redd granite

Gordy's Prairie Pub, Kenosha Wisconsin

Years ago the television show Cheers brought us laughter and antics surrounding a cast of characters that frequented a local bar in Boston. For most of us, that was just good Hollywood writing and a world many do not know, especially if you live in the south. But as is the case with most art, it captures the world around it.  The inspiration for Cheers seemingly came from the Boston bar on Charles Street of the same name, or it could have come literally from the thousands of establishments littering the northern states.  I have been to Cheers in Boston. It is small, and it is full of tourists.  But just go to anyone of the largely family owned corner bars across the ex-industrial northern U.S. You will find a cast of characters on any given night. You will find that each bar has it’s own unique personality that drives the clientele. Generally speaking, drinks are cheap, at least from the standards of what we in the south are used to paying where drinking largely comes from restaurant bars and/or meat markets.

These bars, as well, being mostly family owned, are far from the corporate greed and mentality that drives most of the alcohol consumption in the south.  Truly, if you look around at the hundreds of offerings in this city of 100K people that is pictured above, you cannot imagine these bar owners clearing much more than $25-30K a year after expenses. The above pictured bar, Gordy’s Prairie Pub offers nothing spectacular. It is about 500 square feet in retail space, has a single pool table, juke box, and well, that’s it. Now this particular bar staffs the bar  with bartenders that are  vibrant looking women.  Kind of a Hooter’s for the corner bar.

This is never a bad thing for business, and this likely drives the owners bottom line. Like most bars, it is filled with regular patrons.  Most of the older patrons spend their money, drink the entire evening, and await the good bye hug from one of the young bartenders. But on this journey, they have probably dropped $20-30 on the drink of their choice (and at these inexpensive drink prices, that is a lot of drinks) , got lit along the way, and stayed long enough to risk the drive back (Wisconsin blood alcohol level has just been ratcheted down to .08).

The operation is sparse. Even though Gordy’s, like most corner bars up here offer food, the sole bartender must prepare the bar while still tending to slinging the drinks. Much of it is pre-prepped food offerings.  The usually  half in the bag customers rarely know the difference, but if a bar does not offer food, it is less likely to be as popular.  Truly, one way to be able to drink over longer periods of time is to have food available to sop up the alcohol.

In many of these family run bars, the owners themselves are the largest customers. Other bars I have been to locally here have the owners either working the bar, or close by, throwing back a bevy of drinks to last them the entire night. Well, I guess it is a cost of doing business.

Personalities at these establishments vary from the truly funny to the morose. But in the end, everyone has a story to tell, a place they have been, and ex-wife that drives them bat shit crazy (still), a amazing event or fish story, or just overall conversation on how the family is and what kind of trouble junior as gotten himself into.  It is truly refreshing to be in an environment like this.  Now once in a while, the massive alchol takes over and disagreements pop up, but that is just part of the roadmap. Hell, go to any homeboy club and count the fights…..these folks have thier shit together comparatively.

In the end, it is understandable the attraction to these places in a northern city such as this. On this night where the pic was snapped, it was 26 degrees out. You are either inside drinking cognac in front of your fireplace, bowling, or here.  I choose here.

If you ever get a chance to visit a northern city (by this I mean far above the Mason-Dixon line for you southern jerks who do not know the difference), visit a local bar.  Northerners are not that friendly on the street as southerners are. But walk into a place like this with even a semi-friendly face, and you will be greeted, talked with, and find yourself pouring out your life stories as much as the drinks are being poured into your glass. Enjoy.

Peace

Tony Di’Marie’s BBQ in Waco Texas is the business I would love to operate when I grow up. Further explanation is required.  This is a BBQ joint in NE Waco that has operated as a family business since the mid 40′s.  Like the other BBQ  joint reviewed on this site a while back (Jasper’s), this BBQ joint shares a long history of family operation. It is one of those businesses that would never make it, especially  in this neighborhood, if you were just starting out.  Its long standing establishmnet has it firmly entrenched in this not so well to do part of town. Now the reason I want to have a business like this when I grow up is its simplicity.  It sells meat.  Meat and more meat. It started as a grocery store.  Today you can still see remenants of this with a simplistic meat counter where you can buy a variety of meats for BBQ and other.  But the BBQ, well, it is very simplistic. Brisket, and links,and the standard fare. But what everyone buys here is brisket.   When it comes to sides, the website (above) shows beans and slaw, but I sure did not see any when I was in. I saw chips and such for sides. As is the seeming tradition of BBQ joints this side of town, the meat is served on butcher paper. It is served with white bread (however much you desire), and a “gravy” which is the meat drippings as it has been slow cooked. With its simplicity, the menu is limited. Better order Brisket. The result is a well prepared brisket, cut in slices and served on your butcher paper.

