Utah Sleep and Eat

Short-grass Prairie and you

2006-12-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

So I am back now, from my adventures in eastern Wyoming in late November....insane? Yes. Was this trip for fun? No, but it was enjoyable none the less. My work takes me to odd places now and then, and this was one of them. The Thunder Basin National Grasslands is more of an fuzzy area than a distinct shape like Yellowstone National Park. It is made up of state lands (Wyoming), USForest Service lands, and some assorted private lands. There are USFS offices where you can learn more and get a hold of maps and other information, but its not exactly the kind of place you take the family for an exciting vacation. Not to say it is not interesting, assuming you are a huge fan of the short-grass prairie ecosystem, its just there's not lots of kid-centered activities to do. Well...depends on the kids I suppose. However, if walking around on endless expanses of grasses and shrubs, seeing hawks, rabbits, and deer, and finding a nearly endless supply of rabbit body parts and various bones are all activities your kids love, than Thunder Basin should be your destination! Although I would advise perhaps trying late June through August instead of November or December. Most children I know aren't too excited about being out in 5-20 F temps with 10-30+ mph winds. Call me crazy, but that's my general observation about children.

Best access to this wild and windy part of Wyoming? Casper is probably the closest "large" (~50,000 people) town, with Douglas (pop. 5100) being the semi-official "gateway" to the area. If you are looking for information, the nice folks at the Douglas USFS office would be glad to help. Douglas, Wyoming, is also the self-proclaimed "Home of the Jackalope". And yes, there is a jackalope hunting season. When you ask? Why its on June 31st, between 12:00 and 2:00 am! Licenses can be acquired at the Douglas USFS office ;o)

Douglas Food and Lodging: There's a few hotels to choose from, the usual suspects - Ramada Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Best Western, and others. A few of the smaller independent motels are enter at your own risk. One of our associates had a not-so-nice time at one. Dining options we tried: La Costa (Mexican), Clemintine's (Western food, surf and turf), Hoggie's Diner (diner food), and the restaurant/tavern associated with the Best Western. Those were recommended by a few locals, and generally worked fine. Don't be expecting gourmet by any stretch of the wildest imagination, this is small-town, eastern Wyoming afterall; we aren't talking pricey Jackson Hole here. However, the food and service were good and about what we expected. A note about Hoggie's Diner. It is attached to a gas station, so we were suspicious. However, the food was good (try their sweet potato fries) and service at least at lunch time was super fast. The menu is basic diner but with a decent enough salad bar.

Other Douglas services include all the basic needs (auto sales, tires, auto shops, hair salon, dollar store, and a big hardware store), along with a decent sized Safeway grocery store. You tend to find that in these ranching service towns, more services than you'd expect for the apparent size of the town. Vernal, Utah, is like that. But there's a lot of folks working the land out there and they need groceries, hair cuts, trucks, tires, and tools now and then!

So if you've done it all, and looking for somewhere you are pretty well guaranteed that no one else you know has been to, then go West (or East if you are on the west coast) my friend! And be sure to stop at the little store in Bill, Wyoming. We were in a hurry and didn't get to stop there. And Bill has a post office! Come on, I know you want "Bill, Wyoming" stamped on a post card back home! Your friends will be SO jealous!

Thunder Basin Grasslands Ho!

2006-11-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

I shall soon be visiting the area in eastern Wyoming within the Thunder Basin National Grasslands! I know you always wanted to go there, see the grass, visit the town of Bill, Wyoming! Sure ya do.

Well, I'll be travelling there soon, with hopefully a full report on not only the town of Bill, but also that of Douglas, WY. I took a gander using DexOnline.com...I sure hope there really is more dining options than McD's, KFC, Subway, Village Idiot (Inn, actually...thats what we call it), and the Wagon Wheel Truckstop. I do hope ol' DexOnline is wrong...please, be soo very wrong.

Full update in early December! I know you will be JUST like Cartman waiting for his Nitendo Wii! Just don't throw yourself into a snowbank, ok?

More soon......

Sound of Silence

2006-11-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Does a keyboard make a sound if only one hand types on it and no one hears?

Well anyway...

OK, so I know someone checks this blog (using my secret squirrel decoder ring), believe it or not, on somewhat of a regular basis. I know I haven't added much to it lately, I've been very busy lately! OK, fine, I'm one of those blog once a month people...

However, if any one of you visitors would leave a comment, that might inspire me to do more. No one likes talking to a wall. Granted, this could mean the general blogging public finds nothing of interest or amusement with my blog, and therefore fails to be inspired enough to leave a comment.

So be it.

