Yeehaw for Unclassiness!

This past week, my family and I have been going around town checking out different small sites and whatnot. Some things were good. Others, not so much.

One thing we did was go Trail Dust Town. We've been there before, but this time we went to try the Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse. First, we waited for the place to open (which is at 5 PM - 10 PM Monday-Friday and 4:30 PM - 10 PM on weekends) in a little bar right next to it. The bar was cute. Minors are allowed in, but not allowed to order alcohol, obviously. My brothers and I sipped on root beers from ADORABLE glass mugs in the shape of little cowboy boots while my mom tried the prickly pear margarita. I wasn't able to try it, as I am under age and unsure of the drinking laws here, but my mom says that it was absolutely amazing. It's been a few days and she still raves about it. It was a mighty purdy drink, too.  

As we waited for the restaurant to open, I noticed something peculiar - There were ties all over the place on the walls.  Apparently, this place is meant to be so casual,

that if you walk in wearing a tie, one of the employees  must cut off (yes, cut off) the tie from your neck with a pair of scissors. After that, it is stapled to the wall for all to see, and you must fill out a small piece of paper with your name and where you are from. This is stapled above the tie. Of course, there are plenty that show up with a tie specifically to have it removed (I saw a young boy do that while I was there). But it's still neat to see, and it definitely makes a statement that fanciness is frowned upon.

We were seated soon after the place opened. The atmosphere was cute, complete with big portraits of cows, wagons, one of John Wayne's outfits he used in one of his movies, and prints of famous photos of infamous cowboys, such as Billy the Kid and Jesse James. Speaking of the photos, that brings me to something I didn't like about the place, or at least the staff. While waiting for my food, I saw one of the workers bringing a family to their table, and get this: She actually said she didn't know who any of the cowboys pictured were. Not even the one of Billy the Kid. I'm sorry, but if you're going to work at a place that is so themed, PLEASE do some research if you know nothing about what you're working with. It's a benefit to you AND the customers.

Now for the food. Pinnacle Peak is a tad pricey. However their steaks were VERY tender. Almost too tender. They were a bit on the mushy side. The flavor was good, though. And VERY big. I ordered the Cowgirl Steak (smallest, yet still 16 oz.), and it was too much for me. It did also come with Texas bread with whipped butter (which was a bit too salty), salad, and ranch beans (which I didn't try, but my brother liked them OK). My grandma and another brother ordered the Wrangler Burger (just a basic cheeseburger) and liked it. Didn't come with any fries, though. Someone else ordered the salmon, but didn't like it. So, three others tried it, and they all agreed... it was very bland. Basically, cows seem to be the only thing they can really cook properly. But hey, it IS a steakhouse.

For atmosphere, I'd give it an 8 out of 10. The place looked a lot like an old West saloon. However I only saw ONE guy working there with a cowboy hat. THEY NEED MORE COWBOY HATS And I'll confess I have a thing for guys in cowboy hats).

As for food, I'd say  7/ 10. It was decent. Nothing super special, though.

And for food for value, maybe 7/10. You get a lot of food for a lot of money. The food wasn't fantastic, but wasn't horrible.

Pinnacle Peak is great to go for the experience, especially with a tie. Not someplace I'd go to over and over, though.


Photo taken by Hannah Moon

Bit of an Intro

Alright, so, I just moved here to Tucson from Sacramento (or as I call it, "Suckramento." Why? Because it sucks. I've lived there for 19 years and it sucked) and now I will be giving my thoughts and opinions on Sacramento vs. Tucson for a while. I'll also throw in some random blogs on random thoughts. Yay.

So anyway,  I'll start off with one of the things that first got my attention: the wildlife. Sac's got some birds here and there, plenty of squirrels, and teeny little groundhogs in some areas. Other than that, you really have to search for areas to find any significant, or diverse, wildlife. Not to mention, the only birds you ever hear in Sac are crows, seagulls, geese, and scrub jays, and that isn't too common. However, Tucson is teeming with wildlife. Instead of hearing the squawk of scrub jays throwing a fit at a squirrel or getting bombed by seagull poo, your are awakened each morning by the songs of mourning doves, chirps from finches, and the cute little "whoop whoop" sounds from scurrying quail. But wait, there's more. Javelina (pig-like creatures that aren't actually pigs, but look like them and are REALLY cute as babies, but kinda ugly as adults. Oh, and it's pronounced "Ha-ve-leena, not "Ja-ve-leena"), coyotes, snakes, tortoises, and various lizards all roam the area as well. Just sit outside for a little bit and you'll see things moving around quick. And the best part is that you don't have to be in the middle of nowhere to see it. You just have to be in your own backyard. Or front yard, if you don't have a backyard. My dad lived here in Tucson before California, and he tells of this random wild tortoise that used to scratch at his back door and ask for food each morning. My grandparents even have lizards the hang on the side of their fence in the afternoon and coyotes that bark at night nearby. And all this is right in the middle of the city, folks. No need to travel long distances to see desert wildlife. Just travel about ten steps to your yard, sit, and wait.

Another thing you don't need to travel far to see is the stars. Sacramento is NOT the place for stargazing. For one, you get lots of clouds through the year. I like clouds, but not when I'm trying to see stars. Suckramento is also a decent-sized city, which means lots of lights and tallish buildings, and lots of lights and tallish buildings means you'll see about 2-30 stars. Weeeeeeeee. Tucson, however, is quite different. The skies here are pretty darn clear most of the time, which is probably why the University of Arizona has observatories here, and why Arizona is fairly big on astronomy and astrobiology (a course that Sac doesn't seem to really pay mind to). There is also a law that street lights must face downward to keep light away from the sky and makes viewing the stars easier. There are also  few tall buildings here, which also helps. Even right in  the middle of the city, you can see a decent amount of stars. Nothing astounding, but a good amount. Not to mention it really doesn't take long to get to the mountains and more rural areas. There is the Kitt Peak Observatory on Mount Lemmon as well, which has public tours. Does Sacramento have all that? No it does not.

There are many many many other comparisons to make, but I certainly can't make them all at once. I'll give more in my next post. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go see how many constellations I can find (and actually name).