I Stole This From Their Website,,,I Am Sure They Do Not Mind

The brisket had a nice smoke ring to it, and the taste matched.  This was a brisket so well done that you really do it injustice by putting sauce on it.  But the sauce was a tangy vinegar tasting thin concoction that went well enough with the meat, but again, the brisket did not need this.  Nor would you want to mix the fine brisket with the bread and gravy.  Make sure you keep the two separate in your indulgence. The brisket was very tender, and a mid level cut of meat, meaning, it had a bit of marbling and fat.  One small part of the brisket was set aside because of the fat. That was, however, the only drawback that I witness on this midday visit. The gravy comes with the order. They ask how may slices of white bread you wish upon order, but fear not, there is a person working the room serving additional slices of bread.  As with the other BBQ joint nearby, be aware, the gravy and bread make this a very rich, artery clogging meal.  You will feel stuffed and somewhat nauseous if you are not used to eating such fare. Its OK.  Nut up, its worth it.

The ambiance is sparse.  If you are shy, you may be a bit uncomfortable as the tables are all long family style seating.  So at busy lunch time, you have to work your way in to get a seat, likely next to some construction worker who is probably a really nice guy, but looks like he can kick your ass sideways.  Di’Marie’s is only open at lunch, and, when they sell out, they sell out. They place a sign in the window that indicates such.  So for you late lunchers, there is a slight chance you can show up and be turned away.

Again, what a simple and great concept.  Operating a restaurant takes long hours and dedication.  They way this family owned operation is, they cheat the system and apparently make a good living doing so

Ed. Note:  This post come from a member of the family who has primary care responsibilities caring for and elderly mother. This is a personal account of the sheer investment of time required.  In the end, and depending upon the person you care for, the job can be daunting and thankless…..and it is difficult to get on with life overall.  The U.S. has less than stellar care for the elderly. Many of you could be faced with a similar fate.  This is written in stream of mind personal approach. It is more of a release than a an attempt to craft a story.  You will get the point by reading the account.

Cold Cold Wisconsin

There is no retirement here……

Seems Low Budget Review Guy got off his duff and took a vacation.  Always some interesting tidbits for those of you looking to learn about different areas of the country

Part I

For our annual trip to Las Vegas this year, my wife and I decided to take a few extra days off and visit some National Parks I had never been to.  So flying into Vegas, we rented a car and off we drove to St George, Utah.  This town of roughly 65,000 is approx 2 hrs drive due north on I-15.  We had decided to make that our base of operations for the first few days.   Checking into our Hampton Inn, we got some very helpful suggestions from the desk staff.  I am a fan of Hampton Inns, big rooms, fair price, free hot breakfast every mornings, usually a pool and Jacuzzi.  Not for the Low Budget Traveler, but a good value.  Even though it was after 2 pm, we decided to drive up to Zion Natl Park from St George.  It is a scenic 45 min drive through towns such as Hurricane ( In Hurricane Valley—really? what is the origin of THAT name in south Utah?) and Springdale.  Both of those cities were larger than I had realized and both offered what would have been very acceptable lodgings, and much closer to the Natl Parks.  If we go back again, we will stay in one of those vs. St George.

Zion Natl Park was nothing like I had imagined.  It is a deep river valley surrounded by towering cliffs of red, white, buff colored rock formations.  I am not a geologist, although I know a few very well, but I will not attempt to talk about the age of the rocks, the type of formations—the science of it.  From a esthetic viewpoint, though,  it was breathtaking and the whole valley gave off a Zen vibe of cosmic one-ness with the universe.  The name Zion is derived from a Hebrew word meaning something close to “sanctuary”, and indeed it felt as such.

The river itself is mostly shallow and less than 20-30 feet wide in most places.  While  appearing calm and peaceful, during spring run-off and flash-flood rainstorms it becomes a raging animal ripping huge boulders and large trees out of the ground and carrying them downstream.

To control traffic and pollution, visitors are required to park in one of several places and ride free park-owned shuttle buses up to the end of the canyon and back.  There are about 13 total bus stops where people can get one, get off, hike a trail or hang out, and wait for the next bus which will arrive in about 10 minutes.  The bus sound system will talk about the next stop, what to expect, which hiking trailheads are there, etc, so it was educational as well.  To go up and back to all stops, takes about 80 minutes if you stay on the bus through each stop.  We got out at a few to take pictures and just enjoy the sights.  Even though it was only about 3-4 pm, the steep cliffs were already in shadow on the west side of the canyon, while the east side was brightly lit with the sun.  It is a landscape where one could spend all day at one place and take the same picture two dozen times and get two dozen different views because of the angle and intensity of the light.  It would be a painter or pro photographer’s heaven.   The next day we came back to hike two different trails, one, the Riverside Trail  was about two miles roundtrip.  Our hike ended at the river, where we turned back.  A mile or so upstream, after wading the river, the canyon narrows to places where the opposite walls of the canyons can be touched by extending out both arms—very narrow, very cool.  We were not prepared for getting soaked, so we turned back and later took another trail with more elevation climb to the lower Emerald Pool. That hike, a little over a mile round trip, had more elevation change but was worth the effort.    Zion is an amazing place.  By then it was almost 2 pm and we decided to drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, as I had been to the South Rim, but not the North.  This was a 2 and a half hour drive, the first 30+ minutes were driving up a steep, twisty, switchback road out of Zion.  For a person with high anxiety, such as myself, this was very nerve racking.  Driving southeast to the Canyon, we drove through the Kaibab Plateau, a beautiful high-country forest with pines and Aspen trees.  The aspens were mostly bare, having lost their incredible golden leaves a few weeks before.  There were a few stands still magnificently shining like electric gold, including one stand near the South Rim Visitor Center.   The Visitor Center was closed for the season, but no worries, we just walked a couple of trails along the rim, just an hour before sunset.  The North Rim is very different than the South, being higher, the nearby rock formations have more vegetation, more greenery. Still awe-inspiring when one thinks of the time represented by all those formations.  While my spouse went further out to a point on one trail, I wisely just stayed put.  Beautiful yes, scary for people who don’t handle heights well, very much yes.

