Road Trip!

Hi folks. Sorry for the long layoff, but as most of you know, we've been on the road in the process of moving to D-town. We are now safe and sound in Ohio and busily setting up our apartment (you might even call it a house--we have an upstairs, downstairs, and basement). While we were waiting for our stuff to arrive, we had the chance to explore D-town a little bit, including a fantastic farmers market about 5 minutes from our new place. The local produce is absolutely incredible--the Amish really know what they're doing.

Although the move has its disadvantages, it has been a great opportunity to see the country. After the movers packed our stuff in the morning, we immediately hit the road with Ace, his litter box, a big suitcase, and as much other junk as we could fit in the car. Our drive initially took us on the 15 freeway into the San Bernardino mountains, then through some desolate landscapes in the desert toward Vegas. We pressed on, landing in St. George, Utah, a touristy town near Zion National Park.

The next day we drove a couple of hours toward our first noteworthy stop: the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The drive started out with more desert, with steep cliffs overlooking a reservation. We then climbed steadily, following the road through Kaibab National Forest. As we gained altitude, the pine forest became more and more dense. We dropped our stuff at the motel, and then drove on this road through pine woods and mountain meadows.











Because of the elevation, it was actually rather cool, unlike the 100+ temperatures of the heat wave we left behind in California. The road eventually led to a spectacular overlook, Point Imperial, from which we could see evocative rock formations, the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and the Arizona desert beyond.














Next we took a hike through this burnt out forest. It didn't lead to any more views, but we did get to see quite a few interesting birds.
















Finally, we ended up at another spectacular overlook, Cape Royal, where we sat around for about three hours, just watching the shadows get longer and longer until the sun finally set. It was a pretty amazing day, considering that it was only our first full day on the road.

I've Been Meaning to Post These for a While

Here are some food pics I've been meaning to share for some time, representing two of our best discoveries during our time in L.A. First up is Kuala Lumpur, a Malaysian restaurant in Pasadena. It's located in the trendy shopping area, yet it's as unassuming as most places in Monterey Park. The cuisine is hard to describe, representing a mix of influences. There is a mix of soy sauces, coconut-milk curries, and tangy fruit flavors. This dish is the roti, chewy, flaky pancakes, served with a mango chutney and a vegetarian curry. Other notable dishes we have had here: delicious rice noodles with spicy soy-based sauce, egg noodles with a tangy sweet and sour sauce, and tofu stuffed with veggies.















Next up is Mama's Hot Tamales, located across from MacArthur Park on the outskirts of L.A.'s downtown. The specialty is obvious, but what's great about this restaurant is the variety of tamales they offer. They really explore the full array of traditional tamale cooking! For example, they offer not one but two Oaxacan-style tamales: one that represents "Coast of Oaxaca" (with cheese and roasted jalapenos) and another from "Valley of Oaxaca" (with pumpkin infused into the batter and stuffed with black beans). They have a sweet dessert tamale, and of course a variety of meat stuffings. Even more surprising, they offer perhaps the best cup of coffee in L.A., individually dripped into each cup. Best of all, it is a non-profit restaurant: they also train street vendors in the art of making tamales. This a tamale plate, with two pumpkin tamales, rice, and mild melt-in-your-mouth pinto beans. After a lunch like this, I almost didn't need dinner (but then abour 4 hours later I somehow ate a chile relleno plate and a pupusa before the Dodger game).