California Here we come

Hey Jack, Tell me where the Little League complex(s) for Upland and Ontario are located. I know of the one by the Quakes Field, and I think there is one near Euclid south of the 10 --I recall seeing it on our way to 'Plane's of Fame' at the Chino Airport!

I have no idea, Al. I don't even know where Fontana LL plays. Remember, I raised my kids in South OC, so my LL days are long gone.

I think it is off the I-215 south of the merge with I-15 at about the Park (Ave?) exit.

Vince

Engine Captain, I p.m."d you with Trudy and my cell numbers. I thank you for all the recommendations. Trudy tried  Farmer Boys and liked it.

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together !!!

Our trip down had a stop overnight in Lodi. Oh lord, we were stuck in Lodi.

Again?

mr chips


Our trip down had a stop overnight in Lodi. Oh lord, we were stuck in Lodi.

You must feel like "I spend a year in Lodi one night " !!!

When I returned home from my "visit" to S E A in 1962, I caught a ride from Travis A F B to the 99 in Lodi, where I began my hitchhiking journey home to SoCal. Lodi WAS and IS not a place to be "stuck" under any circumstances !
 
Here's hoping that Monday Night (now!) finds you enjoying a Farmer Burger with the rest of the Chip's family in Sunny SoCal !

Unfortunately for the visitors from Oregon, it was overcast and hot today.

Trudy went to Palm Springs this morning(it is only an hour away) and continued to enjoy her brief respite from motherhood and wifedom. The 15 passenger van with the  boys pulled in around 1p.m. to the Ontario Doubletree hotel and the boys spent most of the day swimming, settling in. Trudy and I were happy to reunite and she treated the team to Farmer Boy burgers for  lunch, a big hit. The burgers surprised with their heft and very solid taste. Trudy and I went out for dinner at Esthers, a Mexican tacqueria in Upland. I had a shrimp taco, Trudy a huge plate of Esther's nachos with steak, guacamole and beans. I liked my drink, a smoothie of strawberries with ice milk and cream. Very tasty.
   Engine Captain made contact and we will meet with him either tomorrow  or the next day.

Chips

I was happy to read that all arrived safely...and also your satisfaction with the Burgers at Farmer Boys.
  The San Antonio Winery has a store and tasting room at it's location on Milliken right next to the 60 freeway interchange. Excellent choices of SoCal wines and great prices as well. They make great "host-gifts" for Roadfood gatherings!

If you look NorthEast from your hotel you will note the "notch" where the San Gabriel Mtns end and the San Bernardino Mtns range begins. The "notch" is where the San Andreas Fault passes thru the Mountains. That's Cajon Pass... my Mayordom!!  Just thought you would like to see the Mayor's "fief" !
 
Near the "Blockbuster Pavillion" and the entrance to the Cajon Pass, next to the I-15 and the Amtrak rail lines is the Cajon City Hall, Where I attempted to locate my "Mayor's Office", back in the days when I was actually located in the neighborhood!  Janet voted the deciding vote NOT to permit that office !  Here is the location, Still in business today after at least 60 years that I know of !!!

I leave you to decide if you wish to visit the site !!!

