Driving Across the US -Summer 2022 (Part 1)
Embarked on a road trip with the dog across the country (as far as Michigan anyway).
This first leg was from South Lake Tahoe to Salt Lake City.
I tried to do no more than about 8 hours driving on any day to keep it bearable and be able to drive during the day. It’s hard to see America at night as well as being a lot more tiring and hazardous to drive at night.
The miles peel away smoothly and the experience makes the country seem bigger and smaller at the same time. Bigger in the sense that you know you are only seeing this small slice along the highway and that small slice seems vast. Smaller in the sense that it seems accessible because you make up so much distance in just a few days.
It’s nice that they let you go 80 mph (which really means like 85) but honestly I don’t want to go much faster in my truck - it’s not like I’m in a sports car - although I will say the roads were generally pretty good on this trip. Seems like a lot of construction going on now and over the past decade has done a nice job in upkeep
It helps that some western states allow you to go 80 mph. I don’t really like to go that fast as I don’t want to be all that attentive while driving all day. At least the trucks generally go a little slower which makes it a bit easier – I don’t want to have to go 100 mph to pass a truck.
Truck ran like a champ during the whole journey - passed 150K miles along the way
The roads are generally spacious enough to set your cruise control and glide along but sometimes you run into a truck train that makes you pay attention.
One of the more stunning views you get as you drive along 80 East happens when you crest the hill going from Nevada into Utah. As you breech the gap in the mountains, the Bonneville Salt Flats is on the other side. The view is best on a sunny day as you go from seeing mountains to this bright vast white desert on the other side.
I probably should have stopped to get a better photo of the salt flats
The end of the salt flats as you approach Salt Lake City
As you get to the end of the salt flats and head into Salt Lake City, you can see the white mountains of salt being harvested from the lake. It also smells like Milpitas which people who live near San Jose can appreciate.
Piles of harvested salt
I didn’t know what to expect as I have not really spent much time in Salt Lake City but it was a lot more industrial that I expected with a lot of mining around the area.
Encountered some dust storms along the way which I have not seen in a long time.
Dust storms as we entered Salt Lake City
Highway signs in Utah are beehive shaped as they are supposed to signify the industriousness of its citizens