Perhaps I'll have to resort to outlandish topics or obscene prose to get comments! Or flashy or sexy pics! However, that's not my style, and homie don't front. So....

So, upon visiting this blog-like thing, what would inspire you to comment? Are you here for "just da facts"? Are you bored out of your skull, so bored that you can't even leave a comment? Your keyboard is busted so you can only use your mouse? What would YOU like to see here, what would inspire YOU to comment?

Just click that little "comment" thingy and let 'er rip!
Or don't, and continue to find the same thing here week after week.
And just to help, here's even a list of just a few of the many exciting topics I could talk about:
Entomology
Ecology
Environmental Consulting
Rock Climbing
Making 2x4 furniture
Coral reef biology and ecology
Evolution
Personal theories on the "afterlife"
Life in the Universe
The fun and unique relationship between Osmia and Penstemons
and many more...

So....you know, click it
push it
pull it
select it
rip it
smash it
yank it

Salt Lake City be where I reside

2006-08-12T19:19:00.000-06:00

Salt Lake City...lots more options than Ferron or Green River, UT, lots more (as one might expect). To make this easier, perhaps I'll just do some kind of bulleted list, and hopefully update it frequently. And speaking of which, sorry I haven't updated things more, been quite busy lately.

Here we go, places I like to eat in Salt Lake City, by genre:

Japanese

Ginza - Small but good, I guess its my first Japanese place I knew about in SLC so I suppose its kind of like one's first love? The atmosphere is simpler, frankly more like cafe-type sushi places in larger towns and cities in Japan. The location is handy for downtown, though the building is kind of by itself and small. Its technically not rated as high as Ichiban below, but it works for me! What it doesn't have are really freaky rolls and expensive, imported sake. But its small and intimate, and has good sushi, what more do ya really want?
Ichiban - Definitely rated the best for SLC, and good reason too. If you are in the mood for a solid evening out for sushi, good imported sake, and a real nice atmosphere, ya can't go wrong. Just be sure to have plenty of space on your credit card, or a fat wallet. They also have some sort of program for frequent diners, including your own chopsticks on the wall (many sushi bars in Japan have tea cups on the wall for frequent customers). However, be aware the atmosphere is more modern and American; this is not styled and run as a traditional Japanese sushi bar and restaurant. The building is neat too, its an old renovated church (not LDS, probably some ex-Protestant church) with nice decor and vaulted ceilings (it is a church after all).
Ahh Sushi - (Private Club for members) Located below street level, just south and across the street from the soon-to-be demolished ZCMI Mall. The sushi is not bad, not the best in Salt Lake, but everyday is half-price sushi before 6 pm!! Can't beat that with a dead and frozen Ahi tuna! Oh and did I mention since its a private club you can be properly sloshed while enjoying your half-priced sushi? Its the Japanese way afterall, at least when going out to dinner with friends.
Tsunami - A lesser known place located in Sugarhouse, on the west side of the big mall there by 13th south and I-80. We've had some real nice dinners there, though I realize they don't have the "old Japanese sushi chef at the sushi bar" cache` that both Ginza and Ichiban do. Sure, those two have a few anglos behind the sushi bar too, but having at least a few, older Japanese sushi chefs never hurts. Their rolls and nigri are fine, not exceptional but very adequate. They too have a few "freaky" rolls, but they also have some other interesting dishes, including a excellent but pricey Kobe beef dish. And just recently they too have started offering pricey, imported sake. The seating is pretty limited, so if you are planning to try it out at a popular time, might be best to call in some reservations. The decor is about the best they could do given the type of space that it is. Its in a mall-type of building afterall, and not a large one, so what can ya do?

