Salt Lake City

I reached Salt Lake City towards the end of July.

I rounded out the month with a total of 110 destinations:

107. The Living Planet Aquarium (Sandy, UT)

108. Temple Square (SLC)

109. Tracy Aviary (SLC)

110. Chase Home & Museum of Utah Folk Art (SLC)

I spent the first few weeks of August 2010 exploring Utah's capitol and its suburbs.

1. Utah Museum of Fine Arts  - University of Utah - Salt Lake City - Utah
2. This is the Place Heritage Park - Salt Lake City - Utah
3. Utah Museum of Natural History - University of Utah - Salt Lake City - Utah
4. Interstate 80 - Toole County - Utah
5. Wheeler Historic Farm - Midvale - Utah

6. Red Butte Garden & Arboretum - Univeristy of Utah - Salt Lake City - Utah
7. Fort Douglas Museum - University of Utah - Salt Lake City - Utah
8. Hogle Zoo - Salt Lake City - Utah
9. Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine - Salt Lake County - Utah
10. Bonneville Speedway - Bonneville Salt Flats - Great Salt Lake Desert - Utah

11. Saltair - Salt Lake State Park - Hwy 80 - Utah
12. Clark Planetarium - Salt Lake City - Utah
13. Gateway Center - Salt Lake City - Utah
14. Ensign Peak - Salt Lake City - Utah
15. Draper LDS Temple - Draper - Utah

16. Hellenic Cultural Museum - Salt Lake City - Utah
17. Utah State Capitol - Salt Lake City - Utah
18. Fort Douglas Museum - University of Utah - Salt Lake City - Utah
19. Utah Museum of Fine Arts - University of Utah - Salt Lake City - Utah
20. Thanksgiving Point - North American Museum of Ancient Life - Lehi - Utah

21. Thanksgiving Point - Gardens - Lehi - Utah
22. John Hutchings Museum of Natural History - Lehi - Utah
23. Utah Governor's Mansion - Salt Lake City - Utah
24. Cathedral of the Madeleine - Salt Lake City - Utah
25. Outdoor World - Salt Lake City Convention Center - Utah

26. Mount Nebo Scenic Byway - Nephi to Payson - Utah
27. Squaw Peak - Provo - Utah
28. REI - Sandy - Utah

After stopping at REI to supply for bear country I headed north to Ogden, UT.

YouTube Ten Thousand

Today I uploaded my 10,000th YouTube video:

It's displaying as 9,688th. Not sure why...

Central Utah

I took a few days to drive from St. George to the Utah Valley.

Day 1
Cedar City, UT. Iron Mission State Park Museum. Southern Utah University: Braithewaite Fine Arts Gallery. Utah Shakespeare Festival. Parowan. Brian Head Peak. Cedar Breaks National Monument. Panguitch. Junction, UT. Big Rock Candy Mtn. Sevier. Fremont Indian State Park & Museum. Old Cove Fort. Beaver, UT. Crossed into Nevada. Baker, NV. Great Basin National Park.

Day 2
Great Basin National Park. Wheeler Campground. Bristlecone Pine Trail. Glacier Trail. Alpine Lake Trail. Wheeler Peak Trail. Summit 13,063 ft. Total 13.5 miles. Swam in Stella Lake. Campfire Ranger Program: Mountain Lions.

I drove roundabout from the Utah-Nevada border to the Utah Valley.

Day 3
Sunday, all day, drive. 450 miles through seven counties. Delta, UT. Fillmore. Nephi. Mt. Pleasant. Scofield. Duchesne. Heber City. Provo. Orem, UT. Subway, Wendy's, two gas station ice-cream bars, two protein shakes, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds: 3,000 calories. 95 MPH. = Almost a trucker...

I made a few loops through rural counties.

Day 4
Orem, UT to Heber City. Scenic Byway Hwy 150 North. Crossed into Wyoming. Evanston, WY to Woodruff, UT. Hwy 39 to Huntsville. Morgan to Coalville, UT. Hwy 80. Salt Lake City to Orem. Nine counties. Five new in Utah. One in Wyoming.

