Palm Springs and twists it’s way up rock strewn mountains.
This would be good mountain biking.
Aimee did a great job with the climb and stopped along the way while I ran up to the ridge. Can you see her?
Along the way you get a view of the Bob Hope estate. This 23,000 square foot home went on the market in 2013 for $50 million and sold for...$13 million.
The 4,000 wind turbine farm in the San Gorgonio Pass and the Desert Valley.
Headed into downtown Palm Springs.
To be rewarded for all that hiking with a Smores Shake at the local favorite Great Shakes. If you look beyond the rugged handsomeness at the shake you’ll see a mini donut on the straw and toasted marshmallows.
Sunday, December 2nd, 2018
“I don’t care how the food is. This is worth it alone.” Elbow-worn Formica, teal stools, stainless steel and generations of memories.
Machaca and eggs.
Got on the road to fill in a bit of the map. This is looking back on Desert Valley from highway 74. Left to right: Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and La Quinta.
After crossing the San Jacinto Mountains we passed through Temecula...
...so I could see the source of some of the finest crafted mountain bikes at Intense Cycles.
Our foray up the Pacific Coast Highway started in Del Mar.
Then there was Encinitas and Carlsbad.
In Carlsbad we ate at the 25 year old Al’s Café (actually my meal smelled so rancid I sent it back), frozen yogurt and Super Donut.
Oceanside.
The 125,000 acre Camp Pendleton has been the west coast home of the Marines since 1946.
After San Clemente it was all repeating paths of past trips.
Huntington Beach was hopping downtown.
And on the beach and pier.
In LA we saw where Aimee lived when she went to UCLA for a short stint, took a spin around Rodeo Drive, Sunset Strip and Hollywood Boulevard. My mind reeling back to 2 decades of exploring this fascinating area.
Monday, December 3rd, 2018
View from The Westin in downtown LA.
Run through LA.
Off to the The Grove.
And Los Angeles Farmers Market, where every bakery has already been hit.
Du-Pars has been at this location since 1938.
They boast of their Hot Cakes. I found them rubbery and lacking in flavor.
A street indicative of this area of LA and yes, I’ve been to Canter’s. That place oozes with history and ambience.
Always get a kick out of going to Grauman’s. We walked Hollywood Boulevard which, while it has gotten infinitely more touristy over the years, still has the pallor of seediness.
The quest to find the best burger first at the 1948 Cassell’s.
Then meeting up with a high school classmate at the 1946 Tommy’s.
Who slathers theirs in chili.
Tuesday, December 4th, 2018
Morning run in her gated community.
Shut up the house and started the hour and 15 minute drive to the airport. (Psst, the grass is fake.)
Driving through those 4,000 wind turbines.
Dole Whip.
And then at one of five Bob’s Big Boy’s left.
For a Double Deck. Just as remembered 4 decades later.
Wednesday, December 5th, 2018
Home at 12:30AM
