Directly after Vegas, we stayed a night in the wonderfully named Hurricane. This town was a sort of joint venture between the Church of Latter Day Saints and John Wayne. Our first taste of the Wild West. Dinner was of note - an eccentric family restaurant frequented by everyone from mormons to movie stars. Willem Dafoe had graffitied the wall with some comment about their fish tacos. Another comment - among the hundreds - said: "Your pizza saved my life, literally!"
Hurricane was the jumping off point for Zion National Park - which on a Saturday was rather busy. We purchased $80 Annual Passes for all US National Parks at the gate, to which the Park Ranger said: "America lies at your feet." Exciting stuff indeed! As the guidebook says - Zion's proportions are indeed "Old Testament" in nature.
Next up was Panguitch where by coincidence a special festival was underway - the Panguitch Valley Balloon Rally. Panguitch is small town America at its best. During the festival, entire families sat on benches outside their houses; couples danced to live country and western on street corners; youths practiced knife throwing.
Dinner - at Panguitch's Smokehouse - was a real treat. Not many places where you can enjoy a "Polygamy Porter" ("Why Have Just One?) under the shadow of life size John Wayne cut out. Huge chunks of bison/beefalo and home smoked river trout were on the menu. Not for vegetarians.
Canyons - Arizona and Utah have many of them. At Bryce Canyon, we enjoyed the "hoodoos" from atop lazy mules (Rachel and Shamrock) - and I came out with injuries that would make a cowboy blush. It was worth it - not many times in life you can hear a Texan cowboy shout "Alright English, ride 'em on out!"...
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