The next day we drove to Bryce Canyon Natl Park. Due to some road closures due to rockslides, the trip took almost two hours going a longer way.  Worth the effort?  Oh yeah.  The rock formations, mostly caused by freezing/thawing carved fantastic towers, windows, columns with hard rock capstones on them—what are called Hoodoos.  The Park itself is not that large but the elevation rises to well over 9000 feet.  The temps were chilly but not cold. After the brutal Texas summer, it felt great.  We had light jackets and baseball hats and were quite comfortable.    With approximately 13 scenic viewing stops, it took us several hours to get a hike in, listen to a Ranger talk about the geology, and take  a gazillion pictures.  Wildlife seen in Zion, North Rim and Bryce included numerous deer, gray rock squirrels, chipmunks, fat Ravens, and a Mountain Jay (think Blue jay on massive steroids and a dark blue—very cool).

This was a great 3 days for me, as I had never been to these great western icons before.  If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Zion, I would go back there again in a heartbeat.  Being October, crowds were small,  mostly retirees or foreign tourists, and some Utah folks.   All 3 Parks are well worth the time to visit.

End Part I—

Part II—Viva Las Vegas!

Las Vegas has an incredible amount of choices for fine dining. Gone are are the $3.99 surf and turf buffets where you consumed rubber on the cheap. With the annual trip out, I decided to embibe in one of the truly high end steak houses in Las Vegas. CUT Steakhouse is in the Palazzio Hotel and Casino. It is truly on the high end of steak houses, at least price wise, in Las Vegas. This is one of the many Wolfgang Puck restaurants in Las Vegas. I believe this means very little, as he has just become a branding instrument for the marketing machine. That said, truly, most of the restaurants branded with his name are usually very good.

CUT Steakhouse is an interesting offering. The owners spared no small detail to make this a swank surrounding for you to drop your average of $150 per head. You know it is impressive when credits are given to the design house for the restaurant on the menu. It is truly impressive. I love the ambiance of this establishment.  But did the steak live up to the billing?

In the end, you first must understand the CUT approach.  This is a steak house. The menu is very limited, limited to steak, more steak, and then some. There are three other menu offerings that are not steak.  So clearly, they separate themselves from the typical high end steak joint (think Morton’s, Capital Grille, Ruth Cris’) as they do not serve a bevy of fish plates or lessor plates for those who are too cheap to really be in such a establishment (think chicken offerings).  Enough thinking. The first thing they will try to sell you is their Waygu offerings.  The lower end, with a paltry price of $84 for a 6 ounce filet comes from Idaho and grass fed cows. And I thought the cows in Brehnem, Texas were happy making Blue Bell.  Silly me. For $30 more per ounce, you could up that order, for you behemoth Buffalos out there,  Also on the bill was Australian Waygu, for a mere $150 for 8 oz. Now, for you confused readers, Waygu is close to Kobe beef. Those who have ordered this at this restaurant generally love it.  The steak is supposedly like butter. I opted for the 16 oz. bone in filet.  A bargain at a mere $68.

Now for you readers out there, please note:  I am a high end steak house junkie.  Most of the $$ I have spent in these establishments were on expense account, granted, but I still go on my own nickel as well, as we did tonight. CUT prepares their steaks a bit different than most high ends. They grill the steak over charcoal and wood (type of wood, undetermined), then finish the steak in the broiler at 1200 degrees. Interesting approach.  Ordered medium rare, my steak came out medium rare plus….I guess no big surprise since those of you who are experts at cooking steaks realize that the steak still cooks after you have removed from the heat. CUT claims they let every steak sit for 10 minutes after the 1200 degree scorching. Bottom line, you have to plan carefully. My steak came out rather dry. Slightly overcooked according to order, as mentioned before, it was only reasonable in texture in taste. My companion had similar issues.  Medium rare, in her case, was more medium and dry as well. All in all, the cut of meat (dry aged for 21 days) was OK, but not prepared to the expectations I would expect from a steakhouse such as this. The cut of meat equaled that from a Captial Grille or Morton’s, it just cost 30% more. And, if I were a betting man, Allen Brothers out of Illinois is their distributor, just as it is for Morton’s and many others. The extra 30% clearly is not justified.

For sides, we ordered the Brussel Sprouts with bacon, and the Macaroni and Cheese.  The Sprouts were disappointing as well, dry and  and fairly tasteless.  The M&C was very good.  I felt compelled to finish it. So overall, the meal, which cost us roughly $140 for the two of us, including the sides….was fairly disappointing. I have had great experiences at high end steak houses that charge 30% less much more regularly.

