So, James and I set off in the truck to watch birds. We go through California, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada. On the first day we end up in a small town, Alturas, close to the Oregon border. We check into the Hacienda Motel. Both James and I have a strong sense of deja vu, mainly because the owner plus wife are perfectly weird.

Check the Sand Hill Crane motif.

We realize that we have stayed in this  motel before.

https://quietripple.wordpress.com/2015/01/05/hey-swede-burn-me-a-thick-one/

How strange is that, ending up in exactly the same motel in  the same tiny town with no planning nor malice aforethought ?

Anyway we go out to eat and happen upon one of the best restaurants in the world. Yes, we are talking about ‘The Brass Rail’ here.

The exterior is, um,  unprepossessing

Inside it is a western family restaurant run by Basque descendants. Lots of Basques came to California to herd sheep.  There is only one thing on the menu, which is a meal. The meal is homemade soup in big tureen with lots of homebaked bread, salad, a great dish of chick peas and pork and you do get to choose what kind of steak you want before you wade into ice cream and coffee.  You also get a carafe of red wine. It is wonderful, just simple food really well cooked and served up by nice folks.

Soup!

Vegetables!

Steak!

$26 all in.