Butano State Park, Pescadero, CA

[this location is actually up the road from Pescadero, but well worth seeking out some other spots along Highway 1]

Any ole Sunday is a good day for a new hike, right? I think that's true. This trip was to a smaller state park about 1.5 hours from my home, to a place that had designated trails and redwoods. We picked out some smaller loops and strung together what should have been about a 4-5 mile hike. Also note, much of the terrain by the coast here is up and down. There's not a ton of flat walking or topography to be had.

[I'm sure this idiot fell]

Love the ferns.

Only a small trickle of water through this stream, but nice to see none-the-less.

Those are horizontal spiderwebs all over this redwood. I'd never seen anything like it. No rhyme or reason to it that I'm aware of.

There are many felled redwoods along the trails as well. Some quite large, maybe 5-9' across at the root ball. Don't know why these are falling either, but we did come up with some hypotheses.

By far, this is THE largest slug I've seen to date. It's actually known as the Banana Slug, obviously!, and is easily 5-7" long as it slugs along the ground (that's my medium-sized hand above it for some context). I really had a hard time believing how big this was. I mean, it's the slug that eats like a meal, for sure.

All kinds of lichen and/or moss on many of the trees. I'm pretty sure every redwood area is inland from the ocean by one hill or mountain range. The weather then gets pretty cool and damp over the hill each day, and helps the redwoods take hold over centuries. I could easily be wrong, but I look forward to finding out on my on. Perhaps the California Academy of Sciences is next on the list? (https://www.calacademy.org/exhibits/giants-of-land-and-sea).

One note, we were not able to walk our planned route. Though I think my spidey-sense and general sense of direction is good, we did not follow the route we planned. I think this park could have better signs on their trails, but they may not have the funds to do so. We made it work regardless, but it's always nice to complete what you've planned.

Notes on Pescadero:
I'm pretty sure "pescadero" means "fisherman" in Spanish... which makes a lot of sense b/c this small, one stop sign town, is located about a mile or so from the Pacific ocean. It allows easy access to Butano and is also a cute little town in it's own right. We started with lunch here, but also found they offer coffee, shopping, and a local pub/bar too.

We visited Arcangeli Market for an excellent sandwich and then headed into the woods. The market takes debit/credit cards, has a real bakery offering, and was as busy as heck, for a small town Sunday. I grabbed their Chicken Club on foccochia, it was tasty.

Quinton's Bar & Deli, Iowa City, IA

I've been coming through or driving near Iowa City for about 12 months now, since a job change, and have been told many times that I should stop on the drive here at Quinton's for lunch. They are known for their sandwiches, local brews, and close-to-campus location. I was able to stop in recently for lunch and found just that - the place does seem to be a perfect campus dive-bar, with great food and plenty of beers on tap.

They have a pretty big menu of classic bar apps, burgers and sandwiches (it is right next to the University of Iowa afterall - known your customer)... but they also have curated a selection of sandwiches I can't say I've seen anywhere else. Unique combinations of meats, sauces and toppings keep it interesting, very interesting. Plus, you can get all kinds of different sides with any of the sandwiches (sometimes with a little upcharge).

I was trying to feed a cold, so I went all-in with their Spicy Chicken Philly. It's their normal Chicken Philly (diced chicken breast with grilled onions and peppers), then loaded with jalapenos, and tossed/topped with Buffalo Wing Cream Cheese and Chipotle Mayo. I chose their marble rye to hold it all too.

It was great. Awesome flavors, not too much heat, but enough kick by the end of the sandwich. The sweet potato fries were also worth the $2 upcharge, imo. I washed my selection down with a Left Hand Milk Stout on nitro, which I almost always defer to if I see it on nitro. It didn't disappoint either.

My only knock, and it's minor or more of a pet-peeve, is that I was called "Sir" at least a dozen times by the bartender/waiter. Sure, I get it, I'm not a spring-chicken anymore... but I don't have to be reminded of it every time you speak to me. In fact, I think he was dressed better/older than I was too.

In any event, if you happen to be stuck on the long drive across Iowa on I-80, I think it makes perfect sense to stop at Quinton's for lunch or dinner. I'm not sure I could handle their late-night student crowd anymore, Sir, but maybe one should try that too.

Babcock Hall Dairy Plant & Store, #2 - The Eats, Madison, WI

If you had read Part 1, I'm sure you'll be as happy as I was to get into the foods on offer in the Dairy Store, so let's get to it.

They have ice cream available (of course!), but as this store is located in a university building, filled with people during the school year, and for that matter is located on a college campus filled with people during the school year, that's a lot of people. As such, they have done the smart thing offer a full menu of items, including sandwiches, soups, salads, etc.

I started my visit with lunch, and it seemed like one of their sandwiches was the way to go. I followed their directions and picked one of their Signature sandwiches... the Mendota Club. Let's do it!

It's pretty much like a simple Subway sandwich shop, but wasn't as good as I was hoping for. It's just a sandwich. I think that's what I get for eating lunch at a dairy store full of ice cream. If you go, my suggestion would be to eat lunch first someplace else, then come here for the ice cream.

They have all manner of lunch options (I even heard their taco salad ordered more than once), but I didn't think mine was that great and I didn't even take a pic of my final sandwich. They were very nice folks and patient & helpful, even for a newbie like me. The lady helping me loaded it up with mayo (blech!), toasted it off to melt the cheese and then wrapped it in sandwich paper. By the time I opened it to eat it, the bread sweat had steamed all the bread and other ingredients into a mushy mess. It wasn't "toasty" at all, no crisp. Ah well. I'm learning as I go.

So, back to the important part, their ice cream. I went right back up to the counter after wolfing down my lunch to make my pick and get some frozen deliciousness.

The pricing is very reasonable for a good-sized dish of 2-3 scoops, and you can mix flavors too. So, I did... Peanut Butter and Chocolate (an all-time go-to) and Union Utopia (which seemed like a good idea)...

I went outside to eat it on their patio, which also let it get a little more melty and smooth. They were both very good and I would certainly go back to try more ice cream. 

They also have other dairy items available for purchase and take-out in the store... fine meats and cheeses and the like. As I understand it, all made there in the hall or at the university.

I'll certainly go back to Babcock for the ice cream (I'll skip the sandwich), and will take the faster main entrance to the store next time too.