We ordered a bottle of wine with dinner. The wine service was exquisite, as was the wine.  The wine list is rather limited, but truly offer selections you do not see in most restaurants.  Ours was a bottle from Italy, the D’Alba region, for $99/bottle. It was worth every penny. Speaking of service, this is where this restaurant shines. They have a bevy of personnel attending to your needs. While intimidating at first regarding the ambiance of the establishment, you end up feeling more comfortable as you hear rock music piped in, I mean, I am talking trailer trash rock like White Stripes. Go figure.  So do not be intimidated.  They will be happy to take your money, jeans and all. I also order a martini (Belvedere call…see vodkafacts.com  for review) which was pricey, but expected at $14.

I do not think CUT is a bad place, but I believe they likely shine on the high revenue items, such as the Waygu beef.  Read most reviews on Yelp,Open Table and others that cater to restaurant reviews,  and people have orgasms over the Waygu.  In fairness, I cannot comment on that.  They do the Morton’s like presentation for the Waygu at the beginning….not a hard push, but a sales pitch none the less….but in the end, I just cannot recommend CUT if you are not a Waygu spending person.  For a regular great filet in Las Vegas, try instead Vic and Anthony’s downtown in the Golden Nugget, or Capital Grille in Fashion Mall, or Rosemary’s (off the strip at about 8500 Sahara, and do not let the restaurant fascade fool you), or Delmonico’s in the basement of the Venetian….you will be much more satisfied forking out 30% less for a great steak……..peace

Deep Eddy Vodka, distilled in Austin, Texas is yet another product that comes from the ever growing field of micro distilleries that figure out how to out in place some kind of marketing scheme to grow to at least a regional following.  Deep Eddy Vodka does much of the same. In this case, the Deep Eddy Vodka rides the wave that is Austin Texas self pretentiousness (do not worry Austin, I still love you and the area, but you’ll are very hung up on everything Austin), more specifically the unofficial sound bite of the area:  ”Deep Austin Weird”.

Deep Eddy Vodka and Austin Weird

Deep Eddy Vodka succeeds on several levels, but overall I was not that impressed.  Its presentation in the glass comes across crisp and clean.  A good start.  First jump into the vodka, however, the taste leaps onto the tongue quickly with an overly grainy taste mixed with that aggressive chemical tastes that all vodkas have. It smooths out a bit in the middle of the swirl, and then with a brief return of the harshness, it then falls off in taste as if you have worn out the sugar taste in your chewing gum. With a flat finish, you never completely gather the character of this vodka. Again, all of our tests are with straight, unflavored vodka unless we indicate so on the review title.  Deep Eddy Vodka seems to have a bit more potency in its taste, although this can easily be confused with the chemical burn in this vodka.

Given this vodka is from Austin, it is not surprising that they have a twist that satisfies the Austin attitude.  They advertise the vodka as being gluten free.  Not sure this does anything for the taste good or bad, and, well, I am not from Austin, so maybe one of those folks would have to tell me what the true advantage of a gluten free vodka is……I suspect there is not any and this is just a marketing gimmick. They also advertise it is distilled 10 times.  OK. Whatever.

This vodka is priced in the lower line of vodkas.  averaging around 17.99 for a 750 ml bottle. A mixer, Deep Eddy Vodka shines a little better.  It is a good mix with the energy drink of your choice, and certainly the pricing above lends itself better to this approach.  Deep Eddy Vodka also has other flavors. The sweet tea vodka is quite popular locally

On a scale of 10, I give Deep Eddy a 6. Pricing and mixing personality drive this rating a bit north.  Overall, I was just not impressed straight.

Ah the BBQ road continues.  Today brings us to Jaspers, in Waco Texas.  There are a few do’s and don’ts for Jasper’s.  Do tell them that this is your first time to Jasper’s.  Do let them recommend the fare you are about to take.  Do get the bowl of ‘gravy’ when they ask if you want it. (it is a $.50 side item, but included with plates). Here are a few don’ts:  Do not refuse to take multiple pieces of bread.They will simply laugh at you when you say you want one  piece and you have accepted their offer for gravy included in your meal. Do not think about your diet, you can always resume tomorrow. And lastly, do not worry about your health, if you stroke out, well, you went happily.

Jasper's in the Old Days

Quite frankly, this is one of the best BBQ  joints we have reviewed on Redd…..first, let me explain that Jasper’s BBQ is in East?, North?, Northeast?, I cannot get the directional designations in Waco neighborhoods.  Speaking of the neighborhood, Jasper’s is in a rather desolate one. It also happens to be across the street from one of my favorite named businesses in the whole world:  Nappy Roots.  Love it!

The story on Jasper’s is that it started in 1915. They started as a fruit stand and wandered into the restaurant business.  Back then, as in now, they would sell you beef and sausage, serving it on butcher paper.  Today, they continue this tradition even though the current ownership seems far removed from the origins of this BBQ Joint. In fact, I believe they just reopened under new ownership.  I can recall cars outside only for the last several months; but what caught my eye was how many cars during lunch. So I observed. The clientele was mixed between races, worker types, and levels.  A truly good sign. I had to try it. And the new ownership was on site, and quite nice.

