Made it to Salt Lake City

We were on the road by 7:30, and the landscape had not changed….but the skyscape was looking good.  And yes, it is a word….click on it and see…

   

Yep, the sky was our canvas this morning, that is for sure.  (It surely wasn’t the green grass!)  But from my friend Joe in Pine Bluff is this quote pertaining to yesterdays transition from California to Nevada, “This post defines transition — from towering green to widely scattered, scraggly bushes. The lesson is, without contrast, life would be a terrible bore.”

One thing I remember in going through Nevada as a kid were the letters up on the mountains near the town……”L” for Lovelock, “W” for Winnemucca, and yes, “BM” for Battle Mountain.  Even as a kid we wondered who would want to live in a town with “BM” all over their mountain.  As an adult, one still wonders such things…..

     

Well, there were a few neat rock formations, and we even ran into a few trees after we passed Elko and climbed up and back down a thousand feet or so.

And now and then we would see snow capped ranges, which brought a lot of character to the mountains.

And as we got close to Utah, Marcia found a mountain that she really liked.  I told her that she needed to enjoy Nevada….because very soon, we would be in…

…Salt Country.  Yes, the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah, where land speed records have been set and reset.  Craig Breedlove broke the 400, 500, and 600 mph speed limits about 7 miles out from this point. Gary Gabelich broke Breedlove’s 600.601 mph record set in 1965 by going 630.388 mph in 1970.   Later land speed records surpassed this, but they were made in Black Rock Desert in Nevada.

The salt flats go on and on for many miles in all directions, and I don’t know what it is about them, but it seems to make people do stupid things…..

….and it makes artist make silly things.  Metaphor: The Tree of Utah, an 87-foot sculpture created by the Swedish artist Karl Momen, who was moved to create the tree after having a vision of a tree while driving across the desolate Bonneville Salt Flats.  It has been a laughing stalk, I mean landmark of the flats since the 1980’s.

And as you get closer to the Great Salt Lake, you sometimes get mirror perfect pictures from the small ponds to the south of the Interstate.

We did hook up with Stephanie tonight, taking her out to dinner to the DoDo Restaurant near our hotel.  Did not get any pictures today, but will get some tomorrow.

Almost Halfway There–Winnemucca, Nevada

    

I love the drive from Sacramento to the Nevada line along I-80 in a car, especially on a clear, sunny day.  Above we are just past Auburn.  When we did this in our motorhome to Truckee on our way to Quincy, that was nice too...but I am so much more alert driving the motorhome, and more relaxed driving a car.

   

Soon we are at Emigrant Gap (above left), and then getting close to Donner Summit (right).  Marcia took many of the pictures, but I took a few today too.  I guess we share the camera pretty good, don't we honey?  Honey??  HONEY???  Hmm, where did she hide the camera now????  (She never likes it when I sneak a shot while I drive).

   

And as we get closer, we see snow along the side of the road where the sun does not shine (left), and then Boreal Ridge Sky Resort (right), one of the first ski resorts around the Lake Tahoe area to open each year because they have been making their own snow for around 35 years, probably more.

And then just over the summit, we pull off the Interstate and view the beautiful Donner Lake.

   

Just a bit down the road we come to Truckee, where the Fruit Inspection Station for incoming traffic is located for the west-bound lanes (left), and as we get closer to the boarder, we drive along the Truckee River (right).

Over sixty streams flow into Lake Tahoe, and only one, the Truckee River, flows out.  And instead of heading out to the Pacific Ocean like most other rivers on the western side of the Continental Divide, the Truckee River heads east/north-east through Reno and into Pyramid Lake, which is a dead lake with no rivers exiting the Lake.

 

And as we get closer to Nevada, the green trees start to disappear.

And there we are, into the Silver State.

Also known as “The Treeless State” (though if you look close there are a few off to the right there along the Truckee River.)  But one thing we did agree on……

It sure make one heck of a good sunset…..  We are staying in a Super 8 in Winnemucca, got a room with a Jacuzzi in it.  Picked up some Chicken from the Raley’s Grocery Store next door along with some stuffed potatoes and a Tortellini Salad.  Ate, had a good soak, and we are both feeling very relaxed.  Should be in Salt Lake City around 2 p.m., and looking forward to having dinner with Steph.