Thread: Our Trip West
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Unread 05-25-2007, 02:32 PM
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Vice Kommandir
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New Braunfels, TX & Reno, NV
Posts: 3,762
Default 3rd and Last Day

We drove into our Reno driveway with 1,863 miles on the odometer.

The drive between Flagstaff, AZ and Cedar City Utah is striking. Red and even pink & coral sandstone cliffs are there to be seen. There are jump off points for both the south and less well traveled north rims of the Grand Canyon, and farther north to Zion, Bryce and Cedar Breaks. Mountain views, mule deer, mountain creek with small falls and rapids were all displayed on the state highway into Cedar City, which is also known for its annual Shakespeare Festival.

We next headed into SE Nevada, driving through some old mining towns. From there we headed north and were able to see Mount Wheeler of Great Basin National Park, located in east central Nevada, just across the Utah line.

The next part of our trip was along U.S. 50--the Loneliest Road in America and the route on which I almost ran into a herd of wild horses about a decade ago. It was night and I came around a hairpin mountain pass turn and just missed a white stallion by inches! It was a good outcome for both of us. The mountains around Ely and Eureka are scenic and the mountains passes are as high as 7,607 feet. Last year at this time we ran into snow flurries in Ely and Eureka, and were concerned about ice in the passes. The road continues east through the old mining town of Austin, Nevada, named after our Austin.

Our trek neared its end in the dark, as well tracked the Truckee River, which flows out of Lake Tahoe and runs east (this is the Great Basin) through Reno and then into Pyramid Lake, which is both large (about the same size as Tahoe--but not as deep) and located on an Indian reservation NE of Reno. Rob will undoubtedly be driving by the lake in early September on his way to the Burning Man Festival, which is held in Black Rock Desert.

This Memorial Day weekend we will recover. We will also be flying our flag and thinking of our troops and sailors of now and in the past--men and woman who helped create this great country that we just traveled and who have kept her from harm.
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