BeDillon's in Casa Grande

Ron suggested I try this restaurant in Casa Grande so I made it my first stop after leaving Tucson.  The  house, restaurant and gardens have been around for many years, though the owners have changed hands a few times

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Casa Grande is midway between Phoenix and Tucson and all I ever knew about the town was what could be seen from the freeway... ghastly fast food restaurants and truck stops-- so I was happy to learn about something different.   

In all the years I've lived in Arizona I don't think I had ever driven into the town of Casa Grande itself.  The freeway exit that led to the Dairy Queen restroom was an automatic stop in my otherwise boring travel plans of years past.  

Well, this little restaurant, tucked away in an older residential area, complete with its cactus garden was charming and worth leaving the highway to find.

I was surprised to discover the food was very American instead of Mexican.  I had a prime rib sandwich that turned out to be excellent.  Reservations are recommended--they appear to be exceptionally busy.

Afterwards I spent my first night sleeping in the parking lot of Cracker Barrel--and felt so guilty because I had eaten dinner somewhere else.  So, because I think CB's are awesome, I went in and had breakfast with them in the morning.  I knew this would be my last time for a while to enjoy the CB hospitality since California has yet to erect a Cracker Barrel within its borders.

  

 

Any restaurant chain that puts out a map showing RV travelers which Cracker Barrel restaurants are okay to spend the night, and then they go so far as to mark their parking lots showing where RV's may park, deserve a special salute.

It felt really good to be traveling again.  I brewed a cup of herb tea, pulled out my latest book, read for an hour, then snuggled with Sigh Me and slept soundly.

BTW, "Modoc" is another  book that has my 'seal of approval'.  A really charming true story about the ' greatest elephant that ever lived'.