Eiffel Tower Restaurant

We chose an iconic location in which to have dinner tonight. We liked the fact that the Eiffel Tower Restaurant has windows overlooking the Bellagio Fountains. In addition, the restaurant is a Michelin rated venue ranking it among some of the best restaurants in the world.  Since we are staying at the Bellagio it was nice just to walk across the street to a fine dinner.

Bellagio Hotel with the fountains as viewed from across the street at the base of the Eiffel Tower.

Once inside the Eiffel Tower the cooling air from the AC felt good since it was over 100 outside on the street.  Unfortunately the cooling comes at a price as my senses were assaulted by the noisy clanging of gaming machines in the Casino and worse, my lungs and respiratory system had to deal with the smelly, smoky air which is an unfortunate prelude to a wonderful dining experience. 

Eiffel Tower Restaurant Elevator.

Once we made our way to the elevator, a hostess at a podium verified our reservation before allowing us to board the elevator for the ride to the second floor where the restaurant is located.

The Kitchen as viewed when stepping off the elevator on the second floor.

As we stepped off the elevator we had a great view of the kitchen and the food prep by a large team of very talented chefs. The Maitre D greeted us and walked us across the dining room to our front row window table. We paid an extra $40 each for window seating since we wanted the whole experience including a front row seat to the fountain show.  The fountain launches every 30 minutes in the evening. Our only disadvantage from this vantage point is we can not hear the music that accompanies the synchronized water, light and sound show. It was none the less spectacular from up here.

The restaurant dining room has a very elegant vibe with muted conversations, a quiet atmosphere with soothing French Parisian music, white tablecloths and red chairs.

Our dining table could not have been in any better of a location. Our view of the fountain show was a perfect backdrop  to an elegant dinner.

We were handed a large book containing an extensive selection of wines. A leather folio contains the menu for tonight.

For an appetizer we chose the scallop dish. These were huge and perfectly finished. The celery root vinaigrette was a perfect complement for the shell fish.

Menu snippet from the Eiffel Tower Menu listing our Scallop appetizer choice

It was a pleasure meeting the restaurant sommelier. The wine list is bewildering ranging from $75 split bottles to $3,000 a bottle.  He knew his wines, the bouquet, the dryness, color, clarity, region and everything else you would expect a good sommelier to know.  We chose a nice Estate bottled Pinot, King Estate Pinot Noir in a split bottle (one glass each). This nice wine is vinted in the Williamette Valley of Oregon.

While we enjoyed our very special night out, the fountains in the waning light of dusk continued putting on their amazing show.

For our main course we both chose Mediterrnean Sea Bass. On the side we also ordered a braised dish of wild mushrooms. This was a fabulous choice paired with the fish.  The mushrooms were fragrant and delicious. We couldn't finish them.

To finish our meal we chose to share a White Chocolate Banana Elysee which was served in an artistic creation of a white and dark chocolate pinwheel. 

As we exited the restaurant we noticed a beautiful display setup featuring the dessert we just ate, Banana Elysee.  There also was a page in the Eiffel Tower Restaurant Cookbook opened to this dessert with the recipe listed and a photo with the dessert containing an engagement ring.  You can arrange for a proposal to take place tableside featuring the Bananas Elysee.

Eiffel Tower Restaurant Recipe Book

After our brief suspension of reality, enjoying a lavish evening, it was time to return to reality as we were bombarded by the sights, sounds, and sensory overload of the Las Vegas Strip.

Annies Place Boulder, Utah

Annie's Place Boulder, UT

 On the other side of the mountain from Capitol Reef National Park is the town of Boulder, Utah which is 27 miles from the Grand Staircsase Escalante National Monument. Boulder is primarily a farming and ranching community with a population of 227 according to the 2020 US Census. We chose to stay here in Annie's Place BnB in the middle of an Alfalfa field.

Annie's Place

This really is farm living. A long gravel road through a field takes you to this homestead. It was origonally a Post Office building but moved to the top of the hill and refurbished both inside and out making it a very modern Bed and Breakfast.

