Road Trip to a Reunion at Park City, Utah

Summer is when the heat kind of smothers you in the Phoenix desert area. It was a smoldering 105 degrees Fahrenheit when we left. We had planned a five-week road trip through Utah, Idaho, Montana, Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California to escape the heat, visit with family and friends, and see places we had not seen before. 

The Road Trip to Park City, Utah

It took us eleven hours to drive to Park City, Utah from Mesa, Arizona. After driving for seven hours, we stopped for a night in Panguitch, Utah, a town of 1,520 people. What I will not forget about this town is Yvonne at the Panguitch Drug Store. I had left the charger for my Fitbit Charge 3. She took my Fitbit to her home after work hours and called Bill to pick it up when it was fully charged.

Glen Canyon Dam

Before we reached Panguitch, we passed through the beautiful city of Page, Arizona famous for its unique slot canyons and Horseshoe Bend. Right after Page, we found Glen Canyon Dam. Even if it is only a third the size of Hoover Dam (8 generating units compared to 17), it is still the second tallest dam in the US and the one that actually feeds our Arizona home with electricity. And Lake Powell, the manmade recreation lake it created, is larger than Lake Mead created by Hoover Dam. No wonder Page has become a big city. It has a lot going for it.

Glen Canyon Dam National Recreation Area

The Reunion at Park City, Utah

On the second day, our drive was just four hours. We designed it this way so we could arrive in Park City early. We even had time for some fun at the Park Silly Market, held every Sunday from June to September at the downtown area. Then we went to the grocery to shop for some dinner ingredients before checking in.  

Park Silly Market

yellow bike areas in downtown Park City

This stay was a family reunion with two of Bill’s three children and three of his five grandchildren. The two families arrived at almost the same time and the dinner I prepared, Filipino chicken afritada and Vietnamese lettuce wraps, was ready just in time. The 3br suite at Wyndham Park City was spacious enough for all. The best part was the free drumstick or ice cream sandwiches at the lobby!

Day One: Downtown and the Olympic Village

The morning of Day One was a stroll up and down the hill of Main Street in Downtown Park City. Everyone found something to take home from the unique shops. We ended up having lunch at 501 on Main. After lunch, we found ourselves at Java Coffee where we had either ice cream or coffee. I had both with a scoop of Java Coffee ice cream. Yum.

Jump Skis at the Olympic Park in Park City

Then we headed to the Olympic Village. Park City was the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. We marveled at athletes training to dive at the Olympic swimming pool and took shots of the ski jumps. Wandering around the Ski Museum was also fun with the gift shop, the exhibits of bobsleds, and a huge artistic rendition of a bison head.

marmots are everywhere in Park CCity

On the way back to the resort, the children (and I) had so much fun spotting marmots on the roads. At Wyndham Park City, we again enjoyed the free drumstick and ice-cream sandwiches. Then the kids frolicked at the heated pool and hot tub before our chicken kabobs dinner. A game of Taboo saw the adults competing against the children, ending 1-1.

Day Two: Bloods Lake Trail

We searched the Net for hiking trails and selected one listed in the Park Magazine’s article, “Four Family-Friendly Easy Hikes in Park City.” It was a great find! The Bloods Lake is nestled at an elevation of 9,300 feet. We had to negotiate Guardsman’s Pass and parked the car at the clearing about two hundred feet higher.

the kids were brave enough to take a polar plunge at the cold lake

It may have been rated easy but for me it was hard. There was a section with a steep incline. Going down was hard; going back up was even harder. But the views were beautiful, especially since some wildflowers were still blooming. The children took a plunge at the cold lake. They got out as soon as they discovered a leech swimming. Are they perhaps the reason it’s called Bloods Lake? 

the view on the way back to the parking area/trailhead

Back at the resort, it was another round at the heated pool and hot tub for the kids; also the drumsticks and ice-cream sandwiches. Then, it was a left-overs night supplemented by one large and one medium. pizza Then the kids decidedly beat the adults at the games of Taboo and Catch-Phrase. We vowed to prepare for next year’s reunion.

