Utah is breathtaking. We take Ken Rait’s advice and find ourselves camped 9 miles out on a canyon point. As far as the eye can see are canyons in every color. What Ken did not mention is the wind. It is fierce. We thought the snow tested our poor packing (I laugh every time I see the shorts in my cubby), but this Utah wind has the dogs cowering in the camper and I am not far behind. David mumbles something about people from Florida being thin blooded (he calls it Florida syndrome), and hunkers over the fire using our camp chairs and table to make a screen so he can cook dinner.
David is a phenomenal cook. He gets on kicks and becomes expert at making artisan bread or cured meats and I am the main beneficiary. The only hiccup is that he cannot bake. David never met a recipe he wanted to follow and truly believes he knows better than the Barefoot Contessa when it comes to mixing exact ingredients. We have had some disastrous desserts at inopportune times. Once was a Thanksgiving when my father and Ginger joined us in Rehoboth and David made a pecan pie, winging it when it came to adding molasses. Even my father who has never met a jelly donut in a gas station that he didn’t immediately pop in his mouth couldn’t get through two bites. I tell you this so you can appreciate the miracle that happened which is that David made brownies in a little staub pot over the open flame and it was the best brownie ever. I include a picture of him looking incredibly well-satisfied with himself.
From the rim, we went into Escalante/Grand Staircase and walked among the slot canyons. It was here we found out the dogs are not welcome. Apparently, they disturb wildlife. This makes me wonder about the tourists who I’ve seen place their young children on top of a bison to get a good picture and whether perhaps that “disturbs” wildlife. Maybe I don’t understand how these park officials are using the word “disturb.”
Adventures in LuLu 