The Hi-Lo, Weed, CA

We overnighted in Weed, getting there after darkness descended.
After checking in at the Hi-Lo Motel, we beelined to the Cafe.

Such a great placemat.

We both ordered B.L.A.S.T.s (Bacon, Lettuce, Avo, Swiss, Tomato).
We only ate 1/2, and packed the rest for lunch the next day.

 Our room, Suite 16, was spacious and had a complete kitchen, living room, two king bedrooms, and one bath.

6am view from my room, I could "just" see Mt. Shasta.

Kitty mug, blurry Shasta.

 We returned to the Cafe for hearty breakfasts.

Two free coffee tokens.

Great mug, I bought one two years ago en route to Vancouver, BC.

Breakfast.

So long, Suite 16, you were sweet.

Road Gear Sketch: Camera

Meet the device that didn't fail:

Here it is in situ, in an easy place for grabbing and snapping. 

You can also see my mobile lunch (guacamole and carrots) and the iPod. 

I "may" have been driving when I shot this photo. 

The Sketchbook Project Tour has landed in my hometown, at LACMA, no less.

Los Angeles, CA 
Friday 6/26: 4:30pm - 8:30pm 
Saturday 6/27: 3:30pm - 7:30pm 
Sunday 6/28: 12pm - 4pm 
Los Angeles County Museum of Art 
RSVP

Q is for Dairy Queen

Anne M Bray, Q is for Dairy Queen, Yuma, AZ,

Digital painting printed on various substrates in various sizes, ©2015 

L is for Little Nellie's in Las Cruces

Anne M Bray, L is for Little Nellie's in Las Cruces, NM, 

Digital painting printed on various substrates in various sizes, ©2015 

Oh Little Nellie's in Las Cruces, NM. I discovered you by accident (it was the flags) on my first post-marital solo expedition in December of 1993. You had [have?] the BEST chile rellenos, huevos rancheros, and NM green chile salsa. I would get a big "go cup" of the salsa, recant it into a glass Mason jar, and nurse it in my cooler for the remainder of my trip. I did this for YEARS! You are the reason I "had" to take I-10 in at least one direction every road trip, and I drove across the US a lot in the 90s.

This is your old location at  939 N. Main Street in Las Cruces.

I don't remember when you relocated to Amador Street, but I managed to track you there.
Then there was the year (2000?) that I pulled into the parking lot and there was a different name on the building. It was not the same. AAAAARGH! So many miles thinking about your salsa to be denied. NOOOOOO!

All along, you've had a second (now your only) location called Nellie's Cafe at 1226 W Hadley. At least I HOPE it's an iteration. The photos on Yelp look the same. It's your hours, Tu-Sat, 8am-2pm, that are the bane of my existence. I can't seem to get my timing synced. Some day... please don't retire until I have at least one more taste of your salsa!

Can you tell that I'm very passionate about NM green chiles? They cause that, it's the endorphins they release when eaten. Now I'm hungry. Sigh.

C is for Chope's, La Mesa, NM

[Bonus C]

Anne M Bray, C is for Chope's La Mesa, NM, 

Digital painting printed on various substrates in various sizes, ©2015 

Chope's Bar is easily seen from NM Highway 28. Chope's Cafe is a bit harder to find. Once you eat there, you will not forget it! The problem is the afternoon siesta that is taken by the staff. Chope's is open for lunch and dinner, but not in-between.
Link to Yelp.

Roadtrip Recap: Rest Stop in NOLA

New Orleans, LA, digital painting, ©2014 

WARNING -- don't read this on an empty stomach! 

Yes, Cafe Du Monde is a tourist cliche. Yes, it was our first stop.

There are some shopping photos over on Spygirl, my fashion blog.

We went to Acme Oyster House for dinner. Yum.

Grilled Oysters

Crawfish

Seafood Etouffee

We plotted the start of the next day's gluttony:

Breakfast at Stanley's:

I had Eggs Stanley: Fried Oysters, Poached Eggs, Canadian Bacon, Hollandaise  over an English Muffin

Severo's breakfasts often look more like dessert.
This is Bananas Foster French Toast: French Bread, Bananas, Vanilla Ice Cream, Walnuts, Foster Sauce

As we posed for a selfie in Jackson Square Park, we heard something wafting in the breezes:

Post by Anne M Bray.

(I only have the facebook post of this. Hopefully you can view it.)

Next up on our Glutton itinerary was a stop at Central Grocery for Muffulettas and other sundries.

We got one to split "for later". I ended up with it all, and I ate it the following two days. Lucky me.

We wanted Po-Boys for lunch, and we went to Johnny's:

Shrimp and Oyster Po-Boy

More walking, then dessert:

The proprietor of the Swiss Confectionary told us about a free concert in Lafayette Park featuring Marcia Ball. We went back to the hotel to rest a bit beforehand and our naps went on too long. We made it back only for her finale. Oh well.

It was a lovely night and we strolled back to the hotel.

More photos on my Flickr here.

Roadtrip Recap Day 6: Sulphur, LA to NOLA

Pines, I-10 LA, digital painting, ©2014

I had a short driving day on April 1st, taking I-10 from Sulphur to Lafayette, then on to New Orleans via US 90.

I saw Gulf-side refineries

Wet agricultural vistas

Swamps

My favorite part of the morning was breakfast at Billeaud's Too, in New Iberia.

I opted for one of the Lent Specials -- a crawfish omelet with grits and toast. Delicious!

I reached New Orleans around noon, where I rendezvoused with Severo for a couple of days.

More photos of this segment here on Flickr.

Roadtrip Recap Day 5: Sinton, TX to Sulphur, LA

Train, US77 TX,  digital painting, ©2014 

My day started with a visit to the Sinton Post Office to mail some post cards.
A nice surprise was the wall of old style mail boxes:

I had a hankering for a country breakfast (grits, eggs, bacon) but couldn't find any suitable spot. If only I had had a craving for mariscos. Lots of Mexican food available in the region.
I finally gave up and stopped at a rest stop near Inez and made myself a sandwich.

Peanut butter, Seville orange marmalade, and bananas.

It was a very pleasant spot situated in a grove of oaks.
A train rolled by:

Back on the road, Buc-ee's signage kept me entertained for a while:

I resisted the "urge" however, and powered on through Houston's rush hour to wind up in Sulphur, LA.

Here's the Flickr link for all this day's photos.

Roadtrip Recap Day 4: Eagle Pass to Sinton, TX

US77, TX  digital painting, ©2014 

I left Eagle Pass at dawn.
My phone had gone "out of range" the night before, here's my old school navigating:

I was nervous about driving solo along the southern TX/Mexico border -- I had read about police targeting travelers with infractions and impounding their cars, to fill town coffers with the impound fee payments. Another worry was the fracking oil boom around Carrizo Springs after reading this article in the LA Times.

It was all very quiet, much to my relief.

Mobile meal:

Exxon brands their convenience stores "El Tigre" along the southern border.
Rawr.

When I arrived on the Gulf side of the state, it was very flat, hot, and humid.

This gas station was next to my motel.

All this day's photos are on my Flickr here.