Here at Vickers Ranch, carnivorism is a way of life and a vegan is as popular as a pork chop in a synagogue.

On Wednesday evenings, everyone gathers on Gold Hill, a breathtaking spot overlooking Lake San Cristobal and the San Juan Mountains.

Slabs of meat (mostly beef) are grilled to perfection on a cowboy-style, wood-flame grill and home-cooked potluck dishes grace the sidelines.

Since 90 percent of Lake City’s visitors consist of Texans and Oklahomans escaping the brutal summer heat, potluck dishes tend to be buttery, eggy, cheesy and fried. . . and usually damn good.

Just two days later, the Vickers family holds another weekly get-together at the Friday night burger feed. You’ll find me babysitting the lonely veggie burger on the grill. Beans with bacon, chips and a five foot table filled with tasty potluck deserts complete our Friday meals.

A vegan can’t fall farther from the wagon than when visiting a dude ranch. Last week, one couple invited us to their cabin for dinner. On the menu: freshly caught rainbow trout appetizers. The husband was so proud of his catch, and the dish really was pretty….how could I resist?

Eating any kind of beef, poultry or other living creature is off-limits for me, but I refuse to be the kind of VegaNazi who can’t be open-minded enough to let loose once and a while and eat vegetable dishes that have been co-mingled with animal products.

I tasted the best homegrown Texas black-eyed peas simmered in a bacon broth this week. Was I going to miss the opportunity to experience a local culinary treasure, home-grown and handmade by a guest? Nope, not me.

Call me a hypocrite, but I’m going out of my comfort zone and loving it. Will this make me a carnivore after 22 years of not eating meat? Never. Just open-minded enough to know a good thing when I see it.

Have you ever found good beer bottles or cans tossed by the side of the road?

From bargain beer to fast food remnants, the garbage that weekenders carelessly toss onto the county road near our place is a sad indicator of the way they treat their communities and their bodies.

As we take our daily run we find cans of Coors, Bud or Keystone (ugh), but we’ve never once seen a good microbrew bottle or can that was chucked from someone’s vehicle. What does that say about the typical consumer who likes pisswater beer?

Cigarette packaging also makes up a good majority of roadside garbage. And as for fast food containers, just look for the Golden Arches.

Personally I think there should be a garbage tax imposed on anyone who buys cheap beer or takeout from crappy fast food joints. Don’t you?

Editor’s Note: I vote for a garbage tax on these things for the same reason that many cities charge consumers for plastic grocery bags.  Not everyone lets their bags blow all over the landscape, but a large majority DO pollute our world. The same holds true for cheap beer, fast food and cigarette packaging.

When I last sat down to write what I thought would be one of those informative posts, we got the news about Chris. Nothing else seemed very important at the time. One thing my friend always exemplified for me was a sincere passion for life. Enjoy the things you love with those you care for and live it to the fullest.

Kudos to the Arkleys for putting out such an awesome spread at the memorial service. But as vegan-like we may try to be at home, I get passionate about a good steak once in a while. Some of the best I’ve ever had dining out have been at the AA Bar and Grill, and I didn’t get mine the last time we passed through Eureka

Considering we don’t know when we may make it back to the Lost Coast again, we headed to an old favorite for a couple gin and tonics. With a yearning for a good piece of char broiled meat, I quickly jumped at Rene’s suggestion we get something to eat. We settled for a surf and turf option with fried shrimp and “a bit of both” – onion rings and french fries.

The name alone first drew me to this dark friendly bar in the shadow of the Humboldt County jail. I just always liked the idea of getting drunk at a place called the AA.

Back in the day, it was within walking distance from home so that was a plus. But it was the steaks, service with a smile, and the fact that the AA has the only functioning shuffleboard table in town that kept me coming back.

Location and outward appearances alone may scare away some from even entering the Double A, as some prefer to call it. But where else can you get an excellent steak and a good stiff drink while enjoying a laugh with friendly locals?

I always wanted one of the AA t-shirts with a logo resembling that of Alcoholics Anonymous. Once again, however, I passed up the opportunity, unable to decide between that and their new shirt with the slogan Best Piece Of Meat in Humboldt County.

Legend has it that one could once get a free drink and half off your steak on the day they got out of jail at the Humboldt Hilton across the street. I for one don’t ever care to confirm that legend.

