Los Angeles November 2024

Thursday, November 7, 2024 Day 1

We woke up early and got out of the house about 9 as our daughter drove us to the train station at St. Pierre de Corps. It was fortunate that we left so early since for most of the drive we were stuck behind a slow moving truck. Our TGV train arrived on time about 10:55. Maybe it was different track or a different train, but the ride was not as smooth as our earlier trip to Amboise. In any event these TGV trains are very expensive. To my surprise we had to change trains at a large station outside of Paris and there was a bit of confusion about the proper track to get our connecting train, but we successfully made the connection for the 11 minute ride to the airport. The airport lounge we had a pass to (the web site said it was "air side") was outside security, but we didn't know that and so after going through Security, we opted to eat a meal at an airport restaurant. Alternatively we declined to pay 75 euro for entrance to the Air France lounge. Probably just as well as I did not overeat. The flight was long, but uneventful. We were served two meals that were below the standards of my prior flights on Air France. I watched the end of the Count of Monte Crisco and read some. I was unable to sleep during the flight.

Our 10 hour Air France flight from Paris arrived in Los Angeles about 25 minutes early, but it took over an hour to walk through the tunnels, go through Immigration and pick up luggage. Then there was a long wait for our daughter to pick us up due to traffic gridlock at the airport. 

She drove us to her apartment and we missed the boyfriend who had gone to sleepdue to an early morning court appearance. We stayed up talking until about 12:30 am.

They have two cats.

Friday, November 8, 2024 Day 2

We got up late and our daughter made us smoothies for breakfast. Good stuff, but heavy on the peanut butter. We missed the boyfriend again since he had an early court appearance. We temporarily reclaimed our car and drove down to Hermosa Beach looking for an electric car charging station. When I left CA. in 2018 there were 18 free charging stations in Hermosa Beach, almost alwys in good working order, most of them ChargePoint. Now many of the stations do not work or are paid stations with companies I am not registered with. Perhaps the increase in EVs on the road has taxed the chargers. I finally found a working ChargePoint station on Valley Drive and we walked on the Greenbelt for an hour while charging.

We had lunch with the Hasses at the Blue Water Grill in Redondo Beach. I had eaten there several times during my Manhattan and Hermosa Beach tenures and it has been a consistently good restaurant. The weather was mild and we ate outdoors. The impact of time and extended separation I fear is beginning to have an impact on former relationships. We had a nice meal and pleasent conversation,  but although I have known and socialized with them for many years, we sememd to be less connected.  I guess some relationships don't do well with separation.

After lunch we drove up Sepulvada Highway, CA Route 1, and checked into the Best Western hotel in Manhattan Beach. Traffic on that street was worse than I recalled and reminded me why moving out of LA has benefits. The hotel was very nice. We were given a spacous suite and the room overlooked an interior courtyard. There was a level 2 charging station in the garage. I plugged in even though the charge was .50 per KwH. We then got back in the car headed to our son's apartment and into the teeth of rush hour LA traffic. It took us more than an hour to get to his Baldwin Valley neighborhood. He has a nice, basic apartment in an older complex in a majority minority neighborhood. Lots of double parked cars.

We drove to the Elysian Theatre on Riverside Drive for a comedy show. It is a small venue pushed up against the hillside. John C Reilly was the MC for the program which was celebrating the anniversary of the club. I felt it was a mixed bag of performers. We ate a late dinner at a Thai restaurant, Thai Taste Restaurant,  Good food and reasonable prices. After dropping our son off we arrived back to our hotel after 11.

Saturday, November 9, 2024 Day 3

The hotel offered a nice, hot breakfast, but we had to leave by 7:30 am to get my spouse to the airport for her flight back to SLC. We arrived at the airport before 8 am and I was surpried to find that it was crowded, although not gridlocked early on a Saturday morning. After the drop off I retured to the hotel to pack up and check out. $20 for parking. The underground garage had a charging station, but it charged .50 per KwH. Maybe reasonable in CA, but too expensive. Instead I drove to the Hermosa Beach library and parked and plugged in at the annex parking lot, which is only available to the public on weekends and in the evening. 

I then walked down Pier Ave out on the pier and then on the strand along the beach. I very much enjoyed the stroll. Lots of volleyball, the weather was very pleasant and this was one of the things that I missed in Utah. 

