Utah and Panguitch, a Culinary Vortex
Utah, Zion & Bryce and Panguitch May 10th-15th
Zion, May 10th & 11th
Sounds of the river, brown and full with mountain stream run-off.
As the sun fades, the mother takes her place, full.
Wind calm to late evening, blusters,
Camp fires alive and dazzling, sparks dance into the night air.
Warm winds of the canyons exhale,
No coolness here.
Jet liners cruise overhead, getting a bag of peanuts and a coke,
Look down to only darkness.
Down here, stillness, quiet, to me,
Coyotes prowl, owls work the night, movement all though out,
on the canyon floor down here.
Angel’s Landing, the sign reads- 5 miles, 4 hours, 1488 ft. ascent, strenuous.
Do not feed the squirrels, named for Walter Reusch, first superintendent of Zion.
21 switchbacks, made in 1924 from Refrigerator Canyon to Scout Lookout.
It’s a great hike up, to the first landing, then you continue to climb to Angel’s Landing by holding onto a chain, at one point you are on a 3 foot wide crossing, straight down to the valley floor. Zion is a bus in park, or drive to or campsite and walk, a few good hikes around the park, some overnighters on the top of the park. Still breathe taking, accessible to most.
Springdale outside the park has grown since I was here last. More restaurants and shops, good eats here, check out the Spotted Dog Café, happened in for a good breakfast before going to Bryce, I had an excellent omelette. I must have known, because on the walls were things like the Gem of Zion. Dinner items like Braised Achiote Spiced Lamb Shanks, Local Red Mountain Trout encrusted with pumpkin seeds and Grilled Brie with fire roasted red pepper coulis for starters.
May 12th, leaving Zion, take SR 9 E to SR 89 N, out of the park can take awhile if between RV, on R89 you go though a beautiful valley, this is horse country.
Pass the Adobe Café, best Mexican around to SR 12 E, then SR 63 s
to Bryce Canyon, Ebenezer Bryce, lived in a cabin above the rim with his wife Mary, when asked about the canyon behind his house, he replied “It’s a hell of a place to lose a cow”Bryce Canyon, my words can not describe this place, you have to see it. My only word-Holy.
Henry David Thoreau 8/14/1854
“I need solitude. I have come forth to this hill….to see the forms of the mountains on the horizon-to behold and commune with something grander than man”
H.D. Thoreau 1/21/1853
“Silence alone is worthy to be heard”
One more point of view: on the Hoodoos, the rock formations here.
Before there were my Indians, the Legend People, To-when-an-ung-wa, lived in that place. There were many of them. They were of many kinds- birds, animals, lizards, and such things- but they looked like people…for some reason, the Legend People in that place were bad. Because they were bad, Coyote turned them into rocks; some standing down, some holding on to others, you can see their faces, with paint on them just as they were before they become rocks…” Paiute Indian legend
The air is thin here at 9100 feet, the sky changes often, thunderstorms then clear in moments. SEE BRYCE. Period!!!
Panguitch, take SR 12 W to SR 89 N,then rt on SR 143 W, it’s Saturday night, the park host, a man named Dennis from Texas tells me of the Cowboy's Smokehouse Café in Panguitch. I had the best BBQ in awhile Smoked Turkey, brined perfectly then smoked,
Pork Ribs and Brisket, coleslaw and the best smokey bacon baked beans, and a Sarsaparilla soda.
And peach cobbler for dessert, this place is worthily of Nation landmark status.
There is also music, I asked” Country or Western”, she says more country. I ask the local gals, what they do around here, they say” work here”, they go down the hill (mountains)
To Cedar City, small town USA, kind of like Gaston. Down the road is the Flying M Café, home of the best Cinnamon Roll, roll, it’s so good, and driving down the mountain, it’s the only thing that did not move, as I drove down the switchbacks to Cedar City. Everything else was in my lap. Except my cinnamon roll!
Leaving Bryce May 15th, the car engine light is still on. I stay up looking at the Milky Way, only place I know where you can see the MW, with a full moon.
Out to SR 12 W, then SR 89 S to SR 14 to Cedar City, pass Aspen forest, lava fields, into Iron County, pass log cabins, still snow here SR 148 still closed, at the summit 9910ft. then down to Cedar City, gas prices here $ 2.96/gal.. I need to travel on Interstate 15 to St. George, the Honda dealer is there, I drive 70 mph, and everyone goes by, everyone.
If you own a Honda Insight, do not cover up the air vents, inside the car, like I did.
I have been over heating my batteries in the back of my car. But I have never gotten as good a as mileage.
St. George, strip mall town, but I have discovered a great little Mexican café.
Always go just a little farther, keep your eyes open, and you too can find a gem.
The numbers:
65.8 mpg, 363.5 miles traveled May 10-15th
Zion, May 10th & 11th
Sounds of the river, brown and full with mountain stream run-off.
As the sun fades, the mother takes her place, full.
Wind calm to late evening, blusters,
Camp fires alive and dazzling, sparks dance into the night air.
Warm winds of the canyons exhale,
No coolness here.
Jet liners cruise overhead, getting a bag of peanuts and a coke,
Look down to only darkness.
