October 1, 2026
On our way to our next stop, Lake Powell, we stopped for lunch at the picturesque town of Kanab. It is sometimes called “Little Hollywood” because hundreds of Western films and television episodes were shot in the surrounding countryside, including such classics as The Lone Ranger and The Outlaw Josey Wales. Unusually from our experience so far in Utah, the early Mormon settlers, rather than giving the town a new name, simply adopted the Native American name for the area, which translates to “place of willows”, referencing the willow trees that grow along the creeks and waterways in the area.
We had lunch at a cute little cafe which apparently has a cool chef. We can’t verify how cool he or she is, but the food was certainly excellent.
We also dropped in and talked to the proprietor of the local pawn shop, which sold an interesting assortment of Indian arts, jewelry, music instruments, but mainly guns. Unfortunately, we did not have time to take one of the private shooting lessons he gives out in the surrounding canyons. He gives the option of shooting with new or old weapons so it would have been an opportunity for Mal to act out the games of his youth, when he and his friends would reenact the westerns they watched on television. He did let us hold one of the old six shooters which was unexpectedly heavy.
We weren’t staying in town, but if we were, we definitely would have chosen Aikens Lodge, which apparently is not too choosy about who stays there. We assume the vets on the sign refers to military veterans and not to animal doctors.
Here are some other photos from our stroll around town.
