Cee-dee's Big Adventure: Hadley's

So stop number two was the Cabazon Outlets, which I went to right after the Wheel Inn. Stop number three was Hadley's Fruit Orchards. For the uninformed, Hadley's is known for it's date and banana-date shakes. I know, it doesn't sound tasty at all, but it is! My b-d shake was the perfect recovery drink after shopping in the desert, and the perfect fuel for moving on to my next Big Adventure: the Wigwam Motel. Stay tuned...

Click here to go to Hadley's Web site.

Cee-dee's Big Adventure: Wheel Inn

So how did two days off turn into a Big Adventure? Let me tell you! Since I started my new job, I've been working with split days off. (This was my idea to accommodate my training schedule for the upcoming LA Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon.) But this week, I got a bonus day off, meaning I got two days off together. The Big Adventure started out as a trip to the LA County Fair. Then it grew into the Fair and the Wigwam Motel. Then it grew into the Fair, the Wigwam, and Cabazon for the Wheel Inn Restaurant and Hadley's. The outlets and Claremont were bonuses. But, before I get ahead of myself, let's go back to where the adventure began: the Wheel Inn.

Me, Dinny the Dinosaur and Mr. Rex go way back. I knew these boys even before I met them, having been introduced through "Pee-wee's Big Adventure." To this day, the dinos stand tall at the Wheel Inn, where Large Marge dropped Pee-wee off in the movie. You can still visit the gift shop inside Dinny's belly, just like old times. Since my last visit, the Wheel Inn has expanded to include the Cabazon Dinosaurs and Museum with animatronic dinos. I was on a Big Adventure and looking for cheeze, so I had to see the "World's Biggest Dinosaurs." Spoiler alert: the Museum has a blatant creationist stance, and, in some dioramas, dinos mix and mingle with tigers and lions. That said, the coolest part of paying the $6.95 admission is that you can climb the stairs inside Mr. Rex "at your own risk," all the way up to his mouth! That's the trade-off for the big slice of propaganda.

As a side bar, the grilled chile cheeseburger at the restaurant was just the cheese I needed to continue the Big Adventure!

Shockingly, the Wheel Inn doesn't seem to have a Web site. Their address is 50900 Seminole Drive in Cabazon, and the phone is (951) 849-7012. You really can't miss 'em off the 10!

Bamboo Cuisine

I was going to lunch with my new work BFF. New in the sense that I've just started this job, but he and I worked together years ago at another gig and it has been great fun reconnecting! The "where to eat" conversation went something like this: Me: "What do you have a taste for?" BFF: "There's Italian, the healthy place, or there's Chinese..." and then again "and, there's Chinese..." until I finally got it that we should get Chinese.

What a fine recommendation it was: Bamboo Cuisine on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. Parking in the back was the first score. The second was seeing the Dry Sauteed String Beans on someone else's table and knowing that they would be at my table tout de suite. They were awesome, and, served up with the hot and sour soup and crispy salad with the kick-y vinaigrette as part of the special, lunch was about $10.

My fortune cookie should've said: "Just listen to BFF next time so you'll get to eat sooner!"

Click here to go to Bamboo's Web site.

Great Harvest Bread Co.

It's International Bacon Day, so I felt obligated to celebrate with the rest of the world the wonders of cured and fried pork strips. I've been meaning to try the new Great Harvest Bread Co. in South Pasadena after several pleasing experiences at the Great Harvest in Thousand Oaks. To my antici(say it!)pation and delight, my local shop has a BLT panini on the menu.

Here you see the grill marks toasting the Dakota bread with the pepita seeds and hearty grains. Almost a healthy sandwich, I could tell myself! Especially since there's garlic and herb spread instead of artery-clogging mayo. With six strips of bacon and good tomatoes and lettuce, this was a fab way to celebrate the international holiday.

What food are we celebrating next?!

Click here to go to Great Harvest's Web site.

"Caveman" at the Tar Pits

Last summer, I went to several screenings of the "B-Movies and Bad Science" films at the Natural History Museum. This year, they showed all the flicks outdoors. I blew them all off until last night's "Caveman," shown on the lawn at the La Brea Tar Pits, for my flashback drive-in experience.

In my youth, I lucked out. My Dad was a theater projectionist, which meant I got to go to the movie palaces (across the river in Louisville), as well as the drive-ins, on a regular basis. If I wanted to, I could sit inside the booth, away from the crowds in my personal screening room, or I could hang with the masses. I would have definitely watched "Caveman" multiple times during the summer of 1981, as it starred Dennis Quaid. Dennis was one of the stars of "Breaking Away," the 1979 film about four high school graduates trying to figure out what they were going to do with their lives. It was set in Bloomington, Indiana, a college town about 100 miles north of my smaller town. I still regularly watch "Breaking Away," just to keep it real. Hopefully, one of these days I'll figure out what I want to do when I grow up!

It was great fun to watch a cheezy movie with lots of other folks, while surrounded by gurgles of tar seeps. What movie would you like to see in a unique setting? Do tell!

Taco Station

From the train station to the Taco Station! I spotted this taco stand with the gas pumps while taking care of business at the Employment Development Department on Green Street in Pasadena.

Serving taco truck-style tacos at a permanent spot, this place is quite a hoot! Although it looks like an old-time service station - the kitchen would've been the garage - it is actually a fabricated site used as a film location. Who cares?! This is Los Angeles, afterall, and it's still fun!

I ordered two basics and one whim: carne asada, pollo (you know these as steak and chicken if you've ever been to a Taco Bell) and nopales. That's cactus, and it's the one in the lower right. All were very tasty, and I didn't have to chase after a truck!

Taco Station does not currently have a Web site. The street address is 1265 E. Green Street in Pasadena. Phone is (626) 795-1224.

La Grande Orange Café

La Grande Orange (LGO) Café in Old Town Pasadena has their own spin on the "plus one" perk of being on a guest list. On Mondays and Tuesdays, they have a fantastic dinner offer of buy one entree, get the second for $5. Sweet!

As person number two of the deal, here you see my $5 meal: Dixie Pan-Fried Chicken. The description said "crispy chicken with mashed potatoes served warm - picnic style." It was delicious! I've done a lot of picnics in my day, and none were as fancy as this. No gingham napkins here, but the surprise cinnamon roll resting atop the potatoes and green beans definitely made my day.

LGO is located in the 1935 Del Mar train station, now the Gold Line metro stop, and you can imagine the long wooden benches, valises, and passengers filling what is now the dining room. Snap back to reality, and you'll see folks in padded booths with laptops and cell phones, and others patiently waiting for the next available table. It's a fun mental juxtaposition.

Check out their menu, and let me know when you want to be my plus one!

Click here to go to La Grande Orange Café's Web site.