Day One, Day Two.....

Yes, I'm getting sunburned.......and working.  Pics of Zion.  The mad scramble to find the right dishes.

I think I left off getting this tribe on the road in Saint George to head up to Springdale, the entrance to Zion National Park? Not that Springdale is in question, just my ability to now keep day one and day two separate in my little brain.

We did see them off. We headed to Costco to pick up a few odds and ends. Then we, too, headed up the canyon.  What a beautiful day!  HOT HOT HOT.  I know a few tribe members that will be chillin in the river this afternoon.

Before we pulled into the camp ground Jack was kind and loving enough to pull off in Springdale so I could "browse" at a gallery that I love.  They feature the work of a local potter that I love and have a couple of pieces from.  Every other year we have been here I have "allowed myself" to "invest" or "indulge" in a  piece.  I thought I was safe this year.  There were only two of her pieces on show and they were too similar to what I own.  Whew.  But then the curator said, "Oh, I have a whole collection of her work in the back room."  Oh, my, yes she did.  What to do, what to do?  Invest, of course.  I now have a lovely, really cool, indescribable piece being shipped home.  And Jack said Happy Birthday.  My birthday isn't until October, but I so am happy.

So enough of that nonsense.  We got into camp and set up for dinner.  I am amazed at the places that I get to cook.  Look to the East and look the the West and what more could you ask for than the majestic cliffs of Zion as your back yard?  And tomorrow the back yard will change!

While we were slaving away in some pretty good heat the tribe was headed up river to explore the park.  Hiking, biking, walking, they did it all.  A few were able to make it to the Virgin River and walk up the canyon in the river.  I was fortunate enough to hike this with a friends daughter a few years back.  It was amazing.  So were the chipmunks at the entrance to the hike.  They were so amazing they could zip open your backpack, dig out whatever food item you may have stored and claim it as their own.  Chipmunks are so cute.

When the tribe returned to camp we had the feast ready for them.  They enjoyed a marinated vegetable salad with rice and quinuoa, greek lemon chicken, steamed red potatoes and yams, pan roasted cauliflower with garlic and cherry tomatoes, (YUMMMM! This was a new one and it was awesome!) and pound cake for dessert.

 We hit the hay early to get up for an early start today.  Speaking of early starts.  I get up at 4:20 to get the coffee going and breakfast on the roll.  The new deal is that coffee is at 5:30, breakfast at 6.  Yeah right.  Like who ever is up at 5:30 for coffee isn't going to want breakfast too.  And those that get up before 5:30 would like their coffee early.. ..trying to be optimistic but not seeing too clearly on this one.  Especially that early in the morning.  I'm still in my pi's for goodness sakes.  Yes, I cook in my pi's.  The first morning in Saint George it went well.  Ok, maybe I did lock everyone out of the building.  Just until 5:30.  Ish.  But this morning?  Camp fire at the catering truck.  5:13 and I have requests for breakfast.  Sorry, Ain't going to happen.  The results weren't ugly, I took my deep breath and tried to use the right response.  But I think the message got sent.  No camp fire at the catering truck until the doors are open.

So the tribe did get their french toast and scrambled eggs ON TIME and headed out to ride the switch backs up the canyon to catch the shuttle through the Zion tunnel.  Dropped off at the other side they had a tough but spectacular ride to the quaint, (and I use that term loosely) little hamlet of Hatch.

Jack and I took the alternate route to Hatch.  Tomorrow, when I have more time, I will give you the tunnel story with the big yellow truck.  We headed up to Cedar City, picked up ice and then drove up the route the tribe will be riding down in a couple of days.  Amazing the scenery when you go the opposite way that you have been driving for so many years!  We did not turn to finish the top of Cedar Breaks, but stayed on 14 through Duck Creek Pond to head out to Hatch.  I have driven this a couple of times, but this time we stopped at the visitors center.  WOW.  I had no idea that all this was there.  Campgrounds, Trails, Falls, Caves, Ice Caves, Lava Beds, Lakes, Lava Tubes.  You could spend a month exploring.  And, the ladies at the visitors center said that right now all the deer and antelope were dropping their young (this is a good thing) and there are babies everywhere.  We shall be back.

In Hatch we got set up for dinner and got dinner going early.  The winds were awful and I can tell you a story about cooking a pot of rice here and one side got done and the other didn't.  Fun stuff.  We prepared a tossed green salad, spicy cabbage salad, curried chicken, tofu with a peanut yam sauce, grilled tomatoes and home made cookies for this very weary tribe when they got in.

Tomorrow is a short ride up to Bryce Canyon and then the exploring begins!