My wife vetoed a visit to your office , Mr. Mayor. But our first full day in the Inland Empire was a mix. Trudy and I got to the opening ceremonies breakfast a little early and I was standing in line when a familiar gravelly baseball voice asked for orange juice. It was former Dodger manager and hall of famer Tommy Lasorda. He was gracious enough to pose for a picure with me. Most of the boys who were not from southern California were not sure who he was(he last managed in the bigs in 1996 and the Olympics were 2000 when the boys were 3 or 7). Sam also posed with him with Lasorda giving him a mild rebuke for not saying please and wearing his hat backwards. It was a real thrill for me and when Sam realizes how big a figure Lasorda was, perhaps a retroactive thrill for Sam.
     I loved the opening ceremonies where each team's players were introduced and Mr. Lasorda spoke. It was such a wonderful feeling to hear Sam introduced, a feeling of joy I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The opening ceremonies were in Upland at a very nice city park.
     Sam stayed with his teammates  while Trudy and I drove to scenic Fontana to meet Engine Captain. Jack took us to La Bufa's, a Mexican place where we feasted on lengua and shrimp. Engine Captain is a gregarious man and is very shy about expressing his opinion(not). I loved the place and the company.
      The evening's baseball game was not so wonderful. The Hawaii boys jumped off to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first, the most critical play being a throwing error on a bases loaded grounder that let in two runs followed by a single which let in two more. We never recovered and the crushing blow was a routine single to left that took a huge bad hop and went over the left fielder's head all the way to the fence for a 3 run inside the park homer for an 11-0 lead in the fifth. We did not score and the ten run rule went into effect. The boys were disappointed but recovered quickly and swam with  the Washington state champions who are from Vancouver and whom we played during the season.
    Have enjoyed the stay. The boys have Wednesday off and will go to a Dodger game.
    One final note. Just outside the park in Ontario was a vendor who sold wonderful elotes and chicharones. A nice local food experience 

 I read your daily entry with mixed emotions, Mr Chips. I was saddened by the report that "There is no joy in Mudville" as Casey and the team are no longer in the running. BTW, since Mudville is in reality Stockton, CA, you can stop there on the way home to share the story with the team at the actual  "Mudville Ball Field". 

  Congratulations to Trudy for her "Nay" vote! 'Nuff said!  And I was pleased to read that your meetup with the retired fireman went well. It sounds like you certainly have enjoyed some good "Roadfood" on this trip !

Of course it went well. Were there any doubts? I'm wonderful.

A couple notes I forgot to mention. Sam went 0-2 with a grounder to third and a liner that  the pitcher knocked down and threw him out at first. Such is life.

The team had an off-day so Trudy and I did a little roadfooding. We got up early and drove to the Wheel Inn in Cabazon, California. This truck stop is most famous for the concrete dinosaurs in back and its appearance in the movie "Pee Wee"s Big Adventure". The food was quite good. Trudy went Buffetbuster on me and had an incredible slice of pecan pie for breakfast. I had a  tasty green chile omlette with a side of excellent hash browns. We had congenial  waitresses , one of whom talked about a novel she was writing. We went through the gift shop and decided to pass on the steer horns for sale. There were tributes to James Dean and Elvis. A nice piece of Americana  with good food. Could not be beat as a start to the morning in the desert.
        We drove on the old highway from Palm Springs to Indio. It was a cultural experience driving past high end restaurants, Gerald Ford Drive, Dinah Shore Drive and Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra Drives. It was ungodly hot and it appeared as if we were in a ghostly city as there were no people about.
      Our next stop was Shields Date Farm  We watched the film about dates, sampled a wide variety of the fruit and had Date Shakes with the date crystals Mr Shields invented. It was one of the sweetest and tastiest combinations I've ever had and one of the great highlighs of my roadfooding experiences. There are several reviews on-site that give a great description of the place. It was a bit like stepping back in time,there is a kitsch feel but the fruit and date shake are a great taste experience. that makes the place a must stop for every roadfooder.
    We drove back to our hotel tired after the heat, rested and then drove to Dodger Stadium for a contest between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers. The stadium is starting to show its age but it is still a showplace. It was Manny Ramirez poster night so the boys got a free poster. Manny did not start but he pinch hit in the 7th with two men on and his team two runs down but he did not hit a high fly into the stands, simply a weak grounder to second. The Brewers stud Ryan Braun had two doubles. The Brewers won 4-1.
     We were in the left field pavilllion cheap seats and the fans were loud and lively, booing anyone wearing Brewers gear with gusto. A great experience for the boys and my first visit to the stadium in 30 years

