7 ½ Days
7 States
4,854 Miles
83 Hours and 54 minutes driving time
21 Restaurants
15 Bakeries
9 Ice cream shops
1 Coffee shop
Just months after Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Olympics, the second trip to Utah was skiing during the day (Deer Valley, Park City, The Canyons, Alta, Snowmass and Snowbird) and exploring at night (Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake, Park City and Ogden). This would be the fifth time in Utah.
Wyoming has been visited three times.
This before and after map highlights how much more needed to be seen.
After 50 states and 18 countries it was negligent to take this long to finish Utah. I have dubbed it the most beautiful state in the union. Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming and Hawaii have some photogenic areas. But Utah not only has splendor in abundance it has it in variety. From green mountains to red canyons to sandstone cliffs to granite peaks. Every turn yields another jaw dropping vista.
Saturday, May 24th, 2014
Like most cities in northern Utah, Brigham City has a Mormon founding.
Idle Isle evokes the era of its 1921 establishment. Loved it.
Typical of north central Utah.
The nation anxiously awaited as the Union and Central Pacific Railroads’ construction closed in on each other at Promontory Summit. On May 10th, 1869 the golden spike was driven joining the nation by rail and igniting celebrations coast to coast.
Remotely located Thiokol makes rockets parts, including for the space shuttle, and has a rocket garden in front of their sprawling facilities.
The drive continued through the desolate NW, into Nevada and back to Utah to Wendover.
In the 1940s this area was abuzz with activity from Wendover Airfield as pilots trained for WWII. Mostly bomber pilot trained here including for the atomic bomb missions.
Bonneville Salt Flats is a 30,000 acre bed of densely packed salt left over from Pleistocene Lake.
Included in this area is the Bonneville International Raceway. Every summer the Utah Department of Transportation prepares an 80 foot wide and 10 mile long race track which is legendary for land speed record runs. Boy, I wish I had my car!
Back to SLC for dinner at The Blue Plate Diner. Went with Vegan Tofu Vegetable Scramble…since this is that kind of place.
Swung by Hires Big H for a float since they make their own root beer.
A review of 2002 pictures found one of just the capitol, so the tradition of getting a picture of front of capitols started later.
Looking back at SLC from the capitol.
Sunday, May 25th, 2014
Eureka is an old mining town perched on a mountainside. All of these buildings had a Century 21 sign. I was thinking of buying every building and having a specialty bakery in every storefront.
Delta.
West central Utah is an amalgamation of mountain ranges and broad flats.
How is it America is so magnificent??
Milford.
Beaver was probably more active in 1930 when Arschel’s Café opened.
In a place like this one MUST HAVE PIE.
Oh, look, more of beautiful America.
Veyo has 4 businesses. Coconut Cream Pie from the cleverly named Veyo Pie.
Snow Canyon State Park in the SW corner of Utah.
Zion National Park. You’ll get a sore neck.
Kanab is dubbed Little Hollywood from all the movies filmed in the surrounding mountains and desserts. Little Hollywood Movie Museum preserves some of the sets.
East of town and up an isolated canyon road are the remains of more movie sets.
Monday, May 26th, 2014
The morning run through Kanab found plaques for all the stars who shot movies or TV in the area.
The drive to the Grand Canyon took 2 hours and encompassed mountain passes, plateaus and wide fields.
Flashback to the south rim of the Grand Canyon on July 6th, 2000. Notice the 29 year old doing something he would not do now.
Since then has been a desire to experience the less frequently visited North Rim.
While it doesn’t have the sweeping panoramas of the south rim, it was exciting to see and I appreciated all the cabins nearby for travelers to have bases to hike.
Seeing these 3 ladies on that little peak I climbed up to get a picture. With the drop off somehow my legs turned rubbery. It’s not the fall that hurts. It’s the sudden stop at the end.
Doubled the 2 hours back and then a couple hours further NE to the next National Park….but not before a stop. Wouldn’t you stop for this sign? Look at those pies!
This is Strawberry Rhubarb.
Bryce Canyon became and remained by favorite of the 5 National Parks in Utah.
The vastness, intricacy and beauty was impossible to process.
Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument
Capitol Reef National Park
In the mountains just NE of Provo are Bridal Veil Falls and Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort.
Tuesday, May 27th, 2014
The morning sun bathing the Wasatch Range.
The entire town of Spring City is listed on the National Historic Register.
The Satisfied Ewe Café in Ephraim showcases the elbow wear indicative of any worthwhile small town cafe.
Mom’s Café in Salina. Chicken fried steak topped with beef cube steak cream gravy. Spectacular.
I-15, how many interstates with views like this?!
Most ghost towns are from the 1800s. Thompson Springs is much more recent.
It was surreal to stroll around the deserted buildings and peer inside.
Highway 126 is among the most amazing drives I’ve ever taken.
It twists and turns following the Colorado River.