After the scenic driving, I began sightseeing around the Utah Valley.

Day 5
Brigham Young University and its four museums. Saw a few Hudson River School paintings, what a treat!

Day 6
American Fork Canyon-Alpine Loop Scenic Backway. Timpanogos Cave National Monument. Cave tour: 3.5 miles. Mt. Timpanogos Wilderness. Scout Falls: 2 miles. Uinta National Forest. Cascade Springs Loop: 0.6 miles. Hwy 189. Bridal Veil Falls (Provo, UT) 0.5 miles.

Day 7
Park City, UT. Kimball Art Center. Park City Museum. Deer Valley Resort. Downhill mountain biking.

The Grand Circle

      Utah...
   Colorado...
New Mexico...
   Arizona...
      Utah...
  2,600 miles.

Grand Circle, Day 1
Overnight backpack hike to Kolob Arch, Zion National Park. 15 miles r/t.

Grand Circle, Day 2
Cedar Breaks National Monument. Spectra Point, Rampart Overlook, Alpine Pond. 5 miles.

Grand Circle, Day 3
Bryce Canyon National Park. Queens Garden & Navajo Loop Trail: 2 miles. Bristlecone Loop Trail: 1 mile. Red Canyon. Pink Ledges Trail: 1 mile. Tunnel Trail: 1 mile.

Grand Circle, Day 4
Kodachrome Basin State Park. Nature Trail: 0.5 miles, Angels Palace Trail: 1 mile, Shakespeare Arch: 1 mile. Escalante State Park. Petrified Wood Trail: 1.75 miles. Took washboard Cottonwood Rd. a mile to water hazard in Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument. Now clunking from right front end. Suspension?

Grand Circle, Day 5
Anasazi Village State Park. Boulder, UT. Hwy 12 to Torrey, UT. Hwy 24 to Capitol Reef National Park. Chimney Rock Trail: 3 miles, Hickman Bridge Trail: 2 miles. Swam in Fremont River under waterfall.

Grand Circle, Day 6
Hwy 12 to Hwy 24. Goblin Valley State Park. 1 mile. Hwy 70 Green River, UT. Green River State Park. John Wesley Powell River History Museum. Arches National Park. Campground Full. Moab, UT...knees hurt.

Grand Circle, Day 7
Moab, UT. And on day seven, Tim rested...Shower, shave, laundry, vacuumed Mystery Machine, and ordered front stabilizer kit. Parts arrive tomorrow. Mechanic will install Friday. Giving my knees a break; spending today inside--availing myself of McDonald's air conditioning and free WiFi.

Grand Circle, Day 8
Arches National Park. Delicate Arch Trail: 3 miles. Devil's Garden Trails: 4 miles. McDonald's Moab, UT.

Grand Circle, Day 9
Scenic Byway 128. Arches National Park. Windows Trails: 1.6 miles.

Grand Circle, Day 10
Mystery Machine stabilizers repaired. (New front stabilizers: $60.) Moab Museum. Dead Horse Point State Park. Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky). Mesa Arch: 0.5 miles. Upheaval Dome: 1 mile. Arch: 0.5 miles. Upheaval Dome: 1 mile.

Grand Circle, Day 11
La Sal Mountain Loop Road Scenic Byway. Hwy 191 South. Wilson Arch. Needles Overlook: 0.5 miles. Hwy 211 to Newspaper Rock Recreation Area. Canyonlands National Park (The Needles). Roadside Ruin: 0.5 miles. Monticello to Blanding, UT. Edge of Cedars State Park & Museum. Hwy 95 to Natural Bridges National Monument. Owachomo Bridge: 0.5 miles. Campground.

Grand Circle, Day 12
Hovenweep National Monument. Little Ruin Canyon Trail: 2 miles. Crossed into Colorado. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Cortez, CO. Mesa Verde National Park. Cliff Palace & Balcony House tours: 1.5 miles. Took cattle guard too fast. Bump caused fuel gauge to go haywire...

