Ben's Big Burger, Durango, CO. (Second Trip 2015) Having tried Serious Texas Bar-B-Q in Farmington the previous evening, I decided to search out a local hamburger place in Durango. Ben's Big Burgers is at 1400 E. 2nd Ave. At lunch, parking was a challenge and there was a line indoors, but it was worth the wait.
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The Big Texan Steak Ranch, Amarillo, TX (Second Trip 2015) Nothing says "Texas-sized kitsch" like the landmark Big Texan Steak Ranch. As I had lunch a couple of hours earlier in Shamrock, Texas and I was headed to Palo Duro State Park, I sadly had to pass up eating here. I did sample a couple of good beers from their brewpub and picked up a growler to go, to take to Phoenix.
I considered staying at the Big Texan Steak Ranch motel (and having dinner there), but by the time I had finished with Palo Duro Canyon, I needed to "get on up the road" to Dalhart, Texas to get a good start on my trip through the Clayton-Raton Volcanic Field the following day. For some, the entire "Big Texan" experience seems appropriate for a Bucket List submission.
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Chico's Tacos, El Paso, Texas (2016 Trip) When I was leaving El Paso midday on a Sunday afternoon, after visiting a couple of old friends, I wasn't even thinking about stopping at Chico's Tacos. But when I saw the sign at 1365 George Dieter Dr., I immediately knew what my destiny was (for that moment).
[I have to confess that during the 14 years I lived in El Paso, I never discovered this place, nor was I taken there by any friends. I will somehow endure the lifelong loss! Somehow.]
I had heard of Chico's Tacos by way of the comedian Gabriel Iglesias (aka "Fluffy"), on a rebroadcast of a 2009 show at the Chamizal Memorial Theatre in El Paso. They really are something special. [As a reminder: This location did not take credit or debit cards, so bring some cash. (Don't know if this applies to all locations or not.)
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Chuy's, Van Horn, TX 1200 W. Broadway, Van Horn, TX (First Trip 2015). The second night of our Atlanta-to-Phoenix leg of the trip, in my daughter's SUV with their family dog (we were ferrying the dog to Phoenix), we stopped in Van Horn, TX. (It had been a good day, we had made it from Longview, TX that day (with a short photo stop in Monahans Sandhills State Park.)
[The Chuy's Tex-Mex, from Austin, TX - founded in 1982 - is not related to this independent Van Horn, TX restaurant - founded in 1959.] When in the Dunwoody suburb of Atlanta or most other places, I recommend Chuy's Tex-Mex. When in west Texas, it's the original in Van Horn.
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Howard's Drive-In, Fort Stockton, TX (Second Trip 2015 & 2016 Trip) While traveling east from El Paso in 2015, I made a gasoline stop in Fort Stockton. While driving around seeking a place for lunch, the bright red sign at 501 N. Sycamore St. caught my eye. Inside, it wasn't fancy, but it had that "fresh-cooked burger" flavor, which is what I was looking for.
East Main Grill, Johnson City, Texas (2016 Trip) East Main Grill in downtown Johnson City, Texas represented a bright spot in an otherwise dreary Monday. The sky was just as clear as it was the day before in Fort Stockton (above), but there were three significant smudges on the day (thusfar).
When I left Ozona, Texas that morning, I had plans to; 1) Visit a topaz collecting locality near Mason, Texas; 2) Visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, near Austin; 3) Visit Whip-In Market on the south side of Austin (for their selection of local craft beers); and 4) Reach Georgia the following day.
When I left Ozona, Texas that morning, I had plans to; 1) Visit a topaz collecting locality near Mason, Texas; 2) Visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, near Austin; 3) Visit Whip-In Market on the south side of Austin (for their selection of local craft beers); and 4) Reach Georgia the following day.
As I neared the exit for Mason, I made a side trip to gather info on the Caverns of Sonora, Texas, in case the opportunity to visit presented itself on a future journey. The caverns weren't open yet that morning, I spent time reading pamphlets and I determined that a visit into the caverns would take a minimum of two hours. Way too much time for that day.
After a few wildflower photo-stops (example below), I continued on to the exit for Mason. When I made phone calls to both of the most likely topaz-collecting sites (both on working ranches), to my horror I realized that I forgot to call the day before to make the required reservations! (Smudge #1).
False Purple Thistle
I considered going back to the Caverns of Sonora, but with driving time added to tour time, I determined that this choice was unworkable. (Smudge #2). While stopped, I did a quick internet search about the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and found out that they were closed on Mondays. Gasp! (Smudge #3)
After doing a bit of fossil collecting from Cretaceous limestones along I-10, near the Fredericksburg exit, I decided that seeking lunch in Johnson City was my best option for salvaging the morning. The East Main Grill (part of the Old Lumberyard in downtown) was my selection and fortunately, it was a good choice.
After doing a bit of fossil collecting from Cretaceous limestones along I-10, near the Fredericksburg exit, I decided that seeking lunch in Johnson City was my best option for salvaging the morning. The East Main Grill (part of the Old Lumberyard in downtown) was my selection and fortunately, it was a good choice.
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For craft beers in Austin, TX, since 1986, Whip-In Market, 1950 South IH-35, Austin, TX 78704 is a great place to pick up local craft beers, especially if you want single bottles/cans for later sampling. The steady growth of the market since 1986 is a testament to its local popularity. Before Austin had its own craft breweries, when searching for craft beers while visiting the city, their slogan was "If it's in Austin, we have it!". They also have an in-house kitchen that makes it a worthy food stop, if you are already off the freeway. [Advisory: Especially when driving north on I-35, getting off at the proper exit and navigating the surface streets is tricky. Thus, please do your homework, study the maps, and plan ahead.]
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One last bit of nostalgia is reserved for Village Inn Restaurant near the merging of US Hwy 89 & west Historic U.S. 66, just across the parking lot from the Super 8 Motel, in Northeast Flagstaff, Arizona. While there are numerous Village Inns scattered across the country (including 9 in El Paso), the one I visited in Flagstaff (Second Trip 2015) seems to have closed earlier in 2018.
The reason I had two meals (dinner and breakfast) at that particular Flagstaff restaurant was that it was across the parking lot from my motel and that it brought back memories of El Paso. It was at Village Inn restaurants in El Paso where I developed my enjoyment of Huevos Rancheros (at any time of day).
That being the case, that was my Flagstaff dinner selection. It was OK, not as good as what I remembered from El Paso. This may have been a function of being so far from the Mexican border (vs. El Paso) or it may have been due to the "downhill slide" of that location. (Unfortunately, my travel schedule in El Paso didn't permit visiting any of the Village Inns there, for the sake of comparison.)
The reason I had two meals (dinner and breakfast) at that particular Flagstaff restaurant was that it was across the parking lot from my motel and that it brought back memories of El Paso. It was at Village Inn restaurants in El Paso where I developed my enjoyment of Huevos Rancheros (at any time of day).
That being the case, that was my Flagstaff dinner selection. It was OK, not as good as what I remembered from El Paso. This may have been a function of being so far from the Mexican border (vs. El Paso) or it may have been due to the "downhill slide" of that location. (Unfortunately, my travel schedule in El Paso didn't permit visiting any of the Village Inns there, for the sake of comparison.)
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