eating: the great american pastime

we did a whole lotta eatin' during our week of fishing up north.  it's the best part of traveling, isn't it?  i love trying out new places when we go on vacay.

our first night in bishop yielded a texas-style BBQ joint.  i love me some brisket.

in carson city, FIL brought us to red's 395 old grill.  i think they're probably best known for big ass burgers, but i wasn't feeling it.  instead, i ordered this crazy sandwich that featured turkey-wrapped asparagus spears.  yup.

the hub went all in and ordered this monstrosity called the "thunder humper" - a big ass burger smothered in homemade chili.  damn.

at truckee's blue coyote bar & grill, we devoured this ridiculously large plate of nachos.  but hey - there were six of us splitting this thing.

downtown truckee offers a handful of sweet shops.  but this one was actually open when we wanted a little treat, so they win.

breakfast for me, the bean, and MIL was at wagon train coffee shop, full of truckee photos and memorabilia.  i love old holes in the wall like this, where the same family has run it for over 50 years and their hours are something like "5am till we get tired."

they served us freshly baked biscuits topped with "sweet sauce," a honey-like drizzle of deliciousness.

when i couldn't find anything to buy in any of the shops in the area, i settled for a mint chip shake.  ice cream always fits.

bar of america, across the street from the historic truckee hotel, was quite the little sleeper.  from the outside, it just looked like your basic run-of-the-mill bar and grill.  but inside it was all polished wood and white tablecloths.  this was definitely our one fine dining experience of the trip.  and to celebrate, i actually ordered an adult beverage (the truckee 76).  or two (ginger fizz).

let's just say i was pretty happy as i dug into my super delicious ribeye steak.

and of course, there was room for dessert.  the hub opted for their fresh blueberry crumble something-or-other.  come on - it was fruity.  as if i was going to remember exactly what that was.

i went with the old standby - creme brûlée.

our last breakfast in truckee was at squeeze in, a tiny diner that's been featured on the food network.  and no wonder - the options for omelets was damn near endless, with some pretty crazy combinations on the menu.

i went with the "dirty dick," but as i sat there with the ILs and the hub's grandpa, i was too mortified to order it by name.  luckily, they number the omelets, so i chickened out and asked for a #28.  it came with a choice of several sauces, and while i really liked my mushroom sauce, i had to admit that the hub was right - it tasted like a can of campbell's cream of mushroom soup.  whatever, it was yummy.

the bean was super stoked when her hot chocolate arrived with a tall swirl of whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles.

MIL even ordered a side of the chocolate-covered bacon, much to the disgust of the men at the table.  psh - more for us!

before we left, the bean left her mark on the joint - like hundreds before her.

i don't even remember what we ate while we were in mammoth.  that's not such a ringing endorsement, is it?  but i do remember very vividly how ill i felt up there.  i'd never been affected by high altitudes before, but from the moment we checked into our room at mammoth mountain inn i knew something was up.  i couldn't breathe, my head ached, and my poor tummy was just unsettled.

knowing all that, you'd think i'd have skipped my workout for a day, wouldn't you?  uh, no.  because i'm a glutton for punishment (and probably i was thinking that chocolate-covered bacon wasn't the greatest of ideas), i hopped onto the treadmill in the fitness center the next morning.  hey, it was a really nice hotel gym and the equipment was super high-tech.  plus, i'd had a great treadmill run a couple of days before that and was feeling pretty good.

and then i wasn't.  i was about 12 minutes into my run when i felt myself getting seriously light-headed.  like, i thought i was gonna pass out right there, face down on the treadmill, with MIL jogging happily and effortlessly next to me.  i managed to shut the thing off, step down, and without a single concern for what may have trod upon the carpet before me sprawled right out on the floor.  i was sweating like mad (nothing new, really, but it felt excessive), my heart was pounding outta my chest, and all i could do was hope and pray i wouldn't barf or faint.

i didn't, of course, and after a few minutes i felt good enough to get up and hop on the bike.  haha, i sure did.  i got my half hour of cardio in, and yes, i am an idiot.

on our way home one of our final pitstops was at this tiny ice cream shop near mono lake.  the bean had to pee, we needed to stretch our legs, and despite the unfortunate name of the place we all enjoyed an icy sweet treat in the blazing afternoon heat.

what can i say, i'm a sucker for a salted caramel milkshake.

or - say it with me - i'm just a sucker.  i like food!