You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi

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You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi
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                                                                         You, me
                                                                        and Utah
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You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi
16 Traveller                WEEKEND EDITION               AUGUST 13-14, 2016                                                                                                                     The Sydney Morning
                                                                                                                                                                                                            M       Herald                                                                                                         WEEKEND EDITION              AUGUST 13-14, 2016            Traveller 17

Cover story
                                                     UNITED
                                                     STATES                                                                                                                                                                                                     In 2015, Zion National Park recorded 3.6 million visitors
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                and numbers are predicted to be up 30 per cent for 2016.

Salt of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Heights of adventure: (Clockwise         guests of honour and dodge flying
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        from main) Walter’s Wiggles trail at     pucks. Aspirin and ear plugs are
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Zion National Park, Utah; the Utah       sold in packs at the game for $3 and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Grizzlies in action; Park City; a        it feels unpatriotic to have
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        canyon at Zion National Park; fire       anything less than corn dogs, hot
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        pits on the Glitretind deck; a rock      dogs, super-sized bags of popcorn
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        climber tries to scale an                and nachos drowned under canary

the earth
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        overhanging sandstone wall; the          yellow cheese (utahgrizzlies.com).
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Mormon Temple is reflected in the        EAT For a more sustaining feed
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        pool at Temple Square, Salt Lake         with the locals and a short walk
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        City; (bottom) a scenic drive on         from Temple Square, Squatters
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Byway 12, Utah; the Orange Bubble        pub favourites include a turkey
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Express at Park City, Utah.              mushroom burger, bourbon
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Photos: Carol Polich, Josie Vimahi,      burgers alongside jambalaya and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        iStock; Alamy, Getty Images, Jerry       mac and cheese.
From mountains to deserts, Utah is god’s gift to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Dodrill, Jason Cameron                       There’s a string of microbrews
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 including cask conditioned ales,
lovers of the big outdoors, writes Jane Reddy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   the American Wheat Hefeweizen

