Our Great Western Adventure ~ September 2013 ~ Installment #15 ~ Last Stop

I’m going to leave out Cheyenne Wyoming, mainly because it was simply a stop to sleep as we made our way to our final town, Durango Colorado.

DH and I have been here a few times before for visits with a friend of mine, but honestly, we really like it there.

The drive from Cheyenne though was a little harrowing to say the least. As we approached a mountain pass, we could see that a pretty bad looking storm was coming. Unfortunately it hit us full force as we got to the top of Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado.

I have never, in my life, been so scared.

Hail, snow, sleet, ice, all coming down in buckets, the first winter storm of the season, great! My husband pulled off of the road twice, mostly because we just couldn’t see and we don’t have four wheel drive. Somehow, we made it down the other side of that mountain and were only 3 hours beyond our estimated time of arrival at our hotel.

Well, the next morning the sun was out and there was oodles of snow up on the mountains, so we took a drive from Durango to Silverton. A little cold for a gal from Hawaii, but just gorgeous!

My friend is a chef in Durango, so who better to ask where to eat, right? We had lunch at Rice Monkeys. We ordered Edamame to start and then Teri-Chicken rice bowl for DH (didn’t get a photo `cuz hubby wolfed it down) and Sautéed Sesame Beef rice bowl for myself. That hit the spot!

The best bagel

Carna Asada breakfast burrito

The following day we were having dinner at our friend’s home, so we figured a big breakfast or brunch as it was, would be best. On my DF’s suggestion, we went to Durango Doughworks. The best  bagel that we’ve had in a very long time, good call Joey! In fact, we wound up eating breakfast here twice on this visit and I’m sure that we’ll be back again the next time that we are in town.

Salmon Cakes

Sushi Rice & Veg Spring Rolls

Camembert & Fig jam wrapped in Puff pastry

Mushrooms done two ways, Spinach Soufflé & Bacon and cheddar

Pork Loin sammies

Vegetable terrine

Dessert, Key Lime Pie and Flourless Chocolate Cake

Dinner at my chefy-friend-Joey’s was the bomb-diggity! She pulled no punches, she put out a spread of so many different dishes, I wasn’t sure where to start. The best plan of attack was to try a little of everything!

We shared an Antipasti plate

DH’s Chicken Parm

For me, Beef medallions

We shared a cannolli

Our last night in Durango, we went to dinner at Mutu’s Italian Kitchen, once again on my girl friend’s recommendation. She knew that my husband would enjoy his meal, and he sure did.

Now it’s time to head towards home, we’ve been on the road for a month, though neither of us really felt like we wanted this to end.

 

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Our Great Western Adventure ~ September 2013 ~ Installment #7 ~ This Is What We’ve Been Waiting For!

Leaving Jackson, we headed north towards Yellowstone National Park. There, we stayed in West Yellowstone Montana for four nights. I’m glad that we had a `fridge and a micro. We had stopped at the local ‘mega-market’ and found some healthful choices for lunches/picnics while spending our days in the park.

We would start out each day (this hotel didn’t offer free breakfast) with a yogurt, a piece of fruit and a low fat granola bar each morning and were in the park no later than 8am. It seemed that the route through the West Gate of Yellowstone was a particularly busy locale to view wild life at that time of the day.

Our first afternoon’s luncheon was alongside Yellowstone Lake at a beautiful picnic area. As I turned my back to reach for something or another in preparing our meal, we were joined by several rather large birds, who insisted that we share with them. Oh, so this is why they have signage everywhere telling you that feeding the wildlife is considered animal cruelty. They no longer forage in the wild, just at your table and they were a little aggressive.  We were told this is what happens when animals in the wild figure out humans have food that they can either steal or you actually give them.

We tried dinner one night at the restaurant connect to our hotel, meh. When we looked at their dessert offerings, we decided to pass. There must be something else around these parts.

YUP!

Outpost Restaurant around the corner.

My better half had a Butterscotch Sundae (when was the last time you saw that?) and I had the special for the week, Triple chocolate cake with a side of Huckleberry ice cream.

In fact, we went back to the Outpost for breakfast our last day and had sugar cured ham and the best hash browns I’ve had in a while.

On our last night in town, we had the Turkey as well as Baked chicken dinner plates; of course dessert too!