Another day in sunny southern California. The boys practiced at 10 a.m and stayed in their rooms the rest of the day. Trudy and I did things prosaic. We did our laundry, drove around and gawked at the Victorian and Tudor houses of Upland and did a little roadfood prospecting. I love Salvadorian food so Trudy did a web search and found a Salvadorian restaurant a couple miles from our hotel. It was the Puposaria Gladys  on West Holt Street in Ontario and it was a great find  and wonderful experience. A couple families with kids with the young boys flipping the pages on the jukebox and the tweens predictably sullen, workmen eating the substantial pupusa, a Cathoiic charity worker trying to get 2 guys to eat when all they wanted to do was drink Bud Lights. Our waitress spoke little English(always a good sign in an ethnic restaurant) and Trudy and I feasted on Puposas with loroco  and cheese with a side of fried plantains served with black beans, rich Salvadorian sour cream(sweet with spices)and the white cheese I loved so much. We showed the waitress our pictures of Sam and she showed us pictures of her grandchildren and we had a nice conversation.
     This trip has shown me the value of our Roadfood ways. Jack's suggestions have led us to some good places and our willingness to go off the well-trod path has led to interesting experiences. Some of the parents have stuck to Wendy's and Outback, unwilling even to try In N Out. I never think of myself as adventurous but a couple of folks thought Trudy and I were foolhardy risktakers. Sigh!
    The evenings ballgame did not go well. We played our second game in a row at Jay Templeton Field in Ontario. It is located at  4th Street and Grove and was built the 30's. It has ivy covered walls like Wrigley field in Chicago and old Wrigley field in Los Angeles. It was the spring traing home of the minor league Los Angeles Angels and has been used as a 40's syle park in the films"The Babe" and "A League of Their Own". It is a great old ballpark.
      We played Northern California who struck for 6 runs on 8 hits in the top of the first and 7 runs on 5 hits in the top of the second to cruise to a 13-1 victory. Sam did not get an at bat and the results of this game means we have effectively been eliminated from any chance to advance beyond the regional. Now our hope is to win the next couple games for a respectable showing. We play Montana tomorrow and Alaska on Saturday.

Chips,  Did your stop at Farmer Boys include the Zucchini Spears and/or Onion Rings as a side order. Their squash spears are unique (to me) as most places serve deep fried 'Slices' (like what they do with Pickles back here...FB's uses thick spears battered and fried! Due to the thickness of the veggie, they are usually a bit "al dente" when served. That makes them very good in my texture and taste catagory ! The Onion Rings are Massive. Thats the only word I can use to describe them. Yum.

 Another recommendation if you have the time to try it... Dan, The BBQ Man has a stand on Valley Blvd just west of Citrus (That's on the Fontana-Bloomington line). It is an old Foster Freeze store converted to a take-out BBQ store, with smokers out on the sidewalk to draw peoples attention!  Pretty good Take Out BBQ.

Sorry to read of the loss, but the boys can rally !! Keep the news and reviews coming!

Think I need to drive a little bit east of here and do some eating.

Sorry the boys aren't doing better, but there's still tomorrow!

At least they're having a good time.

Keep up the great reports.  I really enjoy them.

Another fine day in Southern California. Trudy and I visited the San Gariel Mission this morning and I was awestuck as this is one of the nicest missions I've visited. Beautiful flowers,tall olive trees, a cactus garden, well preserved remains of the tanning vats and cauldrons, shady trees, and a good mission museum . A wonderful visit.
     We did a little roadfooding as well. Fosselman's Ice Cream Factory in Alhambra has been serving folks for 90 years with a wide array of flavors. I had a sample of lychee anf horchata but settled on Taro, baby blue in color and sweet in taste. Rich, satisfying stuff and I'm thankful to roadfooder Cruise Director who posted the review.
       Also stopped at Honey Bun Bakery in Altadena. Rich Strawberry Honey Muffins that  tasted more like spongecake than muffins. A very sweet and cheap treat. Go here if you are in the area.
      Once again our evening at the ballpark was not as enjoyable as the rest of the day. We played Montana at Memorial Park in Upland. We committed 6 errors, 4 of them coming when our catchers made overthrows to second, followed by the centerfielder making a bad throw to third that allowed the run to score. We were limitted to 4 hits and ended up losing 3-1. Sam made two catches in right but was pinch hit for in the third and did not get an at bat.
    I wish we had won but making 6 errors doesn't help you win too many games. One more game tomorrow and our adventure will be over.

