Madeline Island Pt. III - The Sun, La Pointe, WI

I will admit, the Sun isn't normally deserving of its own blog post, but on Madeline Island... I don't know what it is, it's just spectacular. Part of the fun is that the part of the island I have stayed on is facing west each evening, so the sunsets are pretty legit. 

So that's it... some shots from the trip, mostly involving the awesome sunlit views...

Part of it is that within moments, you can watch a full sunset and see how the light, cluds and water all change during it. it really is worth just sitting and watching. I found myself going back outside to get pictures every 10 minutes or so. (It had gotten a bit chilly in the early Sept air). The images below are from a couple nights of sunsets. The second set wasn't eeven going to happen until the clouds broke and the sun was low enough to peek through.

Sunset 1 - I swear these are in sequence...

Sunset 2 - 

This last one is simply a sun shot from about 9am, on a different spot on the island. Oh, the island is not very big and you can drive, ride, or moped around really quickly, seeing all kinds of views and sights at almost every turn.

I think another important part of this "sun worship" is that it's a place that really allows me/us to relax. To sit back, think of less, do less, and unwind. If you simply watch the sunrises and sunsets, maybe that's a great day. I think it's golden.

Luna Mexican Kitchen, San Jose, CA

If you're going to be in San Jose for an evening, I would highly recommend this little neighborhood spot for dinner (or brunch). On SJ's "Alameda", it seems to be ideally situated for this neighborhood, and others as well.

We decided to hit up this new spot before a San Jose Earthquakes match, and boy were we glad we did. I'm not sure there was a better way to kick of the night. Ole!

To start, it's a great little building with a to-go window ("para llavar") out front. Seating out there for waiting on the tables too. An indoor seating area, plus full bar... and a lovely outdoor patio, with shade and cooling to accommodate the outside temps on most any night.

We decided to get some drinks, and instead of the 20-30 minute seating wait, we were shwon a table before our first sips could start working. Fine by us.

We went all in for their guacamole to start... and then something never seen before by yours truly for the main course...

Who doesn't enjoy food served in a molcajete?!

For dinner, we were drawn to the backside, 2nd page of their menu, filled with an item listed as "Parradillas". These appeared to be large, multi-person serving vessels for all kinds of meats or veggies. They had me at "meat vessel".

We went for the moderately-priced fajita-style version - which came with both chicken and steak, guac, sides, and rice+beans too.  Hay ca-rumba, I'm gonna be full.

I think this big box on the bottom keeps the food hot... or just keeps it at the right height to kep grabbing more cooked meats. Either way, I'm good.

If you don't like what you eat off the parradilla, it's pretty much your own fault. I mean, you ordered the proteins, and you put it all together yourself. So, get after it! Get in their and make yourself a little taco. In this case, I don't mind doing the work for my dinner, it's fun.

Should you go? Well, I'd say - Venga! Venga! Venga!!! I haven't found a place like this one yet in my time in San Jose. They seem to have their formula down and it's a good one. Food, drinks, service, atmosphere, and a little Latin flare... plus the parradillas.

Now, I don't link websites too often, but theirs includes much better everything than this blog post - pics, menus, etc. Check it out - https://www.lunamexicankitchen.com/