T
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 and the Polygamy Porter. I order a
          here are many ways to         mud. Led by Brigham Young in                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    fondue fireplace with strawberries       pitcher of Respect Your Mother
          cross the snow covered        1847 of the Church of Jesus Christ                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              and cinnamon pound cake on the           Organic Amber and smile at the
          Wasatch Mountains of          of Latter-day Saints, the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       side. Justin, bring the sleigh           children.
          Utah. By skis, in wide        3000-strong faithful journeyed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  (deervalley.com).                            Leaving the city the next day we
elegant arcs; by chairlift              west from Illinois before settling at                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           WHERE TO STAY For immersion              stock up on pastries from the
underneath a gentle snowfall, or by     the Valley of the Great Salt Lake                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               in the area’s ski culture the Stein      excellent Gourmandise Patisseries
gondola, packed tight, rubbing          where Young declared ‘‘This is the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Eriksen lodge is relaxed and             that’s a locals favourite for
Gore-Tex clad shoulders with            place’’.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        friendly for families.                   blueberry croissants and
fellow enthusiasts to heights of           We don’t have that long for our                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Named in honour of the alpine         raspberry muffins (squatters.com;
3000 metres.                            road trip, just 10 days. But with a                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ski racer and Olympic gold               gourmandisethebakery.com).
   Today, I’m flat on my back,          Jeep Patriot in this land of the free,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          medallist from Norway – Eriksen          WHERE TO STAY As the name
strapped into the first-aid sled,       an 11 and eight-year-old in the back                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            was also credited with the creation      suggests, the imposing 24-floor
eyes to the cloudless sky after an      and a gas station at most highway                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               of the freestyle ‘‘aerial’’ – Eriksen    Grand America Hotel has museum
inelegant turn on a green run.          exits, we’re ready to test the time                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             memorabilia lines the walls of the       quality paintings and antiques
The shame. My family, passing in a      limits of a ski and hike adventure.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             lodge, which has also giant beams,       including the 1760 French tapestry
chairlift overhead, send cheery            In the centennial year of the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                stone fireplaces and couches that        Games in the Countryside made at
salutations mouthing ‘‘R U OK’’ en      National Park Service in this state                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             guests are welcome to sink into at       the Aubusson Royal Manufactory.
route to a more difficult slope, as     of five national parks, six national                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            apres hour.                              It’s close to the local tram that will
Val of the snow patrol is left to tow   monuments and an end-of-season                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     It’s Eriksen branding right down      in turn take you close to Temple
me down to the mountain doctor.         dump of snow, we have hit nature’s                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              to the lip balm in our suite. We fuel    Square. Rooms from $US250 a
She blows hard on her whistle that      paydirt, all with a driving distance                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            up with other families on quinoa         night (grandamerica.com).
screams ‘‘get outta my way’’ to         under 1000 kilometres.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          porridge, maple glazed sausage
anyone in her path.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     and elk bacon. Rooms in ski season       SALT LAKE CITY TO
   The diagnoses – a knee sprain        SALT LAKE CITY TO                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               cost from $US550 a night                 CAPITOL REEF
and bruised ego – are not even in       PARK CITY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       (steineriksen.com).
the ballpark of Val’s litany of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  NATIONAL PARK
                                        55 kilometres, 40 minutes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                350 kilometres, 3 hours and
injuries sustained from an                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              DEER VALLEY TO SALT
otherwise healthful lifestyle in the    Park City will be a revelation to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        30 minutes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        LAKE CITY
place where muscular locals carry       anyone who considers resort                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ‘‘Today you will go to Mars,’’ says a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        57 kilometres, 55 minutes
the glow of a life lived far from a     towns the exclusive domain of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            knowing Utahn as we set off on the
desk.                                   snow aficionados, built-out with                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                The state capital with its mountain      Interstate 15 for the reef and its
   From white mountains to              modern condos. The largest ski                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  backdrop is an easy place to             160-kilometre-long warp, the
yawning desert and slot canyons,        area in the United States is on the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             navigate thanks to the gridded,          Waterpocket Fold, in the Earth’s
Utah is a state that is god’s gift to   doorstep of Salt Lake City Airport;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             40-metre-wide streets originally         crust that defines it.
lovers of the big outdoors; where,      an easy drive into the Wasatch                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  built to allow for the turning of four       When the kids start bickering
with a simple change from ski           Mountains (with some help from                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  oxen pulling a wagon. We find the        over the last piece of the newly
boots to hiking boots, one could be     Google maps).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   state’s most visited attraction, the     discovered cotton candy, I
among snow covered mountains              Long before the skiers and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Latter Day Saints Temple Square,         threaten an alien sibling to sit
before lunch and other-worldly          boarders came, the region’s silver                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              that covers four hectares.               between the two.
sandstone hoodoos at sunset.            veins made millionaires of 23                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Here we sit and listen to the             They laugh in my face. We pass
Adventure is easy and accessible.       people (one of them the father of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Tabernacle choir rehearsal with          tiny towns, each with a large star-
   Immersed in landscapes shaped        newspaper publisher William                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     the 11,000 pipe organ. It sounds like    spangled banner flying proudly
by wind, water and time, super          Randolph Hearst).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               the voice of angels to our untrained     and RVs bigger than the homes
highways are an absolute bonus for        The rich silver ore and the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ear, but not so the choirmaster,         they sit next to. There’s Mountime
families and the time-poor on a         consequent booms and busts saw                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  who is putting the 300-strong            Taxidermy in Lyman and in Scipio
journey of geological time travel of    mining finish in the area in the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                member group through its paces           a farmhouse store selling goods
millions of years.                      early 1980s, but parts of its            Anne, Spanish revival and                independent boutiques (‘‘mom and       pomegranate vinaigrette and wood                     affair and some argue more true to   DON’T MISS An afternoon at the        business and the Montage has           during the Songs of Levi. ‘‘You have     ‘‘from Alaska to Australia’’.
   Some may baulk at an 18 or so        heritage are well-preserved              Victorian buildings, all built after a   pop shops’’) and locals are hoping     fired pizzas of prosciutto and blood                 alpine sports with not one           imposing and popular family           staked its claim as the largest spa    to sing this lighter – never, ever           Snow-capped mountains of the
