Better Than the Grand Canyon

If you are a regular reader of Walt’s Diner, you know that Last Thursday night after hiking 🥾 the Grand Canyon Rim, we had a BIG 💰🥩 steak dinner in Tusayan, Arizona. I mentioned that if I had Bruce Stahl and Richard Hackman that we could produce something just as good or better right here in Grassy Fork Township.

We have been home less that 24 hours and it has already happened. However, we did have a trump card!… Nina Hackman.

Clockwise from 9:00. Rib-eye steak that has never left Jackson County from Dick Peter’s farm, cheesy potato 🥔 recipe that was outstanding, Asian slaw, and orange 🍊 Jello Cool Whip and cottage cheese salad that might as well be a dessert.

On an additional post from the North Rim we had some Cloud Cookies from The Jacob Lake Inn.

Nina took it upon herself to duplicate these gems.

She baked a chocolate chip 🍪 cookie, Added a marshmallow and after it had melted a bit, she spread chocolate frosting on top. Home run!!!

The National Parks were incredible, but the Big Butt BBQ team can cook with the best. As well, we didn’t even have Bruce tonight!

Ghett⭐️Yo 🌮 Tacos, 🌯 Burritos and Sliders

In Chandler, Arizona Vanessa took us to Ghett-Yo Tacos, Burritos and Sliders and it was a big success.

Heidi’s niece Vanessa lives in Chandler and this was the first place they went after moving to Arizona. Great service and great food.

I had the Western Slider and the Fried 🥑 Guac taco.

The Western Slider was a burger 🍔 with 🥓 bacon, 🧀 cheese, an onion ring 🧅 , and BBQ sauce on a toasted bun. It made me happy 😃 ! The Fried Guac 🌮 was a blob of fried guacamole 🥑, 🥬 cabbage, cheese and I added taco sauce. Need to fry up some avocado 🥑 and or guacamole at home. This was a hit!

My lunch dates: Heidi, Rae, Sophie, Rory, and Vanessa.

The rim of Rae’s Margarita was dipped in a spicy/sugary mix and a slice of lime.

I also had a Two Pitchers Blood Orange on draft. It was a grapefruit beer that was sweet and refreshing!

👍 👍 Two Thumbs up on This one!

Zion Brewery and The Narrows

We started our day early with hiking 🥾 The Narrows all the way to Wall Street. The Virgin River runs through Zion Canyon and at the far end, the canyon narrows and hikers walk through the shallow river up to where the canyon walls go straight 🆙. We did a six mile hike up and back down the river in about five hours.

Manipulating the 🪨 rocks and rapids was a big challenge for us. No one fell or was injured and it was a huge success and a wonderful experience.

Upon our return, we went across from Zion Outfitters to the Zion Brewery for a well deserved lunch.

Buffalo 🦬 meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans.

Heidi had the elk burger.

Combining an incredible outdoor challenge and a quality lunch was a fine way to get the vacation ball rolling. Every view from Zion is simply magnificent.

Flatbed Cafe: Winslow, Arizona

Upon leaving the Grand Canyon we headed east to Winslow on our way to the Petrified Forest National Park.

Thank goodness Heidi also wanted to stand on the corner! It was a wonderful 🛑 stop.

Heidi and I “Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona.” It was “Such a fine site to see.” Getting our kicks on Old Route 66.

Rae had the chorizo burrito and said it was maybe her best meal of the trip!

Pancakes, crispy 🥓 bacon, two medium 🍳 eggs and hash browns.

Heidi also liked the chorizo sausage in her omelette and the home fries.

This Studebaker marks where Route 66 actually ran through the Petrified Forest National Park.

I really wanted it to be the “Flatbed Ford Cafe” but maybe they have some copyright issues and it is just the Flatbed Cafe.

Big E Steak 🥩 House: Tusayan

After spending the night at the Red Feather Lodge in Tusayan, Arizona, we were up and at’em to see the South Rim. We bussed Up to Hermit’s Rest and Rae and I hiked 5 miles down the Rim Trail to the Mojave 🛑 Stop. It was breathtaking!

We met Heidi and Sophie and drove up to the Desert View Tower where a park worker stated that “It was built as a tourist attraction 90 years ago and it is a success because you are here.”

