Grand Canyon North Rim

Kristin had seen the Grand Canyon before, but Jason muttered "Holy $hi+" when we got to the rim. The North Rim is cooler with fewer tourists, and the Lodge is a spectacular stone building on the rim, built in the 30's. You can get a beverage and sit on the patio overlooking the amazing landscape as the light changes. We hung out there all evening, and got to learn astrology from George the Ranger, who had a super sweet telescope and a vast knowledge of the sky. He used a laser to point out constellations and stars and clusters, then fixed the scope for us to look. We now need a telescope. Dinner at the lodge was very good, and we hit the hay to get up for sunrise. However, the damn clouds obscured our view, and it started to rain. What do you do in the rain? You hike! We walked down into the canyon on a mule-poop encrusted trail, and the walk fueled Jason to want to come back for a rim-to-rim hike someday. The hike back up? Not so inspiring...huff, huff...gasp, choke...

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Bryce Canyon Fly-by

Pictures to come later... On the way to Bryce, we stopped for a lunch @ a visitors center for Escalante National Monument. J found a brochure for a local artist & gallery. We would have never normally stopped since from the road it looked like a junkyard with a garden. But the brochure was beautiful, and the address was correct...and we were rewarded. A husband and wife share the workhouse, with him making unbelievable wood furniture that is featured internationally as art, and her making archaic Anasazi-style pottery. We couldn't afford a custom piece from him (yet) but we purchased some sweet ceramic bowls. Great find! So Bryce is in between Capitol Reef and Zion NPs. (yeah, We had never heard of these either...) Very cool landscape with thousands of hoodoos. Look it up. Jason is so excited to cross country ski the rim.

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Desert + Orchard?

How cool is this? You roll into a vast rocky landscape, but in the middle by the river are thousands of fruit trees & you just go pick what you want...in season. We did a 4.5 mile uphill hike to an unbelievable 360 degree panorama, then back down, then rewarded ourselves with fresh-picked apples & peaches. The orchards are remnants of the Mormon settlers from the 1800s...saaaa-weeeeeet!!!

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Rattlesnake cakes

After a long but beautiful drive from Jackson, we pulled into Torrey, UT near Capitol Reef NP. Not only is it breathtaking scenery, but it it accompanied by a seriously phenomenal restaraunt called Cafe Diablo. Move over, Alfredo! We sampled delish tapas, and tasted rattlesnake cakes, which weren't bad, especially when smothered in tasty sauces. Dinner was top-notch, but dessert surpassed all...if I could only rub double diablo mousse all over me nightly....aaahhhh.

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