hour flight to Salt Lake City from      around town.                             disastrous fire in 1898. At a time       the character of the place will        orange (thesilverstarcafe.com).                      snowboarder in sight.                resort, the 220-room Montage atop     in the state with 29 treatment         push sound.’’                            morning have given way to rock
Australia just to get to the holiday      We spend an afternoon                  when the population was nearing          remain, despite the recent merger      WHERE TO STAY Park City                                 Ski credentials aside, this       Empire Pass that welcomes             rooms, women’s and men’s               DON’T MISS Another group with a          formations such as The Castle and
starting line, but cry me a river.      exploring the genuinely western          10,000, 200 of 350 homes and             of the Park City and Canyons           Waldorf Astoria at the Canyons                       evening cowboy Justin, in leather    outside guests. We spend an           relaxation areas and fitness centre    loyal following is the Utah Grizzlies    The Flute Wall that could indeed
   Modern-day inconveniences            town with street names such as           businesses burnt including the           resorts.                               Village at the base of Park City                     chaps and Stetson with horses and    afternoon in Daly’s Pub and Rec       (montage.com).                         ice hockey team. The match               be from a fantasy novel with its
pale when you are venturing into a      Payday and Bonanza, a legacy of          grand opera house and 500 people            Be sure to stop in at the Park      Resort is more than a pretty face,                   sleigh is making my long-buried      sampling the local microbrews like    EAT At the charming Fireside           against the Tulsa Oilers is nothing      spires, turrets and hideouts. It’s a
state Mormon pilgrims pioneered         the mining days and the Main             were left homeless.                      City History museum inside the old     with its lobby chandeliers made of                   childhood Disney dreams come         Shades of Pale and Park City          Dining at the Empire Canyon            short of exhilarating with the           40-million-year old snapshot with
with wagons, often in axle-deep         Street, with its charming Queen             There’s said to be more than 100      City Hall of 1885                      Baccarat crystals and stags                          true. The farmer-insurance           Brewery, in between frames on the     Lodge where servers dish up Swiss      sounds of cracking hockey sticks         distinct layers and colours of brick-
                                                                                                                          (parkcityhistory.org).                 fashioned from 150-year-old hand-                    salesman by day tucks heavy          four-lane bowling alley beside us.    raclette cheese and veal and wild      and players’ bodies thudding             red stone, gray-green rock and
                                                                                                                          DON’T MISS Tubing on Gorgoza           carved wood.                                         blankets around us before some          There’s also shuffleboard, darts   mushroom stews from one of five        against the rink’s edge.                 orange-red sandstone once ocean,
                                                                                                                          Park. An ideal place for effortless       Getting from the hotel and onto                   circle work among fir and aspen      and vintage arcade games. While       great stone hearths to a convivial        We join the locals to stand up for    swamp and desert.
                                                                                                                          snow play while giving your ski legs   the slopes, with children in tow, is                 and the peculiar quiet that snow     skiing may be the main game in the    queue of guests.                       the national anthem, applaud the
                                                                                                                          a rest. There’s seven lanes, all       close to effortless with the hotel’s                 landscapes bring.                    mountains, spas are also a serious       We finish ourselves off at the      returned servicemen who are              Continued on page 18
                                                                                                                          served by magic carpet lifts and in    dedicated Frostwood Gondola to
                                                                                                                          between midair maniacal laughter       take you to the Canyons village
                                                                                                                          (it’s that much fun) we take hot       base and the start of the runs.
                                                                                                                          chocolate breaks in the heated
                                                                                                                          yurt. See gorgoza.com
                                                                                                                                                                    Helpful staff take you by buggy
                                                                                                                                                                 on the short ride to the gondola.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         TRIP NOTES                        GETTING THERE
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Virgin Australia has daily services
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 SKIING THERE
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Deer Valley & Park City There are
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Park City In 2015, operators Vail
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Resorts linked Park City and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 HIKING THERE
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The annual America the Beautiful
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           between Sydney or Brisbane to Los     800 hectares of skiable terrain, 101   Canyons to create the largest            Pass costs $US80 a car and
                                                                                                                          EAT You’ll need to book to get a       Rooms from $US609 a night
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Angeles, with non-stop codeshare      trails and 21 chairlifts. The Utah     resort in the United States. See         provides entry to all US National
                                                                                                                          table at the pumping Riverhorse on     (parkcitywaldorfastoria.com,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           services on Delta Air lines between   TRIP Pass provides access to both      parkcitymountain.com. The 2016-17        Parks. A seven-day entrance for
                                                                                                                          Main for heart-warming choices         visitparkcity.com).
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. See   resorts from $US113 a day for          Epic Pass offers unlimited access at     Bryce and Canyon costs $US30.
                                                                                                                          including huckleberry mojito and a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         MORE                              virginaustralia.com                   adults, $US66 for children. See        all of Vail Resorts destinations. It     See nps.gov.
                                                                                                                          Rocky Mountain rack of lamb            PARK CITY TO DEER                                       INFORMATION                       Qantas flies daily to LA with         visitparkcity.com/international-       costs $US809 for adults and
                                                                                                                          (riverhorsegroup.com). For a           VALLEY                                                  visitutah.com                     connections to Salt Lake City with    visitors/two-resort-pass,              $US419 for children; see                 Jane Reddy was a guest of the
                                                                                                                          relaxed brunch or lunch, Silver
                                                                                                                          Star Cafe’s dishes include organic
                                                                                                                                                                 2 kilometres, 10 minutes                                lonelyplanet.com                  American Airlines.                    deervalley.com                         EpicPass.com.                            Utah Office of Tourism.
                                                                                                                          spinach with fetta, mushrooms and      Deer Valley resort is a skier-only
You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi
1 8         Traveller                   WEEKEND EDITION                          AUGUST 13-14, 2016                                                                                                                                      The Sydney Morning Herald