Check-out Time was 10 am so we had plenty of time to pack and have left-overs for breakfast. But it was the goodbyes that took forever long. Bill was so happy his family finally had a reunion. He was sad to see them go but hopes that it will be an annual thing from now on. Next stops: Helena, Montana then Calgary, Alberta.

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Unique Scenes, Unusual Stories, and Beautiful People in Two Small Magical Mexican Towns

One of the best things we did on this trip was to drive down to Mazatlan despite the warnings (see this previous post). Our car has been so handy for drives to Walmart and the mall, the dentist, and the art galleries. But it is the day trips to the small towns around the city that has been the best blessing of all. These two separate day trips have given us many delightful memories to treasure and to share.

El Quelite to the North

My husband’s college fraternity brother sailed from La Paz in the Baja Peninsula into the Marina Mazatlan beside El Cid’s La Marina Resort Hotel and Spa. It was an easy four-minute shuttle ride for us to meet him, visit the boat, “Derive”, and have lunch at El Cid’s La Terraza. We invited him to join us two days later on a trip to this famously cute town many people were raving about. It is north of Mazatlan, about forty minutes away. The town didn’t appear on our GPS so we had a MapQuest sheet to guide us.

As luck would have it, we got lost. We followed Mexico 15D, the toll road instead of Mexico 15, the libre (toll-free) road, and they were unusually far from each other. We found this out when we sought help at a truck stop. In my broken Spanish, aided by similar Filipino words owing to Spain’s 333-rule of my home country, I asked the truckers who were having their rest and some snacks, “Donde esta El Quelite?”   All of them, including the lady storekeepers, felt dumbfounded to reply because they didn’t speak any English. A brave fellow proceeded to patiently communicate to me how to get there. Lo and behold, I understood him perfectly because he so wanted to help. I had met a beautiful Mexican!

After an hour and fifteen minutes, we approached the town from Mexico 15 and bougainvilleas of all colors greeted us on both sides of the road. It was my utter luck that a yellow arch marked the entry to the lone street and the colorful homes on both sides. On the right, we saw a plazuela with a statue of a man playing the game ulama. The country is reviving this ancient sport. The oldest ballcourt is dated 1400 BC.

All the cars in town were parked at El Meson de Los Laureanos. You won’t believe the art and decor, the roosters and horses, all the colorful nooks and corners, and all thriving plants and people inside. It was the energy of Mexico in a nutshell. The food heartily complemented the lively atmosphere. We were immediately served with the traditional Sinaloan snack, coyotas. Our order of barbacoa de res (beef), carnitas de puerco (pork), and cordoniz (quail) a la parilla with arroz, tortilla, frijoles, salsa, and pico de gallo arrived soon after we made our order. It seemed to be consumed just as fast. Dessert was a selection of complementary Sinaloan specialties: candied papaya, squash, and sweet potatoes and leche quemada (burnt milk).

There is another restaurant in town, the Hacienda Tequilera Mi Quelite.  We wondered why it was absolutely empty in stark contrast.  We found the owner to be so kind and polite. He asked us if we wanted to see his little secret at the back. It was a small zoo with his precious collection of a family of llamas, a lone donkey, several peacocks, lots of rabbits, fighting cocks and pigs, and a beautiful banyan tree in the middle. We offered him a couple hundred pesos for the tour but he graciously refused. I had met another beautiful Mexican. Hopefully, he will be given a chance by tourists. We will next time!

El Rosario to the South

We also wanted to visit another Magico Pueblo (Magical Town), a program launched by the Ministry of Tourism in 2001. So far there have been 121 named. The first one we saw was Teotihuacan near Mexico City (see this previous post) and the second was Todos Santos to which we took a day trip from San Jose del Cabo (see this previous post) El Rosario is only an hour south of Mazatlan. We invited another couple to join us. The drive was beautiful with all the beautiful agave and mango plantations on both sides of the highway.

