Travelogue - San Diego CA and Yogurt Mill!!

Last week I flew to San Diego to hang out with my parents and all my siblings, all five of my siblings!  And some in laws and nieces and nephews.  But more importantly, I was able to eat Yogurt Mill frozen yogurt four days in a row, for brunch.  You think I am kidding.  Well maybe not more importantly but right behind seeing my family.  You see, I have been a loyal customer of Yogurt Mill in El Cajon CA (corner of Mollison and Broadway) since 1978, a year after they opened.  The froyo craze began at that time and I went and partook just about every day.   I even went on a diet one time where I ate just one no-topping froyo per day for a certain period of time - we did things like that back then to maintain our beach bodies.  Now,  I have eaten good froyo in cities all over the country and quite often in the shops locally but none are equal to the Yogurt Mill.  First of all, the smell and decor are still the same to this day so I am transported back to high school every time I walk in.  As are the portion sizes and flavors and even the prices are still incredibly low.  The menu board even looks the same.  10 flavors always and it's the creamiest and densest froyo I've ever experienced.  I will explain how froyo is served there and in all the years I have visited, not once have they deviated from their serving methods - they must train each employee very carefully so there are no cheap cups.  Not like the times when you go to McDonalds for a vanilla cone and as they are obviously not trained with an equal standard store to store you might, from one employee,  get a cone with a teaspoon of ice cream inside the cone and a lopsided one and a half swirls on top (that happened to me two weeks ago in Connecticut and I told the guy who made it how gipped I felt and he just apologized and turned to the next customer -  I almost set it back on the counter but instead I stomped away).   At Yogurt Mill the quality and quantity have been consistent over these past 38 (I can't believe it's that many) years!!  This is what they do.  It's not self serve.  You order a child size (ha! Paul Bunyan's child) for example; they put a huge scoop of your toppings in the bottom of a pint cup then they add a couple inches of froyo and then tamp it down by hitting the cup bottom on the counter.  Then more topping, more tamped froyo, and so on until they ask you if they can drop it into a quart cup so they can add another tamped down layer of froyo and the final layer of topping so it won't spill all over when you stick your very long spoon in.  The portions are huge!!   Here are pictures of the four days of froyo from last week.  And bless my sister Dede's heart and her son Ian and my daughter Gabe; they came with me every day for brunch but day four (I was alone and eating my last before flying home) and partook as well.  We invited my parents everyday but they politely declined.  They just don't get it.

 Yogurt Mill was the Leaning Tower of Pizza before the owners converted it.  Here I have arrived and I am introducing nephew Ian to the wonders of Yogurt Mill.  He is now a convert by the way.

 The sizes.  The brown paper at the top of each cup represents how the froyo must appear coming out of the cup for that particular size.  The first day I ordered a junior - it's a full quart.  The following three days I had the child size - an extreme overflowing pint of yogurt and equivalent of three bags of m&ms when they drop it in to the quart cup and add the last swirl.  And look at those prices.  True story - two and 1/2 years ago Dan and I drove to San Diego to visit my folks.  I ordered a LARGE for the ride back home to San Francisco.  It took me from El Cajon (suburb of SD) to just past Los Angeles to finish it.  It had a lot of m&ms and choc chips in it to chew as well.  When I was finished, I had to recline my seat so I could breathe and that's all I ate that day.  It was glorious!!  Yeah, I was a pig.

 Same paneling from the 70s.  Please don't ever change - anything!!!

 Our first day brunch.

Walking some sugar off at the Windansea Beach in La Jolla afterwards - Dede and Ian.

 Same employees on day two.

 Back for day two with Gabe in tow - joyful smiles.

 Gabe and I went child sized - Dede and Ian went down to Baby.  Wimps.

 Day three - we arrive just as they turn the sign over to Open/Abierto.  Gabe took the pic.

Ian went small this day - he had some breakfast before we got here.

 Day four - final froyo - eating alone.  I am grateful that there were two different employees at the counter - I didn't know if I could face the same kids again on day four.   Dede calls from WA state to see if I am there - I call Dan to tell him I am eating my fourth and final - he laughs and wishes me well.

A guy outside is eating the medium size for breakfast, no toppings.  Okay, enough about Yogurt Mill.  On to the family.

 La Jolla walk with Dede and Ian.

 Dinner on day one at my folk's house - I have never eaten Sushi and always decline when offered but my Dad gave me some, instructed me to eat it and I wasn't about to disobey even at age 54.

Preparing for the worst.  I liked it!

My brothers Shawn and Scott - not very good lighting here but it was the only one I had with Scott in it.

 Side yard - our former house in La Mesa - I left home from that house in 1979.

 On day two after eating froyo, Dede, Ian, Gabe and I went to La Mesa to visit our old house and then drive up to Mt. Helix, walk 2.5 miles down it to our old high school and then 2.5 miles back up, in 98 degree weather.  Here we are in front of the gate to the old house 10045 Sunset Ave.

 

 Front yard

 Oh the memories!

 Top of Mt. Helix in La Mesa overlooking El Cajon here I think.

 Scene at the top.  :)

 This is a pretty walk on roads that wind along very pretty houses and gardened neighborhoods.

 Adorable cottage along the way.

 Back up to the top and we are going to desperately search for a gas station/convenience store for more water

 My lovely Gabe and I are standing in front of mom's perfume tray in her bathroom and her Janis Joplin photo.  Memories of my mom include her cleaning the house as Janis screamed in the back ground - her work out music.

 My parent's back yard where they now live in Bonita was, until recently, chock full of gardens; dozens of roses, veggies, flowers, fruit trees - a tropical paradise.  The severe drought and cost of water have been so extreme they have removed most of the plantings, to my eye anyway.  So sad!  My mom spray painted a dead tree blue that you can see and it now holds the humming bird feeders.

 My sister Daphne and her hubby live in Ramona, an area outside San Diego that is covered in boulders all over the country side.

 New nephew Camden, son of brother Shawn and his African Queen wife, the lovely Elice.  I met her for the first time this trip as they have been living in Tanzania, Africa.

 My teeny tiny Mom, I didn't get any real pics of her but this.  But plenty of froyo ones.  Bad Therese.

 Elice chasing Shawn.  She just had a baby and looks marvelous.

 The arm wrestling competitions begins. Shawn versus Daph.  He wins.

 Shawn beats Ian.

 Shawn beats nephew Liam though he pretends to lose here.

 Shawn beats Dede.

 Shawn beats wife Elice.

 Shawn even beats me.  I used to beat him dang it!

 This is hard work - but I conquer Daphne.

 Then I beat Dede.

 Then I beat daughter Gabe.

She thinks I'm cheating because I put my head down.  She beat me left handed after.

 Shawn beat everyone.  Older brother Scott wasn't present so we need to see who would win that competition.

  Siblings!  Scott couldn't make it this night.

 Cousins!

A trip to San Diego wouldn't be complete without visiting the zoo!

                                                Bye!