The historic downtown area of Yuma has much to offer.  First thing was to take a photo of the sign that reads "Welcome, Yuma-Gateway to the Great Southwest".
We visited Desert Olive Farms located at 224 Main Street.  Grace Benson Edgar, managing partner, greeted us and explained that the store is relatively new but that interest in planting olive groves in the region is expanding.  We did taste  the extra virgin olive oils, some plain others flavored with herbs and spices.
Wine Shops are a magnet for this Writer so we made a quick visit to Old Town Wine Cellar located at 265 Main Street.  Mike Shelhamer is proprietor and his store is well stocked with wines from many regions and countries
When we stepped into Lutes Casino for lunch we immediately knew this was our kind of place. Lutes is an institution in Yuma as a favored watering hole and bistro and has been so for fifty years.  We met and chatted with Bob and Nancy Lutes, a brother and sister team, who operate it with Bob's son, Michael.  The bar and restaurant is decorated from floor to ceiling with an amazing collection of memorabilia and artifacts.  But most important is that the food was outstanding and our tri tip sandwich memorable.  The menu is large and the service excellent.  Lutes Casino is located at 221 Main Street.   

This day in Yuma, among other adventures, we learned more about the birds and the bees thanks to David Mansheim, manager of the Bard Date Company.  We went to a date palm grove to learn how they are grown and produce their fruit.  There are male and female palm trees.  The male trees provide the pollen that seed the dates which only grow on the female trees.  In the grove we visited there were hundreds of trees with only one male tree for fifty female trees.
The bees hang out in the male trees.  Palm  trees grow an average of a foot a year and produce one crop a year with harvest in September.
That evening we journeyed to the Quechan Casino & Resort located west of Yuma just off Interstate 8.  It is a very large, lush complex of casino, 166 guest rooms, a huge patio with heated pool and unique Lazy River for floating about.
We were there to dine at the upscale Ironwood Steakhouse and were not disappointed.  The ambiance excellent, the cuisine memorable and the staff most professional. 
It capped a most interesting day.

Off for Yuma, Arizona to take part in the City's Centennial Celebration.  I have a golden rule for travel. It is to always know in advance were you are going to spend that night.
It was no problem this trip.  I was staying at the Best Western Coronado Motor Hotel.  When I travel an automobile is my security blanket.  The closer I stay to my wheels the better.  Which explains why I like motor hotels like the Coronado.  Parked two steps from my door the car is always available, necessary for me, since it is my closet, office and snack bar when I am traveling.
After the 300 mile drive I was happy to settle in my room.  Who could ask for more--a comfortable sofa, a desk just right for my computer, a refrigerator for cooling my water bottles, a micro wave oven, flat screen TV and best of all that king size bed.
So when I stepped into my room at the Coronado it was with the smug satisfaction that comes with clever advance planning.
Much more to follow on Yuma.

Last night I was one of the hosts when the Southern California Restaurant Writers staged their 40th Annual Awards Banquet.  The most interesting Astor Classics Museum and Events Center was the place where some of the regions top restaurateurs received their awards.
Named Restaurateur of theYear was Andrew Silber of the Whale & Tail in San Pedro.  Chef of the Year was Stefan Weck of the Highland Springs Resort.  In all some 528 restaurants received awards this year.
They ranged from five stars to two stars and were grouped in their own category.
The Southern California Restaurant Writers are a non profit organization and any proceeds from events are for culinary arts students scholarships.  Also individuals and restaurants donate to the program.  These are awarded in the name of the Doris Crandall Scholarship Fund each year to students at Harbor, Glendale and Orange Coast Community Colleges.  Also to culinary arts students are Riverside City College and San Bernardino Community College.

The Casa Del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica proved to be the perfect location for the wine tasting of the Grand Cercle des Vins de Bordeaux.  The Cercle Rive Droite was established in 2002 and then Cercle Rive Gauche  followed in 2013. Now combined the Grand Cercle showcases some 200 Bordeaux wines from both banks of the Gironde Estuary.
We met with Alain Raynaud, president and founder of Grand Cercle, who explained that the thirty nine wineries represented at the tasting included almost every region of both the right and left bank of the Gironde River.
Most of the winery tables were hosted by the winery owners and we had most interesting conversations with some of them while tasting their excellent vintages.  

Courses in culinary arts are very popular in Southern California Community Colleges.  Today I was at Los Angeles Harbor College to look in, once again, on their culinary arts program. As part of the program there is AM Harbor Bistro, a cafe where the staff are all students.  It is open for lunch Monday thru Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  On Thursday evenings a five course dinner is served starting at 5:30 p.m.
We were at the College to have lunch with Giovanni DelRosario who is director of the school's program.
And to present him a check of $1000 for student culinary arts scholarships.  The Southern California Restaurant Writers have had a scholarship fund almost since the organization was founded 40 years ago.  It is named the Doris Crandall Scholarship Fund in honor of the woman who founded the Writers group
Harbor College is one of five Southern California schools that will receive checks for students in culinary arts programs.
We enjoyed an excellent lunch which opened with onion soup, Potato Crusted Cod with Chive Butter Sauce and Asparagus, finishing with a chocolate brownie cake for dessert.  It was all excellent showing that the students are well on their way for culinary careers.
As Scholarship Chairman for the So. Calif. Writers I will be busy in the next two months visiting the other schools that are part of the program, presenting scholarships and attending graduations.

The Web has made exploring foreign places in ways unknown just a quarter century ago.  My Father was a subscriber to the National Geographic Magazine which was a great way for such armchair explorations in an earlier time.   From my earliest memories  I read every issue and then became a subscriber on my own  to this very day.
Which probably explains my consistently seeking wines from other parts of the world.  My recent exposure to some wines from Uruguay required further investigation.  In South America Uruguay ranks fourth in the wine producing countries which include Argentine, Chile and Brazil.
In Uruguay the ranking varietal is Tannat which Basque immigrants brought with them.  It is native to southwest France and parts of Spain.  In California there are only small vineyards of this varietal and these planted just  a few years ago.
 Tannat has a reputation of being difficult for the winemaker because of high tannins and so  is usually used for blending with other varietals.
The wines I tasted were blends of Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat with Syrah.  I found them interesting, quite distinctive and enjoyable.  The Winery was Tanterra from the San  Jose region in Uruguay and the wines well aged in both oak barrels and bottle.
Uruguayan wines are not easy to find in California, but I though, worth the effort.