I was only able to spend an hour at the beach as I had a luncheon appointment at the Marmalde Cafe in El Segundo with three former female HR Directors I worked with at TRW/Northrop. Even thought we have had limited contact during the past few years we had a wonderful luncheon conversation. I guess work connections built over many years creates a strong relationship. We stayed and talked for 4 hours. 

I then drove back into the South Bay to check into the Ramada Inn. I figured less need for luxary since ny spouse was gone and I would essentially just be sleeping in the room. I thought that I had booked into a hotel at the south end of Redondo Beach in the shadow of Palas Verdes which we had previously stayed at and found acceptable. That turned out to be a Best Western now and it took me a while to discover that the Ramada Inn I had booked was further north in Redondo Beach on Sepulveda Blv'd. It was an older facility with small rooms, a parking area that was being resurfaced and underground parking. I checked in and unloaded my luggage and then took off to pick up my son and daughter. There was lots of late afternoon traffic  

Dinner with son, daughter and boyfriend at the Dirdawa Ethopian restaurant on West Manchester Ave. We were the first ones in the restaurant. Lots of spongy bread. Leaving one car in the restaurant parking lot we then headed out for a jazz show, but first we went the wrong way and traveled into Inglewood. Retracting our steps we found the intimate Sam First Bar, a small establishment on West Century Blv'd near LAX. Remarkably we found free on street parking. The venue was very good and the jazz was soothing. A one drink cover.

I purchased gasoline at an Arco, $3.95/gal and after dropping off my son I headed back to the hotel, first charging the car the the Hermosa Beach Library and then purchasing some Hershey bars at Smart and Final. They were all eaten before I left LA.

Sunday November 10, 2024 Day 4

The hotel had a very small breakfast area but a reasonably filling menu of foods. After breakfast I parked at the library annex charging lot and walked on beach while charging.

In the early afternoon I picked up my son and daughter while her boyfriend met us at the Acadamy Museum of Motion Pictures. It is located in a former May Company building adjacent to LACMA. We parked in the LACMA underground garage. It was $21, but it had multiple charging stations so I was able to fill the car's battery. The Museum opened in 2021 so I had never been there, although my daughter had. The Museum is dedicated to the history, science and cultural impact of the film industry. It had lots of items from movies and lots of snippets from movies. It left me wanting more movies and less exhibits, although the exhibit of Dorethy's shoes from the Wizard of Oz and its history was very interesting. I later learned that the shoes, which were on loan to the museum, were sold to an anaymous buyer for $28,000,000. Some people have too much money and this points to the gross wealth inequality in the US. Shades of the French Revolution. coming It also had a section on Jewish founders of the movie industry, of whom there were many.

We ate dinner at Versailles Restaurant, a cuban restaurant on Venice Blv'd. It is a chain restaurant which used to have an establishment in Manhattan Beach. I had eaten there but it subsequently closed. The servings were large and the food good. 

Again I did a late night car charge, at City Hall.

Monday November 11, 2024 Day 5

This was going to be a big eating day. so I skipped breakfast at the hotel.  I charged the car at the Hermosa Beach Library and then walked down to the Good Stuff restaurant in Hermosa Beach to have breakfast with three Indian princesses dads. Very nice getting together with them. I had been in intermittent contact with them over the years, but a lot of the conversation was catch up and about the daughters. All are about 10 years younger than me so they are still working and two had to leave before 11 to get to work, although today is a holiday. 

I retrieved the car from the charging station and drove up to Paul Martin in El Segundo for lunch with three former TRW/Northrop HR managers whom I had worked with extensively. They are all retired now and are occupying their time constructively. One has even married for the first time. It was a very nice lunch. The food was OK and the prices high.

I retreated to the hotel for a brief rest and then drove to Manhattan Beach to meet a long time friend  Burt at his house, which he said was undergoing its thrid renovation during his 30 year tenure there. We drove to the Wood Ranch in Manhattan Beach, a relatively new barbeque restaurant. He has fully retired and is full time into traveling and socializimg mornings in town. I ate way too much. After dinner we drove over to the Del Aire neighborhood in Hawthorne where two of his sons and others from the elementary school group of friends of which my youngest son was an active member, had purchased homes. They are launched in a traditional manner. My son had drifted away from that group in high school and further separated during and after college as he had gone to NYU, the rest of the group remaned in CA, and Burt wanted to know why my son no longer had meaningful contact with them. Completely different interests and lifestyle.at the Von's in Hermosa Beach

Charged the car at the Von's in Hermosa Beach 

Tuesday November 12, 2024 Day 6

Not much on the calendar today. Ate breakfast at the hotel and then found an empty charger in Valley Park near the Rotary club where we charged the first day in LA. I then walked through the park and past the Hermosa Vista School to the beach. After a few hours on the strand I returned to the hotel and worked for a few hours on my ski school registration since I needed to attend the in-person registration session in two days. I finally completed that, but I don't know if the difficulty was my inepitude or the system's problems.    