While enjoying our meal, Rene observed an older couple having a great time. Determined to find out their secret to happiness, she joined them briefly to ask. Turns out they were Ambrosini cousins – a name that goes way back in Humboldt Heartland, kinda like the AA.

Enough of all that healthy food talk. Here’s to another one of the best burgers in the country!

We first frequented the Ice-Burg Drive-in when visiting Walla Walla, WA with Jerry over a dozen years ago. And before you ask, yes I spelled that right – Ice Burg as in burgers, get it?

Before I go digressing again, suffice it to say that Ice-Burg serves one of the best burgers, and many of the best shakes I have ever enjoyed – both in terms of flavor and atmosphere. And by atmosphere, I do mean the atmosphere because the only seating at Ice-Burg is a round picnic table outside the small joint with dual drive-up windows. A true burger drive-in if there ever was one.

Without a website* – at least that I can find – to research the history of the Ice-Burg Drive-in, I can tell you that it has been around a really, really long time. Plenty of web reviews for Ice-Burg hamburgers reflect on the nostalgia of the place being around in the fifties and sixties. But it was my dad who originally told us to eat there, and he left for West Point some time in the forties! (He also liked to use exclamation points.)

Ice-Burg Drive-In
616 W Birch St
Walla Walla, WA 99362
(509) 529-1793

Sadly, I am at a loss for any data I was hoping to find comparing dates of operation of Walla Walla’s Ice-Burg Drive-In to the original McDonalds or In and Out locations. So let’s just say, it’s been around longer than both. If I am wrong, screwm! (Another favorite saying of Dad’s.) The burgers, fries and shakes at Ice-Burg are still better, by far.

To enjoy the full Ice-Burg experience get there just before the dinner rush, call that dusk. Park down the street and stroll through the quaint Walla Walla neighborhood. Order a cheeseburger, fries and shake at the walk up window and sit at the picnic table. You’ll have your meal in time to watch the cars line up, out the driveway, down the alley, and out of sight.

The burgers are pure unadulterated goodness – flavorful beef cooked just right, with crisp Iceburg lettuce, fresh tomato and onion on a white bun. The fries are crisp and lightly salted. And the shakes, well, there is only one issue with those. With many fruit flavors, coffee, caramel, and other specialties to choose from, you may have a tough time deciding which one to get. Whatever your preference – I like chocolate – be sure to get a spoon. My dad loved milk shakes and malteds, but I always thought it was weird how he never used a straw. Now I know why.

This is not your trendy $9.00 gourmet burger trying to make up for flavor with a big seeded bun, Pasilla peppers and guacamole. I sincerely doubt the Ice-Burg menu has changed much over the years. Although yes, now you can get a veggie burger! The only thing I will never understand is how people will wait in line at the neighboring Jack in the Box drive-in, with such an honest home town burger across the street.

So, where was your best burger? (Home cooked doesn’t don’t count!)

*Don’t be fooled by the IceBERG website link on GoogleMaps. How dare they hijack the listing for such a small town American icon!

Going through seven Western states in less than two weeks is faster than we usually travel.

But we’re on a schedule and meeting up with West Coast Tripawds between Washington and San Francisco over the next two weeks, all before Thanksgiving.

Despite boondocking in parking lots and making do with just water and electric in other places, I’m doing my best not to abandon the healthy, semi-vegan eating habits I adopted back at Jerry’s Acres, after NuRVer Sara introduced me to the “How It All Vegan cookbook.

Adopting a vegan diet has always been something I wanted to do, because I’ve never felt completely at ease about eating fish and dairy products. But I’ve continued to eat these things to keep the peace between Carnivore Jim and I in the kitchen.

However, once one of us (who shall remain nameless) was told he had high cholesterol and potential pre-diabetes, I knew it was time to get serious about cutting the animal products and processed crap out of our diet.

Vegans have always been a side-show curiosity to me. My initial impression of them was that they always seemed to be the hippy dippy ones in the health food store who are sniffling and malnourished looking. I wondered how anyone could get by without eating some kind of animal fats and cheese.

But now I know my impressions were wrong. This awesome little cookbook has shown me that with some simple food item replacements (i.e., use apple sauce instead of eggs in baking), adopting a vegan eating habit is easier than it seems. It’s not all about tofu and flax oil either. And so far, neither Jim nor I have been sick since starting this diet. Jim’s also dropped some serious weight too.

