Extended Kitchen Space

~Monday, January 31, 2022~

Day 596

Another errand day (sorry to be boring our devoted readers). But everyday is an adventure, life is an adventure, right?

I’m not sure what the impetus was in re-researching a new 2-burner griddle for outside, but we’ve been wanting this for some time, running into roadblocks due to the supply chain issues. It was something that I ordered for Jeff back in October for delivery by Christmas and it still remains on backorder. So Jeff took to the internet today, in hot pursuit of finding his new toy. Originally, Jeff wanted a tabletop design that still appears to be unavailable. What WAS available was the griddle with its own stand for $100 more. So after all the research, off to Sportsman’s Warehouse we went to purchase our new Blackstone 22-inch outdoor stove. Wow, what a step up from our previous Camp Chef brand. This thing is built like a tank. In fact, we got Shane the 4-burner version for home use and he can’t say enough positive things about it. I’m also looking forward to not having everything cooked inside the trailer, especially the greasy stuff.

While we were checking out, our young sales associate made it a point to tell us she was not on her cell phone for personal reasons, but using it to look up the best price (they price match). “Using cell phones in front of customers is very rude”, she said. I can’t tell you how refreshing that was to hear and so nice that some of the younger generation actually believe in cell phone etiquette.

Next was my mission to find a new pair of walking shoes. Destination REI (our favorite store). Since we do a mixture of pavement and rocky dirt trails, I wanted to save my trail runners and hiking boots only for dirt trails. Pavement wears them out way faster. Not really knowing what brand I was going to go with, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the La Sportiva’s were. Jeff swears by them, so I thought I’d check them out. These are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever put on. It’s official……they have a new customer! I’m also a big fan of Vasque, Oboz and Salomon. But for everyday walk about shoes, I’m digging these La Sportiva Bushido’s. Comfy, amazing tread, and cool colors.

Oh, and how convenient…..there’s a Costco just around the corner. While Jeff went to check out the gas situation (not all Costco’s have diesel), I stopped in to replenish our supply of AA and AAA batteries, promising myself it would be a quick trip. And it was. I think I was their cheapest check out of the day.

While Jeff drove the 30 minutes back to the campsite, I did a little Tucson research to come up with a list of what we want to do while we’re here. The area is known for its hiking and biking trails. One bike trail looks particularly intriguing…..“The Loop” Scenic Bike Path that takes you east to west or vice-versa, for 100 miles along the river beds of Tucson. Not that we’ll be conquering 100 miles, even just doing a part of it appears very worthwhile. Along with all of the touring we’ll be doing, we’ll also be checking out some hidden restaurant gems. Evidently there are about 35 restaurants that have been awarded the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) City of Gastronomy certification due to Tucson’s 4,000+ years of agricultural history, festivals and confluence of cultures. This label also encourages other restaurant owners to step up their culinary game. Can’t wait to be executing the list.