Travels with David: White Sands National Monument

White Sands National Monument – Alamogordo, NM - March 30, 2011
http://www.nps.gov/whsa/
I have been wanting to go visit this great place and finally got my chance. Billed as ‘Like No Place Else on Earth’ and it exceeds the expectations. Sitting in the heart of the Tularosa Basin, huge dunes poke out of gypsum sand; nearly 300 square miles. It is amazing how the minerals from Lake Lucero produce the gypsum sands. These rolling dunes literally roll/move as the sands are so small and light. I am used to the pure white sands of the Gulf Coast but that does not compare to the sands of the White Sands.
The views and overall site of these dunes cannot be described. The colors during the day are fabulous; I thought. Then we took the Sunset Stroll and stayed out on the dunes until complete dark. I just thought it was great during the day, then the sun starting setting. WOW, the colors in the sky and across the sands were absolutely wonderful. God’s paintbrush came out and the sky came alive. I stood there in complete awe of the greatness of my Savior.
Like No Place Else on Earth!

Travels with David: NM Museum of Space History

New Mexico Museum of Space History – Alamogordo, NM - March 30, 2011
http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/
Just on the back side of Alamogordo and at the base of the mountains of Lincoln National Forest sits a great little place presenting the history of space. Just as in the White Sands Missile Range, there are more rockets outside to view and observe. We were running a little short on time and had to cut our visit short in order to make it to our main goal, White Sands. It was a beautiful place and assume the inside is great too.

Travels with David: White Sands Missile Range Museum

White Sands Missile Range Museum – White Sands Missile Range, NM - March 30, 2011
http://www.wsmr-history.org/
Right inside the White Sands Missile Range base is the Missile Museum. This open air museum has over 50 major items on display. They have everything from the US V-1, V-2, Pershing II, Patriot, Huey Helicopter, Hawk, Falcon, Hercules, Drone, Talos, Sidewinder, and even a Howitzer. A great place to visit and see the history of our country. Amazing how well they have preserved these historic pieces of history and the sheer size and brute force they still instill. Anyone who loves our country, missiles or NASA would love this place.

Travels with David: Organ Mountains

Organ Mountains - Organ, NM - March 30, 2011
In traveling east on Hwy 70 in NM from Las Cruces, we just happen to see a pull-off for a beautiful mountain range. We pulled off and walked a trail for about a mile to some beautiful views. This is a state recreational area and overlooks White Sands Missile Range. It was a windy day but gorgeous as we walked around (watching for snakes) and got to see a view not common in our home state.

Travels with David: Stahmanns Pecans

Stahmanns Pecans - La Mesa, NM - March 30, 2011
http://www.stahmanns.com/
When I think of New Mexico, I didn't exactly think of pecan central; but it is home to some of the largest orchids of pecan trees. One of the more famous is Stahmanns. Started by a buggy-maker traveling down the Mississippi and keeping bees; W.J. Stahmann ended up in El Paso and the rest is history. The farm now has over 180,000 trees on thousands of acres producing some wonderful pecans. It is amazing to see these trees evenly planted 30 feet apart. Stahmanns produces nearly 10 million pounds of pecans per year.
We were fortunate to have time to visit their country store; right in the middle of the farm and in front of the factory. Samples were excellent but let’s just say, pecans are not that cheap. They had everything from chile pecans to pecan pie to brittle; good stuff.

Dining with David: Pecan Grill

De La Vega’s Pecan Grill & Brewery – Las Cruces, NM – March 29, 2011
http://www.pecangrill.com/
Well, we had to take our traveling birthday boy out to dinner tonight and decided on a local place right down the road from the hotel. I had seen this place but really didn’t think anything about it. This is a very nice place with more focus on the patio eating than inside tables; smart choice. It was a beautiful night and was wonderful just sitting outside watching the sun set (shame my bride could not have been with me). I ordered something I thought was very healthy, the Chilean Sea Bass. My meal came out last and it was worth it. A very tender, flaky piece of fish pan-seared just right with a special mango salsa on top. This bass had a great taste and perfectly mixed with the mango flavors. It didn’t end there, the perfectly cooked sweet potato was wonderful, dusted with brown sugar. I love sweet potatoes and most restaurants don’t know how to cook; this was just right. I must say this was a very good meal and just the right portion.
Our birthday boy decided to order dessert and we had a combination of chocolate and peanut butter pie, blackberry/raspberry tort and a red velvet cake made with raspberries. I sampled the tort and it was very good, love blackberries, raspberries and several other red berries; nice taste. I did not try the chocolate/peanut butter pie but was told it was great. I also sampled the red velvet cake. My mother would have loved this cake; red velvet is her favorite. This had a twist with the normal cake and cream cheese icing but with a little raspberry mixed in; very different and very good.
Very good meal, good place and good company; Happy Birthday Ben!
Rating: 9.5

