Traveling across the country, we occasionally stay in a town not for any particular reason, other than to crash for a night or two. Such was the case with the town of Kanab, Utah, named after the Paiute word meaning “place of the willows”. In addition to being conveniently located near Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon National Parks, Kanab serves as the county seat of Kane County, Utah. It was a delight for us to learn of the town’s history and take a break from the road.

Kanab, founded in 1870, is known locally as “Little Hollywood” due to its history as a filming location for many westerns such as Gunsmoke, The Lone Ranger, Death Valley Days and, Sue’s favorite as a young girl, The High Chaparral. (She was secretly smitten with Billy Blue Cannon played by Mark Slade.) Planet of the Apes was also filmed near Kanab, among many other films and TV shows. The Main Street through town proudly highlights that history with signs naming the many actors who spent time on location in Kanab lining the sidewalks.

We were also delighted to discover several great local dining options within walking distance of our hotel, beginning with lunch at the Rocking V Cafe. We shared a garden salad and the Jalapeño Lime Chicken and took home a big slice of cheesecake to have later. Excellent!

During our stay in Kanab, we grocery shopped, donated some un-needed clothes (why do we always have the tendency to overpack?), lifted weights (best hotel fitness room we’ve ever experienced!), did laundry and had some much-needed down time.

Did we mention that the liquor store was next door where we found one of our new favorite bourbons: Tin Cup. The screw cap is a tin drinking cup: Brilliant, no need to take a swig directly from the bottle!

In our travels, we’ve discovered the joy of getting to know small towns and we find that county seats often provide for both interesting history and food. Kanab did not disappoint!

Thanks, as always, for your interest in our journey.