Our GPS listed only one attraction, El Museo de Lola Beltran. When we got there, we hesitated to go in; we didn’t know who she was. But the admission fee was just $1 for all four of us. We found out that María Lucila Beltrán Ruiz (7 March 1932 – 24 March 1996) was an acclaimed Mexican singer of Ranchera music and a movie and TV personality. She was internationally renowned for her interpretation of "Cucurrucucú Paloma" which I knew by heart when I was young, owing to our shared history with Spain.

And that’s where we met Carmelita, a grandniece of the grand old lady, who proceeded to graciously tour us around town. She is another beautiful Mexican.  Across the Museo stands Las Ruinas which is what remains of the parochial temple that crumbled circa 1931. Minas del Tajo was mining a large silver belt that was discovered right under it. The town’s faithful painstakingly transferred the beloved temple, stone by stone, to this site. Close by is the lagoon at the old entrance to the mine and the old site of the temple. It was created by the flood waters from the 1935 Super Cyclone. There now stands a beautiful suspension bridge and recreation park at the center which the townsfolk lovingly call Isla del Iguanero.

Then Carmelita led us to the El Tiro San Antonio (Casa de Lola), a restaurant run by her twin brother, billed as the place where the song Paloma was born. It was right on Calle Beltran that had a statue of Lola herself at the intersection with the main street in town. The colorful walls are filled with mementos of Lola Beltran, just like at the Museo. They served us a hefty lunch of tacos de camarones, asada de res, pollo frito, enchiladas verdes, and candied camotes for dessert, all for only US $25 for all of us!

After lunch, we had a quick trip to the Museum of Regional History of El Rosario, built in what was formerly the Municipal Prison, as of seven years ago. That is where the glorious history of one of the wealthiest towns in Mexico in the past and the mining industry that led to the founding of the port of Mazatlan was told to us. Nearby is the Los Arcos Virreinales (Colonial Arch) which was the old bus station during the mining town’s heyday that lasted for 300 years.

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Our last stop was the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in front of which is a plazuela with another statue of Lola Beltran. Built from 1758 to 1771, the church has an elaborate baroque style and a spectacularly intricate gilded altar inside. There are two places where you can have souvenir photos taken: the colorful town sign and a pair of golden wings. Both will have the church as a background.

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As you can see, these are memories that are a treasure. They are both near enough to Mazatlan that we can revisit them anytime we want to when we are there for our annual three month holiday. Definitely, we will take our guests to them, especially those who have already visited many beach resort towns and want to see the magical side of  Mexico.

Would You Like to Know the Real Secret to Mexican Cooking?

We have been in the El Cid Resorts of Mazatlan, Mexico for six weeks now. Even if there are 9 restaurants of different cuisines (Argentinian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Mazatleca and four International), we have had a lot of Mexican food. Aside from La Cascada dedicated to Mexican food and Dona Sol dedicated to local dishes of Mazatlan, Mexican dishes are included in every buffet and special days are dedicated to Mexican cuisine in the international restaurants.

tinga de res

Desayuno, the Mexican Breakfast

chilaquiles

For breakfast, we have gotten to know staples like molletes, sopes, chilaquiles (verde o rojo), and huevos rancheros. There are American options: tocino (bacon), salchichas (sausages), pancakes, French toasts, waffles, papa bibil (hash browns), cereals, crepes, omelets, and huevos a gusto (eggs of your choice). I like it that they always have a pot of avena (oats) with amaranto, pasas (raisins), coconut shreds, granola, and cinnamon always available for sprinkling. Varieties of pan (bread) can be grilled or toasted with all kinds of queso, mantequilla y margarina, and peanut butter and jam for spreads. Frutas tropicales are all sliced up with cottage cheese or yogurt for toppings and all colors of gelatin on the side. Hot chocolate, coffee, tea, agua con hielo, and all kinds of jugos are always ready.

