Today is our last full day in California with the Kleemans and the Smiths, which is a very sad experience for us all. We've not had the chance to share such a long time together for many years, and this summer has been a wonderful experience. It’s been a really great holiday; so good to spend with people and we’ve packed so much in.
We get up late and spend most of the day packing on and off. When we were first coming out we kept telling ourselves that most of things in our suitcases were gifts for people and therefore the bags would get lighter…it seems this is not the case as we cram everything in.
Lunch today is a long awaited treat; Will is taking us to “In ‘N Out Burger”. Anytime that we mentioned to friends at school that we were travelling to California they all responded “You have to go to In N Out!” In N Out is a burger joint with a difference as it focuses on fresh and good burgers rather than quick burgers. They started as a family firm but expanded to a few restaurants remaining popular, but they have only ever expanded to four states, all in the West of America. So we know we need to eat here now, rather than being able to grab it anywhere in America on our trip. The final exciting thing a out In N Out is that their menu only offers four items; a burger, a cheese burger, fries, chicken nuggets. Although these are the only the items on the menu there is an underground movement that suggests a lingo that allows you to order “off menu”.
We order a “double double” and “animal fries” with pink lemonade, this translates to being a bun that has two burger patties and two slices of cheese alongside fries that have thousand island dressing dripped on them before being laced with fried onions and topped with melted nacho cheese. Both are amazing. It was worth the wait and everyone we spoke to was right – you just can’t beat In N Out. We can hardly finish our meal even though we only ordered two animal fries to share between the three of us. Everything tastes good and you can tell that the burgers and even lettuce in them are fresh. As we leave Will explains why we didn’t use the drive in – apparently people are known to have run out of petrol whilst queuing!
Laura comes over to Lesley’s after work and we have a beer all together while looking at photos from the weekend. Laura is driving us and our luggage to Sacramento tonight where we’ll stay with them as our flight is very early in the morning. We say our goodbyes to Tom, Will and Lesley exchanging hugs and best wishes but jumping in the car so we don’t get too tearful. We’ve had such a great time here and came over with a two week break so we could really have the time to “do” California and now we’re leaving, wanting to return, as we realise we’ve only just scratched the surface.
Laura and Aaron have an evening full of our favourite things planned for us in Sac; burgers and beer. But not just any beer; homebrew and ales. First they take us to “Brew It Up” which is a microbrewery that must have nearly twenty beers on tap that they’ve brewed. Scott and I both go for the sampler which allows us a taster of four of their beers. We chose a range of colours and strengths that shows this place knows what it is doing. The place has a really interesting twist though as Laura shows us that they run “brew your own” events where groups can come, use their ingredients and equipment and then brew their own beer in the heart of the pub. It’s a fascinating concept and one that Scott and I really think could hit it off in the UK. It’s great for the homebrewer as the beer sits in the air conditioned room all the time and is monitored by the pub so you’re unlikely to get any dodgy batches. It’s also very good for the pub as while people are paying to use your equipment and brew their beer, they’re probably drinking your beer. Genius!
We’re not staying here for dinner and make our way to Burgers and Brews which offers a great selection of craft ales, plus a great range of delicious homemade burgers to boot. We don’t quite have our fill of real ale and so we end the night in the Shady Lady, a retro bar next door.
We stay up late on our last night with Laura and Aaron chatting.
We get up late and spend most of the day packing on and off. When we were first coming out we kept telling ourselves that most of things in our suitcases were gifts for people and therefore the bags would get lighter…it seems this is not the case as we cram everything in.
Lunch today is a long awaited treat; Will is taking us to “In ‘N Out Burger”. Anytime that we mentioned to friends at school that we were travelling to California they all responded “You have to go to In N Out!” In N Out is a burger joint with a difference as it focuses on fresh and good burgers rather than quick burgers. They started as a family firm but expanded to a few restaurants remaining popular, but they have only ever expanded to four states, all in the West of America. So we know we need to eat here now, rather than being able to grab it anywhere in America on our trip. The final exciting thing a out In N Out is that their menu only offers four items; a burger, a cheese burger, fries, chicken nuggets. Although these are the only the items on the menu there is an underground movement that suggests a lingo that allows you to order “off menu”.
We order a “double double” and “animal fries” with pink lemonade, this translates to being a bun that has two burger patties and two slices of cheese alongside fries that have thousand island dressing dripped on them before being laced with fried onions and topped with melted nacho cheese. Both are amazing. It was worth the wait and everyone we spoke to was right – you just can’t beat In N Out. We can hardly finish our meal even though we only ordered two animal fries to share between the three of us. Everything tastes good and you can tell that the burgers and even lettuce in them are fresh. As we leave Will explains why we didn’t use the drive in – apparently people are known to have run out of petrol whilst queuing!
Laura comes over to Lesley’s after work and we have a beer all together while looking at photos from the weekend. Laura is driving us and our luggage to Sacramento tonight where we’ll stay with them as our flight is very early in the morning. We say our goodbyes to Tom, Will and Lesley exchanging hugs and best wishes but jumping in the car so we don’t get too tearful. We’ve had such a great time here and came over with a two week break so we could really have the time to “do” California and now we’re leaving, wanting to return, as we realise we’ve only just scratched the surface.
Laura and Aaron have an evening full of our favourite things planned for us in Sac; burgers and beer. But not just any beer; homebrew and ales. First they take us to “Brew It Up” which is a microbrewery that must have nearly twenty beers on tap that they’ve brewed. Scott and I both go for the sampler which allows us a taster of four of their beers. We chose a range of colours and strengths that shows this place knows what it is doing. The place has a really interesting twist though as Laura shows us that they run “brew your own” events where groups can come, use their ingredients and equipment and then brew their own beer in the heart of the pub. It’s a fascinating concept and one that Scott and I really think could hit it off in the UK. It’s great for the homebrewer as the beer sits in the air conditioned room all the time and is monitored by the pub so you’re unlikely to get any dodgy batches. It’s also very good for the pub as while people are paying to use your equipment and brew their beer, they’re probably drinking your beer. Genius!
We’re not staying here for dinner and make our way to Burgers and Brews which offers a great selection of craft ales, plus a great range of delicious homemade burgers to boot. We don’t quite have our fill of real ale and so we end the night in the Shady Lady, a retro bar next door.
We stay up late on our last night with Laura and Aaron chatting.
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