Day 36 – Approaching Glendale

This morning started out dark and gloomy. It rained a good part of the night, but with more rain and possibly snow threatening, we thought we had better get out and get it done. It was the first day of the rifle deer hunting season here. I could not believe the traffic! I imagine I was passed by more people than even live in Kane County.

I cleared the summit of the highest point on my journey today. At the junction of 89 and 14 the elevation hits about 7,500 ft. My lower leg turned blue. It was really strange to look at.

I walked through drizzle most of the day. The scenery was amazing and I kept hoping for the sun to come out and brighten the leaves and make the river sparkle. I walked for six miles and took a break for a few hours and then went back for another four miles before taking another break.

We ran down to Zion Ntl Park to scout out the road. I was incredibly disappointed. I had postponed my walk a week to accommodate the road construction on Highway 9. They were supposed to finish this week, but I wanted to leave a little room for delays. As it turns out, they are several weeks behind and I cannot walk through the construction zone – about 7 miles of road through the park including the tunnel. My mom will be happy though, she did not want me to walk this road. Now it seems I have no choice.

With snow on the way in Salt Lake, we need to get the trailer and the truck back. Kara is planning on leaving sometime in the middle of next week and I will be on my own for a while – staying in hotels and leapfrogging my walking by driving to my starting point, walking, and then hitching a ride back to my car.  It should be interesting.

Once back from the park, I went back to walking. Somewhere along the road as the day drew to a close, a white pickup with a logo reading Grandma Tina’s Café stopped beside me. The lady driving asked me what I was up to. When I had explained, she reached into her pocket and handed me some bills. She apologized, saying it was all she had with her. She drove on, but then turned around and called out from across the highway, “When you get to Kanab, look for Grandma Tina’s. I will buy you a meal.” I couldn’t really explain that I didn’t plan on walking through Kanab.

When Kara picked me up at the end of the day, I had put in another three-plus miles, making my day about 13 ½ miles, my longest day so far. I was tired, but I wanted to check out Grandma Tina’s, so we headed to Kanab. When we got there we explained to the waitress what had happened. She brought out the cook. I explained that I had brought my wife and the lady in the truck didn’t know I was bringing her, and probably didn’t expect us tonight. He asked me what the lady had said, what the truck looked like and what she looked like. When I had answered, he said, “Meal is on us!” We asked what he would recommend and he excitedly told us that he made the best red sauce west of the Mississippi, and that it was passed down by Grandma Tina, who came from Italy. So we ordered pasta with the red sauce and were duly impressed. It really was excellent.

With Paul at Grandma Tina's Cafe

The cook, Paul turned out to be the owner’s son. The lady in the truck was his mother. He told us a good part of his life’s story, which was pretty interesting. He was quite an interesting character. After we had finished, he brought out two bottles of his red sauce and another donation. Another employee also gave us a donation as we left. These people were so generous! And the food? If you are ever in Kanab, don’t miss Grandma Tina’s Café. You will be well treated and treated well.