Burger Tour – Columbia Gorge 2012

I wish it was a book tour, maybe someday. But yes, you read it right: Burger Tour, as in a lump of ground beef, two white flour buns on either side with a lot of ketchup, and if I feel adventurous a wedge of pickle. After all, I am conducting this tour with the Pickle Princess herself – Tonia Farman of the Farman Pickles. Few people realize that Tonia is from a pickle dynasty. She is more famous for her creation of Athletes 4 Cancer, an inspirational non-profit that helps cancer survivors rebuild their lives, but on food tours she’s the Pickle Princess in my mind. Let’s be real, I can’t conduct a food tour without a Princess in tow.

Let me give you a background. The first food tour I ever took part in was with the Pickle Princess herself in La Ventana, Mexico - a tiny tiny town that sits on the Sea of Cortez on the Baja Peninsula. Down there when the sky gets dark – I mean really dark – there are no city lights to dull the black nights, these little hot-dog carts roll out of nowhere and set up shop on random corners throughout town. They hang a glaring light bulb that dangles over the hot-dogs and precious toppings. With five gorgeous babes and one Pickle Princess at the wheel of a suburban that would never pass a state inspection as its missing at least one door, a few windows, and probably never had seat belts, I experienced my first food tour – the La Ventana Hot-Dog Tour.

Since neither the Pickle Princess nor I is heading down to La Ventana this year we are brining the Food Tour to the Columbia Gorge and we have chosen to tour the burger joints. If you don’t like meat – stay tune – our next tour will be chocolate deserts!

First stop, McDonalds. Well let me clarify – I just drove by. Their parking lot is not even worthy of the Pickle Princess, and I’m not ruining my palate with make-believe beef. But, I have to at least acknowledge that there is a McDs in the Columbia Gorge.

Second stop Trout Lake, WA Chevron Gas Station:

There is not much in Trout Lake, WA with a population of 848 people, but as you drive into the little town with big Mt Adams towering over there is a Chevron gas station. Attached and just around the back is a little restaurant with no name and a big wooden door with a crack at the bottom that oozes smells of burgers, bacon, and grease. I’m sure the place has a name, but the Pickle Princess and I couldn’t find the sign. Inside there are about four tables and bar with another six stools for seating. The walls are lined with license plates and old pictures of the White Slalom River flooding the town.

We went there on a random Wednesday night and the place was packed! Well, packed for Trout Lake – there was about ten people in there, the Pickle Princess and I rounded the count up to 12. Seating was slim pickings and with everyone staring at us we wedged ourselves into a little corner table. I’m undecided if the stares were friendly. Since I was with the Royal Pickle Princess they could have just been staring at her in awe that she was gracing their presence, but I’m thinking they were just a little shocked to see two girls with pony tails dressed in cute jeans and colorful tops invading their little-one-restaurant town. Nonetheless, people quickly returned their attention back to the burgers and the waiter brought us some menus with a nice smile on her face.

It’s important to note that there are different categories of burgers: gourmet, classic, and grease. And on this occasion we were most definitely exploring the grease category. Prior to even ordering you could feel the film of grease soaking into your skin – YUM!

I had the vision of asking where the meat was from, but the Pickle Princess made a good point, do we want to know? Alas, we never asked the questions. Instead, armed with numerous napkins we dug into the greasiest, juiciest burgers ever. I seriously went through ten napkins and washed it down with a huge chocolate milkshake! And yes, a pickle came on the side and I nibbled on it in between bites.

Without further ado our results are as follows:

Tonia – the Royal Pickle Princess’s Results:

Atmosphere: Priceless! Okay, scale of 1-10, I give it a 7.

Service: 4 - We were not exactly "welcomed" warmly; got the drinks after the burgers.

Burger (grease category): 8 - Temperature good, patty covered almost the entire bun, bacon was crispy & quality, cheese was a good cheddar, great bun, good green leaf lettuce and tomato was quality, just a little too much juice -- or was it grease-- dripping from it?

Fries: 3 - Too chewy and a bit thin for my liking for how chewy they were.

Extras: Chocolate Milkshake gets a 10!!

Sarah’s Results:

Atmosphere: 9 – I loved it! I’m a total sucker for the country store feel where there is barely enough room to turn around.

Service: 4 – I’m with the Pickle Princess on this one. To their credit, however, the place was packed and we got there 40 minutes before they closed.

Burgers (grease category): 9 – I wasn’t over exaggerating, I went through at least ten napkins. Grease was dripping from my fingers, covering my lips, and coating my taste buds! It will be interesting to see if any other burger in the Columbia Gorge can beat these guys in the grease category. And I agree with the Pickle Princess – good leaf of green lettuce.

Fries: 2 – I didn’t finish them and if I don’t finish my plate of fries you know they are not good because I always finish my fries. They were the skinny kind and just didn’t have that salty, crisp goodness.

Extras:  10 - Chocolate Milkshake was AMAZING! The best one I’ve ever had – seriously – AMAZING! Pickle was very good too: crisp and crunchy with just the right amount of dill. (You might be wondering why the Pickle Princess didn’t rate the pickle – it’s too much of a conflict of interest for her. Being from a pickle dynasty, she understandably cannot be an impartial judge of a pickle.)

