August 2013 - Oxnard to Vail - Part 2, Vail and Green River

Our arrival in Vail was greeted with thunderstorms and raindrops the size of golf balls.  I had been watching the weather over the last couple of weeks and was concerned about the possible storms.  It wasn't worth it to drive all the way to Colorado and then get rained out, even though we were happy to visit with Paul and Joyce and stay in their lovely home...their "little" (7,000 square feet) cabin in the mountains.  Joyce assured me that the mornings were good and that the storms happened later in the day.  It turned out that was true.  

Once settled in their home, Paul called us into the living room to come and look outside.  Their view is breathtaking and spanned across their huge windows was a double rainbow.  A beautiful welcome for what was to be a lovely five days.

View of the Double Rainbow from the Krasnow's Living Room.

Joyce and I played a practice round on the Valley Course, one of three beautiful courses at The Club at Cordillera in Eagle/Vail.  The Club at Cordillera  The Valley Course was the course on which the tournament would be held, so we thought it best to practice there.  

That evening, Joyce prepared a lovely meal of steaks, salmon and sides.  We had great wine and laughed a lot, and then I went to bed, ready for another practice round before the tournament.  

That night, at 3:30, I woke up with a splitting headache, a rumbling tummy and nausea.  I spent the next 12 hours trying to get over a debilitating case of altitude sickness.  There was some question as to whether or not I would be able to play the next day, but as the day progressed I felt better.  I skipped the pre-tournament party to insure that I would not risk a relapse.

We woke up bright and early and drove down the hill to the Valley course and the breakfast they had waiting for us.  After breakfast, we went to the driving range and hit a few balls before heading to the course.  

Nice view for a driving range, no?

We were signed up for the non-competitive part of the tournament as neither of us have a handicap, and both of us felt we were better off without that pressure.  As it turned out, many of the people that had signed up for the non-competitive tournament switched over to the competitive tournament and there were only three couples left to play.  We were paired with two young ladies, Suzanne and Heidi, who had been assigned to the tournament to round out our foursome. 

Heidi and Suzanne, our playing partners on Day 1.

Suzanne is the Membership Director for The Club at Cordillera, and (I believe) Heidi is a friend of hers who works at a neighboring venue.  Heidi hit the ball like nobody's business.  The Valley Course is a beautiful, beautiful golf course.  Lush greenery, superbly kept tee boxes, fairways and greens, and a view that won't quit.  The greens were diabolical; impossible to read.  When you thought your ball would go this way, it went that way.  "Always to the Valley," they say, except when it didn't.  Hitting off the fairway wasn't too terrible; the rough was manageable, thank goodness.  My tee shots and fairway shots were pretty good, but oh those greens!  

After golf, we had a wonderful lunch at the club, then went home to have dinner with the boys at Larkspur.  Larkspur Restaurant  We ordered from their special Tuesday bar menu and had oysters, a caesar salad and a hamburger - the Larkburger.  Just delicious!!

At Larkspur.

Score-wise, things got a bit confusing as we considered switching over to the competitive side of things.  We were supposed to have been assigned a handicap and been given "dots" to deduct from our gross score.  We weren't given that the first day, but were given dots on the second day, which helped out a bit.  On day one, our gross score was 115, with no net score.  The second day, we knocked eight strokes off our gross score and ended up with a net score of 71.  We played with Kathy and Karen on the second day.  Kathy is a real hoot with a great personality and sense of humor.  Karen is a very nice person; a little quieter but a sweetheart just the same.  They did far better than we did.  I'm fairly certain that Joyce and I came in last place, if there was such a thing, but I felt so fortunate to be playing in such a lovely, lovely place with such a wonderful friend.  Thank you, Joyce, for inviting me to be your partner.  However, I advise you to pick a better golfer next time.  It'll help your score!

The Club put on an awards dinner that night which was great fun.  The food was delicious, from pasta to lamb chop popsicles, many salads, steak and drinks galore.  Not surprisingly, Joyce and I were not mentioned.  