While you're watching Sam make that winning hit tomorrow Ellen and I will be at Fosselman's.

Too bad we couldn't cross paths while there.

They give samples!!!

Lychee?  Taro?  Can't wait!

We will burn extra 'Josh Sticks' for you Mr Chips. Best of luck in the finale.
The Eastern area of the L A Valley--The Inland Empire-- is indeed an under-recognized treasureland of Roadfood! I am so glad that you were able to explore this area!

I was pleasantly surprised at the very good food available here and hope to come back again. The Salvadorian, Thai, and Mexican choices have been first rate; we ate lunch at  the Bombay , an Indian restaurant  that had been voted the Inland Empire's best restaurant of 2008 by the San Bernardino paper. It  has been a great stay even though our only LA. excursion was to Dodger Stadium and I have been pleased by getting to meet and talk with so many folks in the Inland Empire

Regrettably this will be be my last report from the inland empire of southern California. The team and Chips family rested, our only excursion a visit to the Ontario Art and History Museum. There was a wonderful exhibition about mix of automobile and commerce that was brought about by the development of the California highway sytem, a history of Ontario, and a special exhibition featuring Charkes Schultz's comic strip work on Snoopy as a WWI flying ice. Trudy went shopping with one of the other moms to a Mexican shoe store and got some nice sandals.
     Alas,  the baseball gods continued to dislike  us. We played Alaska in our tournament finale and lost 15-0(sic) Sam caught the fly balls hit to him and got a single in his only at bat. But fielding, pitching and hitting all went poorly and we were never really in the game.
       The boys recovered quickly, have enjoyed their last night at the hotel. At 6 a.m. we depart for the journey north.

Mr. Chips and others,
 
Thanks for a trule enjoyable trip report (except for the tough news about the ball game results).  I can certainly use the information about eating places in a couple of weeks when I travel to Ontario for a few days after being in Bakersfield the beginning part of that week (August 24 week).
 
I really enjoyed the quote from post number 48 where you said  "Trudy went Buffetbuster on me and had an incredible slice of pecan pie for breakfast."  That phrase is destined to join the official Roadfood lexicon and book of phrases, taking its rightful place alongside "being Travelin' Manned."  Not that going Buffetbuster is a bad thing: what better way to start the day than having a piece of pie?  (Buffetbuster, I hope I am not violating any contractural terms associated with the phrase by using it in this post without proper attribution.)
 
Looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks at the Buffalo Roadfood tour.

 A few thoughts on our excursion to the Inland Empire. Many thanks to Mayor Al and Engine Captain , who provided us with excellent suggestions about where to eat and what to see in the Inland Empire. I was surprised at the wide variety of options and we ate very well. Roadfood provides a family that makes travel better and I am always delighted at the help Trudy, Sam and I receive when we travel to roadfood destinations.
   A couple other random thoughts. Hotel breakfast buffets are rip-offs. $14.50 for scrambled eggs, bacon, second rate fried potatoes. Trudy received free breakfast coupons for a week so we ate for free(excluding tip) but the price was way too high for what was available.
     The buffet featured some fruit from Guatemala that looked like a sea urchin but was tasty and a huge plum called a granata that was the size of an apple. Both were interesting tastes.
     Don't ever get in a van with no headrest and ride in the middle for 16 hours as I did yesterday. Today I am still on vacation recovering from the trip back.

Welcome Home, Jim and Family !That is a long run up the Valley to get home , isn't it ?? We tend to use the 99 rather than the 5. It takes longer, but there's a lot more interesting things to see and do on the "Old Road".

While we love our home here in Hoosierland, the Inland Empire beckons with fond memories! My 50th H S reunion will be there next Spring. We are already considering the logistics of that roadtrip!
 

I would have preferred 99 and when the family drives down again we will take that route. I would like to eat basque in Bakersfield and regret that I never got the chance to see Buck perform in his club there.