Splash Cafe - Originally Published 2008

Next time you make a run up Pacific Coast Highway, make a stop at the Splash Café in Pismo Beach.  There will be a line.  There always is.  However, it’s worth a little wait.

What makes it so special?  The serve clam chowder in bread bowls.  I know that’s not the most original idea.  But Splash Café does it right.  Their New England style clam chowder has something really unique in the flavor department.  My theory is that it’s addition of carrots that sweeten it up.  However, it could also be that mermaids make it with a touch of love.  I’m not sure, but it’s worth a stop.

The other thing that makes a visit so special is that it’s only a short stroll to the Pismo Beach Pier.  This is a place to relax and breath a lot deeper.  There is more to life than sitting inside with a remote in hand, waiting to go back to work.

Calico Ghost Town - Originally Published July, 2010

People who want to go back and relive their lives are weirdos.  Believe me, they’re out there.  I work with a few of them.  It’s not always an obvious thing, but they’re stuck in a moment from their past and they would do anything to recapture it.

Being a kid again?  The hell with that.  I like being an adult.  Sure, I need to work so I can pay my bills but along with that I get freedom.  Take the Calico Ghost Town near Yermo.  I’m a full-grown adult.  If I feel like pulling off the 15 and taking a look, that’s my business.

Joshua Tree - Originally Published January 2010

First, follow this link and listen to this song.  Did you do it?  Good.  Now you’re in the right frame of mind for Joshua Tree.  Joshua Tree is a national park that can best be described as other-worldly. 

When we first arrived, we sat and watched some of these guys climb with a few thousand dollars worth of equipment from REI.

Then this guy showed up.  All he has is a bag of chalk.  He free climbed that wall with no hesitation.

This park allows the opportunity to break away from the crowds and find some solitude.  It’s hard not to reflect on life when climbing among the boulders in Joshua Tree.

There are some more developed paths in the park.  We found one that cut back to a reservoir and then snaked past some ancient markings.

Be ready for anything.  This is the desert, after all.  We managed to find some snow on our trip.

Alien Fresh Jerky - Originally Published 2010

Are the owners of this place believers in aliens who decided to supplement their income with beef jerky?  Or, are they beef jerky enthusiast who decided to lure some of the believers in?  Either way, in the town of Baker, there is a place called Alien Fresh Jerky.

I think the name pretty much encapsulates what this place is all about.  Lots of jerky and free samples.  However, they also have hot sauce, alien souvenirs, and air conditioning.  It’s worth a stop after a long drive through the desert.

The Mad Greek - Originally Published 2010

If the Mad Greek would have tried to get his business going these days, it probably wouldn’t have happened.  You see, with the number of doctors all too happy to prescribe mood stabilizers, the Mad Greek would be known as the Well Balanced Greek As Long As He Doesn’t Go Off His Meds.

The Well Balanced Greek would have never had the vision to open a Mediterranean restaurant in the middle of the California desert.  He would have done something considerably more conservative, like work for the city as an accountant. Something steady where he would have a pension, a dental plan, and a few weeks of vacation.  Sure, he might be boring but at least he wouldn’t be prone to flights of fancy.

But apparently, modern psychiatry hasn’t yet got a hold of our Mad Greek.  Instead, he resides in the town of Baker and serves up all kinds of Mediterranean eats.  I’m sure that at times, his toaster talks to him, but he also makes one of the richest, densest milkshakes I have ever had.