Upsides to the vegan diet while living in an RV:

• I’ve got tons more room in the fridge and freezer, because it’s not filled with dairy products.
• Our food bill is less now that I’m not buying $4 blocks of cheese every week.
• Most meals are so easy to prepare, making cooking and cleanups while boondocking a snap.

Jim isn’t thrilled with everything I’ve made out of the cookbook, but he’s being a good sport as always, and eating what gets served when I’m in the kitchen. I know he won’t admit it, but even he feels better now that his arteries aren’t weighed down with the fatty foods. On the special occasions when we do have sweet stuff laden with sugar, it tastes twice as nice.

Here’s one of my favorite recipes from the How It All Vegan cookbook. See how simple eating vegan is? Try it while you’re on the road, it doesn’t get much easier or tastier than this.

Tanya’s Asian Creation

• buckwheat noodles (enough for 4 people)
• 2 cups cubed squash (butternut is my favorite)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb. medium tofu, cubed
• 1-3 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 stalks green onions, chopped
• 4 tbsp flax oil
• Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (garnish)
• gomashio (garnish made with ground up sesame seeds, salt & kelp)

In a medium pot, boil the noodles in water on high heat. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, saute the squash in the oil on high heat for about 5 minutes, then add the tofu, pepper and salt. Continue cooking until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork. Add the onions, cover and set aside. When the noodles have finished cooking, rinse in hot water then place back into the pot and toss with the flax oil to prevent sticking. Place them into a bowl or on a plate and top with the squash mixture, then garnish with Braggs and gomashio. Makes 2-4 servings.

Anyone who lives on the California coast, and loves to bake, is spoiled rotten. I know, I used to be one of those lucky bakers.

When we lived in Eureka, I could whip up a sourdough starter in my sleep, and my French bread would taste better than almost anything I could buy at a bakery. I could follow recipes to the letter, and rarely would anything go wrong.

But then we moved on up in the world . . . to 8400′, and my breadmaking talents went to hell.

I tried using that expensive high altitude flour, and adding vital wheat gluten. I followed some high altitude baking tips, cut back on the yeast and salt, and added more liquid.

But bread baking tips are all anyone can give. High altitude baking is nothing but a big science experiment. I had a few successes while we were at our new house, but most of the time, my bread ended up looking like an exploded volcano.

Anyone have any high altitude bread baking tips you’d care to add?

Seems like whenever we are deprived of real ethnic food for a while, once we do get anywhere near it, we automatically head for the nearest Chinatown for some dim sum. In our travels, we’ve experienced five official Chinatown districts in: Seattle, Toronto, Manhattan, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Seattle’s Chinatown is the lamest ever. Some Chamber of Commerce people christened it Chinatown, but it’s really just a place on the rougher edges of town where a lot of Asians live. The city put up some tacky Chinese gates there, but we didn’t buy it. There’s not much to check out, and the dim sum was boring. It was a real disappointment when we visited last November, especially after being cut off from real Asian food for almost all of 2008.

Manhattan’s Chinatown was a good experience, but felt a little too modern and spread out. We haven’t been there for years though, so we’ll give it another try next time we ditch the rig and head into the big city.

Toronto’s Chinatown is the only one on the East Coast worth checking out. With three different Chinatowns in the greater Toronto area, there’s tons of great food, and lots of colorful scenery. We definitely got our dim sum fix there, in fall of 2007. The one thing we didn’t like about it is that it was just too darn big to see it all.

For the ultimate Chinatown experience in North America, head to San Francisco . Go beyond the tacky tourist gates and storefronts, and get to know the real Chinatown. Wander the tiny alleys, marvel at the architecture, and play liar’s dice at an old opium den.

But don’t be in a hurry, because in Chinatown, you go nowhere, fast. There’s so many people on the street, that navigating through the dense crowds takes patience and time. Several weeks ago we got our first real dim sum fix there since leaving California in 2007. We happily committed dim sum suicide at Gold Mountain. Go there.

And when you’re stuck in the crowds, you’ll forget you were ever trying to get anywhere, because you’ll be amazed at all of the crazy, completely unidentifiable food stuffs, like these.