Cover story
                                                                          UNITED
                                                                          STATES

From page 17

   At the aptly named Goosenecks
Point the otherworldliness is fully
                                                                                                                                                                              Five must-dos for Utah
revealed as we stare down the red                                                                                                                                             J OIN TH E TRAD ITION
hued canyon 244 metres below. A                                                                                                                                               Most hotels offer the traditional
woman commends our kids for                                                                                                                                                   and sickly sweet campfi re
keeping a safe distance from the                                                                                                                                              S mores treat: toasted
edge but still, I can hardly breathe.                                                                                                                                         marshmallow and chocolate
These landscapes are far from                                                                                                                                                 sandwiched between two
static; Sulphur Creek, a tributary                                                                                                                                            Graham crackers.
of the Colorado River, continues to
shape the canyon.                                                                                                                                                             BOOK AH EAD
DON! T MISS A walk among the Cas                                                                                                                                              Getting onto the slopes can be a
Mulford orchard, one of the largest                                                                                                                                           test for parents and children.
historic orchards in the National                                                                                                                                             The cheery and on time Ski
Park Service with more than                                                                                                                                                   Butlers staff deliver gear to the
3000 trees of apple, peach, pear                                                                                                                                              hotel room, adjust fi ttings and
apricot, cherry and plum. When                                                                                                                                                collect everything when you re
the fruit is ready visitors can use                                                                                                                                           done.
the three legged ladders to pick a                      B ig c ountry: Maj estic roc kf orms tower ov er the highway.
                                                                                                                Photo: Getty Images                                           See skibutlers.com
bag for a nominal fee.
EAT Sit under cottonwood trees                          campground in the park. Sites at                         signs with fl ashing lights give a                           G ET YOU R BEARING S
and eat fresh baked pie and                             the Fruita Campground are                                party vibe on a road built in parts                          Zion National Park s excellent
cinnamon rolls from the Gifford                         $US20 a night.                                           from grit alone, and with side roads                         shuttle service departs every
Homestead, one of the few                                                                                        carrying names like Hell s                                   15 minutes from Springdale in
remaining buildings from the                            CAPITOL REEF                                             Backbone. During the Depression,                             summer and stops at nine
historic Fruita district established                    NATIONAL PARK TO                                         President Franklin Roosevelt                                 different jumping off points
in 1880 by a group of Mormons led                                                                                created the Civilian Conservation                            including Angel s Landing and
by Nels Johnson.                                        BRYCE CANYON                                             Corps to provide work to young                               Zion Lodge.
   The homestead includes a                             NATIONAL PARK                                            unmarried men. The CCP blasted                                                                                    Melting moments: (From top)
seven room house, barn and                              2. 5 hours, 18 6 kilometres                              through this slickrock terrain                               TAKE YOU R TIM E                                     S! mores treat; the hooded
smokehouse and doubles as a                             We drive in a golden afternoon                           removing debris by hand.                                     The Capitol Reef, Bryce and                          c hairlif ts c arry skiers in c omf ort
museum. Its spartan nature recalls                      light along scenic byway 12,                                At the Head of the Rocks we                               Zion visitors centres all                            Photos: L au r i Patter son, Getty
the rural Utah farm homes of the                        climbing more than 3000 metres                           stare across the Escalante                                   contain excellent topographical                      Images
early 1900s.                                            on switchbacks, passing alpine                           Canyons to plateaus and canyons                              models and depictions of
WHERE TO STAY We re pushing                             forest and patches of snow on one                        beyond. The road dubbed the                                  creatures such as Tyrone                             S ET TH E ALARM CLOCK
on to Bryce Canyon. The 7 1 site                        side and pink and russet stone                           Million Dollar Highway has a                                 (Tylosaurus proriger) the                            Get the jump on queues and
Fruita Campground is full with                          cathedrals on the other. The kids,                       matching million dollar outlook.                             15 metre lizard that roamed the                      crowds on trails and lookouts by
RVs and the handsome Airstream                          on nature watch, spot mule deer,                                                                                      Bryce area.                                          starting early.
campers. It s the only developed                        jackrabbit and squirrels. The deer                       C on t i n u ed on page 2 0