Grand Circle, Day 13
Mesa Verde National Park. 2 miles. Yucca Hat National Monument. Crossed into New Mexico. Chaco Culture National Historic Park. (Chaco Canyon) 1 mile.

Grand Circle, Day 14
Chaco Culture National Historic Park. 1 mile. Aztec Ruins National Monument. 0.5 miles. New Mexico to Arizona. Fuel gauge broken. Navajo Indian Reservation. Canyon de Chelly National Park. 3 miles. Free camping.

Grand Circle, Day 15
Kayenta, AZ. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Navajo National Monument. 1.8 miles. Free camping. (2,000 driving miles logged)

Grand Circle, Day 16
Page, AZ. Horseshoe Bend: 1.5 miles. Powell Museum. Glen Canyon Dam tour. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Lake Powell to Rainbow Bridge National Monument. 1.5 miles.

Grand Circle, Day 17
Page, AZ. Lake Powell. Navajo & Antelope Canyons. Three failed attempts to change oil on Mystery Machine. (Stripped drain pan.) Glen Canyon Dam overlook. Hanging Garden Trail: 1.5 miles.

Grand Circle, Day 18
Upper Antelope Canyon tour, Navajo Tribal Park. 1 mile. Hanging Garden Trail: 1 mile. Morning swim in Lake Powell @ "The Chains". Humpback Whale delights pleasure craft. Page Public Library.

Grand Circle, Day 19
Hwy 89 West.Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. "The Wave" @ Coyote Buttes. 6 miles. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Toadstools Trail. 1.6 miles. Big Water, UT. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center. Breakfast. Lee's Ferry. Hwy 89A to Jacob Lake. Grand Canyon North Rim. Bright Angel Point. 1 mile.

Grand Circle, Day 20
Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim. Transept & Nature Trail. 1 mile. Cape Final Trail. 4 miles. Widforss Trail. 10 miles.

Grand Circle, Day 21
Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim. Hwy 67, Jacob Lake. Hwy 89A. Hwy 89. Crossed into Utah. Moqui Cave. Maynard Dixon Home. Zion National Park. St. George, UT.

St. George, Utah

From Las Vegas I took I-15 north through the border town of Mesquite, NV.

I made a brief stop at the Virgin Valley Heritage Museum.

Continuing, I followed the scenic Virgin River into Utah.

I explored the city of St. George.

First stop was the Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum.

I loaded up on tourist brochures at their Welcome Center.

I met up with a friend and local hiking guru, Kendell: http://www.hikingsouthutah.com/

We did an evening hike at "The Slots" in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.

The next day I did Zion National Park; on the way stopping at the Hurricane Valley Heritage Park.

It was a very hot June in St. George. I learned to do my hiking early.

The Saddle Trail starts outside Snow Canyon State Park before cutting across the sandstone borders.

St. George has several small museums:

Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum

Brigham Young Winter Home

Jacob Hamlin Home (Santa Clara, UT)

St. George Tabernacle

St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm

An evening bike ride along the Riverside Trail is a nice way to beat the heat.

Camelback Trail near the town of Gunlock is off the beaten path.

The St. George Art Museum is small but worthwhile.

The Washington City Museum and Monument Plaza is less worthwhile.

North of St. George in Leeds is the Silver Reef Gallery & Museum.

The St. George Temple has a large visitor center that welcomes tourists.

I took a day trip from St. George to Pipe Springs National Monument.

Pipe Springs National Monument is just across the border in Arizona.

It's jointly managed by the National Park Service and Kaibab-Paiute Indian Reservation.

I continued to Fredonia, AZ and Kanab, UT.

Kanab is known as "Little Hollywood" for the many westerns shot in the area.


Frontier Movie Town has actual sets from many of the movies.

The lobby of Parry Lodge is papered with photographs of celebrities and memorabilia.

I drove around the grounds of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary outside Kanab.

