Archive for October, 2007
The Safari Motor Inn did provide a complimentary breakfast but the lobby was full when we went in, besides which we had sussed out a decent place last night. So we walked the couple of blocks into downtown again. We wondered around a bit and finally found it. One thing we both noticed was the number of smokers there were out early in the morning.
At 7:15 am it was quite crowded but they also had an upstairs section and that is where we were taken. The ceiling was very low and the lighting was not very bright but our table had enough light for Tom to read his paper (the Idaho Statesman) and for me to write this review.
The server was friendly and fast. Tom ordered the eggs Benedict with cucumber ($9.25) and coffee ($1.50). I ordered my usual oatmeal ($3.95). I was asked what milk I prefered and when I said skimmed there was not problem.
This is a funky little place. No booths, just small tables and chairs. The walls are red and orange and they display a few pictures and small sculptures. Our table is up against a wall and just above elbow height is a shelf holding a plant and a modern bronze sculpture of a saxophone player. Also on the shelf is a carousel containing sugar and lots of condiments including three types of hot sauces.
The food when it arrived looks very appealing. The contrast of the hollandaise sauce and the salmon with cucmber looked very attractive. My oatmal also comes with a small bowl of walnuts. Both meals were very good.
Now to the restroom. To get to it you have to walk through the serving area and it is a bit cramped. The doors to the restrooms are tiny and the room inside is very small. I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland. It did have some little touches which made it more homely. On the shelf above the sink were a few knick knacks. There was a small picture of goldfish and a metal sculpture of coffee cups on the wall. A really nice touch was the tub of cocoa butter hand cream at the side of the sink. Only negative comment I can make is that the paper towel had run out and there was nothing to dry my hands on.
Back to the table and neither Tom or I had quite finished but twice somebody tried to take his plate away -my only other negative comment. The place was getting very full and noisy and I guess it was a subtle way to get us to leave.
Tom has noticed one disturbing feature about Idaho in general. On the merchant’s copy of the credit card receipt his whole card number is shown but not on the customer’s copy. So he left the latter and took the former.
On the whole a very enjoyable meal and we both recommend it so if you are ever in Boise give it a try. It is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. in the evening.
October 07 2007 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
6:09 a.m. 48 degrees. Chilly
Neither of us had a good night’s sleep. Just after we dropped off to sleep we were woken up by a thunderous knocking at the door. Tom got up to investigate. He didn’t open the door but looked through the curtain. There was nobody there. It was probably somebody knocking on the door to the room next to us. It is always difficult to get back to sleep after you have been woken up like that. Then I became aware of the freight trains passing nearby. Long rambling trains which blew their whistles constantly. On top of all that the bottom sheet on the bed was not quite big enough to be tucked in so it was all messed up. Oh, how I miss our own bed.
[Click on the image for a larger version]
It was really dark when we left and rush hour was under way. We got onto I15 going north and stopped at Willard Bay for breakfast. Afterwards we went down to the shore of the Great Salt Lake. By this time it was light so I got my first real glimpse of the lake, although Willard Bay is separated from the main lake by a breakwater. Nobody was around and we did not even get out of the car.
We found our way back to the freeway and continued north west, taking I84 at Tremonton. At junction 26 we turned left onto Highway 83 and headed towards two sites of interest. The first was the ATK Rocket Display. ATK manufactures the solid fuel for rockets and the Shuttle. On display they have various sections of rockets and missiles. ATK is a huge site in the middle of farmland at the north end of the Great Salt Lake. There was an information board there saying that nearby are two of the main overland routes the early settlers took; to the south is the California route and to the north is the Oregon trail.
We continued on the same road to the next destination – the Golden Spike National Historic Site. Once again we were able to use our National Parks pass. We arrived just at 9 as they opened and were their first visitors of the day. It was at this site the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad met and two golden and two silver spikes were placed there to mark the spot. The original spikes are on display at Stanford University in California.
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October 07 2007 | Further Afield | No Comments »
We leave Ogden in the dark. The moon is full and beautiful. As we are driving north I catch signt of the moon gleaming on the Great Salt Lake and realize that it is only the second glimpse I have had of that great body of water. So we decide to stop somewhere for breakfast. Then by the time we have finished it will be light enough to have a better look at the lake.
We pulled into a gas station which had a restaurant. It was little more than a truck stop. Tom got a newspaper and realized two things – it was 50 cents more expensive than yesterday but, worse, it was yesterday’s paper!