                                             SEEMS LIKE IT S NOT A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

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You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi
1 8         Traveller                   WEEKEND EDITION                          AUGUST 13-14, 2016                                                                                                                                      The Sydney Morning Herald

Cover story
                                                                          UNITED
                                                                          STATES

From page 17

   At the aptly named Goosenecks
Point the otherworldliness is fully
                                                                                                                                                                              Five must-dos for Utah
revealed as we stare down the red                                                                                                                                             J OIN TH E TRAD ITION
hued canyon 244 metres below. A                                                                                                                                               Most hotels offer the traditional
woman commends our kids for                                                                                                                                                   and sickly sweet campfi re
keeping a safe distance from the                                                                                                                                              S mores treat: toasted
edge but still, I can hardly breathe.                                                                                                                                         marshmallow and chocolate
These landscapes are far from                                                                                                                                                 sandwiched between two
static; Sulphur Creek, a tributary                                                                                                                                            Graham crackers.
of the Colorado River, continues to
shape the canyon.                                                                                                                                                             BOOK AH EAD
DON! T MISS A walk among the Cas                                                                                                                                              Getting onto the slopes can be a
Mulford orchard, one of the largest                                                                                                                                           test for parents and children.
historic orchards in the National                                                                                                                                             The cheery and on time Ski
Park Service with more than                                                                                                                                                   Butlers staff deliver gear to the
3000 trees of apple, peach, pear                                                                                                                                              hotel room, adjust fi ttings and
apricot, cherry and plum. When                                                                                                                                                collect everything when you re
the fruit is ready visitors can use                                                                                                                                           done.
the three legged ladders to pick a                      B ig c ountry: Maj estic roc kf orms tower ov er the highway.
                                                                                                                Photo: Getty Images                                           See skibutlers.com
bag for a nominal fee.
EAT Sit under cottonwood trees                          campground in the park. Sites at                         signs with fl ashing lights give a                           G ET YOU R BEARING S
and eat fresh baked pie and                             the Fruita Campground are                                party vibe on a road built in parts                          Zion National Park s excellent
cinnamon rolls from the Gifford                         $US20 a night.                                           from grit alone, and with side roads                         shuttle service departs every
Homestead, one of the few                                                                                        carrying names like Hell s                                   15 minutes from Springdale in
remaining buildings from the                            CAPITOL REEF                                             Backbone. During the Depression,                             summer and stops at nine
historic Fruita district established                    NATIONAL PARK TO                                         President Franklin Roosevelt                                 different jumping off points
in 1880 by a group of Mormons led                                                                                created the Civilian Conservation                            including Angel s Landing and
by Nels Johnson.                                        BRYCE CANYON                                             Corps to provide work to young                               Zion Lodge.
   The homestead includes a                             NATIONAL PARK                                            unmarried men. The CCP blasted                                                                                    Melting moments: (From top)
seven room house, barn and                              2. 5 hours, 18 6 kilometres                              through this slickrock terrain                               TAKE YOU R TIM E                                     S! mores treat; the hooded
smokehouse and doubles as a                             We drive in a golden afternoon                           removing debris by hand.                                     The Capitol Reef, Bryce and                          c hairlif ts c arry skiers in c omf ort
museum. Its spartan nature recalls                      light along scenic byway 12,                                At the Head of the Rocks we                               Zion visitors centres all                            Photos: L au r i Patter son, Getty
the rural Utah farm homes of the                        climbing more than 3000 metres                           stare across the Escalante                                   contain excellent topographical                      Images
early 1900s.                                            on switchbacks, passing alpine                           Canyons to plateaus and canyons                              models and depictions of
WHERE TO STAY We re pushing                             forest and patches of snow on one                        beyond. The road dubbed the                                  creatures such as Tyrone                             S ET TH E ALARM CLOCK
on to Bryce Canyon. The 7 1 site                        side and pink and russet stone                           Million Dollar Highway has a                                 (Tylosaurus proriger) the                            Get the jump on queues and
Fruita Campground is full with                          cathedrals on the other. The kids,                       matching million dollar outlook.                             15 metre lizard that roamed the                      crowds on trails and lookouts by
RVs and the handsome Airstream                          on nature watch, spot mule deer,                                                                                      Bryce area.                                          starting early.
campers. It s the only developed                        jackrabbit and squirrels. The deer                       C on t i n u ed on page 2 0