About 5:45 I began a  drive to Santa Monica's El Forno restaurant on Ocean park Blv'd. I had been there years ago for an Indian Princess Bat Mitzva. I had dinner with Gary and Ed, two long time basketball players in the games we played for 20 years on Sunday mornings. They are doing well and we had an enjoyable dinner which lasted until we closed the restaurant.

On the way home I charged the car at the Vons in Hermosa Beach. I didn't stay there too long. After I got to the hotel and packed, I took a late night walk along the starnd in Hermosa Beach. It was very quiet.

Wednesday November 13 Day Last day of the trip. Travel back to SLC Day 7

Checked out of hotel by 6:30. I had hoped to charge the car before driving to my daughter's for the car exchange, but I was unsuccessful since the Hermosa Beach charging stations were occupied and the Manhattan Beach station was not working.

It turned out that it was better that I didn't charge since by 7 am the 405 was very crowded and it took over an hour drive to daughter's apartment. She made me a smoothie and then drove me to the airport and then took the car back.

I had to pay $35 for one checked bag due to my $39 economy ticket, but the second checked bag was free since it was a full flight. Breezed through security with Clear and TSA. The 11:38 flight left on time and arrived in SLC about 2:30. I was picked up at the airport by spouse.

Moab and Beaver Creek - August 2024

Sunday August 4, 2024 Day1

Travel Day.  We left SLC at about 9 am and made charging stops at the Walmart in Spanish Fork, and Green River, Green River Coffee, before arriving at the Wyndham Moab resort about 2. This is a relatively new resort which I have bbeen trying unsuccessfully until now to get into. 

It was very hot. After unpacking and checking out the resort, we attempted to get some food. The first restaurant we went to, the Broken Oar, was closed on Sunday so we went to the Proper Brewing Company. A burger and beer place. My spouse had difficulty getting a smaller sized meal. She ordered the kids chicken, but it was deep fried. She finally eneded up with some chicken without breading. My burger and beer were good. Then we went to the City Market to buy some groceries for the week.

We experienced beautiful sunsets from our room and I swam in the infinity pool several times during our stay.

Monday August 5, 2024, Day 2

I had previously made a reservation for a timed entry at Arches National Park for 7 am. We got to the Visitors Center about 7:05 and breezed right in, but there were still many vehicles in the parking lot at the Delicate Arch Trailhead. I think reservations were not required if you entered before 7 am. 

Arches was designated as a national monument in 1929 and as a national park in 1971. It contains over 2000 natural sandstone arches and a variety of other unique geological resources and formations including pinncales, giant rock fins and seemimgly perilouosly balanced rocks. It has become so popular that from April through October one must make reservations to enter. during prime hours.

The Delicate Arch is the most popular arch. It can be viewed from several viewpoints, but to hike to this arch one must hike a 3.2 mile R/T trail starting at Wolfe Ranch. Very quickly the trail climbs up a steep slickrock slope before turning into a narrow rock ledge at the final approach to the arch. I was again surprised (this was our second visit to the Park) at the attire of many visitors, particularly their footwear I saw on the trail. Sandals, heels and shoes ill suited for hiking were common as well as the absence of hats, even at that hour the sun was becoming unrelenting, and water.

There was an elevation rise of 538 feet so we walked slowly taking in the views and it took us about an hour to get to the arch.

 

The free standing arch is the largest in the Park and has become a symbol of Utah. It is an option on the license plate. It is an option on license plates. The opening beneath the arch is 48 ft high and 32 ft wide. There was an unending stream of people going to the arch opening to have their picture taken.

