In Pursuit of Pickle Pie

Brett was up working on his Key Lime pies before 4 a.m.  His home always smells amazing. I popped out of bed by 5:30 and headed out by 7 a.m.  Brett sent me out the door with scones, chocolate chunk cookies and a loaf of sourdough bread.  

Desert Bread (Brett and Brendon's business) was highlighted in an article by Food and Wine naming the best pie in every state.  Their rhubarb galette is a thing of beauty and Food and Wine shared a photo.  So I looked at the rest of the article to see where the best pie is in each state I will travel through on this road trip.  According to Food and Wine, Sunglow Restaurant in Bicknell, UT serves the best pie in their state.  It is a pickle pie.  For some reason I couldn't shake the idea of trying this horrible idea.  On the way to a slice of pie I passed the childhood home of Butch Cassidy, the oldest of 13 children born to Mormon pioneers and an American train and bank robber.  I love going off the beaten path and finding the unexpected.

I got to Bicknell by 1 p.m. and picked up a slice of pickle pie.  

I didn't want to eat it inside so I took it to go.  I was on Highway 24 and was headed for Capitol Reef National Park. I made the incorrect assumption that there would be roadside picnic tables along the way.  I assumed wrong but the view was stunning.  I kept driving until I got to Goblin Valley State Park. I had seen images of this fascinating place and I wanted to see it for myself.  Goblin Valley is filled with rock formations created by deposits laid 170 million years ago by an inland sea that have been sculpted by forces of nature.  Technically they are called hoodoos.  It was worth the $20 entrance fee.  This formation is called the Three Sisters.  I would call it the Triplets, holding our binary boxes at bay.

Overlooking the Vally of the Goblins was a large pavilion of picnic tables.  I guess if you have to pay $20 to get in they will provide a picnic table.  I got out my pickle pie and ate it as I watched families hike past all the hoodoos. It tasted like pumpkin pie with sweet pickles.  It wasn't horrible.  It wasn't amazing.  I didn't eat it all.  

I decided against the hot hike down into the valley but I did walk through some of the hoodoos.

By the time I got back to Highway 24 it was already 4 p.m.  I had hoped to turn south off the I-70 towards Moab and go to Dead Horse Point Trail, which is a great place to view Horseshoe Bend.  I have always wanted to go there.  I was trying to decide if I had it in me to take another detour and then the I-70 slowed to a complete stop.  There were signs on the side of the road that said, "Emergency Scene Ahead".  That decided it for me.  Getting to Horseshoe Bend in the dark would be of no use.   I arrived to my hotel in Parachute, Colorado to a double rainbow.

Here are the things I learned and relearned today:

• Utah is beyond beautiful.  I would love to plan a trip here in the autumn with no concrete plans other than to wander.
• Always remember time zones.  I had forgotten that I would lose an hour today.
• Clouds make me happy.  
• Wearing overalls on a road trip is not the best idea.
• People outside of California are not wearing masks.....anywhere.