Salt Lake City to Moab UT -- Scenic Byways

We arrived in Salt Lake City Sunday afternoon around 3:30pm and settled into a Best Western. Outdoor pool (temps mid 80s) and a laundry, what else do we need? We will probably spend a couple of nights here and tour the sites of SLC.

On Monday, we went to the Great Salt Lake and visited Antelope Island. The road leading into Antelope Island is about six miles long and has salt water on both sides. As you arrive at the island, there is a marina with several large boats. In this area, the water is 30' deep while the rest of the lake averages not more than 7 feet. We didn't travel the 125 miles west to visit the Bonneville Salt Flat. The land speed races are held in early Sept and early Oct. Our timing was 'off'. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to come back again. What a hardship!

Road to Antelope Island 6 miles long

An interesting fact from Antelope Island. The crust of the earth in the SW is a thin shell. As a result, Reno NV is shifting West at the rate of 1 inch per year, or 1 foot every 12 years. With plenty of thinking time in the car, one begins to question this fact. If Reno is moving west, is CA really being pushed into the Pacific? If this isn't happening, then is a new 'mountain' being created in western NV? Could a new volcano be created? The inquisitive mind wants to know! NOTE: You are going to have to guess who wrote this section! Puzzling isn't it!

Mormon Temple

Temple Square Gardens

Also on Monday, we toured Temple Square, including the Mormon Temple, the Tabernacle, and new gathering hall that seats 21,000 people. It is a beautiful complex! Many gardens filled with grasses, flowers, fountains, seating and walkways. We also spent time at the Family Search Center, open free to the public. What an interesting place! Hours and days could be spent there searching the world-wide data bases and receiving assistance from the “missionaries” who are extremely skilled both in languages and research. We only scratched the surface in developing our respective family trees. More to do during the coming winter months at home.

Tuesday was spent driving from SLC to Moab, UT, home of the Arches NP and Canyonlands NP. What a great town. It has the feel of a New Hampshire ski town but very warm and dry with red mountains in the background. A good 'down town' with gift shops, restaurants, and the typical tourist traps.

Wednesday was spent touring both the Arches NP and Canyonlands NP. Both had numerous 'postcard picture' views, but we missed the many wild animals we became accustom to seeing in Yellowstone.

An occasional gecko was all that we saw scurrying around. 

Roads at Canyonlands

Nancy at arch

Arch at Canyonlands

The Air is THIN!

New Hood Ornament....SORRY,  RALPH!

 

Yellowstone to Salt Lake City UT

It's Sat. evening and we're in Afton WY, Population 1818, in 651 households with a per capita income of $16,177. All this packed into 3.4 sq miles, at an elevation 6,267 ft. We're spending the night at the Corral Lodge. We thought you might enjoy these pictures of the accommodations!

I want one back home!

Elk Horn Arch

A couple of buildings 'down the road' is the home of the local volunteer fire department. They did have a siren call at about 11:00pm. No, neither of us joined them! They have a couple of antique pieces of equipment on display in the 'showroom'. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the build and the reflection on the windows didn't help my photography skills. We may be spending a few day here!


For a tiny town with only the claim of the Intermittent Spring, it sure out did itself with the Elkhorn Bridge over Main Street. About the spring: apparently it is large enough to provide for the entire town's water needs!

It's MY Road

Elk in Mammoth Hot Springs - I go where I want!

We spent the better part of the past three days taking in the sights of Yellowstone NP. It is impossible to describe the park in only a few the words. You can really see your tax dollars have been put to good use! Every time you look in a different direction, you get to view another marvelous work of mother nature. Fantastic mountains, rivers, chasms, waterfalls, geysers, and animals. If you plan a trip to the area, I would recommend investing in many camera memory chips, a large telephoto lens and binoculars. You will be taking plenty of pictures!    

It is still Faithful!

Yellowstone is 2.2 million acres devoted to Mother Nature. As you approach Yellowstone, you are on the Plains the are higher than Mt Washington and then you just keep driving higher.


