Fall Chill

Oh boy. I am superwaybehind on blogging this fall. You know that feeling? Like an awkward pause in a conversation, where so much time has gone by, and you finally think of something to say, but don't say it because all of a sudden it doesn't seem like the right moment anymore. Maybe that's just me.

Anyways, blogging has been a struggle this fall. There are so many things to do that blogging just hasn't happened. It's not that I'm not writing. I am. On paper. And it's not that I'm not thinking about what ought to go up on the blog. I am. It's just that by the time I get home, all I want is a glass of wine, dinner, a book to curl up with, and a cuddle with Mike or Odie or both.

Plus, there's this weird pressure for blogging to be in real time. Maybe you know it. Things ought to feel relevant when they're published. But it's hard to devote so much time to blogging itself - the pictures, the writing, the scheduling of posts, and then find out that the government has shut down and the world gone to pot and your post suddenly seems out of place. You could let it publish anyways, or you could go back and re-write it. Usually I opt for the first option, if only because I don't remember whether I've scheduled a post or not. So it goes.

More than a month ago, Mike and I took Odie on a hike. I have no idea where we were, except that it was pretty far away from where we usually hike. And it was a National Forest...something that was wide open to the public a month ago, but not at all the last couple of days.

We stopped at a grocery store and picked up supplies for a picnic lunch - chips, cheese, salami, chocolate covered bananas, gluten-free cookies, ginger ale - the works. We were high in the mountains, so where it was still ninety degrees where we live, it was crisp and cool like fall. Like it feels now.

I had injured my foot earlier in the summer, which really put a stop to most of our hiking this summer. But Mike had identified several easy hikes that we could try. Best of all, there were lakes. We wanted to see how Odie would do around water.

Gluten-Free Zion National Park and Grand Canyon North Rim

This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite trips to National Parks and Monuments. Plus, I'm eating gluten-free all the way, so you get to see firsthand how easy (or hard) it is to travel gluten-free! Yesterday, I wrote about Dinosaur National Monument. Today is Zion National Park and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon!

Zion National Park is a pretty cool place to visit any time of the year. We visited in the late fall, so we took advantage of some nice but short hikes. If you go in the summer, be sure to check out the Narrows - one of the few places I've seen in a national park where swimming and wading are not only encouraged, but an essential part of the trail.

Zion is known for its "hanging gardens," which are little plants that cling to sheer rock faces at places like Weeping Rock and Emerald Falls. If you're more into spectacular views, Zion has those too.

There are some great scenic drives at Zion and in the area in general. You can see "Great Arch," which isn't really an arch, and Checkerboard Mesa, a pretty cool rock that formed to look just like a checkerboard!

If you're at Zion, it's only a couple of hours away to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Of course, this can be a trip all on its own, too!  

There's no way photographs can adequately capture the Grand Canyon. We spent hours just staring at it, trying to wrap our heads around how big it was. 

Traveling gluten-free?  This one's a cinch!  The closest town to Zion National Park is Springdale, Utah. It seemed like every restaurant in town had a thorough understanding of gluten intolerance and how to feed gluten-free folks. We ate at Wildcat Willie's (gluten-free items noted right on the menu), Parallel 88 (servers had a great understanding, and the food was amazing),  and Cafe Soleil for delicious gluten-free sandwiches. There were plenty more we could have tried, but we saved a few pennies by packing lunches and eating breakfast at our B&B. 

As always, be sure to bring enough water, dress for the weather, and check with the park regarding current conditions and regulations. 

Have you been to Zion or the Grand Canyon? I'd love to ear about it!

Gluten-Free Dinosaur National Monument?

This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite trips to National Parks and Monuments. Plus, I'm eating gluten-free all the way, so you get to see firsthand how easy (or hard) it is to travel gluten-free! Yesterday I talked about eating gluten-free at Bryce Canyon National Park. Today, it's Dinosaur National Monument.

Ever wanted to see a real dinosaur? Forget Jurassic Park, Dinosaur National Monument is the place to go.

You can see dinosaurs still in the rocks where they were buried by a prehistoric river - all in the comfort of an air-conditioned building that surrounds the dinosaur quarry. Or, you can look for dinosaur bones along certain hikes.