Service was friendly and fast.  I followed my own advice above and let them new I was a virgin.  They quickly steered me to the ribs, and the gravy.  Well, as you readers know on this site when we review BBQ, we always get at least the two meat plate with brisket and ribs.  Today was no different. The sides here are limited.

A quick glance on the sides menu also got my curiosity up.  Here they have a side of a loaf of bread for $2.00. Was not sure about that one, but about to find out. That, my friend is for the gravy.  So they take the drippings from the meat they slow cook, and mix it into some recipe that I am sure they are unwilling to share, and have it as a side item.  The bread is for dipping. No wonder they chuckled when I said one piece of bread while accepting gravy. They knew I would be back. This you just have to indulge in. The gravy is so good, not BBQ sauce, but a mother of god liquid that has the smoke flavor of the meat. Please try it with much bread.  If you have to purge later, just go beyond the parking lot please.  No one wants to see that.

The star here were the ribs.  These were meaty and large pork ribs that were cooked to perfection.  They had a beautiful charring on the surface, and underneath, juicy pork meat that had a rich taste of smoke.  Not sure what wood they use here, I assume mesquite, but interestingly and unlike other BBQ joints like this, you do not smell the wood from the street as you pass by.  The smokey flavor had a slightly hint of sweet to it. It was just heavenly.  They were tender fall of the bone great.  The two meat plate had three sizable ribs included. Truly a star.  Please, please, do not put BBQ sauce on the ribs.  It is not like the sauce is bad, quite the contrary.  The ribs are just that good. The brisket, was a little less dynamic.  They state they usually chop the brisket instead of slice.  I asked for mine sliced so I could observe the characteristics.  I did not observe an appreciable smoke ring.  The smokey flavor was hinted, but not in your face dynamic like the ribs.  Truly the clientele enjoyed the chopped brisket, based upon observations of what was ordered, but I was seemingly less impressed.  It was middle of the road brisket in taste, tenderness, and quality. That said, there were alot of orders for a sort of open faced sandwich where the chopped brisket was layered between bread and served on the butcher paper.  Unique. The clientele augmented the open face brisket with the BBQ sauce.  This was a good sauce with modest texture, slightly sweet, but lacking any heavy smoke flavor.  For the brisket, it complimented the meat well.  But for the ribs, as I indicated earlier, please do not use on the ribs, the sauce, while good, cannot live up to the stellar quality taste of the ribs.

The sides are limited to potato salad, slaw, beans, gravy, and deviled eggs which I did not order but wished I had. Two sides come with the meat plate which you can combo what ever you wish for a super reasonable $6.95  Next time I will have to try the sausage, as it looked good as I coveted other guests plates. The sandwich plates run $3.50-$4.00. For a BBQ joint, which most are grossly over priced, you cannot beat Jasper’s value. Drinks are a little steep to make up for it, so if you are a cheap ass, then order water.

Jasper’s BBQ in Waco Texas is a unique place.  The new ownership apparently tries to keep the old tradition alive.  The butchers paper serving is one of these traditions.  You can still just order the meat and be served on the paper. Jasper’s BBQ Waco is a great place.  Very reasonably priced.  If ever in Waco, give it a shout.  It is right off of I-35.

I give Jasper’s a 8.0 out 10.  If they end up making the brisket the way they do the ribs, you will have perfection

After our 200th post, we seem to take a long vacation.  Trouble is, we stayed home.  Good thing Low Budget Review Guy did not. Read on.

A recent 5 day weekend presented itself and we immediately thought of escaping the brutal Texas summer.  With 40+ days over  100 degrees, ( now well over 50) we longed for cooler climes.  The first idea was Vegas, my favorite vacation spot, but temps there were almost as hot as home. It is August after all.  So we quickly decided on Ruidoso, New Mexico.  Why? Well several reasons, but we had heard great things about it from friends.  The forecast was ideal—mid-80’s during the day and high 50’s at night.  After years of saying, “one day, we are gonna visit”, we said, now is the time.  So grabbing our college-age son and his roommate, we rented a huge car and off we drove, “West, young man, go West”….

Now if you like to drive, this is the trip for you.  Me, I’m not as crazy about it, but , no pain no gain.  The cool, clear mountain air was calling to us.  After zigzagging through the TX Hill Country, we finally met I-10 a few miles outside of Junction.  The bad news—we still had a gazillion miles to go—the good news—the speed limit from there going west is an almost-unheard of 80 MPH.  So, aiming the massive landing-strip of a hood of the Grand Marquis (*good God, how old are you?) toward the horizon, I slapped the cruise-control on 82 and slipped into a mind-numbing stupor, watching the gauge reading the outdoor air temperature climbing higher and higher, and listening to the music in my head, playing “Roadhouse Blues” over and over….about 2 and a half hours later, and well over 230 miles down the road in Fort Stockton we made a quick drive by to waive at Paisano Pete, the World’s Largest Statue of a Roadrunner (Beep-Beep…where’s that damn coyote) we stopped for a sandwich and back in the car.

