A gorgeous view of the Vermillion Cliffs in northern Arizona, taken in September, 2008 on a trip from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to Page, Arizona.
For more Scenic Sunday shots, click here.
Places We've Been
Gluten Free In Kanab, Utah
I have written about Kanab, Utah before. It is only seven miles north of the Arizona-Utah border, out in the middle of nowhere. The town was settled in the 1860’s, first as a fort for defense against the Paiute Indians, then as a Mormon settlement. It is now a tiny town of about 5,400 population.
It serves as a hub for agriculture, recreation, and tourism in this area, being located in the center of the triangle formed when you draw lines between Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park.
You can see why the town thrived, even though it was in a remote area. The Kanab Creek provides water, and makes the town look like an oasis in the middle of desert country.
We like doing business in Kanab, because the people here are so friendly. We can get just about anything we need here, from a good lunch at the Mexican restaurant, to new shoes, to tires and repairs to our diesel truck.
I love it that I can get lots of my favorite gluten free products at Honey’s Jubilee, a local independently owned grocery store. Last year, when I shopped there and found Bob’s Red Mill, Mi-Del, and Glutino products on the shelves, I was so happy I cried. When I checked out that first time in the store, I thanked the cashier for having such a good selection of gluten free products. She told me that the owner was celiac.
(Terrell, the owner of Honey’s Jubilee)
Not that I’m glad that Terrell is a celiac, but if he has to be, then I am glad he owns a grocery store. Because he has to eat a gluten free diet, he stocks things in his store that he can eat. It makes life easier on all of us in town (and out of town as well) who must eat the same gluten free way.
(look at the gluten free section in Honey’s!)
When we went to Page, a much bigger town, that even has a super Wal-Mart, AND two chain grocery stores, there was NOT ONE gluten free item to be found. No pasta, no bread mix, no buckwheat cereal, NOT even the gluten free Rice Chex. I was so disappointed with that. At one of the grocery stores, I even asked at the service desk and the girl said, “No we don’t have anything gluten free here. One of my co-workers found out last week that she is gluten intolerant and she can’t find anything here.” Isn’t that sad that a whole town has nothing to offer a person who is gluten free?
I was delighted to see that they had the new Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes on the shelf at Honey’s. I didn’t need any of them this time, or believe me, I would have gotten one of each! I did get Bob’s Red Mill Bread Mix and some Creamy Buckwheat Cereal; Mi-Del Ginger Snaps; Glutino Frozen Bagels; Van’s Apple Cinnamon Waffles; and some Shar Table Crackers. I was in gluten free heaven!
So there you go! If you are a gluten free girl or guy, and you are planning to go on a trip to see Zion, Bryce, and North Rim Grand Canyon National Parks, go knowing you will find a gluten friendly place in Kanab. Honey’s Jubliee Grocery Store at 260 East 300 South – Kanab, Utah. And if you do go there, go to the service desk and ask for Terrell, and tell him FabGrandma sent you!
We’re Looking For A Home…
No, we are not going to stop living in our trailer and working at wonderful places like the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. But with the prices of real estate what they are right now, we would be crazy not to buy a house if we find the perfect one.
So, what is the perfect home for the FabGrandma? I am looking for a little white frame house, with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, and 1.5 to 5 acres, out in the country. A sweet little grandma house. One with a yard big enough to park our 34′ trailer in while we’re there. Something like this. Or this. Or this.
We want something ready to move into, no fixer uppers for us, please! We are looking in the west Georgia, east Alabama area, from roughly Franklin, Georgia, to Lineville, Alabama to Anniston, Alabama to Rome, Georgia. Roughly the area outlined in blue on this map:
That is a pretty big area, I know, but we don’t want to limit ourselves to one place and miss out on a good opportunity. We do like the Franklin area, though it is not the only area we want. If anyone out there reading this knows of a nice little place that fits the descripition, and is under $40,000, let me know! We could wind up being neighbors for the winter.
