‘Cross country Day 1 – Down the West Coast
For the past few days we’ve been behind the wheels from dawn to dust, making our way across three time zones. In the first, we happen to stumble upon the best seafood restaurant in Salinas, or so they claim.
Sitting on a corner lot on Main Street in a peaceful little hometown of John Steinbeck and fewer than 150000 people, Salinas Valley Fish House looks homely attractive with an old-fashioned bistro touch. Little Mom instantly gives an approval nod as she walks into the spacious dining room, seeing fresh flowers on white cloth tables, and Santa hats on the fishes. It opens for lunch only during the week, good thing we drive by on a Friday.
Despite being in a seafood restaurant in a seaside town, Little Mom fixates on an order of pork chop ($13.95), oak grilled, medium, no condiments. First time I see her liking a pork chop other than her (awesome) own. 🙂
Mudpie and I also set out for some grilled deals…
From the sea, a half order of snapper…
And a half order of calamari steak, which looks exactly the same as the snapper fillet. Mai prefers the squid’s soft yet springy and compact texture to the fish’s flakiness, while both has a lovely smoky touch of the grill.
Dad branches out of the pack and goes for linguine lightly dressed in a butter garlic sauce with sauteed clam in shell ($13.95). The gentle chewiness pretty much hits the spot.
About an hour past our usual dinner time and a hopelessly lonely drive through the foggy and mountainous Los Padres National Forest, we reach Santa Clarita, make a few loops and turns to figure out the entrance to the parking lot of La Quinta Inn, and have no strength left to look for a dining exoticus. International House Of Pancakes sounds more appealing than anything else with a big sign visible from the highway.
This time Little Mom turns around and orders a grilled tilapia, the new addition to IHOP menu. Understandably, it’s just alright. They don’t claim to be an IHOF anyway.
But she does get overwhelmed by the amount of food, including two crumbly buttery pieces of toasts and a cheesy potato soup, which Dad has to finish instead of his giant big steak omelette.
The other man in the quartet takes off more healthily on an International Crepe Passport with fresh fruit crepe, two bacon strips, two sausages, and two fried eggs…
… while the usual meat-eater now opts for a vegetarian plate: four Swedish crepes with lingonberries and lingonberry butter. The crepes here are thicker than those at Millbrae Pancake House, and the butter is not as fruity either, but what counts at that hour is how it satisfies our rumbly tumbly. And it does. All 4 orders for $36.72 and 20 minutes wait.
Address: Salinas Valley Fish House
172 Main Street
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 775-0175
IHOP
24737 Pico Canyon Rd.
Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
(661) 254-1537
Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your post seem to be running off the screen in Chrome. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The design and style look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved soon. Kudos
1of course like your web-site however you need to take a look at the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very troublesome to tell the reality however I will definitely come back again.
2I truly value your work, Great post.
3I simply couldn’t leave your site prior to suggesting that I really loved the usual information an individual provide in your visitors? Is gonna be again often in order to investigate cross-check new posts
4Rattling informative and wonderful structure of subject matter, now that’s user genial (:.
5I truly value your piece of work, Great post.
6Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more popular because you definitely have the gift.
7Hello.This article was really fascinating, especially since I was searching for thoughts on this subject last Thursday.
8you are actually a excellent webmaster. The web site loading speed is incredible. It seems that you’re doing any distinctive trick. Also, The contents are masterwork. you’ve done a great task on this subject!
9I have been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this site. Thank you, I will try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your website?
10Hello there, just changed into alert to your blog thru Google, and found that it is truly informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I will appreciate should you continue this in future. Many other people might be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
11hey there and thanks to your info – I’ve certainly picked up something new from proper here. I did on the other hand expertise several technical points the use of this site, as I experienced to reload the web site lots of occasions previous to I may just get it to load correctly. I had been pondering in case your hosting is OK? No longer that I am complaining, however slow loading cases times will sometimes have an effect on your placement in google and can harm your high quality ranking if advertising and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for a lot more of your respective interesting content. Ensure that you replace this again very soon..
12Those are yours alright! . We at least need to get these people stealing images to start blogging! They probably just did a image search and grabbed them. They look good though!
13Dead pent articles, thank you for selective information. “You can do very little with faith, but you can do nothing without it.” by Samuel Butler.
