As a recent transplant to the very rural (read: pawdunk) southwest, I am finding places of amusement and comfort in this land of tumbleweeds and mountains that all look alike. Tucked away in the pastures of Queen Creek, way southeast of the City of Phoenix, is the land of olives - or what we call, The Queen Creek Olive Mill. Situated in the middle of nowhere, very close to next-to-nothing, it is worth the drive to visit this large warehouse-turned-tourist spot, replete with olives, more olives, and then a few more....olives. The area has a beautiful outdoor eating spot along with groves of beautiful olive trees. Inside of the warehouse is a small store and a few eating areas. I am very fond of the vegetarian appetizer, which incorporates a scoop of hummus, handful of pistachios, bunch of fresh olives, and numerous vegetables, along with some chocolate.

Also inside this dwelling is the Superstition Coffee Roasters, with enough freshly roasted caffeinated substances to sustain even the most weary of tourists. They sell fresh cups of different kinds of coffee and the roasters are more than pleased to tell you about any beans you would want to purchase. As well, they roast on-site, so the aroma is wonderful.

The site for olive heaven is http://www.queencreekolivemill.com/ and for coffee manna http://superstitioncoffee.com/. The host tours of the olive fields and on October 13th they are hosting the food truck roundup on their spacious site. Bon appetit!