Dining with David: Double Eagle

Double Eagle – Las Cruces, NM – March 29, 2011
http://www.double-eagle-mesilla.com/
Double Eagle, billed as the crown jewel of the historic Old Mesilla is a surprising restaurant. Located right off the square in Old Mesilla, it looks like more of just an old entrance. Once you walk in the doors, everything changes. There are huge art prints and gothic style statues everywhere. A big open style courtyard along with a private, executive dining room with a beautiful stained glass over the doorway. Since they are known for their aged beef and their special is the World’s Largest Green Chile Cheeseburger, I just knew I had to try it. This thing is built on a special yeast bun, 1 ¼ pound of pure beef from the special ageing room along with green chilies and white NM Queso Fresco cheese on a 12” burger, topped with Pico De Gallo. Thank goodness for me they have a mini version.
I got the ½ pound version with all the same items; of course, I just had to add a little bacon. This was a very good burger; one of the better meals I have had in Las Cruces. Unfortunately, they really didn’t char the green chile enough to really spike it up but still had a good taste. The special cheese looked more like a lite goat cheese and really didn’t have a taste. This was a very good lunch, good food and even better atmosphere. Definitely the place to eat in Old Mesilla!
Rating: 9

Thought of the Week: March 26, 2011

“Wisdom is knowing what to do next.
Skill is knowing how to do it.
Virtue is doing it.”                               ~ Thomas Jefferson

Thought of the Week: March 19, 2011

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."     ~ Erma Bombeck

Dining with David: Morning Call Coffee Stand

Morning Call Coffee Stand – Metairie, LA – March 19, 2011
http://www.morningcallcoffeestand.com/
Well, I finally get to come home today; 5 days in LA! I had to take my business partner to the airport early this morning and decided to find me a good breakfast spot since I had some time before my flight. I heard about this great spot called Morning Call, founded in 1870, that is supposed to have the best beignets and coffee in New Orleans. It is located about 6 miles from the airport. When I pulled up, it just had that look; local, nonchalant, don’t need tourist kind of place; perfect. Located in a little strip mall behind Lakeside Mall, if you didn’t know it was there, you would never find it. There is even an old-time newsstand located right next door.
I got a small order of beignets. These were a little bigger than Café Du Monde and they let you pour your own powdered sugar too. The taste is similar but just a little different; must be cooked at a higher temperature as not as greasy. These were very good. It is a shame I don’t like coffee as it smelled wonderful. Fixed in café au lait method; French dipped brewed and then boiled whole milk is added. The atmosphere just makes this place though. This includes a sitting bar (2 sides) covered in lights; ideal for reading the morning news with coffee and donuts. Great atmosphere, good food. Even better, since they moved from the French Quarter (used to be on Decatur), you can now actually get there and find a place to park (what a concept).
Rating: 9

Dining with David: Bourbon House

Bourbon House – New Orleans, LA – March 18, 2011
http://www.bourbonhouse.com/
As part of the conference I am attending, I had to go play golf today . Well, after a long day, the dinner was all set at the Bourbon House; located right in the French Quarter on the corner of Bourbon and Iberville; just 2 blocks from hotel. This restaurant is very nice and much larger than it looks from the outside. We had a private room upstairs and the service was great.
They started us off with a little rotisserie chicken and andouille sausage gumbo; this was one of the better gumbos I have had; rue was thick and spicy and the chicken and sausage just added to the taste, rather than just being a part of the rue. We then had their Bourbon House Romaine salad which looked like a regular salad but it had a strong pepper twist to the buttermilk dressing. Next was the main entrée of Gulf Fish Meuniere. This was a good piece of fish that was pan-seared with a spicy Creole sauce. The sauce just provided a glaze from the searing; very tasty. Last course was their Chocolate Blondie; a dry piece of cake made with white chocolate and coated pecans; this was only fair and worst part of the meal. They also served a side of their famous Bourbon Milk Punch. One sip was all I needed, not for me; nothing but a condensed milk style formula chilled/spiked with Bourbon; guess I should have known. Overall a very good meal and great place to eat; Gumbo was the best.
Rating: 8.5