After gazing at the arch for a while, we retreated our steps back down the trail this time taking a side trail to see the Ute Indian petroglyphs,

and the Wolfe Ranch cabin. In 1898 69 year old John Wolfe came out here from Ohio with his oldest son seeking a warmer climate. They built a sparten cabin and eventually grazed about 1000 cattle on native grasses. There was so much overgrazing that the native grasses still have not returned to their former volumn. However in 1906 when his daughter and her family came out, she was appealled at the state of their living conditions. In response to her demands they built the existing cabin which had a wooden floor and windows. However the six family members all lived in a single room. The Wolfes moved out of the cabin in 1910, first to Moab and ultimately back to Ohio. The cabin went through several owners before being acquired by the Park Service for inclusion into Arches.

We retruned to the car and drove further into the Park, stopping at Fiery Furnace where we interacted with a young couple enjoying themseleves on the road.

Then we drove a short distance to the Sand Dune Arch. That required walking through sand as soft as one would find on a beach where we again visited with the young couple and exchanged phographs.

We drove to The Devils Garden at the end of the Park road, but didn't hike into the garden. Instead we turned around and took a turn off to the Windows section. We passed the Pothole Arch and took a brief walk to the Garden of Eden. At the end of the road we hiked up to the Double Arch and around the north and south window arches.

About 1:30 we left the Park and took the short drive back to the hotel. I went for a swim and we had lunch and dinner in the hotel room.

Tuesday August 6, 2024, Day 3 

We woke up to a colorful sunset, ate breakfast in the room and left about 7:45 for the drive to Deadhorse Point State park.

We traveled state road 313 along a winding route and arrived at about 8:30 at Deadhorse State Park. It was a $15 entry fee, $5 discount for seniors who are Utah residents, but the Visitor Center was not open until 9. This 5300 acre park at 5900 feet elevation lies between Canyonlands NP and the Colorado River. It was established in 1959. Views from the canyon rims stretched for miles. The Park is a peninsula of rock atop sheer sandstone cliffs. The Point of the Park is connected to the mesa by a narrow stip 30 yards wide that is called the neck. It is extremely dry and is subject to extreme temperatures. We were experiencing the high ones. The vegetation grows very slowly and even the very old trees were short.

One explanation for the Park's name is that cowboys used the Point of the Park as a natural corral for wild horse and some of the horses were trapped there and died due to lack of water or food.

Instead of waiting in the parking lot at the Visitors Center we drove about a mile to a viewpoint at the neck of the peninsula looking out to Canyonlands NP. to the west and the Colorado River to the east. It was very dry and had a big sky.

We then retured to the Visitior Center, which turned out to mainly be a gift shop. 

After that brief stop we set out hiking the 5 mile trail that encompasses the east and west rim trails.We started on the east trail which at that point offered a view of the Colorado River and a disregarded warning to hikers. 

We then passesd the neck where we had parked and made our way to the Point, which offered very expansive views. As we made our way along the west rim we again overlooked the Colorado  River. By the end of the hike it got very hot. and we were staggering to the end of the trail back at the Visitor center. There we consumed vast quantities of water, ate lunch outdoors, still hot, but in the shade at the Visitor Center.

We left the park about 2 and returned to the hotel, where we rested, swam in the pool and ate dinner. 

Following dinner we charged the car at the Moab charging station, $1 service fee, and then returned to Deadhorse Park for a star gazing party. and talk by a Ranger. I am always amazed by the imagination people show in identifying constallations.

It was so dark that we could see the lights of Grand Junction CO., 150 miles away.

Wednesday August 7, 2024, Day 4

After breakfast in the room, we drove a short distance to the trailhead of the Colorado River trail. The trail runs along the Colorado River north of Moab and the southern border of Arches NP. We walked across the Colorado River

before taking a 3 mile round trip along the river seeing a several boaters in the river (in better weather this would be a good rafting trip) and passing several mostly empty campsites. It was getting hot so we got into the car and drove to Castle Valley. It was a senic and winding 16 mile drive to the village of Castle Rock. 

The town has a population of less than 350 people, but it has a post office, a church, a school and several commercial establishments. We took a short walk around what passed for a downtown and stopped for some refresehments.   

We returned to the hotel, swam and dinner in the room.

Thursday August 8, 2024 Day 5

We got out of the hotel about 7:00 am for the drive to Goblin Valley State Park. Stopped at Green River again to charge up the car. In total it was about a 90 minute trip. Goblin is in the middle of no where, no towns close by. There was no senior admission there so the entry fee was $20. There wasn't a Visitors Center.

