Garlic Joe's

Mike and I are on the constant look-out for a great new restaurant to try. Yelp is a tremendous help with all of its user reviews. However, we encountered a not so well reviewed restaurant called Garlic Joe's. I have always seen it passing as I drove down PCH towards Newport Beach. I love garlic, and Joe's is a fusion restaurant of Japanese and Trendy American food. It is HEAVEN! The Albacore Carpaccio is so mouthwatering that Mike and I have to order 2 because we are not willing to share. The steaks are cooked perfectly, and garlic slathered all over everything. You must love garlic to love Garlic Joe's. With that said, it is one of my most favorite restaurants thus far. We frequent it often.

Travel Log: Sedona/Grand Canyon

Now that you've ventured out into your own backyard, sometimes its fun to see what the neighbors have to offer. Quick, relaxing, and inexpensive, that's how my love and I like to travel. We took the Route 66 route to Arizona. We stopped first at Flagstaff. We found a little local-owned restaurant there that provided the best mexican food I have ever eaten! We decided next to camp the Grand Canyon for a few days. In a word...majestic. You stand and wonder at the awe of what God and Mother Nature can create. It was much too cold to camp, but luckily there are quite a few lodges along the rim of the canyon that offer marvelous views of its south rim. We were unable to take the illusive donkey ride down, due to funds, but we of course found our way to the stables and a relaxing horse-back ride. We also found a quaint little town just outside of the canyon called Williams. The Route 66 old western town has seemingly hardly changed over the years. Small general stores and local BBQ joints were very much enjoyed as we took a stroll down old main street.

After a few days of relaxation, we headed down to Sedona for some local fun. Jeep rides over rocky red rock cliffs, more horse-back riding, cowboy cookouts, and the serenity of a small peaceful community amids the glow of the red rocks and suddenly we dreamt of our own ranch. The simple life really is the most fulfilling, I believe. We had a pleasant surprise in a dinner at Elote Cafe, a small 12 table Cuban restaurant with tapas so mouth-watering I could've eaten there every night of the trip. Their signature dish, elote, was so perfectly cooked and seasoned I fell in love with corn! We finally were able to camp a bit in Oak Creek Canyon, right next to a creek that flowed through the camp site. Though we were surprised to awaken to snow fall around our tent. Luckily, it only snowed our last night, and we reluctantly headed back home, taking with us the beautiful promise of another visit.