Dining Room at Annie's

We checked in and met Lesley, the Inn Keeper.  Lesley had an interesting story to tell. She worked at a corporate job in Atlanta and wanted to get away from the rat race for a while. She spotted an online ad for an Innkeeper in Utah. She had never been to the state but it sounded ideal for what she was looking for. 

We found that we were the only guests staying in a very large BnB.  Our room was attractive with a little sitting area with TV and a large King bed. A set of double doors led to our own deck overlooking the countryside. This was almost like camping but with all the luxuries of home.

Double doors in our bedroom open to a private deck

We witnessed some of the Alfalfa Harvest.

Surrounding ranches are the only neighbors

As the day evolved thoughts of dinner were going to be interesting. There is nothing around here for 100 miles. We asked our host Lesley what we should do for dinner. She told us about a little restaurant at the stop sign which basically is the center of town. We asked her if it was that shack looking building that we saw on the way to the BnB. That was it!  Unbelievably, this little treasure at the crossroads is Michelin rated. Celebrities come here from miles away. Oprah has eaten here. It is called "Hell's Backbone Grill" and you need a reservation which are sometimes hard to acquire.

27 years ago, two Buddhist women, Jen Castle and Blake Spalding, chose to open a destination restaurant in one of the most remote towns in America.

Restaurant owners Jen Castle and Blake Spalding

To quote the owners:

Our restaurant operates following Buddhist principles, with a commitment to sustainability, environmental ethics, and community responsibility. We serve organic, locally produced, regionally and seasonally appropriate cuisine, growing much of our produce on our six-acre farm. Our fruit largely comes from Boulder’s heirloom orchards, and our meat comes from local ranchers. It’s not easy, but it’s worth the effort."

The restaurant has been featured in The New Yorker, O: the Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sunset Magazine, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Organic Gardening, Outside Traveler, Outside, Travel and Leisure, Washington Post, Men’s Journal, More, SLUG Magazine and National Geographic Traveler.

It has been a James Bear Award finalist in the outstanding restaurant category many, many times as well as having the highest Zagut rating of any restaurant in Utah.

It's not much to look at, but looks are certainly deceiving. Behind these buildings, which have seen better days, there was a large parking lot with more cars than we saw on our entire drive here.

Once seated inside, we found the place was run by buddhists. Service was very attentive. Everytime the server filled my water glass he clasped his hands in prayer and bowed to us. This is a farm to table organic restaurant. Most of the veggies as well as the beef are raised here on the farm or on surrounding farms.

We started with the black powdered biscuits which are served with butter and homemade jam.  These are some of the best restaurant biscuits I have ever had.

The main menu was small but adequate. I chose the Bison Chile Colorado which was memorable. I wish I could make this at home. The bison was tender and tasty, served over green chile polenta and accompanied by sweet corn succotash. This creative combination of flavors was a sensory delight. We will be coming back the next time we are in Utah.  

Libbie chose the pan seared steel head trout in a lemon tarragon beurre blanc, jasmine rice and an array of vegetables.

We had too much food to be able to try the dessert offerings which is almost sacrilegious.  

After dinner it was nice to be able to drive across the street back to our ranch on the hilltop.

The next morning we had a delicious BnB breakfast of a yogurt parfait topped with fresh strawberries followed by an egg and cheese casserole with wheat toast.  To top it off, Lesley served coffee with fresh ground beans.  This is my kind of morning beverage.

Leaving  Boulder on to our next destination, the scenery was just as awe inspiring as our trip going to Boulder. The Escalante National Monument is beautiful by itself but is overshadowed by some of the most scenic National Parks in the US.

The stunning drive through Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Part II Canyon Spirit journey Glenwood Springs to Moab

 

The Hotel Maxwell (Hotel Denver)

This was a beautiful hotel where we spent the night in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, conveniently located directly across from the train station. The next morning, since breakfast would be served on the train, we wandered into the hotel coffee shop and picked up two cups of black coffee. We then settled into the eclectic hotel lobby, taking in the interesting surroundings and enjoying a quiet cup of coffee while we waited for the train to be ready for our journey on to Moab.