Dinosaur National Monument is situated both in Utah and Colorado. Only the Utah side boasts dinosaur fossils, but it would be a huge mistake to pass up the Colorado side. 

On the Colorado side, you can visit the Jones Hole Fish Hatchery, fish along the Jones Hole Trail, and hike through forest and desert to the Green River.

On both sides of the park, you can see petroglyphs and pictographs. (Petroglyphs are carved into the rock, while pictographs are painted, like the one below.) 

Be sure to take the scenic Tour of the Tilted Rocks drive, where you can see incredible rock art and stunning landscapes. At the end of the road, you'll come to Josie Bassett's homestead. She was a pioneer in the truest sense of the word and a fascinating woman. 

As always, take plenty of water, and be sure to check with the park for current conditions.

There are lots of little state parks in the area, as well as reservoirs where you can fish and boat. If you're only going to make one side trip, be sure to check out Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area - a huge dam that was intended for the area around Dinosaur National Monument, but later relocated due to protests.

Gluten-free? This is one where I'll emphatically say, "bring a cooler." The surrounding towns are small, and there aren't many restaurants. Plus, all the places to visit are great for picnics (as long as you pack out your trash - you don't want to attract any bears).

Remember how I said to check with the park about current conditions? As of right now, Jones Hole Trail is closed until further notice due to rock slides. There are still plenty of awesome hikes and drives at Dinosaur National Monument, so be sure to check it out!

Have you been to Dinosaur National Monument? I'd love to hear about it!

Gluten-Free Bryce Canyon National Park

This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite trips to National Parks and Monuments. Plus, I'm eating gluten-free all the way, so you get to see firsthand how easy (or hard) it is to travel gluten-free!

How do you describe Bryce Canyon National Park? In a word, "hoodoos." That's the name for the spires formed by erosion that fill the park.

The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, making it well-worth the trip. When we went, I had just fallen and badly bruised my foot, making walking difficult at best. I was so disappointed because I was looking forward to a good long hike at Bryce. Instead, we took a scenic drive of all the park's overlooks.

We went all the way up the main road of the park, then stopped at every overlook on the way down. That was the best way to do it too, for two reasons: that way all the overlooks were on the right side of the road, and the views got progressively better as we went on.

There's a good range of hikes available at Bryce Canyon, but all the panoramas and sweeping vistas are visible from overlooks just a short distance from the parking lots. Some hikes are just a mile or two, while others could take you all week. Whether you're going to be gone for half an hour or half a week, always take enough water, and be sure to check with the park rangers regarding current park conditions.

To my surprise, Bryce Canyon is home to quite a few arches. Natural Bridge is the most famous one, but we spotted numerous arches throughout our visit there.

Gluten-free? At first glance, Bryce Canyon might seem like a treacherous place to dine gluten-free. A web search doesn't turn up much. But if you ask around, you might just be surprised.  For us, it was a last minute trip, so I hadn't done my usual research.

If you want to bring your own food, there are a few grocery stores around. Your best bet is to go to a grocery store in Panguitch - the closer you get to the park, the pricier things get. Ruby's has quite a selection of food, but the prices are sky-high. We brought in most of our food, but we were only traveling from Salt Lake City, and were able to pack lots of stuff in the car.

Our first restaurant stop was the Cowboy's Smokehouse Cafe in Panguitch. It didn't look like much, but the wait staff did know exactly what gluten is, and were very helpful. The food wasn't that great, but it was gluten-free.

The next day for lunch, we ate at the restaurant in the Bryce Canyon visitor's center. Although the menu mentioned gluten-free options, there was no gluten-free menu, and our waiter didn't seem very well educated. We had to ask a ton of questions, and the waiter started avoiding us after the third round of questions. We had to go ask other servers, who then went back to ask the kitchen. The food was good, but proceed with caution.

The real surprise was right there at our hotel. Sonny Boy's BBQ offers great barbecue, live music, and a friendly and knowledgeable staff. It was so good, we got some more for the next day.

Don't let the fear of not being able to eat gluten-free at Bryce Canyon stop you from visiting. You might have to ask a few more questions, and do a bit more digging, but the experience is well worth it!

Have you ever visited Bryce Canyon? I'd love to hear about it!