Big hike and bikes require rest and stretch, best accomplished with a good book, laundry and a stroll downtown.
After one western omelet, two Motrin, and a few chapters in Eric’s Streets of Laredo and Sheri’s Breaking my Cover – My Life as a CIA Spy, we gathered up our dirty canyon clothes, donned our wetwalker suits and took the tram from the Visitor Center to stop 5 in Springdale.
Where Bryce Canyon City had a South of the Border feel, Springdale has an unpretentious small town Western vibe with all-budget lodging choices, fine art galleries aside souvenir shops, brew pubs, diners, gourmet markets and a well stocked hardware store where Eric picked up supplies to fix Betty’s cabinet spring. It’s totally livable and with 4mm year round visitors an entrepreneur with the right idea could do well here.
Businesses are in houses instead of strip centers, proprietors are friendly hosts offering advice and local color in addition to their wares. If we owned more than 1100 square feet between our two dwellings, we would have come home with more than an 8×10 print of The Watchman.
Leave it to Sheri to find the only thrift store in town – Frontier Plunder – a super large collection of vintage Native American culture combined with antique mall-type collectibles. While we didn’t buy anything, it was fascinating browse.
Rounding out the day making tortillas for enchilada casserole, finishing books and watching Zac Braff’s cult classic Garden State, it was good to have some downtime before tackling Kolob Canyon today, some 40 miles north of Zion for a bike and hike to the Double Arch.