We later walked across the street to explore the beautiful old train station. Built in 1904 by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, the station has stood for more than a century and remains a wonderful reminder of Glenwood Springs’ railroad history. Inside, a framed poster commemorates the railroad and celebrates the station’s 120 years of service—a fitting tribute to this charming piece of the town’s past (below).

Back in it's heyday the station served as a focal point downtown. Now it only serves an Amtrak train or two and of course our tourist train.

Canyon Spirit to Moab, Utah

The Canyon Spirit was backed onto the platform from the nearby maintenance yard, where it had spent the night. Our train looked shiny and gleaming in the morning light—a fitting reflection of the care and attention given to this well-maintained tourist train. As we made our way toward Car 6, we were greeted by a special touch: the red carpet had been rolled out to welcome us aboard.

 All aboard!  We pulled out of Glenwood Springs and resumed our journey following alongside the Colorado River.

The Colorado River was on our right as we left Glenwood Springs. We would cross it many times in our journey today.

From the yummy breakfast menu I chose the Denver Eggs Breakfast.

This was a meal made for my pallette - peppers, onions and chili hollandaise, serving up the flavors of the Southwest, accompanied by a hot cup of black coffee. As the Canyon Spirit menu proclaims, "Enjoy your meal with a view."

The Colorado River is now on our left as we navigate a curve ahead. It’s fascinating how, on these curves, we can look ahead and actually see our locomotive at work, pulling us along at 35 MPH. The speed has been set to provide maximum opportunity for scenic viewing. And when there’s an especially interesting geographic feature to take in, we slow down even more. There’s certainly no hurry to reach our destination today—we’re here to enjoy the journey.

Above: Our train passes by the Grand Valley Diversion Dam near Palisades, Colorado. This dam diverts water into local canals for irrigation of orchards, farms and vineyards.

Below: We pass by one of the many vineyards and farms in this valley, all irrigated by the Colorado River.

The landscape changed dramatically as we entered the land of the red rocks and canyons. The soil is stratified in layers and wind eroded caves start appearing.

Utah-Colorado border

Painted on the cliff face is the indicator that we are passing from Colorado into Utah.

The rock formations continue to be incredible as we see eroded sandstone and weathered red rock.

The Canyon Spirit team continued to pamper us on our journey. The executive chef came out of the kitchen to help take lunch orders.  I ordered the braised chicken pibil baked burrito which has smoked chili sauce, crema rosada and queso. Spanish rice is served on the side.  The recommended wine pairing is Colterris Plum Creek Heritage Reisling.  Yes please, I'll take a glass of Reisling!

 

As we travel closer to Moab we start seeing the fenced in areas of radioactive dirt and a government cleanup effort. The dirt is the mining tailings from Uranium operations in the 1950s which were mining for bomb making and nuclear power plant fuel.

The uranium scraps are packed into rail containers for transport to an underground disposal site. A radioactive warning label is prominently displayed on each piece of cargo.

Hillsides coated in green and red rocks made their appearance as we traveled along. The green tint comes from iron that settled in an underwater environment. Contained within are red bands of clay materials such as smectite and glauconite.  The red rocks formed later when the iron was exposed to oxygen and rusted.  This area near Moab is called the Morrison formation.

As we eased into the siding that marked the final stop of our journey, we were greeted by smiling employees of the Moab Canyon Spirit. There was something rather special about arriving in Moab by train, since the town has never had passenger rail service—and, fittingly, has no train station.

Instead, we were now traveling over tracks used by the mining companies that operate in the Moab area. Our train came to a gentle stop in the siding, where shuttle buses were waiting to carry us the rest of the way into town and to our hotel. After hours of spectacular scenery from the rails, our train journey had come to an end, but our Moab adventure was just beginning.

Our destination at the end of today was the Hoo Doo Hilton. a very contemporary Hilton Hotel.

In Canyon Spirit fashion, our bags were already in our room, allowing us to enter and relax.

We also enjoyed the pool area as an attractive desert oasis complete with fire pits and adult beverages.