Travels with David: New Orleans, LA

French Quarter – New Orleans, LA – March 17, 2011 (Saint Patrick’s Day)
http://frenchquarter.com/
How I ended up in the Quarter on Saint Patrick’s Day is still a good question. I had to be down here for a conference and the dates they scheduled just fell out this way. We did get in town early enough where I could walk around in daylight. It was nice to walk around for over 2 hours and see some great sites; some bad sites too. I am not a big New Orleans fan but do love some of their food. I did get some great pralines as gifts and even got to eat a wonderful beignet at Café Du Monde; one of my favorites; now, I was good and only ate one while sitting on the steps overlooking the famous St. Louis Cathedral while a Christian youth group performed.
Now there was certainly tons of green and everyone was getting ready for the big celebration tonight. I did have to walk back down later for the Creole Queen dinner cruise. Yes, the Saint Patrick’s day parade was in full force down Bourbon Street on our way back. Nice to see (in a small way) but just not my cup of tea (no pun intended). This could have been fun if my wonderful bride was with me; but someone has to take care of the family while I am away. As before, I have left nothing in New Orleans. Nice to see, will be nice to leave.

Travels with David: Avery Island, LA - Tabasco

McIlhenny Co / Tabasco – Avery Island, LA – March 17, 2011
www.tabasco.com
When I saw that Avery Island was on our way from Lafayette to New Orleans, it just seemed we had to stop by. Now, my first question was how is this an island. Well, it is definitively that and a whole lot more. Where else is there a huge salt dome (with oil) located right inside Vermilion Bay off the Gulf of Mexico. When the McIlhenny family created their famous Tabasco sauce recipe, where else could you produce it than the fertile grounds of the island and all of the salt.
In touring the Tabasco factory, amazing how the mash is produced and then stored (salt brimmed) for 3 years before starting the sauce process. And, all of the sauce is produced right there on the island. They were making for the UK while we were there. They also use the barrels from the Jack Daniels factory in TN; I have been there too. Just like at JD, smelling the mash in the barrels is quite overwhelming and takes your breath away (in a different light of course). The compound is just inside the island entrance with beautiful old oak trees and old style brick buildings. They have created a dyke around the compound to help keep the water out; smart. Please note the picture of the island to see the pepper fields and the salt mines. Very impressive.

Dining with David: Charley G's

Charley G’s – Lafayette, LA – March 16, 2011
http://charleygs.com/
Had the pleasure to take one of our good partners out to eat for dinner. They selected a local place call Charley G’s; nothing like O’Charley’s I passed on the way there. This is a nice little steak and seafood joint; always nice to have someone playing the piano while you eat. They had just brought back an item that has been removed from the menu for 5 years, their Seafood Gumbo. I decided to try a cup. Well, now I know why it was pulled. If you want to do gumbo in LA, you better do it right; this was just plain with no real good rue. It was average for AL, but bad for LA; they should pull it back off the menu. But wait, I then had their Smoked Almond Crusted Redfish. This thinly almond coated fish was pan-seared just right. I love the texture of redfish and the crust just made this fish. Then I tried the sweet potato & mango chutney puree with a drizzle of cilantro pesto. Now, that really made the fish. I cannot really describe the taste of the sweet potato and mango, but wow, it was good with that redfish. Something about that sweet/tart taste of the chutney with the crust and texture of the fish. They are redeemed.
Rating: 8.75

Dining with David: Blue Dog Cafe

Blue Dog Café – Lafayette, LA – March 16, 2011
http://www.bluedogcafe.com/
I think everyone is familiar with the iconic Blue Dog? These famous images are created by a local New Iberia resident, artist George Rodrigue. It just so happens that one of his friends, Santillo, wanted to open a little restaurant and could not figure out what to call it. Decided to display Rodrigue’s work and call it the Blue Dog Café; the rest is history. There are more than 150 of these famous prints at the Café.
Now this is just not a place to visit and see the prints; even though it is quite magnificence of the beauty and types of these prints. This is also a very good place to eat. We arrived right after the lunch crowd and it was still very busy. I ordered their lunch special of Catfish Blue Dog. This was a nice piece of farm raised catfish, grilled just right and topped with crawfish etouffee. I love tender, grilled catfish and this had a very good taste. And how could anything go wrong with crawfish etouffee on top. Nice lunch, great atmosphere and wonderful prints.
Rating: 9.0