14Fantastic blog! Do you have any recommendations for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you propose starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m totally overwhelmed .. Any suggestions? Thank you!
15I like what you guys are up too. Such clever work and reporting! Carry on the excellent works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it will improve the value of my web site 🙂
16Usually I don’t learn post on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very compelled me to try and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thanks, quite nice post.
17This actually answered my problem, thanks!
18Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You clearly know what youre talking about, why waste your intelligence on just posting videos to your site when you could be giving us something informative to read?
19Good blog! I truly love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I am wondering how I could be notified whenever a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your RSS feed which must do the trick! Have a great day!
20I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thank you, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your website?
21I am glad to be one of the visitors on this outstanding website (:, thankyou for putting up.
22I just could not depart your website before suggesting that I actually enjoyed the standard info a person provide for your visitors? Is gonna be back often in order to check up on new posts
23Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a entirely different topic but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Excellent choice of colors!
24Great post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed! Extremely useful info specially the final phase 🙂 I maintain such information much. I was seeking this certain info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.
25Somebody necessarily lend a hand to make significantly posts I might state. This is the very first time I frequented your website page and up to now? I amazed with the analysis you made to create this actual put up extraordinary. Wonderful job!
26Throughout this grand design of things you actually secure an A with regard to hard work. Where you actually misplaced me personally was first in the facts. You know, it is said, the devil is in the details… And that couldn’t be much more accurate here. Having said that, permit me inform you what exactly did do the job. The writing is definitely rather convincing and this is most likely the reason why I am making the effort in order to comment. I do not really make it a regular habit of doing that. Next, despite the fact that I can see a leaps in logic you come up with, I am not necessarily confident of exactly how you appear to unite the details which in turn produce your conclusion. For now I shall subscribe to your point however trust in the future you actually link the dots better.
27I like what you guys tend to be up too. Such clever work and coverage! Keep up the great works guys I’ve you guys to my personal blogroll.
28Im not sure where you are getting your info, however great topic. I needs to spend a while studying much more or understanding more. Thank you for excellent info I was in search of this info for my mission.
29Thanks , I’ve just been searching for info about this topic for ages and yours is the best I’ve discovered till now. But, what about the bottom line? Are you sure about the source?
30Howdy very nice web site!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your blog and take the feeds additionallyKI’m satisfied to search out a lot of helpful info here in the put up, we want develop more strategies in this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
31Good blog! I really love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified when a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your RSS which must do the trick! Have a great day!
32You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
33Good info. Lucky me I reach on your website by accident, I bookmarked it.
34Good day! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be ok. I’m undoubtedly enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
35Sweet web site, super style and design, very clean and use friendly.
36excellent points altogether, you just gained a brand new reader. What could you recommend in regards to your submit that you simply made a few days ago? Any sure?
37You could definitely see your skills in the work you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always go after your heart.
38you are really a good webmaster. The site loading velocity is amazing. It kind of feels that you are doing any distinctive trick. Also, The contents are masterwork. you have done a wonderful task in this matter!
39I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.
40obviously like your website however you need to test the spelling on several of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very bothersome to inform the reality nevertheless I’ll certainly come back again.
41I’m impressed, I must say. Actually rarely do I encounter a weblog that’s each educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you’ve gotten hit the nail on the head. Your idea is outstanding; the issue is something that not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I am very completely satisfied that I stumbled across this in my seek for something regarding this.
42Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You clearly know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your site when you could be giving us something enlightening to read?
43hey there and thank you for your info – I have definitely picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise several technical issues using this web site, as I experienced to reload the web site a lot of times previous to I could get it to load properly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and can damage your high quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my email and could look out for much more of your respective exciting content. Ensure that you update this again soon..
44Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more popular because you definitely have the gift.
45I am not certain where you are getting your information, but great topic. I needs to spend some time studying more or figuring out more. Thank you for magnificent information I was looking for this info for my mission.
46Great goods from you, man. I’ve be mindful your stuff previous to and you are just too wonderful. I actually like what you’ve obtained right here, really like what you are saying and the way in which through which you say it. You are making it entertaining and you continue to take care of to stay it sensible. I cant wait to learn much more from you. This is really a great site.
47As soon as I detected this internet site I went on reddit to share some of the love with them.
48I’ve been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thanks, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your site?
49This design is wicked! You obviously know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Wonderful job. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!
50