Chinese

Dragon Diner - If you are looking for lots of traditional Chinese options in SLC, you are a bit out of luck. A few good ones, but not lots. Dragon Diner is one of them, though you might not guess it driving by. Its right next door to a 7-11, on an uninspiring part of 39th south (by 13th east), but its food makes up for location deficiencies. I've had so much mediocre to bad Chinese food in Utah in general, this place was a breathe of fresh air! So far all the dishes we've had there have been very good to excellent. They have a fairly short list of dishes, at least compared to some, but what they do is all good. I particularly like the Hunan dishes, they do have some kick to them! I'm also a fan of the house pan-fried noodles, its one of those dishes , like Pad Thai (for Thai) and Chile Relleno (for Mexican), that I use to gauge restaurants. Its not the best gauge though, because one of the mediocre Chinese places in Logan, UT, I used to go to (Formosa Restaurant) actually had a decent house pan fried noodle. The decor is that Asian, bright cafe style, one that frankly works best in America. No heavy furniture and silly fake Chinese art. However, we've only done takeout there, never actually have sat down for dinner.
Little World - A small place in a kind of shabby part of town (south State St., maybe 800-ish block?), but good, solid food. Can't recommend any dishes, I actually haven't been there in a while since I discovered the Dragon Diner (and its much closer to where I'm living). And this is definitely a place where you probably want to do takeout. The dining area is fine if you like loud with hard vinyl bench seats. It does have a inner-city, ethnic feel to it, but I'd just do takeout if you live in that part of town. If you live in Sugarhouse or south, go to the Dragon.
Fancy chains - SLC also has a few of those fancy chain ones, such as P.F. Chang's. To be honest, I've never gone to one of those. They always have long lines of conservative anglos, which makes me suspicious of the place. Its probably good food but at high prices. P.F. Chang now has an off-shoot chain (PeiWei) that is "downscaled" to more of the cafe-type of place. There's one in Sugarhouse, and I had some takeout and it worked (but of course I had been ripping the floor up in my new house all evening, and was very hungry, and it was a few minutes before closing). I had some kind of spicy noodle dish, which actually was a little spicy but was way too heavy on the noodles.

Thai

Thai Siam - To be honest, I only heard about this place a short time ago and haven't been there. I'll update it when I do, but all reports from very reliable sources claim that it could be either the best or one of the best Thai in SLC. It too, like so many restaurants, located on the not-so-nice south State St. But rent is probably cheap, so if that keeps the price of eating there down, so be it. UPDATE: I finally remembered to go there, and so far it is very good. More later (need repeat trips).
Thai Garden- Its located "way" down south in Murray, but the few times I've gone there I haven't been disappointed. The food was good and the staff friendly. The decor was a bit plain (its Murray afterall...), but who cares if the food is good? Oh and by the way, there may be TWO Thai Gardens. The one I went to was good, but it was farther south in Murray. There's also one in a mini-mall on 900 East and just before 4500 South. My coworkers say its excellent. So, upon your travels through the Salt Lake area, apparently any Thai restaurant with this name is good. Who knew?
Monsoon Thai - Not a whole lot to say yet about this newer Thai place, I've only been there once so far and it was a fancy wine pairing event. The food was good (as was the wine of course), but one trip is hardly an adequate sample size. I was told, and could tell once I was there, they do have an extensive wine selection. So, if you love good (and probably not cheap) Thai food and are willing to pay for good wine, then give Monsoon a try! Its located in that little mini-Foothill Plaza (where Taste of India is/was located), south of the big Foothill Plaza. Sure, I should be able to give you a full address, but that's why God invented DexOnline and Google. I hope to make return trips, but if you readers (or is it just the singular....) have experiences to share, go right ahead. Sharing makes baby Jesus happy, not sad.
Bangkok Thai - This is the big Thai restaurant in the Foothills Plaza just south of Emigration Canyon along Foothills Blvd. My friends and I used to go there a lot, and it was good but it keep getting pricier and pricier over the years. The food is still good, so if you are in the area, and looking for a nice, dining experience, then go. And a word about their spice levels. They have mild to very hot (4-5 levels), and that is NOT Utah rating, that is a full Thailand rating. If you are the type to only rarely gets a dish marked spicy at your average Chinese restaurant, and thinks it is a bit spicy, then get mild, or medium if you dare. Seriously, if they are like they used to be, I would usually get medium even though I consider myself fairly spice tolerant, especially compared to Utahans. I've had hot there, its fine but you'd only want 1 dish among you at Hot. At Very Hot, you might just regret it in the morning (I will spare you any graphic descriptions here). That said, they could have scaled things down recently, but I'd err on the side of caution at this place.

Mexican

Red Iguana - Does one need any other? Their mole`s are the best I've ever had, they have the best margarittas I've had at a restaurant (4 different tequila levels of quality to choose from), and everything else is great too. I'm sure somewhere out there, there exists a better Mexican place, but its not in Utah. The only downside to Red Iguana is getting seated. There's no reservations, so unless you show up at a weird time, be prepared to wait, a long time! If you go on a Friday or Saturday night at say 7 pm, you are a glutton for punishment. If you did such a scenario, be prepared not to be seated until probably 8pm or later. But as I indicated earlier, there is a reason. The only other downside is, like so many good but not fancy restaurants in SLC, its in a kind of shitty part of town. One time at lunch there we watched a madam and her young charge go door to door at the hourly motel next door looking for customers. They only had to go 2-3 doors (I'm talking prostitution here in case you didn't get the hint). So if you go, be sure to lock your doors and have your car alarm on (if you go there in a nice car).