Comida o Cena, All-Day Mexican Food

sopa de mariscos

chile relleno

There are a great variety of main dishes for lunch (comida) or dinner (cena). Most of us already know the following from our Tex-Mex cuisine: enchiladas, burritos, tacos, gorditas, tostadas, and fajitas. But our six weeks in Mazatlan, Mexico has exposed us to so much more: carnitas, mole, barbacoa, pibil, tinga, cochinitas, asada, birria, menudo, campechanga, chamorro, and other dishes you rarely find in Mexican restaurants in the US. Apperitivos include all preparations of nachos with different types of salsa, guacamole, and frijoles. Carbs are either arroz (rice), tortillas (but mostly maiz and not harina), papas (potatoes), and all kinds of pan (bread). The soups we have come to love are pozole, mariscos, albondigas, elotes de crema, or sopa de ajo. Of course, we cannot resist the postres (desserts) like varieties of flan, churros, pasteles (cakes and pastries), and candied bananas or sweet potatoes. Bebidas are horchata, cebada, or tequila-based ones.

El Cid's Cooking Class

Activities provided for free have created a lot of value for our stay in El Cid. Enrique, the Activities leader, has done a great job of promoting the cooking class every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 pm, for example, for about 16-20 of us, eager students. We gather at La Concha which a lot of the hotel guests consider the best restaurant. In the class, we have learned how to cook international food like pasta marinara, paella Valenciana, sushi, Caesar’s salad, ceviche, fajitas, and sopa de mariscos. Next ones slated are pozole, enchilada, tacos, chicken tortilla soup, and so much more.

our cooking class by the sea

Chef Luis Villa

Interview with the Chef

I interviewed one of our very personable chefs/instructors, Senor Luis Villa. In spite of the fact that he knows very little English, he was always able to convey to us the ingredients, the steps, and the secrets of a dish, with Enrique at his side. I conducted this interview without an interpreter. After all, another activity I consider very valuable is the Spanish classes I am also taking. 

Senor Luis is forty-eight years old and has two boys, Luis Angel, fourteen and Eric, seven. Our featured chef learned how to cook at a very young age right at his home in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. His mother, Maria de la Luz, and grandmother, Felicitas, are both passionate cooks who made everything painstakingly from scratch. But when they were away, Luis cooked for himself. Now, after cooking assignments for eighteen years, he considers seafood and Mexican cooking his specialty

pescado zarandeado

His favorite Mexican dish is mole. It is also one of Bill’s favorites. When I asked him why he said it is because it is a complex dish made from a lot of ingredients that can number up to thirty. Thus, a creative cook can come up with many different flavors, using different types of chiles, for instance. And when I asked him what dish he would prepare for a special someone, he said he often prepares carne en su jugo (meat in its juice) for his wife, Erica. Actually, it reminds me of the popular sous vide cooking.

Mexican-style paella

tequila, sangria, y limon

When I wanted to find out the secret to Mexican cooking, he immediately said tiempo. It means time. In other words, the cook must have a lot of patience because it takes time for the flavors to come out, to fuse, and to intensify. He says it would be easy to take two, three, or four hours to prepare dinner, depending on the dishes one wants to prepare for the family.

For the last question, I asked him what advice he can give those of us who want to enjoy eating and cooking Mexican food. Just as easily, he said we have to learn to watch the chiles. Mexican cuisine utilizes them heavily and consistently. And there are many kinds of different colors, various flavors, and increasing degrees of spiciness. There is the jalapeno (green), poblano (green), guajillo (red), and wero (pale yellow) for flavoring, coloring, and mild spiciness. Then there is the small serrano for more spiciness. Finally, if you dare, there is the habanero, the hottest of them all. Of course, there are also Mexican spices.  

We have six more weeks to go. I will surely learn more. And I am so happy El Cid offers cooking classes with great chefs like Senor Luis and organizers like Enrique.

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