Sunday, June 9 We didn’t waste any time this morning and pulled out at 6:45, at 35 degrees! We were headed for Salt Lake City (Brigham Young’s Zion) where we would stay for 2 days. I-80 followed a high prairie with grazing cattle, lots of flowing streams and water holes, aspen and cedar tree groves, and windmills lining the high ridges. Long lines of snow fences hint of what the weather must be in the winter. We drove at an altitude of about 7,000 feet, skirted past Elk Mountain, elevation 11,156, and crossed the Continental Divide twice by 9:00. All of this – and not a sign of a McDonalds or a Walmart or a billboard of any kind! We made one stop at the Fort Bridger State Historic Site to walk the dogs and fix our lunch. It was not a very welcoming spot to stop with many signs in the parking lot demanding, “you have entered a fee-paying area.” (It was the only place we had seen to get off the interstate and stop in the last 100 miles!) With tall fences preventing any free-pre-viewing, we walked the parking lot, fixed our lunch and moved on. It was interesting that we were still running parallel to Route 30 Our landscape changed several times during our 8-hour drive: from green grassy meadows and rolling hills to red rocky buttes and desert-like red sandy plains. In the distance were snow-covered mountains. As we approached SLC the elevation went down considerably, landing us in a big bowl surrounded by mountains. Our KOA was again just a mile off the Interstate, but beautifully shaded with all amenities. To top it off -- we had a corner lot! By 2:30 we were headed into SLC to scope out the offerings. Our KOA did not have the usual maps and sightseeing pamphlets, and we were hoping to find a visitor center open on a Sunday afternoon. Mission successful, and we loaded up with paperwork to plan our day tomorrow.
We were parked at the top of a hill where the Utah State Capital Building overlooked the city. From there we walked down to the Mormon Temple Square that sat in the heart of downtown – surrounded by all things Mormon. You have to be a card-carrying Mormon to enter the temple, but it was surrounded by beautiful gardens, paths, statutes, and fountains that were open to the public. It was a beautiful 67-degree afternoon for walking . . . we were back at our KOA by 5:00 for dinner.
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October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |