Pizzalchik in Boise, Idaho, our 5th Triple D

We drove to Boise, Idaho from Salt Lake City, Utah.  We had rain for the first day in almost 3 weeks.  But, it wasn't so bad. We arrived into Boise at around 7pm, as it was rainy and cooler, we opted for a hotel tonight, as the only camping around was Primitive Camping. even though we both enjoy primitive camping, we're fair weather primitive campers.
Our favorite Triple Ds seem to be those where the staff & owners are very passionate and seem to have ownership in the restaurant.   This was a restaurant which has only been opened 5 years ago, and all the staff we spoke to had been with them since the first year they opened, they had all been there when Guy was there as well.  They where all twirling their pizzas like masters!

You walk into Pizzalchik and you order your food & drink and pay. Good is either pizza, zalad or chicken (which reflects their name). Then you tell them what table you're sitting at & they'll bring you your food, and you take your own knives and forks back to your table, go to the bar to pick up your drinks.

Jerry had Elk & Pepper and Pizza, I had a Mediterranean Pizza. 

This restaurant was owned by a man & his son. The son was flipping the pizza, the father was very an excellent host and seemed to have fun with the staff, but clearly trusted them in their roles.

They also have a band and play music in their out door cafe on Saturday nights.  They seem to like to have fun.

Boise is a real nice town, downtown is full of outdoor cafes, interesting mix of funky shops.  A special River runs through the town.  After our time downtown and by the river, we headed over the to Cabela's store.  Jerry's favorite store, i see why.  We both bought some things we needed, I found their prices actually half or REI's prices.

I went for a run this morning, eating at two Triple Ds in so many days, I'll be aiming to run again tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow we're heading toward the coast, we're 10hours away, so, we'll do it in two days.  We'll take Hwy 20 across to the coast. We thinking of camping at State & National parks across and up the coast. 

Thanks!
Sofie, Jerry & Duke

2 Hotsprings & a Triple D in Utah!

We said good bye yesterday morning to Bryce Canyon, Utah. It's now one of the places on my list of things to do (again) before I can't.


We headed out from Bryce to south of Salt Lake City, Utah, to head to a hotspring or two. We indeed hit two, spending the night camped next to one in the desert.

The first one was just north of Meadow, Utah, indeed, in the middle of a meadow. It was lovely, only around 100 degrees, which was fine with us. There was one other young couple there, nice guy named David Eaton, we didn't get the wife's name, as she didn't want to go in, David stuck around and spoke with us for a while, of course, he wants a Westy, so, he was full of questions. Anyhow, this hotspring is feed by a cave just under it, it's clear and lovely. We where very alone after they left.

The above was the sign at the first Hot Springs! Too funny!

The next hotspring was even more remote, no signs, that's for sure, called Baker's hot spring. 

It use to be a resort many many moons ago, now it just had the three cement soaking tubs, feed by a very steamy little body of water next to it. Each tub had a trench next to it with water flowing into the tub, and each also has a little pipe from a little cold stream running just along the tubs, so, people just self regulate, using T-shirts to block the hot or just remove or put the pipe between the cold and tub if you want it cooler.  The first tub was really hot, as Jerry knows as he slipped into it, it was around 135degrees, he was like a cat, didn't really go under, he was very red. The middle tub was around 115 (ours at home is 104, all we really know was the first one was alot hotter, the second one was still really hot and the third one was too cool).  Anyhow, it's 40miles from anything. And it's in the desert. So, we camped there too, no bathrooms, showers, or anything, just us, so we thought, in the middle of the desert. Well, first, as we jumped in, naked as can be, we were in maybe 5mins, a FAMILY shows up, spanish speaking, the young ones giggling. We'll Jerry was a hero, he got out :) and wrapped up and like a gentleman held the towel for me.  too funny.. Anywho, we went back to our Van, hung out (no pun really intended), until the family left, then we went back in. (they stayed for an hour, the didn't get in, they just sat around it for peter-sake.)

After our soak, we listen to a very loud choirs of Coyotes, and then went to sleep.  we were about to sleep when a car arrived, turned off it's lights and turned toward us, to one side of our van, between us and the springs, then two or three male voices got out, it was pitch dark, couldn't see anything. Then, a little while later, a second vehicle came ploughing in, heading right for us, the swerved and parked a little ways away.  We were tense, Duke could feel it, as he started a very mean sounding low growl, which was fine with both of us! Then we hear heavy breathing around the van, they had dogs, and voices.. Well, as I listened, cause my Jerry's alittle hard of hearing, I heard the males indeed being a father with two sons, the sons saying this was cool and eerie , and the other was a couple, having a fight, well the woman was having the fight, the man was agreeing to everything she said. So, we slept.