Stay tune for Burger Food Tour number 3! Location is top secret but it has been decided! 

To view Sarah's middle grade fiction book click here: Paperback and Kindle 

The Wilderness Society

The Wilderness Society recently requested their facebook followers to share a great kid’s wilderness book. Which got me thinking about what book inspired me to get out into the wilderness. I really had to think. I had read so many great books, but I really wanted to share the one that inspired me the most.

The first book that came to my mind was C.S. Lewis’s Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. Narnia might not be a real wilderness, but it was real to me. I climbed through the wardrobe with Lucy. I felt the fur coats turn into pine trees. I saw the bright green grass fighting its way through the snow. From then on, every forest seemed like Narnia and drove my desire to go deeper into the forest to find beaver dams where perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Beaver lived or possibly catch a glimpse of the White Witch riding by in a sleigh. Although, CS Lewis’s adventures in Narnia were incredible it wasn’t my favorite. I kept thinking…what was my favorite book that had me running outside… And then it came to me.

The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in 1911 – my all time favorite book that truly sent me exploring.

The secret garden Mary finds is a fenced wilderness in her own backyard, but she also meets a boy named Dickon who is as pure as the greatest wilderness:

‘Would you make friends with me?’ Mary said to the robin, just as if she were speaking to a person. ‘Would you?’…[she] spoke in a tone so soft and eager and coaxing that Ben Weatherstaff was as surprised as she had been when she heard him whistle. 

‘Why,’ he cried out… ‘Tha’ said it almost like Dickon talks to his wild things on th’ moor.’ 

‘Do you know Dickon?’ Mary asked, turning around rather in a hurry. 

‘Everybody knows him. Dickon’s wanderin’ about everywhere. Th’ very blackberries an’ heather-bells knows him. I warrant th’ foxes shows him where their cubs lies an’ th’ skylarks doesn’t hide their nests from him.”

For me it was Burnett’s12-year-old Dickon that inspired me to run outside and try to talk to a bird or plunge into a deep lake with my eyes wide open so I could blow bubbles with a fish. As I got older it was still 12-year-old Dickon that inspired me to kayak the Grand Canyon and explore the woods of Grand Teton National Park. And today, it is still 12-year-old Dickon that has shown my heart that we can see the spirit of a tree, hear a river breathe, and fall in love with the soul of a mountain. Dickon only exist on paper, but his spirit – the wilderness he represents – inspired me to cherish each moment I get in the wild and to forever fight to protect it.

Thank you Wilderness Society for making me think of what book inspired me to get outside the most. It was a fun trip down memory lane. You should try it! And if you have the time, please share with me here or on facebook what book inspired you to play outside cause I want to read it!

To view Sarah's middle grade fiction book click here: Paperback and Kindle 

We celebrated Wyatt's third birthday this weekend tailgate style.

Lot's of dirt, bikes, and cupcakes!

I'm a mother of a three-year-old - CRAZY!

To view Sarah's middle grade fiction book click here: Paperback and Kindle 

Is America Capable of Achieving the Impossible Again?

Neil Armstrong - a true hero - achieved the impossible. He walked on the moon.

America achieved the impossible when Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

Is America capable of achieving the impossible again? Are we as individuals capable of achieving the impossible again? I hope so, and I dream that the next giant step for mankind is a world fueled by the sun and wind. I hope and dream that America puts the same energy it put into landing on the moon toward a complete commitment to clean energy. Imagine an America where we achieved the impossible again - not just an independence from foreign oil, but from all oil, coal, and gas.

The next giant step for mankind - a world fueled by the sun and wind.

To view Sarah's middle grade fiction book click here: Paperback and Kindle 

Join me for one last summer read!

The Ancient Realm is

FREE

on Kindle from August 24th -28th

click HERE to download a FREE copy.

Agnes Island, where it all started:) 

Please note that you can still read Kindle books even if you don't have a Kindle: There is also a program called Kindle for PC that will allow you to download it from the Kindle store and read it on your PC, a program called Kindle for Android that will allow you to download it from the Kindle store and read it on your Android device, and a program called Kindle for Mac (available from Amazon and Apple's App Store) that will allow you to download it from the Kindle store and read it on your Mac computer, iPad, or iPhone.

Instead of blogging on Sunday I went surfing at the Oregon coast... sorry, but it was really fun:)

Wyatt thought about trying to surf:)  

Finnegan spent most of the time sleeping in the ergo:)

To view Sarah's middle grade fiction book click here: Paperback and Kindle 

I absolutely LOVE Nancy Tillman's work. I believe her books will be enjoyed for generations. Although they are pictures books, her words are ageless and her messages are beautiful. Here is one of my favorite passages:

From your very first day, you were chosen to glow in a very big way! With your crown made of glittering, high-flying things, you've got wind in your pockets, your wishes have wings. You can run like you mean it...so, let the wind blow...There's no telling how high you can go! Whatever it is you choose to do, no one can do it exactly like you. Ride on the big slide! And if you fall down, remember your glorious, marvelous crown. It won't flicker or fade. It won't dim. It won't leave. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE. The Crown on Your Head, Nancy Tillman, Feiwel and Friends

Have a great week everyone! Big Smile, Sarah