 I've lived and flown in other parts of the country and few have the destinations we have in Southern California. None have the diversity in airports with Island, costal, mountain and desert destinations all within 50 miles. SoCal pilots are very lucky pilots! I regularly get email from those wanting a recommendation for a destination. Below are my top five destinations for Southern California broken down by different request I get. Most are within 250 miles of the Los Angeles Basin. Here's my Rating System with five Super Vikings being best!
Top Five Destinations for
Breakfast.
The ratings below are based on: ► The quality of the food. ► Access to the restaurant. ► Fun destination, view inbound to the airport. ► A view of the runway.  The Barn Storm Restaurant
in the Big Bear Airport Terminal is one of
my favorites. The kitchen is a little slow but I love to sip coffee
and critique other pilots landings. The food is real good and just
how many Alpine Lakes do we have in SoCal?
Las Vegas Henderson Airport. Up stairs in he terminal building.
Great view of the jet ramp and Henderson has it's share of jets. The
Kern Valley
Airport Cafe isn't much for looks but their breakfast is very good.
They do something different with the omelets and I can't put my
finger on it. I've never had lunch here but I hear it's very good.
The cafe will rent cars to pilots too. Make that pilots only! The Mile High Cafe on the
Hesperia Airport is a good stop
for Breakfast or Lunch. Honest to God the Enchilada Omelet alone is
worth the stop. Home made salsa and flour tortillas makes it all the
better. Parking here is tough and the taxiways are narrow.
No
list would be complete without Flo's on the Chino Airport. You can't
see the runway. Parking isn't close and you might have to wait for
someone with airport access to return to your plane. All that said
it's a good old fashion breakfast place. You'll never find low
calorie items on the menu but if you went to Flo's you're not
looking for one.
The ratings below are based on: ► The quality of the food. ► Access to the restaurant. ► Fun destination, view inbound to the airport. ► A view while dinning. The
Furnace Creek Inn does a very nice
brunch with a view of the valley below. Suggest you make
reservations because they book up during the busy season. Open
October though Mothers Day. Free transportation to the Inn. You
can't see the runway from the restaurant but it gets 5 Super Vikings
anyway.
At Gaston's White River Resort you
can't beat the interior atmosphere or the view out the windows.
Your final approach takes you between trees into a well
maintained grass runway. After landing walk across the the
street to the restaurant which over looks the White River.
(Disclaimer - Not located in the southwestern US.)
The Radisson Santa Maria does a real nice brunch. Park right in
front of the restaurant and enter directly from the flight line.
This is the place to take the wife on her birthday. Get a
seat where you can watch the runway. The Golden Cantina on the
Rosamond Airport has a very good
Sunday Brunch with above average Mexican food. Park right in front
of the patio. Most seats overlook the runway.
Old Juan's Cantina in Oceano has Sunday Brunch. It's really more
like lunch at 10:00am but the food is good. A 1/4 mile walk. No
view,
The ratings below are based on: ► The quality of the food. ► Access to the restaurant. ► Fun destination, view inbound to the airport. ► A view of the runway. Waldo's BBQ at
Havasu City Airport. Very good BBQ in a nice
setting. Try the sampler with three kinds of meat and endless sides.
The desert between Twenty Nine Palms and Havasu is very pretty
flight too. Try to walk in from the ramp without a golf card
offering you a ride.
Harris Ranch, it's all about the beef. Harris Ranch is famous for
the beef but other menu items are good too. After landing just a
simple walk across the parking lot. The Hangar 1 Cafe on the
Hemet-Ryan Airport could have made the
breakfast list but I find their lunches are even better. Sandwiches
and sides are very good, Sweet Tea too. I always get the special and
have never been disappointed. Bambi owns the place and you never
know what kind of pies she'll come up with. When you hear Plum Pear
that isn't a choice, it's one pie.
The Harmon Rocket Shop Cafe on the
Bakersfield Municipal airport does a good breakfast but a even
better lunch. Park right in front and enter though the patio.
The ratings below are based on: ►The ride there and the sights to see enroute. ►Ease of landing and parking. ►Ease of securing transportation once you arrive. ►The WOW factor.
Avalon Airport and Catalina Island. Go early and catch the van to
Avalon, spend the day. The last van back to the airport is at 4:00pm.
Furnace Creek in the winter.
Rent a jeep and
see the sights.
Grand Canyon West and the Glass Skywalk. It's a littlie pricy but
worth it. Make sure you walk out to the end of Guano Point too. Go early and
off season!
Sedona Arizona and the Jeep Tours. Pink Jeep Tours will pick you up
at the airport. Best views from the airport. This place gets extra
points for the ride down final.
Santa Ynez and Solvang just so the wife gets included in the
airplane thing. Some good places to eat and there are husband
benches in front of most stores. Make sure and get a big bucket
of cookies. I usually arrive home in sugar shock! Mariposa
Yosemite only gets 3 Super Vikings because it requires a rental
car and an hour driving. It a greattrip especially in the fall when the crowds are down and the leaves are turning.
|
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