American

Blue Plate Diner - Located at about 2100 and 2100, this place rocks. You feel wrong if you don't drive up in a psychobilly/retro Caddy or a '53 panhead Harley, but well most of us live in reality (and drive sensible vehicles). All the staff wear black, and all the male staff have chops. The coffee is only so-so, but the food rocks. Just go. On nice days it does get a bit busy, especially if you want to sit outside. But the wait is never that long, plus it gives you more time to look more stylin' if you did arrive in an appropriate vehicle.

French

Paris Bistro - Located perhaps a bit too close to the chic 15th and 15th, this bistro is excellent if not a bit pricey. Not only can't you go wrong with anything on the menu, but they have a decent wine list. Oh and did I mention the butter for the bread? O M G Be sure to partake heavily in the butter for the bread, think of the bread merely as a small vehicle for that butter. Its to die for! Seriously. They import it from France, no doubt from some village next to a portal to an alternate universe where the creation of butter is not only an artform, but a religion too. If you can figure out a way to go there, order maybe a small appetizer and wine, and get them to keep bringing you out the butter, then do it!

Other

(more to come!)

A few words about Price, Utah

2006-07-30T18:22:00.000-06:00

Price is not really a tourist town, its a mining (see Castle Gate Coal Mine) and related town. In some ways it reminds me of Vernal, but a little larger and without really any good restaurants, sad but true. I used to think Vernal was the pits in terms of food and lodging, then I was in Price for a week or so on work and realized I never had it so good. In terms of lodging I suppose its about equal, or maybe even a little better. We stayed at the Greenwell Inn and Convention Center (www.greenwellinn.com), along with quite a few other contractors and consultants, and it was fine. Sure its got a fancy name, but all that really means is it has a pool, rec center, and some meeting rooms. Its got more for business than your average Motel 6, but don't be thinking its some Hyatt Regency Convention Center in a major city. Among the contractors/consultants, it seems the Greenwell was one of the better offerings in Price. However, a word of caution. The attached restaurant, Ricardo's, is fine for a standard breakfast, but DO NOT go there for dinner. That is assuming you are not a big fan of crappy food at not so low price. If you are a lover of crappy food, then knock yourself out.

Where to dine then in Price? That's a toughy but did hear a good tip (too late for us while we were there). There are a few Mexican restaurants, but most are fair to poor. We did hear that the fellow that used to own the great Mexican place in Springville moved (with the name) to Price and openned one up there. However, I am totally spacing the name (will try to edit this once I have the name...could be called "La Casita"). It is more downtown Price than the other places, just a bit off Main street I believe (fairly new). The place we went to one night was attached to the parking lot of the Walmart, it was edible and even Ok (here again, I have spaced on the name, though I think its something with "Amigos" in the name).

Long ago I visited the only brew pub-like establishment in Price (I think its called the Castle Rock Cafe and Pizza Deli, or the Castle Rock Brew Pub), and the food was OK and the beer was decent. Its located on Price River Drive (west end of town), but I'm getting the vibe its really only a pizza and sandwich place these days. We'll have to check it out on our next visit to Price.

One more possibility, if you are staying for a bit longer. There is a country club (private club) on the west side of town (towards Helper), with good food. The only issue is you'll need to have one person in your party pay a small fee ($10?) for a short term membership. So if you are passing through, it might not be worth it, but if you are staying for work or pleasure, than do it! The food was definitely the best in the Price area. They actually do some decent semi-gormet dishes. Not saying you should drive down from Salt Lake just to go there, but if you are in Price for a time, definitely look into a temporary membership.

I wish I had more suggestions for you for Price, maybe I'll find more. Best of luck to you if you are stuck there for a time working...

WB

2006-07-30T08:20:00.000-06:00

Castle Dale and Price, Utah

2006-07-30T07:25:00.000-06:00

So, on a recent work trip to the area south of Price, we discovered a great little B&B. Up until that point, our only slight recommend was Gilley's Inn (and gas station/store). We did drive by it, and it does have nice cabins behind the store. However, the cabins are basically in a concrete area with a tank farm behind it so...its not exactly the most scenic spot. But I have heard they are nice inside, and its run by some nice folks. And its not a B&B, so once you are up in the morning, you better have your own breakfast food otherwise you'll be scrounging around town for some donuts or the like. Not tons of food options in Ferron, Utah, where Gilley's is located. The restaurant in Ferron is called the Grub Box. Wonderful names these folks use down there. For a burger and shake, the Grub Box works well (actually not bad burgers). But if you desire more well....Salt Lake is 3+ hours north.

