It’s an embarrassment of riches, honestly, that we have here in Utah. We’re half-a-day’s drive from some of the most stunning landscapes on earth, just waiting to be explored. We’re foolish not to take advantage of this access as often as possible.
So I try and take my family down south to where the rock is red as often as possible, but with every journey to south-central/east/west Utah one question looms — where am I going to sleep, and, perhaps more importantly, where am I going to bathe?
As much as I love hiking through our canyons and mountains, I hate camping. A whole bunch. As a light sleeper, I’ve never found the ground conducive to a good night’s rest. And I don’t enjoy the smoke scent that lingers in my hair or the dirt under my fingernails that I can’t rinse off because there’s no shower. I’m just not a good camper and that’s something I’ve had to accept about myself.
So I will forever be grateful for the existence of places that offer accommodations for people like me — people who love nature, but are very much not into camping, and people who want a southern Utah desert experience, do not want to pay thousands of dollars a night to stay where the Kardashians stay.
Places like Ofland in Escalante, an outdoor hotel where I just spent the weekend with my husband, really fit the bill for families who want to explore the surrounding national parks and sleep in a bed and access indoor plumbing.
On its property, Ofland has campsites, Airstream trailers, tiny cabins and deluxe cabins with ensuite bathrooms and outdoor showers. I opted for the deluxe cabin, which sleeps four between a queen bed and sofa bed. If, or let’s be honest when, we return with our children, we will likely book a deluxe cabin and a tiny cabin, which sleeps two, and share the deluxe cabin bathroom. Or send everyone to the shared bathhouse which looks and feels like a luxurious spa.
The property also has an outdoor movie screen with antique cars to watch from. We enjoyed “The Breakfast Club,” our first night there and “The Lion King” the second night. The programming seems to be a mix of Gen-X classics and family-friendly favorites.
The hotel is a short drive to the area’s most popular trailheads, including Calf Creek Falls, a six-mile hike round trip to a gorgeous waterfall. We did the hike Saturday morning, in perfect 75-degree, smoke-free weather (it always seems to be a little cooler in Escalante?) and mostly shade. That afternoon we drove to the Mossy Cave hike, which was very crowded from the trailhead to the cave, but barely inhabited beyond that on the trail that follows the tropic creek along hoodoos and waterfalls. It felt like hiking on Mars if Mars’ air was breathable.
But it wasn’t the spectacular views nor the zen only natural wonders can provide that were the highlight of our time spent in Escalante. The views were spectacular! And the zen was very zen! But it was the food that I will remember most fondly. Because honestly, for me, the ideal vacation is coming up with activities to do between spectacular meals. And every single meal we had on this vacation was delicious.
Starting with pizza from Escalante Outfitters, a hiking gear store that is also a pizza restaurant. And it was there that I had some of the best pizza I’ve ever had including the pizza I ate in Italy. I SAID WHAT I SAID. I ordered the big horn with kalamata tapenade, prosciutto, ham, goat cheese and slow roasted tomato, which was perfect for a funky flavor freak like me. My husband got the Day Hike, a far more traditional pepperoni pizza, and it, too, was delicious.
Right off the Ofland outdoor lounge is a food truck, where we ordered our breakfasts both mornings we were there. Both the breakfast sandwich and breakfast burrito were delicious, and the fruit bowl came with perfectly ripe melon pieces and Tajin. When I started craving something green, I got a veggie-packed Buddha bowl from the Ofland general store (which also sells great merch, by the way. I bought a sweatshirt and it’s very soft).
For dinner the second night we dined at North Creek Grill. Recently, chef Brendan Kawakami and his wife Samantha took over the restaurant, and both made frequent, genial appearances in the dining room while we were there. On their recommendation we ordered several appetizers, including a pork rib served on a fried rice loaf with fish sauce, an eggplant and burrata dip, and fries, obviously. We ate almost all of it and were very full but that did not stop us from eating our next course which consisted of a pork chop and grilled cabbage. When our waiter handed us the dessert menu, my husband said he was full and I yelled across the table “THAT DOESN’T MATTER.” So for dessert we enjoyed a butter cake and ice cream sandwich. Both nearly moved me to tears. I have not stopped dreaming about the pork rib. I don’t even really like pork chops but would eat seven of the kind they serve at North Creek Grill if given the chance.
As we drove home through the Red Canyon arches with full bellies and a camera roll full of hike photos, we made plans for when we would come back with the whole family to enjoy the stunning scenery we’re so fortunate to live near, get a good night’s rest in a real bed, and a meal or many that will undoubtedly be all-timers.