And what’s a trip to America’s first National Park without going to Old Faithful and the Old Faithful Inn?

For lunch we ordered Bison and Pheasant sausage with sauerkraut cooked in Apple cider, mash, and the best mustard on the side!

Now that was an adventure of a lifetime, yet another check mark off the bucket list!

Our Great Western Adventure ~ September 2013 ~ Installment #6 ~Wagon’s HO!

ON WARD!

To, Jackson Wyoming, loved it! So beautiful, a little on the tourist-y side, but all in all we really enjoyed our time there.

We stayed at Cowboy Village Resort.

In a one room log cabin with a kitchenette, YIPEE!! AND  we had a picnic table, plastic lawn chairs and a charcoal grill out front, loving this!

My first stop? A grocery store. I found the Jackson Whole Grocer not far from where we were staying.

Nice grass fed beef, so I got us a cowboy steak, some outstanding fresh local veg and a bag of Match Light! Light`er up boys!

I also bought a bunch of other foods for breakfast and picnic lunches when we went into Grand Tetons National Park. One morning I made us bacon and eggs, I think most of our neighbors were jealous, when I went out to pack up the car for the days outings, this young couple in the next cabin asked if they could come over tonight for dinner.  😀

We took the dirt road (wrong way, but we made it) to Teton Village on the recommendation of a friend, and took the Aerial Tramway after 4pm for cocktails, the ride was free and gorgeous!

One of our days here in Jackson was a really rainy-foggy day and you couldn’t see the mountains, so we decided to amble around the town square and have early supper. Another friend had highly suggested that we go to Local.

My husband ordered the local grass fed beef, Cheeseburger while I wanted to try their handcrafted charcuterie … duck prosciutto, paté and a nice piece of havarti, MAN! What a great meal, in Wyoming!

Earlier we’d had lunch at Bubba’s Bar-B-Que Restaurant, smoked turkey breast with two sides, corn and beans, YUM!

Then it was back to the cabin to relax on our front porch, watch the storm pass by and chat with our neighbors and their dogs, what a great place!

Our Great Western Adventure ~ September 2013 ~ Installment #5 ~ Moving On To Our Next Destination

Next stop, Tremonton Utah.

Where the heck is that, you may ask and why would we go there?

Well, this is the closest city with a hotel to the Golden Spike National Historic Site.

This is where the joining of the rails of the first Transcontinental Railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads occurred on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah.

And that was your US History lesson of the day.

No, really, this place is so amazing. Granted, we had to go out into the middle of nothing basically, but it was very beautiful.

There’s nothing here, so if you go, take lots of cold water and a picnic.

Not much in Tremonton either.

A girlfriend of mine had sent me an email while we were on the road and she said, “I’m sure your car is a moving grocery store.”   YUP!  I even had a case of wine.  😉

I had done a lot of searching on the `Net while we planned this trip, looking for different places and ways that we were going to get fed.

What I found for this locale was in the next town over, JC’s Country Diner. It says that it’s in Tremonton, but really it’s not. I had stashed one of their cards in my bag, but now I can’t find it. Anywhos…

We had the special of the day, Salmon Plate with `Tots and THE  special Tater Tot sauce –  along with green beans and bacon (DH had corn on the cob rather than the tots). This is all served with your choice of bread; I had read that their scones were really good. Different. I wouldn’t call it a scone, it seemed more like fried bread.

This is very much the local hang out for coffee and a chat.  This ain’t no BEVERLY HILLS, this is the country.  Where folks is folks and a diner will give ya’ an honest, square meal, nothing fancy, just good grub.  AMEN!

We only stayed but that one night – too bad, I liked it here, but it was Wagon’s Ho!

A Lunch Date At The Grand Canyon National Park

Since DH and I moved to Central/Northern Arizona, we are now so much closer to one of the Seven Natural Wonders, The Grand Canyon.  What makes it that much better is, we purchased a Senior Pass back a-ways when they were still only $10 for a lifetime of entrance to any of

¹  “… recreation sites managed by six federal agencies: National Parks Services, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Forest Service, US Army Corp of Engineers’.”

The card holder, in a private vehicle (as we were) can even take along 3 other adults, FREE! WOW!  We were trying to think how many times we’ve used DH’s America The Beautiful Lifetime Senior Pass over the years as well as how many other folks have tagged along for the ride… a lot!

