Ree and Me

 On a trip home to West Virginia from Colorado, we made a side trip to Pawhuska, Oklahoma to visit Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman's Mercantile and Bakery. I'd read that the Drummond Ranch Lodge, where the Food Network segments are filmed, was open for tours certain weeks of the year. The Drummond Ranch is huge and we enjoyed the view. The 120,000 acre ranch is home to wild horses. At the Lodge, the hostess told us "Ms. Ree" has just cleaned out her props and set a table of ones she was giving away. I got the very pan she used on set! I loved seeing the kitchen at the Mercantile too.  2021

For more, check my food blog: http://cindyshealthymeals.blogspot.com.

Grain & Trains

As grain and train enthusiasts. we so enjoyed our first trip through Kansas. The scenery was spectacular. Ever town had a grain elevator, train yards and (at one time) hundreds of hopper cars filled with grain.l In Wilson, we ate Sunday dinner at a packed restaurant called "Made from Scratch".

 Jim Lawson at Kansas originals asked me to select 2 songs from his playlist. I chose "Blue Moon" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" He was a grain farmer and told me about the old days.

 
 

Mile High

 

When Greg and Michelle said they’d be visiting Denver from their home in Sweden, we packed up the car to go see them. What a fun time we had. We met them at their Airbnb and walked to Rye Society for lunch. After we splurged at a fancy donut store that looked like a gift shop. They walked to our hotel for dinner and we had a nice one at a nearby Greek Restaurant.

From our motel, we walked to the capitol the next day and posed for pictures at the mile high spot. We all enjoyed the cultural center and our lunch there too. Bob and I always gave leftovers to the kids to enjoy at breakfast. We watched James May in Japan shows and YouTube videos at their place.

On day 3 we met Michelle’s sister Christina and her new baby Samuel at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal for two fun trips along the 11 mile road. While we didn’t see buffalo, we did see mule deer and prairie dogs, not native to West Virginia. Another lunch at the Rye Society where the servers treated us like friends, then a fun trip to a Butterfly Pavilion.  There Greg and I took turns holding Rosie the Tarantula. We cooled off at dinner under a tent during a rain storm while Bob and I shared a Steak N’ Shake milkshake and they tested craft beers. What a joy it was to all being together.

July 2021