Keys Creek Lavendar Farm

Not too far outside of San Diego, just north of Escondido, there is a beautiful lavender farm called Keys Creek Lavendar Farm (http://www.kclfarm.com/).  From Mission Valley, its a short 50 minute drive to this quaint little area full of various types of these purple blooms.

We took an early drive this morning to make our first visit . . . and now I wonder why it took us so long to get there.  The staff is friendly, they have acres of land to walk through and explore, and a great selection of lavender based products . . . who would have thought of Lavender Body Mist?  Well, I guess people who grow lavender.

If you check out there website, they have lots to share . . . even recipes you can make with lavender . . . like their herb goat cheese tart!

Anyway, being the shutter bug, i wanted to share with you these beautiful flowers . . . I am not even sure i did them justice.  If not, take your own ride up north and see for yourself.  There are lots of other places to visit like Rincon Casino, Lawerence Welk Village, or, take the long route home and go west towards the coast and drive south on 101 through Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solano Beach, etc.  You won't be disappointed.

Oh, go earlier rather than later . . . although it was a nice 72 degrees this morning, it was getting warmer.

Fort Collins Brewery Crawl

I spent a wonderful spring afternoon with my brother, his friend, and step dad doing a brewery crawl in Fort Collins, Colorado.  We visited 4 breweries and each of the four breweries had their own unique character.

Funkwerks - www.funkwerks.com/‎

A small and friendly brewery.  They had Munichesque picnic tables out side set up for everyone to enjoy the pleasant weather and the brew.  Their sampler had 5 brews and was reasonably priced.  I love 2 of them, like 1, and two of them were passable if mixed (like a cheap wine).

 

New Belgium Brewery - www.newbelgium.com/

A BIG brewery (and from what I understand, it keeps growing).  Although the bar itself was big, it wasn't big enough for the crowds.  There was a really cool self guided tour that was worth checking out . . . it even showcased their solar powered enhancements to be more green.  I had a pale ale and it was pretty refereshing.

 

 

 

 

Odells Brewing- odellbrewing.com

A brightly lit brewery which was not too crowded . . . and a live band to boot.  We sat, drank our delicious brew and played some poker.   I enjoyed the double pilsner immensly but sampled the Lugene Chocolate - that was flavorful but not something i'd drink on a regular basis.

 

Fort Collins Brewery - www.fortcollinsbrewery.com

By the last stop, i was a bit buzzed and quite hungry.  I had a sampler but by this time, had the barkeep select the  version because i was in no shape to pick.  However, what i did choose to eat was the bacon wrapped pretzel served with stone ground mustard . . . a perfect Bavarian style treat.

If you get the chance, take a brew crawl.  Be responsible and have a designated driver, but gather a few friends and prepare yourself for some laughs and a memorable afternoon.

 

Sunset Market in Oceanside, CA

If you like farmer's markets and you are ever in the North San Diego County (Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, San Clemente, etc), then you need to spend some time and visit Oceanside's Sunset Market on Thursday evenings (http://www.sunsetmarketoceanside.com/).  Sunset Market on Google Maps

It started out as a small gathering of vendors several years ago, and as all successful things do, has grown into quite the event.  I honestly haven't there in two years, but yesterday the weather was wonderful and I wanted to get some fresh produce so we headed out.

The market has grown from just 1/2 a block to four full blocks of local artists, food vendors, and musicians.

This particular night, there were three bands playing by 6pm.  Lightning Train was on the main stage throwing  out older classic country songs

This particular night, my son had some delicious meat pies that reminded me of my grandma's chicken pot pies.  My wife had a delicious Thai rice / chicken / coconut milk dish from the Thai Chef.  Me?  I had a delicious Gyro from Arsalan's Greek.

I purchased a few GIGANTIC lemons from one of the produce vendors at 3 for a $1.  One of these lemons is twice the size of those found in my local grocery store and 60% of the cost.  Good Value!  They also had ripe avocados, fresh cucumbers, and lots of great looking asparagus.

If you are interested in selling your own art, food, or product, check this place out. http://www.sunsetmarketoceanside.com/VENDORS/VENDORS.html

We left before the sun had gone down but the streets were getting busy.  What a nice way to end the day after a hard day's work.  My suggestion is just get out, support our local talent, enjoy a great mix of delicious food and spend some time with friends and family.