Scenic Sunday
We drove from Georgia to south Texas in our pick-up truck, pulling a pop-up camper in 1997. We camped at Bentsen Rio Grand Valley State Park in Mission. This was on an oxbow lake near the Rio Grand River. You can no longer camp at this state park. We were very lucky to go there when we did.
To see more photos from Scenic Sunday, click here.
Remember Wednesday
This was taken in June of 1978, in Panama City Beach, Florida, on the only vacation my first husband and I ever took together.
My kids were so young, and innocent, and sweet then. They loved the ocean, because as one of my daughters said at the time “This water plays with you, Mama!.” They played on the beach all day, running and jumping in the water. We took them to Sea World, I think was the name of it. My son was afraid of the parrots, and after much coaxing, very timidly allowed two of them to rest on his shoulders for a picture.
This was also long before the days when mothers were warned about putting their childrens names on their clothing, so my youngest had a hooded sweatshirt with “EMMY” on the back of it. She kept asking me how everyone knew her name. And if this were a better picture, you would be able to see that my oldest daughter, on the left, has a black eye–she got out of the car and walked into the motel room, right into the corner of the dresser on the first day of the trip.
I miss those days, when my children were so carefree, and cute. Now they are all grown up, going on vacations of their own, with their spouses, children, and boyfriends. But would I go back to that time? Not on your life!
My best memory of that vacation though, is this: We arrived in town late in the afternoon. We were starving, and wanted seafood for dinner, so we found a restaurant just down the beach from our motel. We were all dressed in shorts and flip-flops. After we were seated, I looked around the room, and there were people dressed in formal attire, and a bottle of champagne chilling on their table. When THEY saw us, there was a heavy visible sigh from both of them.
We ordered our food, and all three of my children sat patiently at table, waiting for their meal, not uttering a word. When the food arrived, they put their napkins on their laps, and ate their meals, with very polite family conversation going around the table as usual. They were good as gold sitting there in their booster seats in that fancy restaurant.
When our check arrived, the man in the tuxedo at the table across the room walked over and said, “When you walked in, I just knew my meal was going to be ruined. But your children are the most well behaved I have ever seen” and he paid our bill for us. Little did he know that I threatened their lives out in the parking lot before we went inside, and they knew I meant it. I think it was the proudest moment of my motherhood.
To see more Remember Wednesday photos, click here.
Scenic Sunday
This was taken in western North Carolina in the mountains in October, 1994. Those sumacs were such a brilliant red!
To see more Scenic Sunday photos, click here.
I Had A Little Visitor On The Job Today
I was working out at the entrance station today. I didn’t hear this little guy come in, but I did hear him bonk his little head on the window. He was stunned a little bit, I think.
He sat there on top of the sign that says “Sorry, Our Campground Is Full”, looking out at the meadow in the distance, probably wondering where the heck he was.
The little poser sat there quite still and let me get very close to get a nice picture. Then, I picked him in my hands, and took him outside, where he quickly flew away into the trees. It was amazing how soft and fluffy he was, and how he seemed to not weigh anything at all. I was afraid I might crush his little self if I held him too tightly.
Bye, bye, little friend! Come to visit again some time!
Guess Who Is In Town?
The bull bison I saw last week was scoping out the territory for his family. This morning when I went out to the entrance station, there they all were. And I had my camera this time:
When I drove up, they started running. What an amazing sight to see them all turn in unison and stampede across the meadow!
The whole herd stayed out there most of the day. They caused a “Buffalo Jam”, with tourists stopping to take pictures, parking all over the place, even leaving their cars in the road to get out and get closer.
The buffalo wandered around the meadow, sometimes going all the way over to the trees, sometimes coming back close to the road. Here they are all bunched up by the entrance sign:
When I had no cars coming, I watched them with binoculars. They really are amazing animals. I got lots of questions from visitors:
Are they wild? yes. Do they stay up here all winter? no. Where do they go when it gets cold? I have no idea, but probably down in the canyon. Have they birthed their young yet? I think so, because when I was out there this morning I saw some calves. How many are there? About 80 of them. Are they dangerous? yes, if you make them mad, they can charge you.
I hope I get to see them again soon.