                                             SEEMS LIKE IT S NOT A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

                                                                                                                                                                                                                .')/0$!""#,%1$!"%23

                                                                                                                                                                                                               !""#$%"&$'%($)*+*,-*
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                        /!"*,$&*$"0.#+$1&."($*)21./3$
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         /)21./"")*2$4$5&#"6

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You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi
20 Traveller            WEEKEND EDITION           AUGUST 13-14, 2016                                                                          The Sydney Morning Herald

                                                                              Cover story
                                                                                                                                   UNITED
                                                                                                                                   STATES

                                                                              From page 18

                                                                              DON! T MISS It seems improper to be
                                                                              rewarded so readily at Bryce s Sunset Point,
                                                                              a vista of hoodoos, statuesque limestone
                                                                              pillars sculpted by rain and time into
                                                                              bulbous spires, all just a 10 minute drive
                                                                              from the hotel and a two minute walk from
                                                                              the carpark. Shouldn t this take more toil?
                                                                                 While the family descends the steep path

          INFO
                                                                              to walk among them from Sunset Point on
                                                                              the Navajo Loop into the main
                                                                              amphitheatre, I opt for some true blue sky
                                                                              thinking along the paved pathway in the
                                                                              cold thin air.

        SESSIONS
                                                                                 It s here I read about the Trickster, or the
                                                                              Coyote God Sinawava. Paiute Indians, who
                                                                              inhabited this region for hundreds of years
                                                                              before the arrival of European Americans,
                                                                              state that the hoodoos are ancient Legend
                                                                              People turned into stone by Sinawava. As
                                                                              voices echo up from the chamber of hoodoos
                                                                              I can imagine the Trickster at work.
                                                                              EAT Energy for the hikes ahead is at Rubys
                                                                              Inn. Established in 1916 and still run by the
                                                                              same family, rustler s ribs, battered green
                                                                              bean fries and cowboy steak with a sauce of
                                                                              portobello mushroom and gorgonzola                Great outdoors: (From top) On the road with
                                                                              cheese are on the menu (rubysinn.com).            Zion Jeep Tours; skiing at Park City, Utah;
                                                                              WHERE TO STAY Best Western Plus Bryce             hikers on Angel! s Landing in Zion National
                                                                              Canyon Grand Hotel is the newest                  Park. Photos: Getty Images, Dan Campbell
                                                                              accommodation close to the hugely popular
                                                                              Bryce Canyon and is just off Scenic Byway         DON! T MISS A thrilling ride outside the
                                                                              12, and next to the national park. Rooms are      park for effortless views atop mesas
                                                                              comfortable and the buffet breakfast is           isolated fl at topped hills with steep sides
                                                                              included but be prepared to queue at peak         in an open back Jeep with Zion Outback

