Adventures On the Road

Before the holidays we spent a week in LA and had a chance to hit some famous landmarks.  You may think Disney Land, Seaworld, Knott’s Berry Farm, The Kodak Theater, the Hollywood Stars, etc.

But, if you have been following this blog as closely as I think you have been, you’ll have realized that the iconic/famous landmarks that are usually visited during these travels follow a different theme.

You guessed it…..FOOD!

Duke’s Malibu: www.hulapie.com

Perched between the Malibu surf and the Malibu hills, Duke’s was a perfect place for lunch.  With a view of the water, we watched surfers, pelicans diving from 40 ft in the air and, best of all DOLPHINS.  I saw my first wild dolphins while we ate Opa fish and Mahi Mahi.

And, we couldn’t leave without their specialty – Hula Pie

Here are some photos we took while we walked on the beach after lunch:

Our second iconic stop:  Pink’s Hot Dogs: www.pinkshollywood.com

Pink’s has been around for 70 years and is a fixture in Hollywood.  After 45 minutes in their line up, at 1:30am, we enjoyed their specialty Chili Cheese Dogs and Polish Sausages.  There is ALWAYS a line up.

Next Stop:  In-N-Our Burger: www.in-n-out.com

For those fans out there you’ll know that this burger joint is really only on the WestCoast (California to be specific), however it has started easing its way out to Arizona, etc.   They are known for their fresh ingredients and their simple menu.  Single Hamburger, Single Cheeseburger, and Double Meat/Double Cheese.  With Onions OR Without.   Well, simple menu no more.  We found out that there is a secret menu to order from and although it is not posted anywhere, if you know what to order your receipt will show these secret menu items.   To name a few: Animal Style, Flying Dutchman, Protein Style, 4 x 4, etc.  You’ll have to look it up for more info.

Last Stop: Diddy Riese Cookies: www.diddyreise.com

A line draws a line.  This is what we know.  While waiting in the car while Nathan was picking up a few goodies from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, a friend and I saw a line forming outside a store.  Once we discovered that this store was in fact a place to buy custom homemade Cookie & Ice Cream Sandwiches, I called Nathan and said ‘If you haven’t paid yet DON’T BUY ANYTHING.  We found something else – homemade cookies and ice cream.  We have to get in the line”. And then abruptly hung up.  Well, the ladies at the chocolate store overheard this conversation and guess what, they asked Nathan if we were part of a TV show doing an episode on desserts.  They had never seen anyone come in with such passion over these tasty little treats.  Now, this is after Nathan stopped everyone in their tracks at the chocolate store to ask them to recommend their favourite treat – which just so happened to be a Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Caramel Apple – which tasted exactly like a Dutch Apple Pie.