Even though we arrived at Obervation Point by 9 it was already very hot. There were some critters hanging out in the shade.

We took the Carmel Canyon Loop trailhead and also walked on the Three Sisters spur. It was about a 1.5 mile walk through canyons. I climbed up to the Three Sisters. This the most iconic structure in the park and is visable from the roadway. To get out we had to ascend through and scramble up a narrow canyon at times on our hands and knees. 

We ate an early lunch under the shade at the Obsevation Point but it was still hot. Several other tourist groups were there. We spoke with a woman who was camping at the Park. We then went into the Valley among the goblins. This is a three square mile free roamimg area. It was a pretty amazing experience walking among these oddly shaped rocks. Techically the rock formations are called hoodoos.They are mushroom shaped rock pinnacles, some as tall as several meters. The distinct shapes result from erosin resident rock on top of softer sandstone.

The Park lies in the San Rafeal Desert and on the edge of the San Rafael Swill. The Henry Mountains are south of the park, run north south for about 30 miles and were named after the first secretary of the Smithsonian, Joseph Henry. They were known as the Unknown Mountains for a long time and were the last mountain range in the continential US to be named.

We left the Park about 1:30 and  again stopped at Green River to charge the car. Then went to the John Wesley Powell River Museum in Green River. $6 senior admission fee.  Lots of exhibits and history about his expedition down the Colorado river, the Green River and river runners. We stayed until closing time, but not before purchasing some gifts, rocks and experiments for the Minniapolis grandsons. 

We then crossed the street and ate dinner at Tamarisk Restaurant, on the bank of the Green River. Large portions and reasonable prices. Got back to the hotel at 8:30.

Friday, August 9, 2024 Day 6

Travel day to Rifle, Colorado

Swam in the morning at 8 before breakfast and departing the hotel.

Took I-70 east to the Colorado National Monument, just east of Grand Junction, actually in Fruita. Established as a Monument in 1911, wondering why it has not become a NP. Walked the Rim trail.

We then drove the Rim Road. The 23 mile road had lots of twists and turns along with many shear dropoffs and three tunnels. There were crisp blue skies and verdent green junipers. Along the way we spotted some local residents.

The rim road took us the eastern park entrance into Grand Junction where we charged the car at a Sam's Club.

We continued east on I-70 to Rifle and checked into the La Qunita Inn.  A new building, it was hard to find and it backed up agaiinst the freeway. For dinner we drove furtherr east to Silt at Miner's Claim restaurant. Good meal and interesting building. It was very dark on our drive back to Rifle.

Saturday August 10, 2024 Day 7

Mediocre breakfast at the hotel. We packed up and drove into downtown Rifle. It is the center of the cattle industry in the area. It is a seemingly prosperous downtwon with a few stop lights and about a 6 block commercial main street.

The post office is a historic building. No stamp machine for our postcards so we had to wait on line. The stamps we received would not stick to the postcards so we received three more which did stick and sent to the Minneapolis grandkids.

Couldn't go to Rep Bobart's bar, Shooters since it had been closed when the landlord declined to renew the lease. According to congressiosnal financial filings the bar had been losing lots of money so perhaps the closing was inevitable. It is in the process of becoming a Chinese restaurant. The employees in the bar were encouraged to open carry their guns.

Then went to the Rifle Cultureal Heritage Museum. Initially an $8 entry fee, but the clerk remembered that the second Saturday is free. There were pictures of the 1972 Valley Curtain project by Cristo. It lasted only 28 hours when the fabric was ripped to shreds by the wind. Rumor is that Rifle got its name when one member of an exploring party whose task was to name the creeks in the area, forgot his rifle by a creek and so the area was named rifle. Got a post card in the gift shop or the India grandkids.

We resumed our trip eastwards on I-70 and stopped in Glenwood Springs at a Target to charge the car. Then drove south on Colorado 82 to Aspen. The charging station was occupied by a Bolt (I was surprised to find such a car in Aspen.) so we parked on the street for $11. Summer is also high season at the Aspen parking meters.

Walked around the very well maintained downtown. Lots of flowers, nice landscaping and no litter. To me it was surprisingly busy as there was no snow in sight. We ate at the Aspen Public House.