We departed Afton on Sunday AM, traveling through mountain passes along Route 80, or as the locals in Smoot, WY say: Root 80 (we do adapt quickly). Smoot: population 100+, elevation 6900+ - no overcrowding here. How could it get any better!?


Before we arrived in Salt Lake City today around 3:30pm, we traveled in and out of WY, ID and UT several times, however, it was a real scenic ride.

Yellowstone NP - Day 1

It's Thurs. am and we're in Big Sky Country, Billings, MN. I'm not sure if it is cloudy, or we're just that far into the clouds. I must apologize to Gillette SD. Gillette is a strip coal mining town and a producer of methane gas. If Gillette was a country, it would be the sixth largest producer of coal in the world. Knowing these facts, still doesn't move Gillette to my lists of 100 places to visit in the USA. But, it does rate a look if you are looking for a town with 'growth' potential. I think any business that is opened in Gillette would be a success!

We did enjoy our visit to Billings. Got to visit with Donna (one of the Bouve Boards) and her husband Ralph. You have to watch out for Ralph. He draws the most realistic grasshopper on a table covering. I guess after publishing 3 books on the subject he should know what they look like! We do have to get together more often. Maybe the Bouve Significant Others should plan a get together in 2011! Anyone interested?

Thursday we found out way from Billings to Yellowstone NP. We had a stop at the local laundromat in Billings, which just happens to be located next to a fabulous quilt shop. Strategic placement for one of the businesses. Route 212 from Billings to Yellowstone is a road built for the Vettes. 100 miles took 3 hours – with no traffic delays. This road makes the Badlands look like a runway and Skyline Drive a super highway.

We spent about 5.5 hours in Yellowstone NP. That 5.5 hours took us in 47 miles, several stops for both scenic and wildlife pictures, and the drive back out. We reached an altitude of about 10,700 ft., where it was quite windy and cool (cold). We did have a few stops for pictures. We saw a few black tailed deer and a number of bison. That made my trip. They are big guys. During our trip leaving Yellowstone, we had the opportunity the view the 7:00pm performance of 'Bison on the Road'. It was a brief 20 minute production, but a command performance! Four of the participants were doing head butts and locking horns on the roadway. I guess they couldn't decide who would take credit for the production.

It's 8:00am in Cooke City MN, the outskirts of Yellowstone NP. Today's daily ritual of cleaning the bugs off the windshield was complicated by the addition of frost. It's nippy in the mountains!

SD - WY Day ??

Did you think we got lost? We're still heading West. Weather has been cool at night, probably high 40s to mid 50s, while the day have been in the high 60s to mid 70s. Great weather for traveling. No rain hitting the windshield, but many bugs! Driving across SD you see large swarms of bugs and birds. The birds look like low clouds in the distance. It is now Wed am, and we are in Gillette WY, which claims to be the energy capital of the nation. The energy seems to be long strings of trains carrying coal. I don't know where it comes from or what happens to the coal in Gillette. A future search project for the internet.

Yesterday found us traveling through old mining towns, including Sturgis, Deadwood, Lead and Spearfish SD. Beautiful roads through the Black Hills National Forest and side trips into canyons – Spearfish Canyon and along Iron Creek. These roads make Skyline Dr look like a dragstrip. There are many 10 – 15 mph switchbacks, both going up and down the mountains!

After entering WY we headed for the Devil's Tower, a natural formation caused by a long extinct volcano. The tower is a pretty awesome sight as you come down from the hills into the valley. The Native Americans still consider it a spiritual gathering place. And then there are those who see it as a climbing challenge...not our sport. However, we did spot 4 climbers in the late afternoon who appeared to be about a third of the way from the bottom – 2 seemed to be staying put and the others were descending.

We'll probably continue on to Montana with the intent to enter Yellowstone at the northeast corner.


Can you see the climbers?

