A Great Sandwich in LA

The rain didn't show up in LA as promised (so what else is new?) so we cruised downtown to eat breakfast, or lunch, at Phillipe's, home of the famous French-dipped sandwich. The Flame actually had a bowl of barley soup, and I ordered the double French-dipped beef sandwich. We finished our meal with a couple of glasses of lemonade and a slice of homemade apple pie.

We pulled into the parking lot at about 9:30 a.m. and already the wait line to order was 25 minutes. Phillipe's is a very popular spot with a a very diverse crowd; business people, cops, bicyclists who brought their bikes into the restaurant, and tourists all were clamoring for breakfast Phillipe's style!

We'd come back again. The soup was excellent and hearty, the sandwich was generous and especially delicious with the house mustard, a very sweet-hot horseradish and mustard concoction. Wonderful!

Another Road Trip is in the Books!

Finally got back from Sequim, WA where we spent a few days at our little house. I'll post a few pix soon. While we didn't ride the bike, we enjoyed US 101 along the Hood Canal from Olympia, Washington to Sequim. Breath-taking views of Discovery Bay, the Canal, and the Straits of Juan de Fuca, with snowy mountains, and beautiful forests thrown in for good measure! We also enjoyed OR 26 and OR 108 through the dairy country of coastal Oregon as well.

While in Oregon, we stopped for fresh ice cream and cheese at the Tillamook Dairy in Tillamook Orgeon. This is a must stop if you are an ice cream afficionado and/or love cheese. We also ate lunch here. Surprisingly for a "touristy place," the lunches were a very good value. For example, I tried a crab and cheddar sandwich on toasted sourdough bread for $6.95, while the flame dove into a fresh veggie on squaw for $5.50.

Still, we come here for the ice cream...it doesn't get any fresher, and it's doubly delicious when the scoop sits in a freshly baked waffle cone or bowl! Enjoy!

Musings from the Pacific Northwest

Right now we are in Sequim, WA checking out our little house...
It is perched on a hill surrounded by 1.5 acres of beautiful Douglas firs, madronas, and cedar. Sitting out on the front porch of our place is like being in the woods-actually it is being in the woods, though we do have neighbors. The chilly salty air mixes with the heavenly aroma of pine and cedar-it's a smell I hope I never get used to!

It is so wonderful to be here. We hope to retire here one day-is there a more heavenly piece of real estate in the PNW? Maybe, but for us the combination of greenery, water, the Olympic mountains towering in the background, the flowers, and blue skies (well, some of the time) make this a very special place!

While we cheated and didn't ride the RT, we did eat! When you are in Sequim, you'll want to check out the "Fortune Star Chinese Restaurant" in "downtown" Sequim. Our neighborhood back in the LA area abounds in Chinese restaurants. The Fortune Star counts as being one of the best we've tried. Check out the traditional sweet and sour pork. Wonderful chunks of pineaple and pork very lightly fried and served with a delicious, non-oily fried rice did it for me! J tried the veggie plate, Allie sampled the chicken and broccoli, and we all agreed the service and meal was terrific.

Two other dining options in town included the "Dockside Grill" at the John Wayne Marina. Very pricy, but the fresh-off-the-boat halibut stuffed with crab was beyond belief! J tried the plank-grilled veggie plate and reported the same...

The second option was "Segio's" at the west end of town. Carne Asada, grilled veggies, and a grilled spinach enchilada were fabulous. Sergio kept the fresh salsa and chips coming and also spent a few minutes talking with us about the secret to his wonderful onions: they were deep-fat fried and dusted with his blend of spices. Superb!

Well, that was about it. J and I spent some time touring around the peninsula, talking to people, eating great food, and exploring some wonderfully scenic roads. We cannot wait to come back this summer. I'll attach a few pix when we get home.

Travel, laugh and live,

Steve and Jennifer

Motorcycle maintenance may not be Zen-like...

Had a pretty tough day at work, so I figured the best cure would be to come home and do a bit of routine maintenance on the RT. I washed and waxed, and reinstalled a small part I'd taken off awhile ago-in the process I managed to rip my hand across an exposed screw. My lack of coordination is probably one good reason I never became a mechanic! More later!

A Sunny Spring Day

On Saturday it was a balmy 88 degrees here in sunny So Cal, so what could be better than a ride with breakfast being a key objective? I wanted to try Henry's in Oxnard for breakfast, and I had the time so I took off for a favorite coastal ride...off to Ventura, Lake Casitas, Ojai, and Santa Paula.
So I thumbed the starter on the RT and headed due west for Oxnard. Traffic was light, which was good since I was really looking forward to breakfast. Fortunately, I didn't have a long ride!

Henry's is a favorite with Oxnard's locals, and features great food with huge portions. Since The Lovely Flame, being a vegetarian, was trapped at home doing school work I fell off the wagon by ordering the special NY steak and eggs, along with my fave, extra-crispy hash browns. Believe me, the meal was a cardiologists worst nightmare! Great service, reasonable prices, and the service was ok. I'd go back again! I just hope Jennifer doesn't discover my blog! :)

After Henry's I was fueled for the remainder of the day. The ride was as good as the breakfast...I headed up the coast to CA 150 and shot thru the hills to Ojai, down to Santa Paula, and then over CA 126 to I-5 and home. Fortunately the roads were less clogged than my arteries, so the last few freeway miles were actually pleasant, with the big BMW averaging nearly 70 mph!

A great ride! The RT performed flawlessly, the weather was perfect, no one tried to kill me, and the food worthy. 'Till next time!

Welcome to my first blog! Jennifer, aka, "The Lovely Flame" and I enjoy riding around the country on our BMW R1200RT, the latest of many BMW motorcycles we've owned. Nothing beats the feel of motorcycle travel...the speed, the wind, the smells, the heat and cold, it's all there and it is immediate!

We are passionate about riding, but we are also thrilled to share our rides with you and some great and not-so-great places to eat...Hey, it's all part of the grand experience.

Come along with us as we two-wheel through life!