Paul had made tee times for us the following morning so we could get in a round on the Mountain Course before we left for our overnight in Green River, Utah and then went home.  After Paul made us a fantastic breakfast (his first time ever making breakfast, according to Joyce), we loaded our bags into the Volvo and drove down the hill to the lovely clubhouse and course.  Joyce told me that the course was more difficult than the Valley Course, so I was ready for a challenge.  The course had much more elevation, but the fairways were wide, and if you hit it straight, you could stay out of trouble.  The great thing about Vail is that when you hit the ball, it goes so much further.  There is no atmosphere up here, and the ball just flies.  There will be re-adjustment to ocean air when I get back to golfing at home.  The views from the Mountain Course were even more spectacular, if that's possible.  It was great fun to play with our husbands.  I love playing with Stan, and I was ready to hit the ball with him after three days of playing with the ladies.  Score of 113 notwithstanding, the Aspen-lined, beautiful, sloping fairways were the perfect end to a wonderful, golf-filled five days in Vail.

Photos of the spectacular Mountain Course.

Joyce, Stan and Paul figuring out the lay of the land.

Back on the road again, we drove through the beautiful Vail Valley out of Colorado and through Utah where we stopped for the night in Green River.  This small oasis in the middle of nowhere was the only place we could stop without continuing our drive through the night.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, where motorcycle groups and families had also found respite from the long drive in the heat of summer.  Holiday Inn Express, Green River, Utah  Just as you'd expect from a Holiday Inn, the room was clean, comfortable and priced right.  The breakfast the following morning left something to be desired, but it was certain we wouldn't starve.  

We ate dinner at what seemed to be the biggest place in Green River; Tamarisk's.  At this writing, I could not find a website for the restaurant, but it is pretty basic diner/coffee shop food with a mexican twist.  To illustrate, I had cheese enchiladas and Stan had a patty melt.  I enjoyed my dinner, Stan wasn't so happy.  I had requested, and received, half of my enchilada with red sauce and the other with green chile sauce.  The cheese had been melted on top and had that great, crunchy texture that happens when it sits under a heat source for too long.  But I loved breaking through the cheese to get to the enchilada underneath.

Green River sky at sunset.

My cheese enchilada, with chunky (and very good) guacamole.

The patty melt at Tamarisk's.

While at dinner, I looked on my phone to see what there was to do in Green River.  There was a 9-hole course right in the middle of town near the State Park.  We called to make a tee time (it was still light outside and we hoped they would be there).  The voice mail said just to come on over and play!  After dinner, we took a drive to find the course (by then it was twilight).  We found it and decided to get there at 7:30 so we could be on the road by 9 or so.  

An early (not-so-great) breakfast at the hotel, and we drove to the course, arriving at around 7:30.  There was no one in the pro shop, which was strange.  We drove back to the hotel and asked the desk clerk about the hours of the course.  He really didn't know, but thought they opened at 8.  After debating the wisdom of waiting (which meant we'd get home around midnight), we threw caution to the wind and went over there at 8.  They were open, we got on, and had a nice little round of golf.  This course meandered around the Green River, with vistas of a plateau in the distance, and offered us a mosquito bite or two.

Because our breakfast was less than satisfying, I stopped at Green River Coffee and grabbed one of the best lattes I've ever had.  Like Tamarisk, I found no website at this writing.  We showered quickly, packed our things and headed home.  A quick stop for lunch at Crazy Cow Cafe in Beaver, Utah for a burger and a chili size.  Crazy Cow Cafe  Pretty basic food, with warm and friendly service.  

Hopped up on caffeine, we began the last leg of our journey, stopping in Arcadia, California at our favorite dim sum restaurant, Din Tai Fung.  Din Tai Fung  This place is absolutely amazing; packed whenever we go there and worth the wait.  I first ate there on Whampoa Island in Hong Kong, and my friend and former business associate, Terri, told me that they had brought it to the US.  The juicy pork dumplings (put in a soup spoon, topped with horseradish and vinegar - when you bite into them, the soup fills your mouth before the pork - my mouth is watering as I write this), pork fried rice and sauteed string beans with garlic are our favorite things.  Stan loves the hot and sour soup.  He buys the largest one available and takes home what he cannot eat there.  