As of the end of August 2017, the price changed to $80, but if you think about it, that’s still a great deal.  Here’s a good example of that value: it now costs $30 per carload of 4 to get into the Grand Canyon, which went up too.  Both of us were pretty sure that it was $20 or $25, so there you are.

Last week, DH and I were talking about a day trip somewhere, seeing as we hadn’t gone or done anything in a while.

My suggestion was to start out really early in the morning on a car trip; we could have lunch at the El Tovar Restaurant in the Grand Canyon.  YEAH, let’s go!

What a fascinating building.  Originally a Harvey House, servicing the Santa Fe Railway, the El Tovar Hotel was built in 1905 and is still in operation more than 100 years later.

We decided once we got up to the hotel that we’d walk around for a while, along the South Rim Trail.  **Hint: You’re at over 6772 feet above Sea level, take your time, it’s not going anywhere – walk slowly and take small sips of water to overcome becoming dizzy.

There are some very unusual rock formations for sure.  Everywhere you turn is a wonder.

DH and I are still trying to figure out why there are pennies embedded into the pathway every so many feet???

Okay, so are you hungry yet?  😀

The restaurant in the El Tovar Hotel is “white linen service”, but don’t let that stop you from having lunch or breakfast for that matter.  It’s much more relaxed during the daytime hours.  And that view, I mean, come on man!  Be sure to go early and ask for a table near the windows, or call ahead for a reservation.

Sylvia, our server today, took our order and promptly brought us a basket full of these heavenly rolls.  I’m not sure exactly what was in them, but do try them.  And I think that it was salted BUTTER  to schmear all over them.  We asked for a second basket.  😉

DH had the Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich and I, the Rib Eye sandwich.  Both were very good and generous.  We were stuffed.  So we walked around a bit more, exploring the gift shop and then out to the veranda to simply sit in their Rocking Chairs and stare at the beauty.  I requested a glass of wine and DH a coffee.  Aahhh!

What an afternoon!

*Hint # 2 : I suppose folks think that there’s going to be a ton of snow, ice and general crummy weather at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim (the North Rim closes from October through May) in the Winter.  Check the weather reports before you do go, but we had a spectacular, sunny, warm day (it was in the sixties).  And guess what?  There were very few people.  That was the first time that DH and I have not been elbow-to-elbow with humanity at the Grand Canyon!!!

 

¹ Quote from http://www.nps.gov

Miners Mix Wholly Chipotle Seasoning & Rub

I was introduced to Miners Mix brand a coupla years back by some fellow bloggers, Patrons of the Pit.  They have been utilizing several of the Miners Mix seasonings and rubs.

Grilled Strip Steak and roasted Potatoes with Miners Mix XXX-Garlic Seasoning & Rub

I had found the Original XXX-Garlic Seasoning & Rub back when I was visiting my Mother in California.

This stuff is good on/in anything that you would use granulated or powdered Garlic, and I use a lot of Garlic!

Recently, The Ole’ Miner himself contacted me and asked if they could send me a box, SURE!

One of the bottles in my box was Wholly Chipotle Seasoning & Rub.  I took a small taste of it on my finger, boy howdy, that’s got some heat to it, but in a nice way.  So, what to do, how shall we apply this?  Let’s grill up some boneless-skinless Chicken Thighs for Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.

I minced up the grilled yardbird, along with some Hatch Green Chiles; heated that up in a pot with some Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce for the filling.

Next, I heated some flour tortillas, filled and then topped them with more chiles, sauce and shredded cheese, popped the whole plate under the broiler to a melty GBD and it’s time for dinner.

Chipotle & Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.

I made just a bit too much chicken, so do you do with that?

Chipotle Chicken Salad for lunch tomorrow, that’s what!

I had to taste it to make sure it was ok, dontcha know.  I added a small pinch more of the Wholly Chipotle to the mayo for more of a kick, MMM!

Mahalo Ole’ Miner

It’s Aloha Friday, No Work Til Tuesday, Well At Least In Hawaii!

That’s right, in Hawaii, today has been designated a holiday, so no work til Tuesday brah!!

So live it up!

Have a terrific Bento Box lunch at Gyotaku Japanese Restaurant (we went to the one in Aikahi, but it’s closed now, dang it!). HEH! This is mine, go get your own!

ALOHA!