I topped off the tire and figured that we’d grab a room and see what the morning brought.
After a drive through town to check out our options, we booked a night at the Prospector Inn ($62/night). Our room was modern, clean and good sized, and right in the center of town. After unloading our luggage, we drove back north on the strip in search of what food might be found in this peaceful little town of Escalante. Considering that it was a Sunday evening, we didn’t expect much but were willing to try any other option than returning to The Prospector.
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Escalante Outfitters seemed to have a deck with something going on so we pulled in. Sure enough, next to the store they have a little bistro serving light fare including pizza. They also had a nice selection of cold beer and that sounded great after a stressful hour or so. We sat outside on the deck which had seven or eight hummingbird feeders hanging each with several hummingbirds zipping around it. Our beers soon arrived and we ordered a couple of little pizzas and a salad. After a few sips of cold beer and a few minutes of watching the hummers tussle over access to the feeders, we began to chill out. There was quite a variety of hummingbirds and we asked the waitress about it. She said that they have five or six kinds and they were usually gone by now. They’d be leaving any day. Lucky us! The pizzas arrived and, although we don’t recall what kinds we had, but they were quite good and really hit the spot. We told our waitress of our tire issue and she gave us the number of a local guy somewhere just outside of town. I wondered if he’d be open on Labor Day and she laughed and said, “It's his house so I’d guess he’s open if he’s home.” Better than nothing I guess.
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Before heading back to the motel, we drove back to the tire pump at the minimart. The tire had lost 15psi in about an hour and a half. I topped it off but, at the rate it was leaking, it seemed as though it would be flat by morning. Oh well, at least it will be easier to change on the concrete motel parking lot than by the side of the road. The Jeep had a full sized spare so that was reassuring. We watched the tube until 11 or so and then turned in. I wasn’t sleeping well and went out a couple of times to check the tire. It seemed to be holding up pretty well, and I finally dozed off completely at about 3am.