Salt Lake City to Reno - Oct 23

My trip to Reno was uneventful - probably my longest drive day of the whole trip. Since I was alone, I made it a point to make frequent stops. I spotted this mound of salt along I-80 so took a quick detour to find out what it was and to snap a picture of it.  It's at the Morton Salt plant in near Grantsville, UT. They harvest the salt from evaporation ponds around the Great Salt Lake. The last time I drove across Utah was in 1980 when I moved to California, but I don't remember seeing this.  The topography across this part of Utah varies from a lot of dirt and rocks to the salt flats.  Towns are well off the highway.  Driving along the salt flats I noticed different formations of "dots", which turned out to be beer bottles embedded in the flats - neck down.  My guess is that college students go out during the night to party and leave behind their bottles in a decorative way.

I knew I would cross the Bonneville Salt Flats but wasn't quite sure exactly where it was.  Lo and behold, the final rest stop I made in Utah turned out to be at the BSF.  I walked out onto the flats and was surprised at how hard the surface is.  It looks like I'm walking on snow.  I think it would be fun to go there for to watch a race sometime.

At this point, I was only a few miles from the Nevada border and the city of West Wendover.  By now, it was time to get something to eat and a little play time.  I don't remember the name of the casino I stopped at for lunch, but they still have machines that pay out in real coins, not tickets as most are doing now.  I walked away with a little extra cash.  My next stop was Battle Mountain but just for gas and a quick stretch break.  I made it to Reno about 8 pm - had a reservation at Harrah's so wasn't too worried about when I would arrive.  My stay at Harrah's was uneventful and not profitable, but that's okay.  The next day I ventured out to the Peppermill Hotel for lunch and a little more play time.  It was my last day on the road and I stayed most of the day at the Peppermill and came away with a little extra cash.  I procrastinated as long as I could and about 4:00 pm I made my way 'down the mountain' and into the Sacramento valley. 

I arrived home about 6:00 pm on Oct 24 and was greeted with a very cute Welcome Home sign on my bedroom door - courtesy of my very dear friend Darlene.  In one sense, it felt good to be home but bittersweet - I hated for my trip to end. I had a week and a half left before I had to head back to work.

Stay tuned for my trip wrap-up post.

Provo and Salt Lake City - Oct 22

By the time I got to Provo, it was time for lunch and a rest stop.  Provo is a very picturesque town at the base of the Wasatch Mtns.  It is also the home of Brigham Young University.  I stopped at the Visitors Center and the lady I talked with told me I should take the scenic loop drive.  After lunch, I walked around the historic downtown area for about an hour to enjoy the architecture and peacefulness of the area.  From there I headed out to take the recommended drive.  Driving past BYU, I saw a very large Y painted on the mountains - which I assumed had to do with the university as the school butts up against the mountains.  I never did find the B or the U - I'm sure they're there somewhere.

My first stop along the scenic loop was Bridal Veil Falls - very nice.  What really got me was when I turned around to get back in the car and the mountains across the road made me gasp - it was awesome.  This picture doesn't really convey that feeling.  As I was only at the beginning of my drive, I knew I was in for a treat.  The next point of interest was Sundance - yes, Robert Redford's Sundance.  I regret that I didn't stop and walk around, but it was about mid-afternoon and I was told the drive would be at least an hour - so I pressed on.  From the road, you only see the parking area so you have no idea what the resort is really like - a good reason to go back.  As I drove along Hwy 92, I was truly amazed at what lay before me.  After 30 years, I am still in awe of the Sierras but this was different and probably more awe-inspiring, I think it was because I was driving through the thick of the mountains and every turn presented a different view - the Wasatch is very different from the Sierras. 

Check out my Utah album for pictures - they're not in order taken, but you'll know which ones are from this drive.  At one point I entered a National Forest and the road narrowed quite a bit with lots of curves - the speed limit was 20 mph - no complaints from me as I was enjoying everything I saw and wishing I had more time to spend there.  At one point, I was a little nervous about where I was headed until I finally saw a car coming from the opposite direction.  Then I felt okay about continuing on and not turning back - remember I'm in the middle of the mountains and by myself - even in daylight it was a little spooky.  This area of the mountains is very thick with Aspen groves - unfortunately, the trees were already bare, but it was still stunning to see.  The summit was at 8,060 ft elevation and the drive down the other side was just as spectacular as the drive up - I made it a point to stop at several turnouts to fully take in the views.  There are quite a few trails in the National Forest and I would guess that they're pretty well used in the warmer months.

I came down into Provo on the opposite side of town dotted with lots of newer housing developments and each with an LDS church in the middle - they all looked alike so they were easy to spot.  By now, it was close to 5:00 pm and I was about an hour from Salt Lake City, so I headed north along with the commuters.

I had hoped to stay in SLC proper but hotel rates were outrageous so I stayed at a La Quinta Inn near the airport. 

I had learned that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practices on Thursday evenings at 8:00 pm and open to the public, but I had to get to Temple Square to find out the schedule and location.  Off I went hoping I would get to hear this magnificent choir.  I found Temple Square but could not find any parking nearby - this was very disappointing on several levels.  So I made my way to the State Capitol which is situated on a hill overlooking the city.  It was about 7:00 pm and pretty well deserted and dark, but I walked around the grounds a little bit in search of Utah's Liberty Bell  - turns out that it's inside the Capitol building.   I drove around downtown for a little bit - still in search of a place to park near Temple Square - no luck so I headed back to my hotel.  I decided not to go back to the city the next day as I knew I had a very long drive ahead of me, so I have no pictures in SLC. 

My trip at this point is close to an end.  Stay tuned....