Last December we were so taken with the former double decker tour bus now serving Turkish coffee & Egyptian pastries in a SE Hawthorne food pod, we visited it 2 weeks in a row despite challenging weather.

Thus, with recent temperatures in draining triple digits, Tov seemed like a good destination in which to be refreshed.  It was(!):  bright, airy, comfortable, and more fully developed with mideast tchotchkes.    We realized, however, that with better weather and more patrons, having intimate quality conversations was more challenging.

Discussion-wise, with H coming back from a backpack trip to Glacier, and E from outside Yellowstone, and J planning upcoming trips to the southern Oregon coast and later New Mexico, conversations were all over the map, (excuse the pun:)  E’s pleasure at his successful (400+/- friends) ice cream social in July, after a 4-year hiatus; The impressive 2,200 acre Wyoming ranch operated by friends that his wife and he visited; the loss of so many glaciers in Glacier Park already, and the forecast that all remaining ones will be lost by 2030; the unique Glacier back-country regulations requiring cooking/eating at one common site, which in turn put H and buds in close contact with backpackers of all ages and fascinating backgrounds;  J’s memories of his wife’s and his wonderful trip to Turkey 2 years back, and the serendipitous itinerary that they are developing for their fall outings.

3207 SE Hawthorne