Where I am right now: Zion National Park, Utah
Why you should be here too: This time of year, Zion is a bit less crowded. The kids are in school, and some of the RVers don’t like to take a chance that snow in the northern part of the state might keep them from getting back home. In addition, the shuttle system – a great idea, by the way, that keeps down the traffic along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and the concomitant pollution, noise and chaos – is suspended Oct. 30-Mar. 31, which means you can drive to the Temple of Sinawava, gaping awestruck at the spectacular sandstone, with its red, pink, cream and beige cliffs and canyons.
Eat at these places: In nearby Springdale, The Bit & Spur Restaurant & Saloon (1212 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, 435-772-3498, bitandspur.com) has been my favorite place to eat in the area since I first started visiting Zion eight years ago. An old cowboy watering hole since the ’50s, which is where the place got its name, the Bit & Spur now is one of the best Mexican eateries ever, with a menu that runs the gamut from traditional to creative. I’ve ordered the appetizer stuffed jalapeños on every visit – cream cheese and cheddar and a drizzle of sweet and spicy red sauce – but I may have to add one of their newer items to my regular rotation: the brie and walnut quesadillas with their homemade jalapeño jelly. Another favorite: the mushroom-stuffed poblano. Dessert is a must; the ice creams are homemade and if the miniature chocolate bundt cake with a scoop of peppermint is available, say yes, please. The house margarita is an acquired taste, because it uses Almendrado Tequila, which imparts a definite almond flavor. Purists should go for the Cadillac. In the park, the Zion Lodge’s Red Rock Grill (Zion Lodge, 435-772-7760, zionlodge.com) is delightful, with an upscale New American menu of dishes such as pan-seared tilapia in a chipotle soy sauce and Navajo eggplant breaded and fried in a tomatillo cream sauce. They also make a mean prime rib. And, of course, the views out the window of the park are magnificent, especially at sunset. For breakfast, lunch or dinner, check out the Pioneer Restaurant (838 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, 435-772-3009, pioneerlodge.com), very reasonably priced, with sandwiches, a soup and salad bar, and four or five types of homemade pie daily.
Sleep at these places: Zion Lodge is managed by Xanterra Parks & Resorts out of Colorado (call 888-297-2757 or 303-297-2757, zionlodge.com) and is a wonderful place. In the reasonably priced range, you have a choice of motel rooms or cabins (which sleep four), and the cabins are well worth it if you can get them; in the season, they sell out months in advance (for instance, the cabins are sold through July right now), but you have a shot this time of year. Motel rooms starts at $150; cabins at $160. The Novel House Inn (73 Paradise Road, Springdale, 800-711-8400, novelhouse.com) is another gem, a charming B&B run by Norma and Ross Clay, who are gracious hosts. The “Novel” part refers to the themes of each of the 10 guestrooms – we stayed in the Tolstoy – as well as the fact that the place is just loaded with books you can peruse during your visit. A filling breakfast – with hot dishes such as chile-studded eggs cooked by Norma and apple-nut muffins baked by Ross – is included and heavenly. Rates start at $129.
My new best friend: The cutie-pie bison at the Elk Park in Springdale, one of the oddest little deals ever. It causes traffic to slow as folks driving by go, “What the – ?” when they see one youngish-looking bison hanging out right next to the road with a handful of elk and a couple of longhorn cattle in a flimsy fenced-in area, with people flocking to visit. Pay $2 and you can stick your hand through the fence, feed and touch the bison, if he (she? hard to tell) will let you. A lawsuit waiting to happen, I wager, but you are not going to get thisclose to one anywhere else.
What to do, what to do: Hike! Walk! Drive if you must, but see everything you can in the most beautiful park this country has to offer. Get a map at the entrance station and plan out your days. Angels Landing is the most popular, but those who can’t stand the crowds and want twice the elevation with better views and a more backcountry feel (and you wind up looking down on the folks at Angels Landing) know Observation Point, with its 2,300-foot elevation gain, is the one to do. At the very least, drive through the tunnel and hoof it out Canyon Overlook, a fairly easy one-hour out-and-back that gives you a view of lower Zion Canyon and Pine Creek Canyon.
A modest proposal: How about we quit the ridiculous decision-making process required for every car to stop at the entrance fee station to excrutiatingly slowly consider, “Do I want to spend $25 per vehicle for seven days or just go ahead and spring for the $50 annual national parks pass, thereby adding a drop in the bucket to the tragically underfunded parks system and saving on the $400 million in gas it’s costing us over the long haul to sit there daily and wait in line?” This should be a no-brainer. The argument that it would be a hardship for folks to pay the other $25 is hard to swallow when you watch people pull up in SUV after SUV, or rental cars from Vegas that cost $45 a day. Please. Give up a couple of visits to Starbucks and let’s get a few more rangers out there in the field. Or pay them a liveable wage.
More info: nps.gov.zion
Look for the full story on Utah in the May 6 issue.
Travel editor Kyle Wagner can be reached at 303-954-1599 or travel@denverpost.com.