I spent the remainder of the day at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park before returning to St. George.

The sunset from atop the tallest sand dune at Coral Pink looks over the Vermilion Cliffs.

This introduced the beauty awaiting me in The Grand Staircase.


Zion Canyon is crowded in summer. However the Lava Point & Kolob Reservoir sections of Zion National Park are nearly deserted.

From Kolob Reservoir the dirt road, Right Hand Canyon Road, leads to HWY 14. 

From the 14 it's a short drive up to Cedar Breaks National Monument. 

Back in St. George the Historic St. George Live Tour meets in front of the Art Museum. 

Dixie State College has a small gallery, the Dolores Dore Eccles Fine Art Center. 

Nearby is the small museum: Washington City Museum & Monument Plaza. 

As I said, it was a HOT June in St. George. The Dixie National Forest offers an afternoon reprieve.

It's a short drive up the mountains to Mt. Meadow Historic Site. 

The community of Pine Valley is also worth checking out. 

I visited the Pine Valley Chapel and Pine Valley Heritage Center. 

I saved the best for last. 

Before leaving on the "Grand Circle" I spent an afternoon in Snow Canyon State Park. 

Northern Nevada

Before Utah, I explored northern Nevada.

I made a loop, starting in Las Vegas (108 F).

I took the Great Basin Highway to Cathedral Gorge State park.

Next I visited the town of Pioche. This former mining town has a wild past. It's two main attractions are the Lincoln County Museum & Million Dollar Courthouse.

I continued north to Great Basin National Park. The visitor center has exhibits on the Great Basin Desert, which covers most of Nevada.

The scenic drive to Wheeler Peak  offers vistas over basin and range. Most of the trails were snowed in. I was told to try back in July.

I spent the night in the town of Baker. The following morning I toured Lehman Caves.

Heading west toward Ely are two state parks.

The first was Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park. The park preserves 19th century beehive ovens. The ovens were used to mass produce charcoal--essential in the refining of metal ores from nearby mines.

The second was Cave Lake State Park. The park is a haven for recreational activities like swimming and fishing.

I visited two museums in Ely. The Nevada Northern Railway Museum has a working train yard and details the history of rail in northern Nevada.

The White Pine Public Museum houses various exhibits related to local and county history.

On the drive from Ely to Wells I passed the picturesque Ruby Mountains.

Wells is little more than a stopover along Interstate 80.

I continued west on I-80 to Elko. The weather there was surprisingly cold. In stark contrast to the heat of Las Vegas.

The Northeastern Nevada Museum has a comprehensive collection of exhibits.

The Western Folklife Center details the history of ranching in the United States, and particularly Florida.

Outside Ely is Lamoille Canyon. This picturesque valley in the Ruby Mts. has great hiking. However, a mudslide closed the road.

I continued on I-80 to Winnemucca. This is the heart of Basque country. Sheepherders and ranchers who, in the late 1800s, emigrated from the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain & France.

I'd preceded the Basque Festival by a few weeks. And the Winnemucca Visitor Center/Chamber of Commerce was closed. I spent a few hours cleaning the Mystery Machine (it hit 70,000 miles) then left.

By nightfall I was in Lovelock. There was no Starbucks. But I was able to plug in my laptop and use the free WiFi at McDonald's.

The next morning I visited the Round Courthouse and Lovelock Plaza. The plaza contains a tangle of locks left by tourists symbolically "locking" their "love".

Also of interest is the Pershing County Museum @ the Marzden House.

West of Lovelock, on a dirt road off Rt. 80, I took a walk around the Tufa Park. Well worth the stop.

I continued west on I-80 to Fernley. Going south through Silver Springs I reached Fort Churchill State Historic Park.

I doubled back to Hwy 50 "The Loneliest Road in America". I passed through Fallon and Gabbs.

I made a stop at Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park. Home to both the ghost town of Berlin and a fossil bed of prehistoric sea creatures.

