Missing Peak Poppy . . .
After three straight days on the road down to LA, it was time to slow down a little and just stay in the area today.
We left the rig about 10:45 to have the lunch Buffet at the Shakey’s Pizza up in Palmdale. The last time we ate here was 7 years ago when we were here just about this time of the year. But Shakey’s goes pretty far back for Jan and I, and even further back for me.
Jan and I ate at the Shakey’s in Orlando several times back in 1967 when we were dating in Titusville, FL, and then later, after we were married and living in Birmingham, we used to eat at the one in the Roebuck area all the time.
But further back, when my family took a vacation out west in the summer of 1964, we ate at a Shakey’s in the LA area for the first time. In fact it was our very first time to actually eat at a PIZZA place. Before that if we ever had pizza it was an Italian restaurant in our area.
As a matter of fact Shakey’s was the very first franchise pizza chain, starting in 1954, peaking at 500 stores by 1974. But through a series of clumsy buyouts the number of stores declined to 221 by 1989. And now there are only 51 left in the US.
But, at the same time, starting in 1975, a Philippine conglomerate begin building Shakey’s there, where there are now over 500 locations in the Pacific Rim area.
Leaving Shakey’s, we drove up to Lancaster and then out west of town to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. When we were here 7 years the hills around here were alive with poppies. You can read more about it here.
Last time as we drove out into the gentle hills we could see the flowers from miles away.
You can see even more photos at the link above.
But this time though, not so much. This year all we saw were scattered patches left around, and not many of those.
Turns out we just missed Peak Poppy about 10 days ago during the Poppy Festival on April 22nd and 23rd when it looked like this.
What a difference a week and a half can make.
Heading back into Lancaster, we decided to soothe our poppy disappointment with pie.
Marie Callender’s pie.
Jan, of course, went with her favorite pumpkin, while I once again got their Double Cream Blueberry, and coffee as well.
And even better we got duplicate pies to take home to have for our dinner later tonight.
Really, really good.
And as well as pie, we also got see to see flowers, roses this time, as part of the restaurant’s landscaping.
Tomorrow we’re making a 345 mile trip to Flag City RV Park near Lodi. A long day, but at least it’s Interstate all the way.
Thought for the Day:
“I find nothing more depressing than optimism.” ― Paul Fussell
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