So...B&B in Castle Dale (10 miles north of Ferron, and 30-40 miles south of Price) is called the San Rafael Bed and Breakfast (435-381-5689, 15E 100N, Castle Dale, UT). Its run by a super nice fellow, Danny VanWagoner, who also works crazy hours at times at the big central Utah power plant located a few miles south of town. He basically works 12+ hr days, then gets off 2 weeks at a time. My associate and I stayed in his newer theme-room bungalow rooms (I was in the Asian room, the other was the Hawaiian room), but he also has some real nice rooms in the main house, including a big Honeymoon suite. Danny is an excellent host (along with his ladyfriend, Roseanne), really makes you feel at home. If you are in to hanging out on the patio chatting and drinking beer, then he is your man! In the winter he fills and runs his jacuzzi that's out on the patio.

And did I mention breakfast? We were working so we greatly appreciated being able to start the day with a huge breakfast of eggs (scrambled or omelets on special order), bacon or ham, and good hashbrowns, along with juices and great coffee (there's also plenty of bread products, toast, english muffins, etc.). If you are staying a few days, and he is in one of his 2 week "vacations" from work, get him to make you omelets! If you are nice to him, and he's free, you might be able to twist his arm and have him whip up some dinner too! If you do, be sure to ask if there's anything you can get to contribute. In addition, if you are into to doing some motorized backcountry travel, he does have a few ATVs you can rent. And having lived there lots of years, he's got a pretty extensive knowledge of trails and places to go. You might need a vehicle that can tow a trailer, so call ahead and check about that. So if you do plan to stay in Castle Dale, be sure to give Danny a call!

And if you have to eat in Castle Dale, the pickings get pretty slim. There is a grocery store (a Food Town I think) but otherwise Danny suggested the only other possibility is this pizza place. It did have good pasta bowls and I had a decent calzone, however, you would NEVER guess it from the outside. Its in an old gas station, and part of the time it looks closed. To be honest, I can't remember the name, it wasn't well signed other than a large "PIZZA" sign on the awning of the old gas pumps. Its on the north (or NE?) side of town, roughly across the street from the big grocery store/ALCO store complex. There's another pizza and sub shop call Big Mama's, but we never visited it.

And if you are looking for a drink or a beer in town (none of the restaurants serve any alcohol, this is small town Utah remember....), there's Chik's Roost up by Orangeville, which is really a northern "suburb" of Castle Dale. If you leave from San Rafael B&B, just continue up the street to the local high school, then turn left at the school and it will be on your right (can't miss it). If you are friendly, one of the locals at the bar will probably sponsor you in so you can drink. If you are unfamiliar with Utah drinking laws, this is a "private club" which only means it can serve full strength beer and mixed drinks. Most you can get a temporary membership (like a one day to a week or month) for a small charge, or if you can get someone who is a member to "sponsor" you in then you are golden. Usually women have absolutely no problem ever getting sponsored. The drinking locals are friendly, so don't be shy.

Probably not many reading this will ever have an occasion to visit Castle Dale, Utah, but one never knows. Afterall, it is one of the gateway towns to the huge area in Utah known as the San Rafael Swell. The Swell, as its called, is a large red-rock area full of dirt roads, hiking and ATV trails, rock climbing and canyoneering, and of course camping. It extends from south of Price, across I-70 and into south-central Utah. Other red-rock areas, like Arches National Park or Canyonlands N.P., may have more spectacular formations, but the Swell is the best place for just getting away from it all, loosing yourself in the high, red desert (hopefully not too lost). So if you are planning some time in Utah, don't forget the Swell!

The beginning

2006-07-29T08:18:00.000-06:00

So my wife is a big blogger, but I've resisted it for quite some time. However, lately with all the travel I have been doing for work (and fun), I feel I must comment on neat places I've found and possibly places to avoid. I feel there are lots of us out there who do some traveling and yet its hard to find reviews of such a specific nature. Sure, you can find lots on restaurant reviews for NYC, Tokyo, etc., but how about for Price, Utah? Probably not, its not exactly world hotspot.

In the backcountry of Utah, there's lots of cool little places off the beaten path, but you mostly only hear about them through word of mouth. Well...we'll see if blogging is a good "mouth" or not, see if it gets a little farther than my voice can alone (especially considering I'm not a big talker otherwise). And none of what I say in this blog has been paid for by anyone, this is ALL my opinion only! I'm sure there are blogs out there that do step over that line, but not I. I will also try to say nice things about the places I name. Most I am including I do so for others to learn about them and try them out, not just to complain about the sometimes poor quality of food and lodging options here in Utah. That's just beating a dead pony.

So stop by if it interests you, and please feel free to leave tips on places you know of, along with comments on the places I've listed.

Enjoy!

WB