Rocky Mountain RV Adventure – The Trip Home (166)

After 6 weeks on the road, we were happy to be going home, but also sad our Rocky Mountain RV Adventure was coming to an end. Fortunately, we still had some beautiful country to pass through and a few more surprises along the way.

The road from Fort Collins, CO to Laramie, WY is a very beautiful drive. It can get crowded, but the road seemed to widen to 2 lanes in all the right places. At the time, the West was going through a real heat wave, but we had no problems with our Bay Star. We enjoyed the drive through Wyoming, stopping at Rock Springs for a night before continuing our journey to Salt Lake City.

We stayed 3 nights in Salt Lake City, as we wanted to visit a few sites in the area. However, we simplified our plans due to the heat wave (temps in the 100’s each day), and tried to focus on indoor activities.

One we really enjoyed was the Hill Aerospace Museum in Ogden. If you enjoy military aircraft, this is a must see! They have great exhibits on the history of military aircraft flown in Utah.

They also have a large outdoor exhibit, including this behemoth, which can carry several battle tanks at once, loading them through the nose of the aircraft.

That evening, we went to the Red Iguana, a restaurant featured in Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. If you love mole sauce, you will be in heaven. It was the best Mexican food I have tasted in years.

We also spent some time at the Temple Square grounds, the historical center of the Mormon Church. We are not Mormon, but I find the history of the church very interesting. By the way, no need to worry about proselytizing when visiting. The docents are very courteous and helpful.

Unfortunately, as you can see, there is a massive construction project underway to restore several of the buildings, including the temple, so much of the area was closed.

You can get a peek at a restored section here. I’m sure it will be beautiful when completed.

We did get to visit the Assembly Hall, located in a beautifully landscaped courtyard. Just in front of the Assembly Hall is the Seagull Monument. I didn’t even know there were seagulls in Utah! But this monument tells a very interesting story involving a harvest, Mormon crickets, and hungry seagulls.

Inside there was a woman playing the piano to showcase the acoustics of the room. On the way out, a docent let us know about an organ concert later that afternoon in the Tabernacle.

The Tabernacle is the building that the famous Mormon choir sings in. It’s a large building with amazing acoustics. No microphones seemed to be needed.

Since the concert was two hours later, we visited a very large mall next door and had lunch and shopped while we waited. This is not your ordinary mall, with atriums above, and streams all around. Two hours went by quickly.

No choir was present the day we were there, but we were treated to several selections of classical and sacred music. It’s worth a listen if you visit the area!

We also visited the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, located on the campus of the University of Utah. Situated on a hill overlooking the city, we enjoyed the drive there and back. The museum has all kinds of art,…

…but I enjoyed most their collection of paintings of the area and from the pioneer days.

I think they were meant to both document and inspire, somewhat idealizing the area. By this point, the pioneers in this photo had already traveled hundreds of miles. Little did they know that the most difficult and treacherous part of their journey was ahead of them – the deserts and the mountains!

As we left the area, I kept thinking about the pioneers who had to travel thea rea by wagon. What must they have thought about this desert that stretches for hundreds of miles?

People were stopping in their cars just to walk across the salt bed. The Bonneville Speedway, known as the location where land speed records are set, was not too far away, but we had to save that visit for next time.

We overnighted in Elko, NV. It was close to The California Trail Interpretive Museum, so we visited there that afternoon. I highly recommend stopping here, as it is beautifully done and does a great job telling the story of the pioneers, as well as the native Americans in the area.

Some wagon trains are set on the property to give you a sense of what they looked like.

Inside, the exhibits explain how the pioneers did this, including what they could bring in their covered wagons.

Several dioramas tell the story of their difficult journey through non-forgiving territory.

It also goes into their interactions with the Indians,…

…and their painful journey through the Great Salt Lake Desert, where Elko is located. Even cherished possessions they had carried for hundreds of miles were left here, littering the trail on either side for miles. Only the strongest survived this.

They also had a good section on the Donner Party and the gold rush. It was the railroad that finally ended the era of the wagon trains and tamed the west. Near Salt Lake City is the location of the golden spike where the transcontinental railway was completed. Due to the heat wave, we missed visiting there, but there’s always next time.

After this stop, we made our way back home. We had a great adventure that included the Seattle area, Glacier National Park, Little Big Horn, Devils Tower, Mount Rushmore, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Salt Lake City. We also got to enjoy family, attending a 50th wedding anniversary in Seattle and traveling with family in South Dakota. In short, we had an amazing time, and are so grateful we could complete this adventure.

Of course we are already thinking about the future and our next RV Trip!!

Al & Deb