North western Utah

Our trip to Utah started with a simple observation.  Rebecca said, "If we go to Salt Lake City, we get a Utah sticker."  So instead of looping back on US-50 through Nevada we went to the Great Salt Lake.

The first 50 miles of Norther Utah consist of driving across the salt flats that are the remnants of ancient Lake Bonneville

Crossing into Utah at Wendover

Bonneville Salt Flats

I-80 then crosses some mountains before descending to the Great Salt Lake

Crossing mountains to get to Salt Lake

We had traversed the basin and range province from the edge of the Sierra Nevada in Reno and were now camped at the foot of the Wasatch Range in Willard.

Wasatch Range seen from our campsite in Willard

We spent a morning in Ogden, walking along the Ogden River Parkway

Ogden River Parkway

We spent an afternoon driving the Ogden Scenic Byway

Monte Cristo Scenic Overlook

We spent a day in Salt Lake City

Utah state capital building in Salt Lake City

We saw where the railroads met at Promontory Summit

Promontory Summit

We went for a beautiful drive around the Bear River Bird Sanctuary

Our trip to Utah ended with another simple observation.  Rebecca said, "We are really close to Idaho, why don't we go and get an Idaho sticker." So we packed up and headed to Bear Lake.

Crossing the mountains on US-89 to Bear Lake

Bear Lake

Leaving Utah

Bear River Bird Sanctuary

 The Bear River starts in the Uinta Mountains and flows north along the Utah/Wyoming border then turns north west into Idaho.  It then turns south and flows back into Utah and becomes the primary source of water for the Great Salt Lake.

At the Bear River inlet, the Great Salt Lake is a broad shallow marsh filled with reeds.  The fresh water from the river mixes with the salt water creating habitats for birds, fish and other animals that thrive in all levels of salinity.

We took a driving tour around the wetlands.

Path of the Bear River

A small bird-like creature landed on my mirror.

An egret in flight

White pelicans

Reed islands with the Wasatch Mountains behind

Cormorants

A flock of Starlings takes flight

Salt water cows

Wasatch Mountains backdrop

Promontory Summit

In 1849 gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in California.  That set off a mass migration of people heading to California to stake their claim.  The only practical mode of transportation at the time was horse and cart along the California Trail. 

This prompted the construction of the transcontinental railroad to connect California to the rest of the United States.  To complete it faster the railroad was built from both ends by competing railroads.  They were paid by the mile so they wanted to build as fast as possible so they would lay more track than the other.

Promontory Summit is the place where the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869.  The completion of the railroad spelled the end for the California Trail, the Oregon Trail and the Pony Express.

Stephen Ambrose wrote a great book about the men who built the railroad called Nothing Like it in the World.

The track that was laid to complete the transcontinental railroad.

The most track that was laid in one day was 10 miles.

Plaque commemorating the completion of the railroad.

The meeting of trains at Promontory Summit

Today at Promontory Summit

Union Pacific # 119

Central Pacific Jupiter

There was this statue that didn't make much sense...

Wrong place to view from

...until you stood in the right place to view it.

Right place to view from

Progress toward 50

We spent August in California, then by the end of September we added Nevada, Utah, and Idaho. We definitely have not exhausted exploration of any of these, but we do have a better idea of what to see next and how to pace ourselves.

Salt Lake City

We spent the day in Salt Lake City doing a walking tour.

We started at Temple Square at the Mormon Tabernacle.  We got lucky and the organist was rehearsing so we sat and listened for a while.

There was a lot of construction going on in Temple Square so we did not get to see much else.  Will have to come back.

The temple is being renovated.

The Assembly Hall was closed to visitors but we could still get a good look at it from outside.

We walked from Temple Square to the State Capital through Brigham Young Park and City Creek Park.  It was warm but still a beautiful walk.

Brigham Young Park

City Creek Park

We toured the state capital. It was an impressive building.

The Utah State Capital

Beehive statue

Main Hall

The internet said that Utah was famous for pastrami burgers and fry sauce so we stopped into Crown Burger for pastrami burgers and to find out what fry sauce was.  Both were good.

Pastrami Burgers and Fry Sauce at Crown Burger

Ogden River Scenic Byway

We drove the Ogden River Scenic Byway and were treated to some early fall colors. 

 

Ogden River Parkway Trail

The bike/pedestrian trail follows the Ogden River into Ogden from the entrance to Ogden Canyon.  We explored the first couple miles.

Most of the path was tree lined

There was a small botanical garden with a rose garden.

You could hear water cascading for much of the walk

Always go to the mountains

A brown praying mantis