For those of you who have never been to Texas, or who have spent most of their lives driving I-35,  this is real Texas, the take your breath away, horizon to horizon, miles and miles of miles and miles of Texas.  Dust Devils, 18-wheelers driving slower than you, dry washes, massive wind power turbines waving slowly in the hot air, places called , “Mosquito Lake” and “No Trees”….Texas goes on forever…..we had been in the car for 6 hours and we still hours away from the state border.  To due west was El Paso, about 250 miles away, but now we turned north, towards New Mexico—still several hours away…sigh….Oddly enough, though there were few towns, the traffic was more frequent then one would think.  There are “oil bidness” service trucks and tankers, everywhere.  Lots of Pump Jacks to the left and right of us, drawing that oil  from the ground like a high-school student sucking on a cherry-coke at Dairy Queen….through Pecos, home of the world famous Pecos Cantaloupes, we finally crossed into New Mexico, the ground  rising like the breath of a baby, softly and slowly.

We drew within about 25 miles of Carlsbad Caverns and decided on a side-trip to that National Park.  The last entry to the cavern is 3:30 and we were worried about making the cut-off time, but were saved by the time change—NM is an hour earlier than us.  Taking a poorly marked short-cut that had me almost holding my breath, because we were unsure if it was going to get us lost, we arrived at the world famous caverns.  Wildfires had charred the surrounding desert terrain, almost up to the Visitor Center.  NM is in a drought as well as Texas.  We then took the elevator down 76 stories to the massive Big Room for the 90 min self-guided tour.  I had been there when I was a small child, and had taken my wife and child there almost 10 years ago, but it still is an amazing  place.  A true underworld fantasy-land.  One of those places that most Americans have not seen, but everyone should see.  The temp inside was 68 degrees, but a little humid.

Our leg-stretching break now over, we were back in the car, up through the city of Carlsbad—Note: the highway runs straight through the main street of town.  Main street is under massive construction from one end to the other—it took us almost 45 min to get through the stops, potholes, construction cones—not fun.

On to Roswell, a cool-vibe kinda place—with some interesting sounding restaurants and bars. Driving past the UFO Museum,  it was closed for the day, dang it, that would have been a hoot.  Finally, we turned west again, 70 miles to go.  After driving over a ridge, we found ourselves in a beautiful river valley, green fields and large trees in contrast to the brown hills and grass scrub we had been traveling through.  Passing several small towns filled with cherry orchards, strawberry and raspberry farms we finally arrived in Ruidoso, just after night fall.  It was 78 degrees, and drizzling rain.  Awesome!

Finding our chain motel perched on a mountainside, I just stood in the rain for a few minutes blissfully enjoying the cool air and moisture.  After getting our suitcases unloaded in our large comfortable rooms we went looking for dinner.  Being 9 pm at night in a small resort town, we were not looking for fastfood, but didn’t know what would be open.  On most vacations we try to avoid chain restaurants once we reach our destination, instead opting for local spots.  You may get a clunker or you may find a gem, that’s part of the fun.  However, due to fatigue, we decided on K-Bob’s, a family steak chain, 3 blocks from the hotel.  They were still open and the place was packed with folks in traditional western wear of worn jeans, snap-button shirts,  cowboy hats and boots.  After filling up on very good chicken-fried steak and steak kebabs, we headed back to the hotel to unwind.  The hotel had two separate covered outdoor areas with tables and chairs and we took advantage to sit in the cool, dark, 75 degree temperature and let the long day dissipate.

Sorry, LBR Guy Did Not Take This, I Stole It Off the Web. Hey, Its fucking 107 Degrees In Texas

I am an early riser, so next morning, I was up to see the sun rise over the mountain across the road.  Watching  the swallows and Blue Jays dive around me, I savored the 60 degree weather. What a break from the 100’s we had in Texas.  Letting the college guys sleep, my wife and I made a drive around Ruidoso, to get our bearings and the lay of the land.  The city is about 8000, but there are several cities all but joined at the hip, so the total population of the area is about 21,000.  Traffic was light.

Late morning, we gathered everyone together for a short 20 min drive over the mountains to Bonita Lake, a small mountain lake surrounded by tall, pine tree covered mountains.  This lake was low due to drought conditions, but due to all the rain they had in the past several weeks, the fire danger was “minimal”.  The area around the lake is a nexus of numerous hiking and mountain biking trails.  We stuck to a trail around the lake, going perhaps two-thirds of the way around before heading back keeping an eye on the dark clouds  looming.  This is usual for August in NM, as it is their rainy “Monsoon” season.  Just about every afternoon, rain clouds build up over the mountains, it rains for 30 min or so, then clears off.  Sometimes another batch of rain clouds will follow an hour or so later.  Driving back to Ruidoso in the rain, we discussed various options for lunch.  Once in town, we chose The Lincoln County Grill, more or less at random.  In an old house, the place has a very funky, fun feel.  The staff, and owner were friendly, outgoing and helpful.  Given we were in New Mexico, I just had to try the Blue Cheese with Green Chili pepper Cheeseburger.  With an order of Green Chili cheese fries.  Spicy foods often give me issues, but I was determined to try these and enjoy the best I can, and later take lots of antacid.  The Cheeseburger was delicious, not spicy, but the flavor of the chili peppers mixed beautifully with the beef and Blue Cheese.  The Green Chili Cheese fries were simply addictive.   All of us agreed this place was a true winner.  Lots of options on the menu.  From there we drove a few blocks to the city’s public parking and walked off lunch by browsing the shops in town.  Picked up a few souvenirs before heading back to the hotel and a nap.

