Thursday, August 13, 2009

happy camper take 2

IMG_4195 After getting home from Bryce, Chris happily went to making the fire while I got things ready for breakfast the next morning. 

We bought some more fire wood on the way back, but it wouldn’t be enough for a night and a morning fire, so we decided to make breakfast that night and just have leftovers from the mondo chicken pot pie we made the night before.  Leftovers are the best!  IMG_4170

Chris loves making fires!  It’s like his manly duty or something.  Me man, me make fire haha  We also had some more s’mores of course!

The next morning we huddled in our tent until the sun started to peek out with its enveloping warmth since we didn’t have a fire.  I just wrapped the breakfast burritos in foil with some mozzarella cheese and placed them on the propane stove (I know this is cheating, but shhh!)  It was really great and easy since the eggs were already made!

IMG_4178

After breakfast we packed up all our gear (not fun) and headed to Cedar Breaks National Monument.  Another breathtaking view!  Nature is just absolutely amazing to me, how something so beautiful can exist in this world. 

IMG_4186

Doesn’t it look like a fake background almost??

 IMG_4195 IMG_4197 IMG_4200

There were beautiful wild flowers everywhere, although one of the camp hosts told us that the best season for them is the first 3 weeks in July when they’re really in bloom.  For lunch we went towards Brian Head and grabbed a quick turkey and avocado sandwich at a deli there, but the guy wasn’t very nice at all and the sandwich wasn’t anything special. 

We drove up to a point called Brian Head Peak.  Boy, this was amazing too!  You could see everything from up there.  It was really scary because there were sheer drop offs from all sides.  Crazy!

IMG_4211

IMG_4219

Our last 2-mi hike was called Spectra Point.  Again, more drop-offs!  No pets are allowed on this one, and I can see why, yikes!  Looking over heights like that makes my stomach drop.

IMG_4226 IMG_4233 IMG_4240 IMG_4247 

Then it was off to the B&B!  Woo-hoo!  I can’t tell you how I was looking forward to getting a nice shower and being able to actually sleep through the night on a cushy bed.

IMG_4310 It was just as we had remembered!  We got the Oceanside room this time, and it was really nice.  We had dinner reservations at a place right across the street called Garden House that we also went to last time.

They have a cute little gazebo in the back, and Chris and I were kind of thinking this would be great for a wedding?  I think they can fit 100 people in the back too.  On the right is the inside the dining room.  Everything is mission style, very rustic and cozy.

IMG_4281IMG_4283  

When we were just about to head over another couple who was going to eat there said the restaurant had lost their liquor license or something and we couldn’t have wine with dinner . . . what?!  Blasphemy!! 

So they offered some of their La Crema Chard to share  with us at the B&B before dinner.  Wow!  This is a good one, IMG_4285very balanced, buttery and not too oaky.  I don’t like heavy, oaky chards that hide the fruit.  I like the butta baby and this one was great!  I was so sad to not have wine with dinner, but the company and food definitely made up for it :)

IMG_4301For an appetizer we had the baked brie with fruit and cranberry compote.  Wow!  Cranberries and brie is such a great combo! 

We devoured this dish.  I am going to have to try to recreate this one!

IMG_4298 

I decided on the mustard-dill glazed salmon and Chris had the Chicken Marsala.  Oh I love salmon!  I always try to get this at restaurants if I can because I can’t really buy it that often.  It was absolute perfection!  It also came with a side salad.  The veggies on the side were good as well, but the salmon stole the show.  I also had a few bites of Chris’ dish, but it was very rich with just a little heavy cream.

IMG_4308

We decided to hold off on dessert because our pants were about to explode and Nan, the innkeeper, had some chocolate cake waiting for us hehe We just walked across the street after dinner and sat out on the back porch and watched the sun go down.

IMG_4282 

The temperature was absolutely perfect, not to hot and not too cold.  IMG_4320 The chocolate cake was not the absolute best I’ve had, but yummy.  I could only eat about 3/4ths of mine, along with another small glass of chardonnay :) As the temperature got a little cooler we had some decaf mint green tea and went back to the room and watched Hairspray.  I just love that movie!  Although I did fall asleep halfway through it.  I can’t watch movies in bed because I just zonk out no matter what. 

IMG_4347The next morning breakfast was ready for us at 8:30am.  It was just like being at home, so quaint and cozy, although there are a bunch of people that you don’t know around :) But very nice I might add.   We started with yummy smoothies in a martini-type glass, along with fresh fruit (I had 1/2), a sausage patty (I had 1/2) and this amazing frittata type thing she called feather bed eggs.  The egg thingie was my favorite.  It was so moist with a thin layer of some kind of bread, eggs and sun-dried tomatoes mixed in with oregano on top.  Yum!  I also had a slice of a pumpkin cream cheese roll.  Chris was in love with this from the last time so he had about 3 slices!

IMG_4349

 IMG_4355

We didn’t want to leave!  We just walked around Cedar City for a little while and perused the little shops.  After checking out we packed up and headed home to reality.  Such a wonderful trip all in all I must say :) Where did the summer go?

What’s your favorite trip on a budget?  Any frugal vacation ideas just to get away?

 

7 comments:

chow and chatter said...

wow what a great trip love the burritos oh eat light at lunch and only one meal out a day, keep snacks in hotel room from local grocery store for brekkie

Gina; The Candid RD said...

Looks like you guys had a great time. What a nice bed and breakfast! All of your meals look so yummy, especially the breakfast. As far as frugal vacations, I like heading down south where my uncle lives (another suburb of Ohio) and go to the huge museum they have (kind of like a science museum), or go camping!! I HAVE to do that this summer, or at least this year sometime. I think themost expensive parts of vacations are the food and drinks (we get carried away sometimes) so bringing your own is a good idea, or at least tons of snacks!

Lainie said...

Frugality is not my specialty, so I'm not the best to look to for advice in that area! No, in all seriousness, camping is probably the way to go if you're trying to keep it cheap.

Brie cheese with anything makes it taste better. Period. :)

Happy Friday!

The Fat Dietitian said...

Gorgeous! The desert can be so beautiful...

Anonymous said...

What an amazing vacation- such a beautiful place! And, the food looks amazing!

Astra Libris said...

Oh my goodness, I am swept away by your beautiful photos once again... Such gorgeous meals, too! Ah, your salmon looks absolutely perfect...

This might sound silly, but sometimes when we feel we just really need to get away but can't afford to do so (which is most of the time :-), we have little "vacation meals" in our house, like picnics in our backyard or on our living room floor if it's raining, or we'll prepare a meal from the country we're wishing we could visit! :-) Goofy, perhaps, but fun... :-)

Being Healthier said...

what an awesome trip! I made baked brie with cranberries a few times- super easy and AMAZING!

where did the summer go seriously?

love the pose.