ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
People are fascinated with dinosaurs. I'm one of them. Like for most people, it all started out when I was a kid. I learned all I could about T-Rex, triceratops, stegosaurus, brontosaurus, diplodocus. When Life magazine published its groundbreaking illustrations that appeared in an early 1950s issue, they grabbed my attention from the start. With... Continue Reading →
The idleberry pie ranks as one of America's great pies. It's served deliciously warm at Idle Isle Cafe in Brigham City, Utah, a dessert for which I'd deliberately hold back on the main course to make room for it. A la mode, with scoops of their excellent vanilla ice cream, it serves henceforth as a reason to make... Continue Reading →
What do dinosaurs, pizza and Israel have it common? Trick question. The city of Vernal is close to Dinosaur National Monument, located in the little visited corner of northeastern Utah, the state with the most bang for the National Park Service buck. The monument has 1,500 dinosaur bone fossils on display in situ, making it a... Continue Reading →
The Canyon Overlook Trail is a nice, moderately difficult hike, but it's so easy to miss. The trailhead doesn't start from the valley floor but rather from just east of the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel, 600ft above the valley floor. Entering or exiting Zion will also treat you to spectacular vistas as you take the winding... Continue Reading →
This is our second time at Zion Pizza & Noodle Company; the first time was in 2008. Pizzas here are pretty good, the dough thicker than we prefer. Our Combo Pizza of tomato sauce, pepperoni, black olives, onions, mushrooms, Canadian bacon, and two kinds of cheese really hit the spot after a long day. You... Continue Reading →
We'd been looking forward with some trepidation to this hike. Last time we were here in April 2008, it wasn't possible because the currents were too strong and water levels too high. The Narrows at Zion National Park is not a hike in the traditional sense because it involves wading in the Virgin River virtually the... Continue Reading →
Situated in the middle of Dixie National Forest, Cedar Breaks National Monument is a testament to the forces of uplift and erosion. It shares the visual splendor of Bryce Canyon National Park not too far away, but it stands 2,000 ft higher in elevation at over a breathtaking 10,000 ft above sea level. Although both... Continue Reading →
Michael and Jane Stern's 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late lists Idle Isle Cafe's idleberry pie as one of them. Idleberry is a trade name of theirs and consists of a combination of blueberries, blackberries and boysenberries, a worthy competitor of Springdale's bumbleberry pie. Located in Brigham City, the cafe also serves other... Continue Reading →
Many travelers going through the Southwest skip Natural Bridges National Monument because it’s tucked out of the way and maybe because the small park features only three natural stone bridges. But a visit is well worth the time. Bridges are rock spans that are carved out by a river. They typically form where a river... Continue Reading →
Not too far from Mesa Verde is a complex of ancient communities that was built at the headwaters of box canyons and situated in a remote area stretching across both Colorado and Utah—Hovenweep National Monument. We set aside a few hours to visit the monument en route to Blanding. We would have been able to... Continue Reading →
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