We left Aspen about 6 still in bright daylight and drove back north to I-70 on the way to Avon and checked into the Wyndham resort. Due to our timeshare statue we received free valet parking, normally $45/day, and coupons for breakfast at Bob's Place. We ate breakfast there every day. We went food shopping at the City Market.

Sunday-Tuesday August 11-13, 2024 Days 8-10

We opened each of  these day with a walk to Bob's Place for breakfast. Large portions, but they were unable to grasp the concept of scrambled eggs, they always came out fried. During these days we used our Vail passes to take chirlifts or gondolas up the mountains at Beave Creek and Vail to talk hikes along the ski trails. 

We took the local bus to Beaver Creek Village, (there wasn't an operating lift from our base area) and the regional bus to Vail. We ate dinner in the hotel most nights, but on Tuesday we at dinner at Northside Kitchen, a short walk under the interstae from our hotel and also he benficiary of a hotel discount. We also used the large hot tub, no pool. In the evening I took walks along he creek.

Wednesday August 14, 2024 Day 11

Breakfast at Bob's Place again. Notwithstanding my request they continue to make the eggs into an omelet rather than scrambling them as it states on the menu. 

By 11 we took the public bus to Vail starting at Avon Station which is right outside our hotel.. I later learned that there are two bus routesfrom Avon to Vail, the route 6 and the I-70. The latter is faster and was the one shown on the bus schedule given to me by the hotel. It was supposed to arrive at Avon Station at 11:20. When to my surprise a bus showed up at 11:10 with a Vail destination we got on it. I thought that the bus was early (I should have known that buses are never early.) Instead it was the Route 6 bus so it actually went east for a few stops before ultimately getting us to the Vail Transportation Center.

I had not been to Vail for about a dozen years and other than very fondly recalling the skiing in the back bowls and the $25 parking fee, I didn't recall much. Rode the #1 Gondala up and walked on the. mountain. We took the Gondala down to Lion's Head. Walked through the village and purchased a new ski helmet at 50% off for $250 at Eye Options, a local chain. It has a visor that accommodates my glasses, but is black so it will chnage my Star Wars look on the slopes. The sales person, a young girl who lives in Vail with her parents, owners of a construction company, was urging me to purchase  goggles that could accommodate specialy designed prescription glasses, but the latter were $600, so I opted for the helmet.

We continued walking through the village and decided to eat at Le Tour. We ordered from the happy hour menu eating mussels, shrimp and oysters. 

As we walked back to the Transportation center we went into the Colodado Snowsports Museum. It had interesting exhibits about the development of western skiing and Vail generally and Vail Mount and Resorts in particular. There was a showing of the movie, The Lost Mountaineers, about 24 members of the 10th Mountain Division who lost their lives in the very last days of WWII when their boat capcized in Lake Garda.

We got back to the transportaion Center at about 7:45 and had to wait 20 minutes for a bus back to Avon. Fortunately it was the faster I-70 bus so we wer back in our hotel by 8:25. Time to start packing for the departure. 

Thursday August 15, 2024 Day 12

The last Travel Day of the trip

We finished packing and checked out of the hotel and retrieved our car from valet, with a full charge, about 8:30 and made the very short drive to Bob's Place. It was more crowded than usual, but we still got our regular table in the very back. However the restaurant was understaffed so it took a while for our server to take our order, and then to deliver it. They finally provided me with scrambled eggs, but they were very hard, almost fried.

We didn't get out of the restaurant until about 10 and then we took a 15 minute walk to work off the sugar exposion in our blood so we didn't get out of Avon and onto I-70 until until well after 10.

We stopped to charge in Grand Junction (at a Sam's Club which had good free snacks), then at Green River (only 10 minutes on a 150 machine with a Rivian sitting on the 350 machine at 85% and only charging at 50 KwH) and last at Spanish Fork (at a Walmart with a great charge on a 350 machine.) Leaving Green River we purchased 4 melons, cantalope and Green meat for $9 at the melon capital of the world, good high night temperatures. There was lots of traffic on route 6 through Utah with lane closures and slow trucks on the two lane stretches. We didn't get home until 6 and almost immediately had to leave for a twilight concert at the Synagogue. Bach, Mozart, Beatles and Neil Diamond.  

While the melons were very good, we weren't able to eat all of them before we set out on out next trip.