World Travelers & Cupcakes to Die For

Bear Lake straddles the Utah-Idaho border. At 18 miles long, it's a real one, not like the stock ponds in New Mexico. Bear has waves 'plashing on the shore -- and the other side is a bit hazy...and not 'cuz of smog, neither. The hamlets along its shore are filled with boats and water sleds and fishing poles project from vehicles like toothpicks. The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest is to the West. My reconnoiter led me up a beautiful, narrow canyon that had been so over-used it was placed in "restoration" status with no camping allowed.

By the time I got to Garden City, I'd driven more than 60 miles!! In one day!!! I pulled into the Farmers' & Artisans' Market (June - August 2013) looking for respite. Mrs. Willis greeted me cheerily and we began. They are world travelers. Her son, young Mr. Willis, had recently returned from India.  He'd also hiked the Pyrenees from Portugal to Spain. In 2010 he'd visited South America where he'd been strongly advised not to travel by bus. But that's just what he'd done. He described the roads as being similar to the kind for which the U.S. Forest Service suggests high clearance or four-wheel-drive.

Having heard of the steep drop-offs along Peruvian roads I asked if he'd been scared. He said no, it was more annoying to be jounced so much. He told of the adventure of reaching the terminus of a line when the bridge across a river was out. The bus company had sent another bus to meet the passengers on the other side and take them to their destination. They crossed the river, about 600 feet wide, on a zip line. He said it was quite an experience, especially with his heavy backpack. He'd visited Peru, Brazil and Bolivia and liked Peru best.

Mrs. Willis, his mother, had recently been to Shanghai to visit her daughter and son-in-law where they were teaching English. While there she traveled to Beijing. She found the contrast between the poor and the wealthy disheartening, but she said the food was superb!! Nothing like Chinese food in America.

Neither of the Willis' expressed any fear of travel. And interestingly, neither mentioned having encountered any "bad" people....the multiplicitous (too big a word for t.v.) bogey-people our media tell us (and we BELIEVE them?) who're lurking behind every bush waiting for victims. (Of course, YOU have a concealed carry license.)

After bidding the Willis' happy travels, I segued over a couple of tables where some innocent looking cupcakes languished. They were grouped in cardboard boxes keeping company with some also rather unprepossessing cookies. I'd had a hankering for the past few days and decided to succumb. I asked for two, chocolate. When she said, "That's four dollars." I almost balked. But I had my wallet out and the cakes were settling into their travel cozy -- a "naturally-flavored sparkling water" box. So I plunked down muh cash and ambled on.

Now let met tell you -- those cupcakes smelled like heaven. And as I drove out of town I began to speculate....were they laced with coca leaves; mari-ji-wanna? I mean $2.00/cupcake! I could see seventy five cents maybe, perhaps even $1.25, but $2.00!!? So I took a bite.

The frosting was the finest whipped cream since the German tortes of my childhood!! The flavor was exquisitely delicate and not too sweet. The cake was as light as feathers and, I kid you not, floated upon the tongue. And at the bottom was a nougat disk of peanut butter and nuts. Thank godz they won't be back until NEXT Friday!!

But for those of you of other interests, I heard a vendor asking a customer if they had cats as they had catnip plants as well as tomato. There were several people selling jewelry and one that had Adirondack-style rocking chairs.  There were custom frames from old barn wood and lots more. And all seemed welcoming and pleasant. It's just a few feet south of the junction of highway 89 West on highway 89 South. Say "Hi" to the Willises for me and if you EVER find a better cupcake for $2.00, PLEASE let me know.

Email: mfhalb@gmail.com