Moving into the Badlands SD

Sunday's journey took us to two NA (Native American) sites. The first was an archeological dig in Mitchell SD. It was very interesting and definitely makes the 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle look like a walk in the park. They started working on the site in 1939 and built a permanent structure in one area of the park. That is where the major digging is taking place. Based on my observation, they have job security for several more generations. The second tour was a cultural center for the Lakto Sioux tribe,located in Chamberlain right on the banks of the Missouri River. Our Native Americans were way ahead of their time as the supreme “green” people. They made use of every single park of the bison, not wasting one bit!

As we approached Chamberlain and crossed the Missouri River, the landscape changed dramatically from flat plains to rolling hills with small valley-like pockets where trees grew. We also started climbing into higher elevation that then opened out onto endless flat plains. We noticed that the crops now were less corn and more grains and lots of sunflowers.

By mid-afternoon (gained an hour in Mellette) we were into the Badlands – very well named. We couldn't imagine a horse and rider much less a wagon traveling this area. This is also the edge of the 50 or more underground missile site of the Cold War era. The drive through the Badlands was one unbelievable view after another, including stops for mountain goats and the multitudes of prairie dogs.

Just to prove we are here!

Before stopping for the day, we went to Wall Drug that covers an entire block of the small town. It has just about everything one might want or need. Apparently, the owner put Wall on the map when he put up a highway sign advertising free water and the rest is history, as they say.

We were treated to a spectacular sunset as we drove into Rapid City SD – Nancy & George driving off into the sunset!

Saturday Sept 18

Saturday began with a stop at the Turkey Gobbler Festival in Worthington, MN. The local folk had their chairs lined up along Main St. awaiting the Gobbler's race, but first on the agenda was the 10K human race. The 600+ racers were competing in intermittent light mist and 39 degree weather. It was time for us to dig into the back of the Highlander for the long pants and jackets. The gobblers were set to race at 1:30. Even without a schedule it was just too cold to stick around for the turkey race – anyway we've got at least 24 racing around our yard at home – maybe next year.


Next stop, Sioux Falls, SD – nice revived downtown and Falls Park. After viewing the falls from various angles, selecting a couple Sioux quartzite rocks for the grand kids (since they're always collecting rocks), we headed back downtown for lunch. Hot chili from the diner hit the spot and warmed us for a walk to admire the annual sculpture display – more than 50 sculptures from around the world.

On to the famous, one and only, Corn Palace in Mitchell. This was a “must see” since it was part of a Travel show on unusual buildings. We were at the Paper House in Rockport, MA when the show's filming was taking place and we ended up being in the program. The building's graphics are beautifully done in 26 varieties of corn grown exclusively for the art work - described as “color by corn”. We were also lucky enough to arrive in time for the annual Polka Festival with couples from across the country gathering here to dance for the weekend. We didn't take any lessons, just watched and enjoyed their pleasure.

MN - Land of Wind Turbines - Look out Cape Cod!

This is actually Friday's info.  The motel was having computer problems.

From Albert Lea, MN: traveled today from IL, into WI and ended here in MN, about 370 miles. The first destination was Spring Green, WI to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright home – Taliesin (Welsh for shining brow) – but the 2 tours were booked for the day...disappointing but on to other sights. Located a cheese producing dairy farm (Wisconsin Cheese-heads!) and though production had ended for the day purchases provided a great luncheon snack. Of course, the cheese needed wine, so on to the Burr Oak Winery for a tasting and re-stocking of the travel supplies.

Back onto Rte. 90 West after some wonderful back road driving, sometimes only 1 or 2 other cars but lots and lots of cornfields. We crossed over the Mississippi River into MN mid-afternoon and about an hour later found ourselves surrounded by huge wind turbines. We later learned there are nearly 2,000 turbines supplying some of Rochester and a small town called Dexter.

Apparently more turbines will be erected nearby giving the area the distinction of being the Wind Power Capital of America's Midwest.

Tomorrow heading for South Dakota but may have to stop in Worthington, MN for the annual Great Gobbler Gallop. Yes, a turkey race – how could we miss that???

Nancy and George

And guess what I spotted on the way to the winery........

George