
Base Camp Eatery, which is essentially a food court, at Yosemite Valley Lodge offers a Starbucks coffee bar, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Because they do offer three meals a day, there is a pretty wide variety in the grab and go options that they have available. i'm talking pancakes to hamburgers to chicken teriyaki bowls.

I was here for breakfast, so I opted for a yogurt & granola parfait and breakfast burrito. Both were average on all counts. Satisfactory, but nothing outstanding. The best part? The location.

Grade: C

The Mountain Room is located in the Yosemite Lodge at the national park and boasts striking views of the 2,424 foot high Yosemite Falls.

The menu features steaks, seafood and pastas. The chef’s specialties include local, organic & seasonal preparations including fish and seafood.

I enjoyed a steak with rainbow-colored cauliflower, demi-glace and mashed potatoes. it certainly made for a pretty plate, and the meal itself was standard, but good.

For dessert, I indulged in an ice cream sundae topped with caramel and hot fudge, whipped cream, shaved almonds, and strawberries. I don't think it's possible for this to not taste amazing, but in case you were curious, it did indeed taste amazing.

Grade: A

Most times when I travel, I plot out the very best restaurants I can find along the way. Sometimes, though, the best finds are the unexpected ones. That happens to be the case with Yummy Thai in Merced, California, which I stumbled upon while searching out a quick lunch spot.

Yummy Thai serves up Thai and Laotian food - from larb and pho to tom yum and curry.

I started with a slushy watermelon boba tea, which was great. And then paired with their crab rangoons, which have crab meat, carrot, onion, celery and cream cheese wrapped in crispy wonton. When the inside of the wontons is impossibly creamy and a hint sweet, it's just one of the most delicious foods in the world.

This pad thai was also maybe one of the best I've ever had: pan-fried thin rice noodles with egg, bean sprouts, green onions, tofu and crushed peanuts. So silky and flavorful and crave-able.

Grade: A
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