Articles

Gail and her husband Jon travelled extensively, sampled various types of local cuisine, and documented the experiences along the way. We are pleased to share the personal thoughts and insights of one of the culinary world’s leading minds.
To Vegas – for the food and entertainment (forget the casinos)

We arrive – I’ve been here before for a special events conference and this is Jon’s first experience with Las Vegas. We first find excellent RV accommodations at the Oasis RV campground at the south end of Las Vegas Blvd (complete with 2 pools!) and then we head into to town. We walk the strip […]

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To Las Vegas – but first an overnight in Barstow!

Hmm…let me just talk about the food, as this is a US town that has seen better economic times. It’s really not, so rather than camp at a very questionable campground, we settle for a Motel 6 – with air conditioning. Remember, it’s hot….at the recommendation of the front desk, at the Motel 6, we […]

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Santa Barbara – I really like it here!

We leave Hollywood and drive up the coastal highway heading to Santa Barbara. At Oxnard, the scenery changes from water and coast to inland agriculture. Strawberry fields forever! Here are some pics to give you an idea of what we drove through (I see a culinary tour to these parts...): Santa Barbara is a coastal […]

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Where are those Hollywood Stars?

Must get to Hollywood to see the stars! But where are they? Hollywood Blvd. is not what I was expecting. It’s run down, seedy and pretty depressing. We did go to Graumann’s Chinese Theatre to see the where the stars have left their names and handprints or footprints forever cast in cement. We also walked […]

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Snapshots of the past week or OMG I forgot I’ve got a daily blog to write!

One of the problems of being on vacation and keeping a daily blog going, is staying ‘on vacation’ while keeping a blog going. It has become work. So forgive me if there hasn’t been any news for the past week – I got caught up on vacation. I’ll make up for it now with some […]

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A day of luxuriating by the pool, going to Billy Elliot the musical, and of course, eating

I could easily get used to the life of the rich and famous…. a day at the hotel, exercise room, pool and a theatre engagement at night – we splurge and buy tickets to see Broadway Across America’s Billy Elliot, the Musical, at ASU’s Gammage theatre. The theatre’s stage is smaller than the Jubilee’s, with […]

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The Romance and Sex Life of the Date

Yes, that probably caught your attention. It’s because of a must stop at Shields Date Gardens (corner of hwy 111 and Jefferson) for a date milk shake – yes, a vanilla milk shake made with date crystals (small dried date pieces). Known for their cultivation of dates, the Shields started in 1929 and produced 119 […]

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You Choose: Overnight in a VW Camper Van or the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

Okay, so we pass up the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess….just kidding. I want to look up Chef Patrick Turcot, who is the Executive Chef of this magnificent resort. Chef Turcot was at the Hotel Macdonald and Jasper Park Lodge before coming here. Chef takes us on a tour of this sprawling campus style southwestern property – […]

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Gail and Jon discover all things desert and conduct research for the culinary tour to Mexico along the way

We arrived in Indio, CA (just east of Palm Springs) in time to watch the Royal Wedding at Sun City Shadow Hills the home of Edmonton friend Dennis Goddard. Jon and I have to get used to the space – what luxury compared to the room in our VW. It’s a treat! Thank you Dennis! […]

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