   Refreshed after the break we decided to go one of the local Casinos.  “The Inn of The Mountain Gods” is owned by the Apaches and rests on Tribal Reservation land.  Having visited some less than stellar Native American Casinos in the past, I was very pleasantly surprised by “The Inn…” It is large with several hundred rooms, large gaming floor, several nice restaurants, a sports bar, and outside huge picture windows lay a golf course that looked fantastic.  Inside, the complex had numerous striking artworks and sculptures, including a beautiful fountain that looked like a huge hand-made pottery bowl.  We hit the casino buffet for dinner.  It was very good, if unimaginative except for Apache Fry Bread, which everyone agreed was delicious.  After dinner we hit the casino, playing  some slot machines.  The live Blackjack tables (one $5 table, the rest higher) and the craps table were very crowded.  We noticed that there was no free booze being given at the casino.  A roaming beverage cart circled among the slots offering soda, water and coffee, but no booze.  The sports bar didn’t allow booze to leave the bar area.  Interesting.  From there we retired to a very nice bar area, dark wood tables, dark wood bar, overstuffed chairs.  For his birthday, I ordered my son a Vodka Martini, made with Belvedere Vodka.  He is a vodka drinker, but being a poor college age kid, drank only the cheap stuff, so I wanted him to try “real” vodka.  The martini was stout, a little too much so for him. Maybe he wasn’t used to quality.  My wife helped him finish the drink and remarked how smooth it was. She had never tried one before (she drinks VERY little) and liked it.  The rest of us just sat there with our jaws on the floor.  Too strong for us, but the lady was smoothing it down. Hilarious!   Back to the hotel,  and my son and I sat outside in the dark picnic area, enjoying the 75 degrees, drinking a beer and watching a lightning display going on down the valley.  Very cosmic.

   The next day we decided to drive a 90+ mile scenic byway.  Heading down the Hondo Valley about 20 miles, we then turned north to the town of Lincoln.  Lincoln is famous for being the center of the “Lincoln County War” back in the late 1870’s or so.  This is Billy The Kid country, and his famous escape from the Lincoln County Courthouse has been featured in countless movies and TV shows.  Lincoln is small, but has many buildings left from the infamous era, including the courthouse, which is now a museum.  At the time of the Lincoln County War, the President of the United States called Main Street in Lincoln, “the most dangerous street in America”.  The Wild West indeed.  From there we headed to Fort Stanton.  This Fort was established to protect the area settlers from Mescalero Apaches.  It changed hands during the Civil War.  Later it became a hospital for Merchant Marines who were suffering from tuberculosis.    During WW II, it was an internment camp for German sailors who were stranded in the US just before war was declared.  The Fort is in beautiful condition, the many buildings look in great shape, although we only had access to one, where the museum was.  This was a personal visit for us as well as a tourist spot, as a cousin was the Fort Commander  from 1862-1865.  It was a gratifying experience to walk the parade ground and up to his quarters, knowing he had walked these same steps.  From there we journeyed to Capitan, the small town that has its own claim to fame: Smoky Bear.  The real, original Smoky Bear was found as a small cub in the aftermath of a large fire nearby.  The crew chief of the firefighters took Smoky home and his wife and little girl bandaged his wounds, fed him, and watched him grow to be an American Icon.  For children of a particular age, we grew up with the Smoky motto in our heads.  He was taken to the Zoo in Washington DC, where he finally died at age 26 in the early 1970’s.  The Smoky the Bear  Museum and gardens out back include his final resting place, looking at the mountains where he was found.  It was well worth the visit.  Trying to leave Capitan, we were suddenly hit with a large, loud thunderstorm, including small-marble sized hail.  We drove next to a house that had several large trees branching over a street and parked for 15 minutes or so, until the hail was done.  Driving back to Ruidoso in light rain, the view of rolling terrain and large mountains in the background was very soothing.  That night for dinner the restaurant was , “The Cattle Baron”.  The wait was long, but worth it.  Very good Prime Rib, a huge salad bar, with large blocks of cheese, delicious steaks.  The wait staff was very good, if perhaps a little overworked.

