HAPPY 100th Birthday!
Herb Jeffries
Dear Friends of Country and Western Music
During the summer of 1995, my wife Nelly and I took a trip through the Rocky Mountains. Up to that time we had seen the Rockies from the East, the West, and
the air.We traversed them on a Southern route and on a Northern route, but we had never traveled through the heart of the Rockies. So, we followed this itinerary:
Denver CO – Rock Springs WY – Jackson Hole WY – Idaho Falls ID – Salt Lake City UT – Panguitch UT –
Bryce Canyon UT – Zion National Park UT – Kanab UT – Kayenta AZ – Monument Valley AZ – Mexican Hat UT – Durango CO – Silverton CO - Albuquerque NM – Santa Fé NM – Denver CO. Along that route we met
a lot of friendly folks.
Following a day of sightseeing and listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in rehearsal we headed south from Salt
Lake City towards our next stop Bryce Canyon National Park. Our plans were to stay overnight at Bryce Canyon Lodge, directly at the entrance to the park. Our efforts to make reservations from Salt Lake City had failed. On
the road we stopped at a Road Side Café and Truck Stop and tried to call. However the “Mountain Telephone Company” had changed from coin operated to credit card operated telephone booths. Credit cards were available
in various amounts at gas stations, cafés and supermarkets. So, I bought a $ 5.00 card. But, when I wanted to call from one of two booths available, I found at least a dozen truckers who wanted to call their dispatchers
or families. Therefore we took off down the road, fully aware that we might be confronted with a NO VACANCY sign. And … we were confronted with a NO VACANCY sign! The friendly lady at the front desk suggested that we drive
back to Panguitch UT, that we had passed an hour ago about 18 miles up the road. We did, and from the almost empty parking lot shown below, you guessed right we did get a room, a very comfortable one at that. Panguitch then
was a small town on US 89, with a 100 feet wide Main Street, about 1500 inhabitants and a storefront of maybe 200 feet.
For dinner we went to the only restaurant in town, the “Cowboy’s Café” shown above on the right. We enjoyed a Western meal of Salad with
Ranch Dressing, Steak and Idaho potato. With it I enjoyed an ice cold “Colorado Coolaid” (Coors) and for desert we were served deep dish Apple Pie à la Mode, washed down with coffee cowboy style from a tin can and
tin cup...
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