Since I had a cookie for lunch, we went BIG for dinner. Big E it is!!! 🥩

I started with the Grand Canyon Brewery’s 🌅 Sunset Amber 🍺 Ale and it was a darn good beer.

Grand Canyon Brewery presents: Sunset Amber Ale!!!

I had the Big E rib-eye, 🧅 onion rings and 🍄.

In conclusion, The Big E was okay. However, if I have Richard Hackman and Bruce Stahl on my team, we can cook anything as good as we can buy it at a restaurant. Put some 🧄 garlic salt on a steak 🥩 and we are golden. Richard and Bruce can fry anything and it is wonderful. Heck, I can even bake a potato 🥔 and it will be dandy.

Just off the Rim Trail between Hermit’s Rest and the Mojave stop.

Rae had the 🍣 salmon and I can confirm that it was tasty.

Jacob Lake Inn: North Rim

Upon leaving the North Rim and a hike to Angel’s Point, we stopped at Jacob Lake Inn for some lunch. It is a restaurant, store, gift shop and motel all in one.

The food turned out to be really good!

Blackberry Lemonade. 🍋 the rim of the jar is dipped in sugar with bits of blackberries in the lemonade and a 🥄 to stir it up.

The Grand Bull. According to our waiter, Happy Camper, it has twice been chosen as the best burger 🍔 west of the Mississippi. The toasted house made bread helped make the sandwich.

Left to right: Peanutbutter, Peanutbutter chocolate chip and Cloud cookie 🍪.

The Cloud 🍪 Cookie has got it going on!

1. Bake the chocolate cookie

2. Take cookies out and place a marshmallow on top

3. Place cookies back in oven for the marshmallow to belt a bit

4. After cooling off, spread chocolate frosting over the top

This cookie was a masterpiece!!!

Thor’s Hammer

The hoodoo in the foreground is known as Thor’s Hammer A hoodoo is a rock formation shaped by years of 🌧 rain, ice🧊 and 💨 wind erosion. The postcard picture below ⬇️ was taken by me today in Bryce Canton National Park in Utah.

Heidi, Rae, Sophie and myself hiked the rim trail for three miles to get these wonderful views of Bryce. most of the time there was no rail and Heidi may have been a bit nervous.

A lot going on here on this one. I thought I could kick a field goal through the uprights in the foreground. Then a maze of hoodoos at the bottom and the vastness in the background. Jaw dropping.

We are debating dinner, but who knows what Kanab, Utah has to offer.

The Hobo 🧺 Basket: Poplar Street

Not on the menu, but folks, the Hobo Basket is a win!!! 🏅

Onion 🧅 strips, cheese balls, jalapeño popper, mozzarella stick, 🍄 mushrooms and I don’t know what all is in this 🧺 basket. It isn’t on the menu, however, if you know Kathy Spieker, you can get some inside information and know about it.

Excellent pizza at Poplar Street: Billie Mae gets the 🍕 pepperoni and mushroom.

Wednesday night out with Heidi, Mom, Rae and Sophie was a nice visit and great food at Poplar Street Tavern! This place will be hopping this Oktoberfest weekend.

The Smoke Infused Old Fashioned

The ingredients are bourbon of your choice, (tonight it is Knob Creek), JCT ice cubes, 🍒 cherries, candied orange slice 🍊, simple syrup, cherry smoke, and a maple 🍁 sugar bacon 🥓 slice.

After that, you get your host Jon Tilmon to make it for you.

Chris Schuck enjoying a smoke infused Old Fashioned.

Jon Charles Tilmon has JCT on his giant ice cubes.

Everyone needs a little Chicken Cock in their life!

Meet Jon Tilmon. The best friend and host that Walt, Bruce and Chris could ask for. He is putting 💨 smoke into the drink.

That is cherry 🍒 smoke lingering on top of the Old Fashioned.

A slice of candied 🥓 bacon, 🍒 cherries and a candied 🍊 orange slice are visible along with the JCT ice cube.

Chris gets all of his senses going as Bruce is waiting in line for his.

Did I mention that we are watching football 🏈?

Knob Hill Tavern: Fiddlers

Rated #1 in Evansville for the last 15 years is what Knob Hill is known for. A fiddler is a bone -in catfish. On the side are corn 🌽 bread sticks which is. Ken bread shaped like corn on the cob.