Day 21: July 9, 2013 A Pass to the Salt

Prev Next

Things really got exciting at the hotel this morning. Most or all of the Holiday Inn Expresses we've stayed in have had pancake machines. Ever since John tried it and pronounced the pancakes "pretty good" I've been awaiting my chance. Once I looked and didn't see it until I sat down and another time it was so busy I couldn't get near it. Today was my day for pancakes. You may think I'm silly for taking a picture but Carolee didn't. She was beside me recording a movie of my pancakes flopping onto the plate.

Carolee's attraction to photographing flowers had been established early on (the pancake thing was a surprise) and Paul made a couple of stops for just that purpose. Here's one where all three of the women got in the act. I took a flower picture myself although I was too lazy to get out of the car to do it.

I've included both with and without (people) versions of the Fisher Pass Monument that the recently deceased Roland Southwell was so instrumental in getting erected. The monument was dedicated October 3, 2009. I visited the site just over a month earlier on August 23, 2009

We continued through Fisher Pass and drove just a little gravel to get to Orr's Ranch; One of the few places for early Lincoln Highway travelers to get food and lodging in these parts. I don't believe I was bold enough to try the doors on my previous visit but someone was today and we got to see the furnishings ready and waiting for the next occupant.

On my previous west bound pass, I'd taken I-80 across the salt flats so this really old US-40 was new to me. We stopped about halfway and crossed over some salt, spongy from lots of moisture, to climb the embankment to the railroad tracks. From there, we had a pretty good view of the cars, with the Tree of Utah behind them. The road did get kind of rough but we persevered and even went back to photograph a sign we had missed.

One little helicopter couldn't keep Paul away from the Bonneville Salt Flats. Recent rains had covered the flats with a few inches of water but youth fears not a little salt (and maybe a little rust).

Then we headed down US-93A, where the Valiant flirted with overheating, and into Ely, Nevada for some 99¢ Margaritas at our home for the night, the Hotel Nevada.

[Prev] [Site Home] [Trip Home] [Contact] [Next]

democrat