Our last day in town was slated for one of the biggest tourist attractions in town: Ruidoso Downs.  This horseracing venue is perhaps best known for the quarter horse races, including The All-American Futurity, in which winners make huge stakes.  Quarter horses  do not run in a circle like the thoroughbred horses do.  These horses generally run a straight-arrow sprint just as fast as they can.  I had never been to the horse track before so it was all new.  We got there a few minutes early, went over my racing guide and placed several $2 bets.  We purchased some reserve seats under cover  and watched these magnificent animals run their hearts out.  These horses are smaller than the big name thoroughbreds, but are extremely competitive.  The races are quick, often photo-finish.  There is about 20 minutes between each race, which enabled me to go cash in my winnings.  That’s right, first time at the track and I won small amounts on the first four races.  They had some thoroughbred races in between the others.  Alas, my luck ran out the next 3 races, including losing by a nose on a controversial photo-finish. I ended up down $1.75 on the day.  We ended up grateful  for the covered seats as there was a very heavy thunderstorm for almost 30 minutes.  After a small delay, the horses ran in the rain and mud. Great fun!  Free parking, cheap concessions, free admission if you want to watch by the rail,  a super day at the track!  Watching by the rail is exciting as they horses can get very close, and you can hear their hooves thundering toward you like an avalanche.  The heavy breathing and snorting of the animals, the jockeys talking to them, the crack of the riding whip on the horses flanks, make for a great multi-sensory experience.  The downside is it is very hard to judge who is winning, and closing fast and who crosses the finish line.  You are simply too close and they are too fast to grasp it.    After a short afternoon nap, we went to try the better known Italian restaurant in town, Michelena’s.  Although crowded, we were immediately seated.  The tables are small and cramped, the service good, but a little slow.  We were not overly impressed.  Would try someplace different next time.  After dinner we played miniature golf at perhaps the hardest mini-gold course I have ever played.  The fact that I had a huge lead after 9 holes and then coughed it up and came in second is not the point.  It was hard!    As we spent our final night time enjoying some cold ones in the picnic area reveling in the cooler mountain air, we decided that it would be a place worthwhile to come back.  Still a lot of restaurants to try, and hiking trails to take, and cool breezes to enjoy.  We knew that although we had a long hard drive the next day, it was worth the visit.  I recommend Ruidoso, New Mexico!

Congratulations to us…this is our 200th post!  And there was much rejoicing….yea

August 10, 2011.  Gexa Energy Center, Dallas Texas.  Another night out under the stars to take in some more head banging concert fare. The Mayhem Tour made a stop to this soon to be desert city of Dallas, Texas. The Mayhem Tour features Disturbed, Godsmack, and Megadeath in the headlining role.  Other bands like Machine Head were on two side stages. The twist to this stop on the Mayhem Tour was that Dallas and the entire Texas region has been crippled by 105 + degree heat and extreme drought conditions. So the madness on this stop of the Mayhem Tour included more sweat than the usual.

Mayhem Tour - It Doesn't Look 107, But It Is

The first stop was the side stage for Machine Head.  Although I have heard of them, I had never seem them before. The pic above was from the side stage where Machine Head played. Interesting group in that their metal guitars are laced with a rolling, wandering string of guitar licks that glue together to create a sound. Nothing much more on these guys.  The crowd was receptive, But nothing more stood out about this performance.

Megadeath came on in the early evening on the main stage.  Dave Mustane promptly informed the crowd that his doctor advised against playing this evening for an undisclosed reason.  He had the toy DJ who introduced him say the same thing.  Bottom line, they played for just short of 40 minutes a set that was typical Megadeath. Mustane seems to have shook his asshole ways of the past, and was gracious to the crowd and his stated attempt to play against better wisdom. I am OK with Megadeath, but will never go see them has a headliner.  Tonight, they were OK, but I did not mind it was a shortened set.  More time for $12 beer.

Godsmack follwed.  I like these guys. Their sound is so unique, not from music structure, but from the settings and sound out of the electric guitar.  I have not seen this unique electric sounding since Tom Sholz of Boston invented his contraption that was the Boston sound. Sully, the lead singer, is a no BS entertainer with a good sense of humor.  The only misstep  in the show was the once again obligatory solos that do nothing for me and the audience.  Only the real drunks trying to keep their buzz or highs intact cheer for these. The stage was straight up.  NO frills. Sully goofed with the audience at one point, and was truly funny, something you rarely see in concerts.  Go see Godsmack. They are good.  I hope they keep it together for a long time.

Disturbed headlined. I do not like these guys, but must review with an open mind. The stage was incredible.  Full of color and visual effects, including video running through most of the songs. I swear they were trying to send messages to audience.  Disturbed is a bid military supporter. Many of the videos captured that in a framing of ‘war really is stupid and shitty’ approach. Disturbed played all the hits in the 1:15 hour set. They are a tight band, and like Godsmack before them, they definitely have a sound of their own.  The political statements get a bit much.  Audience is there to loose their minds, not use it thinking about heavy subjects.  Still, I do not fault them. Most bands are just plain mindless, and my seven years of university are often lost on the mindlessness (which usually is very entertaining). In the end, they indicated to the audience that they would be taking a break.  The rags state they are not breaking up, but on indefinite hiatus, to ‘get away from eachother’ for a while.  So if you are really a fan, go see them, this may be the last for a long, long time.  And frankly, while I see the Hair Bands touring with great success in a reunited state, somehow, I just do not think this type of music that Disturbed plays will be the type to come around again in 20 years.

Go see them. I am calling them done for good.