Westward American Road Diary: The Grand Canyon

Some foods instantly transport you back in time and place. Blueberry pie will forever be associated with my American West road trip. And this was just some of the best blueberry pie I've had ever, at the Jacob Lake Inn's restaurant in Jacob Lake, Arizona. I had to eat it at the counter. There's something about eating pie at a counter.

A much more sensible breakfast! The six grain cereal with fruit and whole wheat toast, grapefruit juice and Earl Grey tea at the inn's restaurant.

A lot of places were closed for the season and we happened upon the inn. It's one of those classic Americana places that remain family owned that you're glad still exist, maybe for a sense of permanence.

At the North Rim, where we stopped briefly before heading to the South Rim (a few hours drive, by the way). The North Rim gets a tenth of the visitors as the South, in part because it's not as developed with lodges, restaurants and such. The Rough Guide to the Southwest says it offers a "splendid sense of isolation." There was definitely a calmer feeling here.

"Made a friend of the Western sky." - Tori Amos, Honey

The legendary Roy Rogers, yet I haven't seen any of his movies either. Oh my!

Everyone says the pictures don't do it justice. True.




The Ooh Aah lookout point.

Donkeys taking a rest on the trail. I won't lie: I felt kind of bad for the donkeys lugging tourists around.

A morbid choice for the park's best selling book. Steve and I couldn't stop flipping through it in the bookstore.

A call to conserve.

Vegetarian chili in a sourdough bread bowl washed down with apple juice at the Bright Angel Restaurant. I was longing for a good bowl of chili on this trip. I ate here for dinner too: roasted red pepper soup, veggie tortellini and angel food cake with strawberries.

We slumbered one night at the Xanterra Lodge in the canyon (about $140 for two with the Triple A discount). After Durango we didn't book any places and stayed here on a whim after being exhausted from driving.

We were supposed to be bound for the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert next, but an unexpected snow storm (seriously?!) and a need to change rental cars in Flagstaff due to a scary sounding transmission derailed our plans. Next stop: Historic Route 66, then Vegas here we come (with some aliens mixed in too, again!)