City of Wendover

Instagram: @vangogh50states

Weather: Sunny and 60s
States: Utah and Nevada
Miles: 519
Hours: 6 hrs and 56 min
Capitals:
Restaurant:
Hotel/Home: Residence Inn Reno Sparks
Movies: Devil Wears Prada
Audible: Escape From Alcatraz

We opened the shades this morning to a panorama of beautiful snowcapped mountains surrounding Salt Lake City. We did not appreciate this beauty last night as we came in at dark unaware of them except for the declining switchback roads leading us into the city. The guide rails keep you from running into the mountain sides or off of their steep cliffs. Night makes this a little less unnerving to drive.

We woke up, had breakfast and hit the road to Reno, Nevada. Our first plan was to drive through Yosemite on the way to San Francisco but the west gate road isn’t open until Late May or early June. Bummer. So, we are detouring through Reno and on to San Francisco (“that’s fun to say, Fran-cis-co. Frann-ciss-co.”).

When you drive out of Salt Lake City, you drive on a split highway that runs right though the Great Salt Lake. The water surrounds the road but doesn’t quite look like water because it is so saturated with salt that it is crystallizing on the surface. We were driving along admiring the waters and mountains and the changing landscape when we were taken by complete surprise by a lake of water, still as can be, reflecting the mountains in the background. So startlingly beautiful that everyone jumped up and started taking pictures. Paul swerved in a parking lot for viewing. It was so beautiful. We weren’t the only ones feeling lucky to fall upon this sight. It is the Bonneville Salt Flats. It was like standing on the edge of heaven. See the picture of Ben looking out. We stayed and took pictures. Paul and the boys played ball for a few minutes with an incomparable background. Of course, the ball went astray and rolled into the water. Before I knew it, Paul and the boys were creating a body chain to reclaim the ball from the salt flats. I videoed in hopes of a wet mishap. They managed to retrieve the ball. Off we went. To Reno.

We are now listening to Escape From Alcatraz. We are going to visit Alcatraz in San Fran so we thought this would be interesting. Electronics put away and we are all listening. Right when we think they aren’t listening, they give a shout that they can’t hear it or when are we turning it back on. Happy sigh.Read more