Winnemucca, NV to Salt Lake City, UT April 28, 2015

Day two we had a shorter ride than yesterday.  Again, the scenery is very stark but the mountains all all around us.  There is a dusting of snow on the peaks that look like powdered sugar on a cake.  I am excited to enter Utah.  I have never been here before and I love to see new things.  As we neared Wendover, UT Fred pointed out the salt flats and the Wendover Airport.  Wendover Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Utah now known as Wendover Airport. During World War II, it was a training base for B-17 and B-24 bomber crews. It was the training site of the 509th Composite Group, the B-29 unit that carried out the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  The salt flats are amazing and go on and on.  The light reflecting off the salt made the nearby mountains look like they are floating and reflecting into water.  Fred drove us out to the end of the road where the Bonneville races occur on the salt.  http://www.bonnevilleracing.com/  We left Merlin in the car and walked out onto the salt.  It looks so much like ice & snow but it is not slippery.  Quite the opposite.  In the 60's Fred and a friend ran his 1964 1/2 Ford Falcon to a oneway speed of 157 mph.  They broke the record on day one but could not repeat it the next day.  When they returned the following year they blew up the engine on the salt.

Salt Lake City was not much beyond the salt flats.  We are heading to the Mormon Temple.  I have heard about it want to see it.  Unlike the temple in the Oakland hills that is visible for miles around, this temple is right in the middle of the city.  We found  a parking spot on the street right by the gate to the grounds.  Fred has amazing parking karma. I was not disappointed.  The weather is in the high 60's and crystal clear.  Very nice for walking around.  The grounds are breathtaking.  The trees have blossoms on them and the tulips and other spring flowers are glorious.  The tulips at home are long gone.  The temple and grounds are very impressive and there are young missionaries everywhere asking if we need any help.  The place has a special calming effect on us. 

Walnut Creek, CA to Winnemucca, NV April 27, 2015

We're finally on our way.  We had beautiful clear skies for our first day on the road.  No matter how hard  I try, we still have the car stuffed!  I have never learned to pack light.  Merlin loves riding in the car but wants to sit on my lap or on my feet.  For the most part I love having him near.  We are taking highway 80 across the Sierras and into Nevada.  The scenery is pretty desolate after one passes through Reno.  It has a stark kind of beauty but does not compare to mountains and oceans in my opinion.

 Thank goodness that Fred likes to drive and he does it so well.  We had dinner at the Winnemucca Inn & Casino.  We only had to walk next door and after a simple dinner I inserted a $20 bill into a Nevada tax collection device (OK, a slot-machine) and paid my fair share.  We will get an early start tomorrow morning for Salt Lake City. 

12 Hours to Go

We are making our last minute preparations to leave in the morning for our summer adventure.  The car is almost packed and we are wondering what we might have forgotten.  Judging by the supplies loaded into the car there can't be much.  Merlin is walking around and eying us with suspicion.  I think he will be thrilled when he gets loaded into the car with everything else.  He is an awesome traveler and will enjoy the trip as much as we will. 

Five days to go

Fred has planned a wonderful itinerary for us.  Since our son and his family have moved to the Denver area, we will drive east first.  Fred has been most of the places we will be stopping but I have not.  We will take two days to get to Westminster, CO and spend some time with our granddaughters (and Jason & Kelli too!).  I will add to the blog during our auto travel taking the long way to Anacortes, WA.

April 2

Time is getting short to complete our preparations to leave for Anacortes, WA and our travels in the Inside Passage.  We are down to four weeks.  We look forward to sharing this summer's adventures with our friends and family.  With all of the horrendous things happening in the world right now, we are especially looking forward to spending time in this exquisite part of the world.