The inside was not too bad but the server was not at all friendly. There was a buffet but you could also order from a menu, which is what we did. I ordered oatmeal ($2.39) and fruit ($2.29), Tom ordered French toast with sausage ($5.98) and, of course, coffee ($1.49).
There was only a ten minute wait for the food. While we waited I took stock of the place. It was large and clean with booths round the outside and with tables and chairs in the middle. The buffet selection doesn’t look too bad at all. There are not many other customers.
Attached to the wall at the end of each booth is a phone. I guess it is for the truckers to use. Up on the wall is a televevision tuned into Fox News. There were some pictures on the wall but few and far between.
Not too impressed with the oatmeal because it did not have a lot of taste. It think it was instant. Plenty of fruit though, two types of melon and grapes.
The restroom was big and bright but there was no ornamentation at all. One point in its favor, the stalls had solid doors with no gaps down the side.
After a very bland meal, it was time to go and check out the lake.
October 06 2007 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
7 a.m. 36 degrees. Cold
Although the hotel has a complimentary breakfast, we have decided to drive to Park City to eat. It is very cold outside and there is more snow up on the mountains.
Our journey continues north on I15. Just south of Provo the traffic slows down. Of course it is Tuesday and it’s rush hour. We take Highway 189 through Provo. Brigham Young University is here. We are on the lookout for a coffee shop spot nothing at all. Imagine a town this size in California without a Starbucks on nearly every corner.
North of Provo we start to climb and drive through Provo Canyon. They are building a new road here but although we slowed down a bit we were not held up. There was a waterfall coming down the side of the mountain and it looked so pretty with the trees changing color. It was the first day of Fall yesterday.
Nearing Heber City we pass a hot air balloon. Although the sun is shining here, the temperature is just above freezing. I bet they are cold up there.
We pull into Park City Historic Center at 9 a.m. Now to look for breakfast.
Well that was disappointing. There are a lot of shops on Main Street but only one that served anything resembling breakfast. There were a lot of art galleries and collectible shops and some small boutique clothes shops plus lots of restaurants and bars but none of those were open. We had breakfast at The Main Street Deli but it was nothing to write home about and certainly not worth an entry in my breakfast blog. The only thing worth mentioning was the fact that my oatmeal was served in a polystyrene cup!
Behind the town the ski runs can be seen on the side of the mountain. At the moment there is just a light dusting of snow on the runs. Park City was one of the venues for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
We drove to Salt Lake City, which was just 30 miles away. This is the state capital of Utah and also home of the Mormon Church. We parked in Temple Square and visited the temple.
It covers 35 acres and there are many buildings on it. The main building is the temple itself. There is also the Tabernacle, two large visitors centers, a church, a huge conference center plus several other buildings. Everywhere you are greeted by young women, modestly dressed with long skirts and flat shoes and carrying the Book of Mormon. They are all called “sister” and are Mormon missionaries.
Every 15 minutes there is a guided tour of the site so we joined one of them. Our hosts were two very earnest young women who explained not only about the building of the temple and the tabernacle but also informed us of their beliefs. The last stop was the Northern Visitors Center, where we sat in front of a huge statue of Jesus Christ. At the end, our two guides sang the verse of a hymn and handed out cards which they wanted us to fill out.
Well, it was quite an experience but it did not persuade me to become a Mormon.
From the temple, we walked to the Gateway shopping mall. One of the entrances is through the old Union Pacific railway station. We couldn’t stay long as the car was parked at a parking meter.
From the city we drove north to Ogden. Tom used t0 live here in the 1970′s and he saw a lot of changes. There used to be countryside between Salt Lake City and Ogden but not any more. Also you used to be able to see the Great Salt Lake from the highway but I saw no sign of it. We found one of his old homes. The neighborhood had not changed much except the trees have grown.
We checked into the Best Western in Ogden. I am getting a little tired of living out of a suitcase.
October 05 2007 | Further Afield | No Comments »
Tom needed coffee so we stopped at The Blue Coffee Pot at the 160/163 interchange. The restaurant is bright and clean. It is built like a Hogan, which is almost round. Only one other table was occupied, but it is still very early.
We ordered eggs, hash browns and English muffin for Tom and oatmeal for me. I asked what came with the oatmeal and was told nothing. So then I asked about sugar and milk. I was told sugar (packet white sugar) was on the table and she would look to see if they had any milk. I guess that’s how they eat oatmeal here. I noticed that they also made lunches to go so we ordered a couple of sandwiches and chips to go. The server came back to the table to say that they had no milk and would little cartons of half and half be OK. Of course I said that would be alright.