Din Tai Fung's Hot and Sour Soup.

It is an experience to eat there, and, no matter where you live within the greater Los Angeles/Ventura/Orange county area, it's worth the drive.  

Finally home, we fell into bed.  I'm not looking forward to the laundry and work that awaits me after nine days on the road.  Some things are worth it, though.



 

August 2013 - Oxnard to Vail - Part 1, Las Vegas and Arches National Park

About two months ago, my friend Joyce Krasnow asked me to play in a tournament with her in her hometown of Vail, Colorado on August 6, 7 and 8.  My first response was to decline as I had never played in a tournament before and was nervous.  Also, it seemed unlikely I could get away or that Stan would want to go with me.  After thinking about it overnight, we decided that we would drive to Colorado with a stop first in Las Vegas to visit our warehouse, and then in Moab, Utah to visit Arches National Park.

After arriving in Las Vegas and taking care of some business, we invited two of the guys that work in our warehouse, Chris and Jim, to golf with us that night at the 9-hole Callaway course on Las Vegas Boulevard.  Callaway Golf Center  Happily, they decided to join us at about 8 pm, when it would be cool enough to play.  Summer in Las Vegas is ... well, you know how it is.  

Before we went to the golf course, we checked into our usual hotel, the Marriott Springhill Suites in Henderson.  Marriott Springhill Suites  The Marriott is a great place to stay.  We love the suite.  It has a sofa, work station, lots of plugs, free wi-fi and a good breakfast.  The staff is great, the room is clean and quiet, and it 's convenient to our office.  We gave up staying on the Strip a while ago.  For as often as we are in Vegas, which is quite often, it got too expensive to stay and eat there.  We do love the variety and quality of food on the Strip, but we'll take a little trip to the city if we want to.  The restaurants in Henderson are more in line with our budget and the kind of food we regularly eat.  Speaking of which, we have found a little Mediterranean restaurant that we just love.  It's called Crazy Pita Rotisserie and Grill.  It's near Green Valley Casino, right across from Lucille's BBQ.  Crazy Pita  I ordered a chicken pita which was excellent, served with a small cucumber, tomato and feta salad.  I usually get the steak pita which is amazing, served with eggplant dip, feta and olives, but opted for something a little lighter this time.  Stan ordered the quarter chicken, which he loved.  

Chicken Pita with Salad

Quarter Chicken with Salad and Pita Bread

Off to golf!  We opted for the Happy Hour deal, which is $30 for nine holes of golf and two drinks.  Fun!!  We met Chris at the range for a little practice; Jim ran late, but was there in time to tee off.  

Chris, Me and Jim

Golf is a challenging game under the best of circumstances and in broad daylight.  Night golfing is another thing altogether, but we had a great time with the guys.  

Note center-right the plane taking off from McCarren Airport.

After golf, we stopped at the bar, which, unfortunately, was about to close.  We got both our drinks at once, which I didn't finish, and Stan and Jim tried to figure out our score.  Confusion set in, but math prevailed.  I have no idea what happened to the scorecard, but I do know that I shot the highest score.  

Apres-golf.

The next morning, we left for Moab, Utah and a visit to Arches National Park.  The grandeur of Arches is something that should be on everyone's Must See list.  Each bend in the road is more breathtaking than the last.  Each trail takes you to wonders you will not believe.  

Our first stop was Park Avenue, in late afternoon, where the sheer walls look as if they were sliced off of somehow.  This is the first step to arch formation.

Park Avenue

We drove around the park a bit, but it was getting late, so we checked into our motel, the Inca Inn, a 50s-style, one-story, drive-up-to-your-door type of motel.  It was clean and quiet with a great bicycle weather vane on the roof top.  Our bathroom was vintage 1950s, decked out in yellow tile with brown trim.  Perfect!  Inca Inn

Since the Inca Inn is on the outskirts of town, we strolled next door to La Hacienda, a Mexican restaurant to grab a bite to eat.  La Hacienda  It is a cute and busy place.  I ordered the taquitos which were very greasy - dripping with oil when you took a bite.  Stan ordered soft chicken tacos.  The tacos, rice and beans were fine, but just not great.  I would have liked to sample a margarita, but I was acclimating to the elevation, as we were headed to Vail and over 8,000 feet.  I had suffered from altitude sickness before and didn't want to experience it again.