I continued to Tonopah before resting for the night. The next morning was wasted waiting for two Tonopah museums that never opened.

I was so pissed-off I left Nevada. At Scotty's Junction I turned west into Death Valley National Park.

I visited the Ubehebe Crater and took a tour at Scotty's Castle.

On the way back out of California, I drove on the Bonnie Claire Flat. This playa is one of the few accessible places in Death Valley to view racetrack rocks.

I passed through Beatty, stopping at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.

Within the NWR is Devil's Hole. This pupfish sanctuary is actually an extension of Death Valley National Park.

I took a hike at Point of Rocks, a boardwalk trail in Ash Meadows.

Finally, I passed through the city of Pahrump.

A nighttime drive through the Spring Mountains brought me back to Las Vegas.

In total I drove about 1,525 miles on this loop through every county in Nevada.

Mormon Utah

I week ago I left Nevada for Utah.

For the past week, I've been exploring St. George and the surrounding area.

Utah state history is very much the history of the Mormon Church.

Proselytizing comes with the territory. It's customary for a Mormon tour guide to ask where you are from and to what religion you subscribe.

As an atheist, I'm then asked if I would like to hear more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I offer a polite "No thank you." I'm asked a second time.

A more firm, "No, thank you." To which I'm asked, "Please keep our church in mind."

This is well and good; until visiting Temples and Tabernacles.

I was being given a tour of the St. George Tabernacle by Elder "Smith".

On the Tabernacle tour Elder Smith insisted there was no 'earthly reason' for limestone to occur in southern Utah. (The limestone was mixed with gypsum to make plaster for decorations.)

I immediately offered evidence that a prehistoric inland sea covered the entire area for millions of years. To which Elder Smith simply replied "No". The other Mormons on the tour took a quick step backward. I elaborated that calcium from the bones and shells of sea creatures is compacted into limestone, which is then uplifted due to geological faulting. "NO." the Elder replied.

Whatever...

I left the Tabernacle and headed to the St.George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm.

One of the first exhibits is a geologic timeline. It shows the ancient sea that covered southern Utah.

To which I say, "YES."

The next day I visited the St. George Temple. Who do I see? None other than Elder Smith. (Actually, not much of a coincidence; the Mormon tour guides from the Jacob Hamblin Home & Brigham Young Winter Home were also there.)

I told him what I saw at Johnson Farm. To which he said, "Maybe..."

California State Railroad Museum

All aboard!

Next stop, the California State Railroad Museum.

This Sacramento museum is fun for the whole family.



The Transcontinental Railroad is detailed in several exhibits.



Culminating with it's completion at Promontory Point.



The Transcontinental Railroad was a phenomenal undertaking.



Rich in history and ushering the Modern Era.



Visitors can explore several relics from the golden age of rail.



L.A. to Chicago in 39.5 hours...


In comfort and style...



Specialized cars transported mail until 1977.


Hard to imagine a more efficient means.



Mail is now transported by truck and airplane.



A classic steam engine.



Upstairs focuses on President Lincoln's contribution to the RR.



Lincoln was an enthusiastic proponent of a Transcontinental Railroad.



He signed legislation authorizing loans and subsidies for it's construction.



The exhibit ends with the Walt Whitman poem "O Captain! My Captain!"

Old Town Sacramento

I strolled from the California State Capitol to Old Town Sacramento.

Here, Tower Bridge crosses the Sacramento River.

Linking Sacramento and Yolo counties.



I got to see the bridge raise and lower.


For a historic tall ship.



The sun set.



I explored the Delta King.


This permanently moored vessel is a floating hotel.



And restaurant.



The Delta King is a great spot to enjoy Tower Bridge at sunset.


Old Town Sacramento has a bit of nightlife.



Mainly tourist souvenir shops.

California State Capitol

I visited the Governor's Mansion SHP.

Next, I saw the California State Capitol.

The building is in downtown Sacramento.

It has a museum and also conducts public tours.



The surrounding gardens have several war memorials.



Vietnam.