In the morning, the steam coming of the hotspring was cool, the couple's RV was still there, and we never saw them, we saw their two dogs, they were as old as the hills and had limps.   Duke played with them, then got tired of them,  and came back and we packed up and heading 2 hours into Salt Lake City for a shower, Triple D and REI!

The road to Salt Lake City was beautiful, the mountains around Salt Lake are wonderful. 

We went to our fourth Triple D, definitely one of our favourites!  Pat's BBQ, Pat started his BBQ because his friends encouraged him to, as he use to do those BBQ competitions, and he'd do the BBQ for friend's parties, so, 8 years ago, he started a little take out window on a dead end side street.  He's grown it, buying all the neighbouring buildings on his side of the road. They have live music, good local and international blues music, they have, of course, amazing (really amazing) BBQ.  They have picnic tables in side and paper plates and plastic knives and forks.  The waiter we had was their first and only wait staff, he started there as a part time temporary job, he says,  5 years ago, since then, he's hired all his good high-school friends and they all work there, what was his part time job because his way of life. You can tell they all love working there.  They close the street they're on and hold concerts, they give donations to many causes, the place is fun and food amazing.  They took us in back to show us their Smokers, they can do 300 racks of ribs at a time in the cookers they showed us. They go through 700 people on an average Friday lunch.. lines around the corner, and live music.. Definitely, if you're in Salt Lake City, Utah, you need to drop in to Pat's BBQ!
We left our waiter order for us, glad we did, we had amazing BBQ ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, amazing BBQ chicken, mustard greens and rice with beans.

Then after we couldn't move, they made sure we and a bone for Duke and gave us the best Bread Pudding we ever had!

Well, if we're back this way, we'll definitely be coming back to Pat'sBBQ! I hope you guys get to try it! 

Salt Lake City has a number of unique restaurants, and amazing outdoors.  It's beautiful.

Tomorrow I have a webinar to lead for an hour in the morning, then if time allows, I'd like to go for a run with Duke, then Jerry & I will go to Boise, Idaho, he has a special person he wants to honour there. Then we start our trek toward the coast, Portland, and then up to the Olympic crossing in Seattle to Victoria BC to see Kaily & Ryan!


Sofie, Jerry & Duke!

Grand Canyon & Bryce Canyon

We have seen two BIG breath taking Canyons in two days.. We're exhausted. It's a crime that people haven't seen this part of the world, especially if you live in North America.  I hadn't see them till now & Jerry didn't see the Grand Canyon till 6 years ago.  It's something that everyone should take their kids to see.  We went to the less tourist travelled side of the Grand Canyon, that's the North Rim. 

The South Rim they say is all built up with stores and tourist gift shops, however, they say that the view their is amazing too, of course. The wait on the South rim to get into the park could be significant.  they are almost 200miles apart, it takes 4 hours to get from the South to the North rim, driving.

We stayed at a camp site just out side of the Grand Canyon last night, it was cold in them hills! There some snow still, so, during the Day it was shorts, at night it was close to freezing. 

The drive from Arizona into Utah toward Bryce Canyon was beautiful.

I loved Bryce Canyon, when I come back out this way, I would definitely stay in the camp grounds in the Canyon, there are two or at Ruby's Inn, 2miles north of the Canyon.  There are amazing trails all through the Canyon (no dogs allowed on the trails, so, it would be a visit without Duke..) you can even go horse back riding through Bryce. Bryce is on the top three list of my favorite places on this trip.. (Gila Hot Springs, Hot Well Dunes & Bryce Canyon!)

We're camped 2 miles outside of  Bryce Canyon as I type this blog. Jerry saw how cold i was last night, so, we "whoosed" out and came to a camp ground with an electric hook up, so, we'll have our heater going tonight, i haven't turned it on yet, it's no where close to as cold as it was last night. It's turned out nice, as the camp ground and Ruby's Inn (and i think everything else around here) is owned by the same family, so, we got passes to use the Inn's indoor pool and showers, then we ate there. 

Now, we've been seeing (well, Duke now sees them first..) deer along side of our camp. The deer here are called Donkey Deer, they have very long ears and are grey, compared to the bambi ones we have in Ontario.

Jerry's already asleep, so, I'm publishing this without my proof reader tonight, & I'm exhausted.. so, please forgive typos.

Tomorrow we're going higher into the Utah mountains, to some Hot Springs near Memory, Utah, Jerry's heard about. Then on Thursday we're going to Salt Lake City, Utah to go to an REI (I think it's called), sporting store, and to then on to our fourth Triple D!  We'll need to stay at a hotel Thursday night so i can lead another Webinar Friday morning, so, we'll be indoors at a hotel for one night again, this time in Salt Lake City.   There are 4 Triple Ds in Salt Lake City, i think we'll hit two of them! So, I better go to sleep and try and get a run in in the morning.

Stay well!
Sof