Utah and Panguitch, a Culinary Vortex

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 spring 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,
they look down to only darkness.
Down here, stillness, quiet, to me,
Coyotes howl, owls work the night, movement all though out,
on the canyon floor down here. written under a full moon in Zion while camping along the river.
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 on both sides to the valley floor. to get inside the park, they bus you in park, you only need drive to your campsite and you can walk in as well, a few good hikes around the park, some backpackers on the top of the park. Breathe taking, at any point and accessible to most.
Springdale the small town 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 omelet there. 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 one can take awhile if behind a RV, on R89 you go though the most beautiful valley, this is horse country.
Pass the Adobe Café, best Mexican around the sign reads, to SR 12 E, then SR 63 S
to Bryce Canyon, here 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 one moment then clear in a matter of 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 worthy of National landmark status.
There is also music, I asked the question ”Country or Western”, she says more like 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 were you have to leave town for a night out. Down the road is the Flying M Café, home of the best Cinnamon Roll, it’s so good and hugh, 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 it with a full moon.
Out to SR 12 W, then SR 89 S to SR 14 to Cedar City, pass an Aspen forest,lava fields, into Iron County, pass log cabins, still snow here, SR 148 is still closed, at the summit it's 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 me, everyone.
If you own a Honda Insight, do not cover up the air vents, inside the car behind the seat, like I did.
Because of this, I have been over heating my batteries in the back of my car. But I have never gotten as good as mileage.
St. George, strip mall town, but I have discovered a great little Mexican café.
Always go just a little farther of the highway, keep your eyes open, and you too can find a gem.
The numbers:
65.8 mpg, 363.5 miles traveled May 10-15th