Arches National Park.
Moab is a base for outdoor adventures.
My brother already shamed me for going to Moab and not mountain biking. As a concession I thought of visiting a bike store. Plus they would likely have the high end stuff I like. Sure enough, this Ellsworth Epiphany had me caressing its welds and CNC machining. Now I want one of these instead of an Intense Spyder 275.
Canyonlands National Park
Several hours of driving with views like this.
Natural Bridges National Monument
Lake Powell National Recreation Area
Wednesday, May 28th, 2014
Starting the day in the center part of the state and headed north through the old mining towns of Price and Helper.
Wolf Creek Pass is a mesmerizing route that peaks at 9,000 feet.
Mirror Lake Highway ups the ante at 11,000 feet.
Granite peaks, alpine lakes and deep snow still present in 60 degrees. Taking all this in was transcendental.
Evanston was the first stop in Wyoming.
Heading east it was wide open space, small town. Repeat.
Despite its remote location away from any major highway, Saratoga manages to be dynamic.
Got a Blueberry Cheesecake Cone from Lollypops and walked down to the overflowing river.
Snowy Range Scenic Byway starts with expansive ranches.
And then climbs through a stunning mountain range.
It was enlightening to stand in the stillness at high altitude with seemingly endless views crowned by towering peaks.
Passed through Laramie. No cowboys riding horses down Main Street. Darn.
This Lincoln Monument commemorates when the Lincoln Highway ran through this part of the state and helped create an auto culture.
Thursday, May 29th, 2014
Cheyenne, capitol of Wyoming.
Walked around downtown searching out the Plains Hotel, Tivoli Building and Union Pacific Depot.
Luxury Diner is an old trolley car; the earliest type of diner.
Homemade corned beef hash topped with green chili sauce.
From Pine Bluffs take this road south for 12 miles.
At the Colorado state line (use GPS) turn east into this field for about a mile until a stream blocks further driving.
Walk (or if you’re me run) another half mile to find the tri state marker.
Heading north along the Wyoming/Nebraska border is a poor, twisty road with tremendous views.
Coming over a hill and around a bend I see a gravel area surrounded by a chain link fence. In front of it were FEDERAL AGENT vehicles and gentlemen in camo. A missile silo! Cool! Deducing turning around for a picture would be suspicious the side view mirror was used.
Blink and you'll miss Hawk Springs.
Torrington’s main street evokes a western 1950s era.
Devil’s Tower was worth visiting again.
Tiny remote town, trailer, BBQ. That is a formula for good eats.
Montana
Friday, May 30th, 2014
Lula Belle’s Café name might evoke some cutesy place, but it is situated along train tracks near downtown Gillette.....
...and those fellas stories were quite colorful.
At a place like this one MUST HAVE PIE.
The line at Breanna’s Bakery reinforced its popularity. As did one of those donuts.
Casper undulating main street reinforced everything a western town should be.
Hell’s Half Acre west of Casper.
What happened to this town?
The Bighorn Basin Loop from Thermopolis to Cody.
Drive from the east into Yellowstone.
Every American needs to visit Yellowstone. 2,221,766 acres of tremendous beauty also encompasses geological wonders such as geysers, calderas, petrified trees, mud pots, steam vents and thermal springs. I couldn’t be this close for at least a pass through this NW corner of Wyoming that always evokes great memories.
Grand Teton National Park
Have always wanted to ski Jackson Hole, but somehow I’ve found myself in Jackson twice in the summer.
Love this town.
The planners have done a tremendous job keeping it polished and inviting without the 3 for $10 t-shirt shops or other kitschy touristy stuff inflicting some towns.
Saturday, May 31st, 2014
Opening the hotel door to check the weather for running attire found it warm…but with a steady drizzle. Drat! There goes the great plan to stay downtown for a scenic run. Wait! Aha! Jackson has wooden sidewalks. Covered wooden sidewalks.
Soon the rain stopped and I was able to get a picture in front of one of the four antler arches framing the tidy town square.
Lander, west central Wyoming.
Wow.
It takes some effort to get to the next 2 towns.
The gold rush started here in 1868.
At its peak South Pass City had 300 buildings and 2,000 residents.
In 1976 a private group started preserving and restoring the town.
They did a fantastic job.
It allowed a step into time to see homes, saloons, a mine, hotel, blacksmith and restaurants.
This is Farson. All of it.
The Farson Mercantile’s one scoop (coffee cream please) is quite generous.
John Cash Penny opened Golden Rule in Kemmerer in 1902.
Fossil Butte National Monument preserves a 50 million year old lake bed abundant with fossils.
Headed out of Wyoming and back to Salt Lake City. Getting to the industrial part of the south side the smell was the GPS to Pat's BBQ.
That is Pork Ribs, Beef Brisket, Mustard Greens and Cornbread.
Sunday, June 1st, 2014
Salt Lake City to Denver to home.