The day started exactly how I like, hot coffee at my bedside as I slowly awoke. It quickly got even better after a call home to my dad for pre Father’s Day well wishes. After an okay breakfast we made a stop at a roadside attraction that we simply couldn’t pass. The World’s Largest Pistachio. It sure was a big one. After a quick picture with it we wandered through the gift shop until we came to the tasting bar. I had no idea there were so many seasoning possibilities for pistachios and my favorite was the lemon lime. Delish! We happened to be right on time for the 10:00 tour and hopped aboard the Pistachio Mobile. Our tour guide informed us on their vast wine and pistachio production. It was comparable to the Jelly Belly tour for those who have been on that adventure.
Our next stop was White Sands National Monument. I have never been anywhere like it and kept saying it was one of my new favorite places. Zak reminded me that I say that just about everywhere we go. The dunes were high and we had no idea what was beyond them until we climbed to the top. Once we got to the top of one all we could see were pure white sand dunes. It was stunning. The girls played in the sand, making “snow”men, doing cartwheels and handstands, running from peak to peak, and drawing in the sand. It would of been awesome to go sledding, but the weather didn’t permit it. It is definitely on my “return to” list.
One of our favorite podcasts (actually, it’s an investigative journalism program) is Whatever Happened to Pizza at McDonald’s. As you can guess, it is a very in depth look as to why McDonald’s stopped serving pizza in the late 80s early 90s. The investigator, Brian Thompson, discovers many more mysteries and works diligently to solve each one (including a murder!) The program is sponsored by Grandy’s, a small restaurant chain that combines casual dining and fast food. It was on Zak’s rtxviii bucket list to enjoy a meal and we were able to cross that off. The food and atmosphere were decent enough.
We are wrapping up a few hours worth of driving now and are keeping a close eye on the storms in the area. We are still planning on camping, but we do whatever is safest, of course!
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