Down here, stillness, quiet, to me,
Coyotes prowl, owls work the night, movement all though out,
on the canyon floor down here.
Angel’s Landing, the sign reads- 5 miles, 4 hours, 1488 ft. ascent, strenuous.
Do not feed the squirrels, named for Walter Reusch, first superintendent of Zion.
21 switchbacks, made in 1924 from Refrigerator Canyon to Scout Lookout.
It’s a great hike up, to the first landing, then you continue to climb to Angel’s Landing by holding onto a chain, at one point you are on a 3 foot wide crossing, straight down to the valley floor. Zion is a bus in park, or drive to or campsite and walk, a few good hikes around the park, some overnighters on the top of the park. Still breathe taking, accessible to most.
Springdale outside the park has grown since I was here last. More restaurants and shops, good eats here, check out the Spotted Dog Café, happened in for a good breakfast before going to Bryce, I had an excellent omelette. I must have known, because on the walls were things like the Gem of Zion. Dinner items like Braised Achiote Spiced Lamb Shanks, Local Red Mountain Trout encrusted with pumpkin seeds and Grilled Brie with fire roasted red pepper coulis for starters.
May 12th, leaving Zion, take SR 9 E to SR 89 N, out of the park can take awhile if between RV, on R89 you go though a beautiful valley, this is horse country.
Pass the Adobe Café, best Mexican around to SR 12 E, then SR 63 s
to Bryce Canyon, Ebenezer Bryce, lived in a cabin above the rim with his wife Mary, when asked about the canyon behind his house, he replied “It’s a hell of a place to lose a cow”Bryce Canyon, my words can not describe this place, you have to see it. My only word-Holy.
Henry David Thoreau 8/14/1854
“I need solitude. I have come forth to this hill….to see the forms of the mountains on the horizon-to behold and commune with something grander than man”
H.D. Thoreau 1/21/1853
“Silence alone is worthy to be heard”
One more point of view: on the Hoodoos, the rock formations here.
Before there were my Indians, the Legend People, To-when-an-ung-wa, lived in that place. There were many of them. They were of many kinds- birds, animals, lizards, and such things- but they looked like people…for some reason, the Legend People in that place were bad. Because they were bad, Coyote turned them into rocks; some standing down, some holding on to others, you can see their faces, with paint on them just as they were before they become rocks…” Paiute Indian legend
The air is thin here at 9100 feet, the sky changes often, thunderstorms then clear in moments. SEE BRYCE. Period!!!
Panguitch, take SR 12 W to SR 89 N,then rt on SR 143 W, it’s Saturday night, the park host, a man named Dennis from Texas tells me of the Cowboy's Smokehouse Café in Panguitch. I had the best BBQ in awhile Smoked Turkey, brined perfectly then smoked,
Pork Ribs and Brisket, coleslaw and the best smokey bacon baked beans, and a Sarsaparilla soda.
And peach cobbler for dessert, this place is worthily of Nation landmark status.
There is also music, I asked” Country or Western”, she says more country. I ask the local gals, what they do around here, they say” work here”, they go down the hill (mountains)
To Cedar City, small town USA, kind of like Gaston. Down the road is the Flying M Café, home of the best Cinnamon Roll, roll, it’s so good, and driving down the mountain, it’s the only thing that did not move, as I drove down the switchbacks to Cedar City. Everything else was in my lap. Except my cinnamon roll!
Leaving Bryce May 15th, the car engine light is still on. I stay up looking at the Milky Way, only place I know where you can see the MW, with a full moon.
Out to SR 12 W, then SR 89 S to SR 14 to Cedar City, pass Aspen forest, lava fields, into Iron County, pass log cabins, still snow here SR 148 still closed, at the summit 9910ft. then down to Cedar City, gas prices here $ 2.96/gal.. I need to travel on Interstate 15 to St. George, the Honda dealer is there, I drive 70 mph, and everyone goes by, everyone.
If you own a Honda Insight, do not cover up the air vents, inside the car, like I did.
I have been over heating my batteries in the back of my car. But I have never gotten as good a as mileage.
St. George, strip mall town, but I have discovered a great little Mexican café.
Always go just a little farther, keep your eyes open, and you too can find a gem.
The numbers:
65.8 mpg, 363.5 miles traveled May 10-15th
posted by oregonman at 4:30 PM
3 Comments:
Thank you for eating PEACH COBBLER!!!
That's pretty darn close to pie!
Sarsparilla soda? Isn't that root beer?
moo!
My wife and I had the pleasure of meeting the oregonman on the way up the breathe-taking (in more ways than one) Angel's Landing hike, where my wife began to freak out over the steep drop-offs along the path. She definitely didn't take the journey up the chain trail to the point. My tip...take water. We also ate at a very good place in Springdale called Oliver's where my wife had the best burrito she has ever had. We also left from Zion and headed to Bryce, where in the parking lot of the visitor's center he happened upon us again. We sat with Michael and had a great time talking about life, viewing the nearly full moon, and enjoying a beer. We should have taken a cue from you and skipped Vegas. Thanks for adding to a great vacation!
Brandon
Post a Comment
<< Home