A blog of food, travel, rescue dogs & creativity from a young-at-heart baby boomer.
The sun was just starting to peek into Zion as we drove past the sign leading into this magnificent canyon treasure. The name “Zion” is Hebrew for Jerusalem or Holy Sanctuary. The Mormon leader, Brigham Young sent a settler into the canyon. The setter, Isaac Behunin, named it “Zion” because he saw it as “the natural temple of God” and it gave him a great feeling of peace.
After we left the Grand Canyon, we still had quite a ways to go to get to Zion National Park. The land changed dramatically after we left the south rim. No longer were there the beautiful evergreen trees, nor the expansive views of the canyons.
Continue reading “Grand Staircase Escalante, Vermilion Cliffs, Lake Powell and Kanab”
2016 is the 100 year anniversary of our National Park System. What better way to support and celebrate these national treasures than visiting as many national parks as possible on our way to Christmas in Washington! The fluffy, pristine snow made the perfect Christmas trimming to this magnificent park.
Originally we had planned on going from the Petrified Forest east of Holbrook to Flagstaff and see if our friends from the Phoenix area would like to meet us in Flagstaff for a day. We would have to wait for the blizzard forecasted for the Grand Canyon to move on and for the roads to get plowed before we could travel north to explore that area.
“Nowhere else has a large and beautiful and in every way wonderful section of the ancient …forests been discovered, and after it is cared for by the Nation and made easily accessible, it will, I am sure, become one of the most attractive and famous places in all our Western Wonderland.” ~ John Muir (Sept. 12, 1906)
Continue reading “Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona”
We started our Christmas journey in heavy rain. Although not conducive to picture-taking, the steady rain made a valiant attempt to green up the landscape. We were pushing hard to get as many miles into our trip while dodging snowstorms and severe thunderstorms. Chester, the moose, helped navigate our way!
For several years, I had been scouring RV Trader and Craigslist for a used Roadtrek 190 Class B camping van. I’d love to buy new but that was way above our budget. Fortunately, a little over a year ago I found one in our price range, with low-mileage and in great condition. Bonus – it was located in the Midwest. After a little negotiation, we were able to purchase our Roadtrek.
The day started with weather warnings of high winds and driving rain. When I drove into town, it really didn’t appear to be that bad. Perhaps it was the lull before the store. I decided to stock up on a few groceries. A big pot of chili sounded good for supper. Boy, was I right! The storm hit hard about an hour after I got home from the store. Electricity went out in town, and our lights were flickering. Were we going to lose all power in a sort while? I decided the best thing to do was to get the pot of chili made as quickly as I could.
I buy bananas every time I go to the grocery store. I use many of them in the healthy protein smoothies that I frequently make for my breakfast. Sometimes, I get a little over zealous in my shopping and buy more than I need. When they get a over-ripe, then I make this tasty gluten-free banana bread. It’s very yummy and good enough to practically be a dessert! You are going to be shocked at an unlikely hidden ingredient in this super yummy banana bread!
This is a very easy soup to make and so delicious. It is the perfect soup for a cold, dreary day (or any day for that matter). It is one of my go-to soups when I need to have something cooking for when my craft group comes over or when I need to take a soup for a soup-salad potluck at work. Be sure to print out extra copies of the recipe as your friends are going to ask for it! You can do it in the crockpot or on top of the stove.
Continue reading “Easy-Cheesy Potato-Chicken Gluten-Free Soup”