Dining with David: Harbor Seafood & Oyster Bar

Harbor Seafood & Oyster Bar – Kenner, LA – March 15, 2011
On behalf of my mother’s birthday (will not say the age) today, after landing in NO, I ate at a little Cajun seafood restaurant; my mother just loves seafood. This is definitely your local place; located in a two shop metal building on the side of the road just the other side of I-10 from the New Orleans airport. The other shop is their seafood market; fish and shrimp looked fresh and great in there too.
I started off with a little cup of Seafood Gumbo. This had a nice rue with nice chunks of shrimp, oysters and a little sausage. I added just a little Tabasco and it was just right; hot up front and hot on the back end too; nice. I then had a little salad with vinaigrette dressing; not the best salad in the world but what do you expect. The main course was Blackened Tilapia with pan roasted potatoes and corn. The Tilapia was fresh and had that great texture that just cut with a fork. The blackened outside locked in the moisture and provided a nice little kick. The potatoes were good too; love that skillet blackened texture on the ends; just could not have but a few. Overall, a very good meal.
Rating: 8.5

Thought of the Week: March 12, 2011

“Excellent service givers pay attention to the person and situation at hand. They listen for things the client isn’t saying.”     ~Linda Byars Swindling

Dining with David: Jake's City Grille

Jake’s City Grille – Eagan, MN – March 10, 2011
http://www.jakescitygrille.com/
After a long week of presenting software from early to late, it was time to go celebrate the task was done. Unfortunately, I had lost my voice near the very end of today and can no longer talk. We went to another local place that is a nice, casual, upbeat joint; billed as ‘urban sophistication’. Since my throat was shot, I ordered my food by typing it out on my iPhone for the waitress to see; worked great, maybe I should try this method more often.
I ordered one of their ‘favorites’, the Pecan Crusted Walleye. I just love Walleye and always have to get it when I come to MN. This piece of fish was covered in crushed pecans and pan-fried so that it was crusty on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. It was served with a huge stack of garlic mashed potatoes; no way I could even think about eating all of that. Even though my throat was hurting, the fish tasted great. I added some hot tea to try and help; didn’t really but was good anyway. Nice place to eat.
Rating: 8.5

Dining with David: The Blue Door Pub

The Blue Door Pub – St. Paul, MN – March 7, 2011
http://www.thebdp.com/
Several weeks ago, I was able to try the famous St. Paul special of the Juicy Lucy at the 5-8 Club. Now, on my return trip, I thought I might go across town/river and try the almost as famous Juicy Blucy. From my prior post, the Juicy Lucy is a burger with the cheese cooked inside the patty. So, the Juicy Blucy is similar but with a twist of bleu cheese.  I went to the famous Blue Door; yes, there is actually a blue door.
I ordered the flagship original Blucy which is bleu cheese and garlic stuffed into a half-pound Angus beef patty. I dressed it up with two slices of thick-cut bacon and BBQ sauce with homemade onion rings thrown in. Now, this burger is large, in fact, I had to pull off an onion ring just to eat it; I was also able to make two meals out of this one burger. Unfortunately, I must have had high expectations as it was impressive in looks but only good in taste. The bleu cheese is a nice touch; but that is all you can taste. The bun will not hold the burger, falls apart. The onion ring was basically non-existent and the ‘Angus’ beef was just ok; no real smoky, meaty flavor. Surprisingly, the BBQ sauce was not bad and meshed well with the bleu cheese.
The building has great atmosphere; located in a small strip mall right across from residences in a little sub-division. This place will not hold many and right after we arrived, there was a line out the door; yes, in the 32 degree snow. We even had to park out back by the garbage dump; classy. Great atmosphere, good food. Another great experience.
Rating: 8.75

Travels with David: Mall of America

Mall of America –Bloomington, MN – March 7, 2011
http://www.mallofamerica.com/
Well, it has been probably 10 years since I got to visit the MOA for the first time and was spending a good bit of time in MN. I can now say that it is not quite as impressive as it was 10 years ago. It is still large and nice but other things have grown in the past years too; all just relative.
This massive place opened back in 1992 and is basically a city within itself. Where else could you fit 32 747 airplanes, 258 Statues of Liberty’s or 7 Yankee Stadium’s inside? This thing has over 500 stores along with an Aquarium, school, Lego Land, Nickelodeon Universe complete with rides, theatre, golf, comedy house and of course, tons of restaurants. I think the main reason they have this up here is they are able to keep a nice 70 degrees inside at all times; much better than outside. I only had less than an hour to visit and that was good for a good, quick walk, not a penny spent (that comment was for my bride; see I am trying).

Thought of the Week: March 5, 2011

“Patience strengthens the spirit, sweetens the temper, stifles anger, extinguishes envy, subdues pride, bridles the tongue, restrains the hand, and tramples upon temptations.”     ~ George Horne (Cleric and scholar)