A few liberty bells.



The Civil War.



They were decorating the Christmas Tree.



The rotunda.



Tour introduction.



The California State Assembly room.



The California State Assembly room.



The California State Senate room.



The California State Senate room.



The apse.



The original Governor's Office.



The tour ends with displays on California's 58 counties.

Governor's Mansion State Historic Park

Sacramento is the California state capitol.

I took a tour of the Governor's Mansion.

The mansion is no longer occupied.

The Reagan family last called it home.



A guided tour overviews both building and governorship of California.



A scale model shows what the original house looked like.



The mansion's last four first ladies:



The dining room accommodated fourteen.



Upstairs bedrooms:



The attic housed a ballroom for 19th century entertaining.



The servants quarters:



The kitchen:



The tour ended here.



The house was occupied for over 90 years.


Governor's Mansion State Historic Park in Sacramento is well worth your visit.

Folsom Prison Museum

I went to jail.

Of my own volition.

Folsom State Prison is famous.

The live album At Folsom Prison was recorded here by Johnny Cash.



His 1968 concerts for prisoners helped ease their "Folsom Prison Blues".



As well as turn Cash's career around after years of drug abuse.

Their hoots and hollers only add to the character of this bestselling album.

Folsom Prison Blues (Live) - J...

The Folsom Prison Museum contains some memorabilia.

A short video provides a glimpse into life at "Old Folsom".



"...That lonesome whistle...



Blow my blues away."

Folsom Powerhouse SHP

I left the Folsom History Museum.

I took a short walk down the hill to the American River.

I reached Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park.

The park preserves and interprets this turn of the century hydroelectric plant.



The powerhouse presided over a period of modernization in Sacramento Valley.



Rivers such as the American were tamed.



I headed back to the Mystery Machine.



Next stop: prison.

Folsom History Museum

I left Auburn.

The rain cleared as I descended the  foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

I crossed into Sacramento County and the city of Folsom.



Folsom has a historic downtown with several things to see.



The Folsom History Museum is a good place to start.



Starting with the Maidu, several ethnic groups have thrived in California.



The Pony Express exhibit is one of the most complete I've seen.



This saddlebag is where mail was placed.

Agricultural exhibits.



Christmas dioramas.

Auburn

I left Marshall Gold Discovery SHP.

I crossed into Placer County and the town of Auburn.

My Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guidebook told of a free Gold Museum.




However the Mountain Mandarin Festival was charging an entrance fee.

Skipped it.



Headed for Folsom...

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

Seasonal closure is a bitch.

I hugged the California coast all summer long.

I hit Crater Lake National Park, Oregon hours before snow closed its roads.



The trade-off was driving Historic Rt. 49 through the central Sierras in late fall.


While the foliage was pretty, some "Gold Trail" destinations were closed.



Continuing north on Hwy 49 I reached Coloma, CA.


James W. Marshall discovered gold in 1848 on the South Fork of the American River.



Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park preserves, recreates, and interprets Sutter's Mill.



As well as other historic buildings that sprang up in boom town Coloma.



Another Miwok village.


An interpretive trail leads through the park.


To a memorial.



James Marshall (as well as John Sutter) died penniless.



Their discovery set off the California Gold Rush.



The greatest mass emigration in the Western Hemisphere.



Soon their claims were jumped by a plethora of fortune seekers.



Marshall should have kept it a secret.


Continued to work Sutter's Mill.



Buy small rich parcels of land.



Secure water rights up and down the American River.


Maybe start a commercial services and industrial supplies company ala Wells Fargo.

Amador County Museum

I continued north on Hwy 49.

I drove clear across three counties!

Visiting three county museums...

I hit the town of Jackson in Amador County.

Jackson - June Carter Cash, Jo...

But the Amador County Museum was closed for restorations...

Shoulda called ahead!



I went back to the Mystery Machine and planned my next move.

I didn't have much luck the next morning.

The El Dorado County Museum was also closed.

These smaller museums tend to be closed seasonally.