After dinner, we strolled into town where there was lots going on.  There were gift shops, art galleries and many restaurants available.  Stan and I each bought some t-shirts to commemorate our visit.  I felt a little sad that we hadn't taken the time to check it out before we ate at La Hacienda.  Oh well, next time.  We have to see Canyonlands, after all.  

At the hotel the next morning, we had a lovely little breakfast of hard boiled eggs, toast and coffee and set out to further explore Arches.  

Yummy Eggs, Toast and Coffee - A Perfect Start to an Arches Day

It was pretty warm in Moab, so we wanted to get an early start in order to do a little hiking and see some of the world-famous Arches and hoodoos.

Balancing Rock

Landscape Arch

Tired and hungry, we went back into town for a quick bite before we hit the road for Vail.  When you're driving, you need food that won't revisit you or cause any problems, especially if you're in remote areas.  My favorite road food is a BLT.  It's hard to screw up that sandwich, and they are heavy enough to give you energy for a while, but light enough to not weigh you down.  We stopped at the Moab Diner for the perfect BLT (we both ordered that).  Moab Diner  Now, Stan is something of a bacon aficionado.  In other words, he doesn't like most bacon.  He was semi-happy with the bacon on this sandwich, which made both of us very happy.  

BLT at the Moab Diner

Bellies full; we're off to Vail!!

July 2013 - The Links at Bodega Harbour

We drive to see our NoCal kids and grandkids several times a year.  Rather than drive the entire 12 to 14 hours in one day, as we mostly do, we have decided to break up the trip and golf on the way up our beautiful state.  If we leave super early in the morning, we are usually in or past the Bay Area by lunchtime - plenty of time for golf in the summer.

This trip we decided to go off the beaten path and stay in Bodega Bay.  As is the case in most northern California coastal venues, especially in the summer, the weather is unpredictable.  It was a chilly and gray day, which only added to the feeling of this links-style but very hilly course.  The Links at Bodega Harbour 

Golf Cart Art

Overlooking Bodega Bay in all its gloomy glory.

The course was fairly well maintained, and it was, for both of us, a difficult course.  Although the fairways were wide, if your ball didn't make them, as is true for the other links-style course(s) I've played, you're in a world of hurt.  My "worst" shot was one that took me to the very edge of a steep incline.  I literally had to choke down the club to the bottom of the grip, and prayed that when I took my teeny-tiny swing I wouldn't topple backwards down the hill into the bunker below, as my feet were on the downhill side and the ball waist-high.  Luckily that didn't happen, but I didn't hit the ball very far.  

The homes surrounding the course are close by, but not so close that I ever worried about breaking a window.  It was such a gloomy day, that I wondered what it would be like to sit at the window of one of these weathered homes and sip a cup of tea by the fire, looking out over the bay.

There was so much elevation and so much trouble to get into, but we still had a great time and felt that we may come back and visit the course again. 

As I'm not yet quite back in the swing of things, I didn't keep my scorecard, so I don't remember what I shot, but I can guarantee you that it isn't a score I would be proud to post.   

Chilly from the weather, Stan and I drove the coast, looking for a restaurant.  We found Lucas Wharf Restaurant and Bar, right at the wharf.  Lucas Wharf Restaurant and Bar  I started with a Moscow Mule.  Even though it didn't come in the usual copper mug, it was a good and refreshing drink after hiking up the hills of the golf course.  The soup and salad I had were specials that night.  The tomato soup was spectacularly good, just the right amount of tang with a drizzle of basil oil on top.  I had an arugula salad topped with grilled salmon (oops, forgot the photo) which was also delicious.  Stan had fish and chips, which he liked. 

We stayed at an inn, the name of which I can't recall.  That can only mean (and it does) that the place was forgettable, so no further mention of it here.  

A short six hour drive to Eureka the next morning, and we were hugging our delicious grandchildren.