There was a newsstand outside so for 50 cents Tom got The Daily Sun. I picked up a free local paper and read about a bear which wandered into a school yard and climbed a tree. The obituaries also fascinated me because they detail which clan and people they are from (remember we are still in Navajo land).
As usual I paid a visit to the restroom. Clean and functional is all I can stay. Maybe it is only in California they put up pictures, posters and have flowers or plants in restrooms. At least it is better than the one up at Canyon de Chelly yesterday.
The breakfast was nothing to write home about but it was cheap. The bill came to $12.80 but that included our take out lunch as well.
October 04 2007 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
5:27 a.m. 48 degrees. Dark and chilly.
We left early today for two reasons – we have a long drive ahead of us and Tom wants to get to Monument Valley when the sun gets up.
It was dark and cold when we left but I’m wearing shorts because it is going to get hot later. At first it is too dark to write. Also must add that the notebook is still damp from yesterday.
We took the short cut up to 160 and it was certainly much quicker. I reckon we saved nearly 100 miles. There was quite a bit of traffic around but surprisingly a lot of vehicles were school buses. I guess the kids have to set out early because everything is so far away. At one point we drove through water on the road. Obviously from the deluge yesterday.
At 6:30 we stopped at Kayenta for breakfast before turning down 163, which is the road through Monument Valley. It was all Tom hoped it would be and the scenery was pretty amazing. Hundreds of mesas rising out of the ground with lots of space between them. In silhouette they were stunning. You have to be careful of the wild horses roaming free though and there were quite a few dogs around as well.
We go through a small town called Mexican Hat, so called after a rock formation just to the north of the town. We are back in Utah and out of Navajo land.
The next part of the journey between Mexican Hat up to Moab was uneventful. I may have dozed off a little while Tom kept driving.
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October 03 2007 | Further Afield | No Comments »
8.45 a.m. 63 degrees. Cold and windy.
We were lucky to get out of the canyon in one piece. All in all, it was quite a day. It started normally enough though. As we were not driving anywhere today, we took our time having breakfast. We reported to the Gift Shop at Tunderbird Lodge just before 9. As the weather looked a little unpredictable we were in long pants and sweatshirts and had our raincoats with us. There was a bit of confusion as to whre we should wait. We were on the all day trip but there was not only a private tour going out but also a half day tour.
At 9.10 all those on the day long tour were collected and taken to our 4×4 truck. There were 16 of us on the trip and George was our Navajo guide. The truck was large and uncovered. The seats were padded but it was all a bit basic.
There is a road round the south rim and the north rim but the only cars allowed onto the canyon floor are tour jeeps or private SUVs as long as they have a Navajo guide with them. The valley floor with just sand with no proper roads at all.
Just inside the canyon George stopped the truck, climbed out of the cab and told us of the history of Canyon de Chelly. The first inhabitants of the canyon were probably the Anasazi Indians from 300 – 1300 and the first structures in the cliffs were probably built by them. Nobody knows why the Anasazi Indians left the canyon, it might have been due to illness or prolonged drought. The Hopi Indians were the next residents, though they only lived here in the summer. Some Hopi still come every year to plant crops. The Navajo Indians moved into the canyon about 1700 and they live here all year round.
He went on to say that there are three main canyons but many smaller ones. They were carved out by streams from the Chuska mountains to the east and by wind and rain. The streams are tiny now and just run off from the mountains. Within the canyon thee are two main dangers – flash floods and quick sands. Apparently quick sands do not stay in one place but move around so you never know when you are going to run into one. George said there were many vehicles buried in the sand.
We stopped at some ruins to take photos. They were some way up the sheer rock face. When the National Park took over the canyon, the Navajo wanted the ruins to be protected so all trails, foot and toe holds to all ruins in the park were erased and fenced off.
Our next stop was the junction where two of the canyons joined. George told us that he heard on the radio that it was raining up at Spider Rock. As it was at the highest elevation and the furthest distance away he decided to go there first instead of the Mummy Caves. We felt a few spots of rain so George handed out rain ponchos. I took one but Tom didn’t. We passed the White House Ruins. This is the only place where you can walk into the canyon. There are signs and fences around stopping people venturing into the canyon proper without a guide. We drove straight past. It began to rain heavily and I was pleased of the poncho.
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October 01 2007 | Further Afield | 2 Comments »
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