        YOU’RE INVITED
                                                                              times. Rooms from $US89 a night                   Safaris. Climbing 500 metres, we pass
                                                                              (brycecanyongrand.com).                           Hurricane Mesa, an Air Force testing
                                                                                                                                facility said to have an ejection seat from a
                                                                              BRYCE CANYON TO ZION                              supersonic sled, before heading through

              TO DISCOVER                                                     NATIONAL PARK                                     Rockville.
                                                                                                                                    Here, residents are passionate about the
                                                                              1 hour and 20 minutes, 115 kilometres
                                                                                                                                protection of the night sky from light
          THE WORLD OF SCENIC                                                 When artist and topographer Frederick S.
                                                                              Dellenbaugh exhibited his paintings
                                                                                                                                pollution with a 60 watt limit on each fi tting
                                                                                                                                which is a far cry from the glow of Las Vegas
                                                                              depicting the Zion area at the 1904 St Louis      250 kilometres over the border in Nevada.
                                                                              World Fair, spectators did not believe such a     We cross the historic Grafton Bridge for
     Join us at a free information         SYDNEY                             place existed. But it was not olde worlde         sunset over Grafton Mesa where Red Bull
     session where we’ll share             Wednesday 31 August                clickbait. In 2015 the park recorded              Rampage mountain bikers hurl themselves
     the wonders of Europe River           Four Points by Sheraton            3.6 million visitors and numbers are              off the edge and we get a sunset view that
                                           161 Sussex Street                  predicted to be up by 30 per cent for 2016.       could be a Dellenbaugh painting
     Cruising, South East Asia River                                          Today, at the end of spring break the queues      (zionjeeptours.com, redbull.com).
     Cruising, Africa, South America,                                         of RVs are long to see Zion s sculpted            EAT Springdale at the park s entrance is full
                                           PENRITH                            sandstone canyons following the path of the       with locally owned eateries. For excellent
     Canada, Alaska and USA and            Monday 5 September                 Virgin River along the canyon fl oor.             coffee go to Cafe Soleil at the park entrance.
     introduce you to The World’s          Panthers Event Centre                 Walks with sweet names and terrifying              It s worth a 20 minute wait at Oscar s for
     First Discovery Yacht - Scenic        123 Mulgoa Road                    drops Angel s Landing looking down                generous servings of burgers and Mexican
     Eclipse. Special offers for                                              450 metres for starters are not for the           (oscarscafe.com) or the Spotted Dog with
                                           MANLY                              faint of heart, while on the Emerald Pools        regional choices of Rocky Mountain Red
     attendees available on the day.                                          Trail we walk alongside the elderly and           Trout or Wild Game Meatloaf, elk buffalo
                                           Tuesday 27 September               children in wheelchairs on the wide and fl at     and beef, wrapped in bacon with pan gravy
                                           Novotel                            path.                                             (fl anigans.com).
                                           55 North Steyne Road                  Near the Temple of Sinawava, rock              WHERE TO STAY The family owned
                                                                              climbers are mere specks. The blockbuster         Cliffrose Lodge and Gardens within the Zion
                                           WOLLONGONG                         walk into the Narrows Canyon is closed as         Canyon, a short walk to the park s entrance,
                                           Tuesday 11 October                 river levels are on the rise, so we tackle the    has modern accommodation on the edge of
                                                                              Canyon Overlook trail for biblical vistas to      the Virgin River, where you can easily while
                                           Novotel
            BONUS                          2-14 Cliff Road
                                                                              the West Temple, Altar of Sacrifi ce and The
                                                                              Sentinel. This is my kind of worship
                                                                                                                                away a day in a lounger on the sandy banks
                                                                                                                                staring up at the canyon. Rooms from $139 a
            OFFERS                         PARRAMATTA
                                                                              (zionoutfi tter.com).                             night (cliffroselodge.com).  t
              when booking                 Wednesday 19 October
               on the day*                 Novotel
                                           350 Church Street

                For session times and to RSVP
                 visit SCENIC.COM.AU/RSVP
                        or call 138 128

          Our popular information sessions are free but places are limited.
               We encourage you to RSVP early to secure your seats.
  *Conditions apply
You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi You, me and Utah - Canuckiwi
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