Utah, Idaho and Wyoming

We entered Utah near the salt flats where they had built a great rest stop with a platform so that you could see the salt flats from a higher place. Otherwise they looked just like a flat, white line along the freeway. There was a speedway nearby where the fasted l mile was run by car with some fancy engine. Did not retain the details and Jalil is asleep.



The sun was now setting and we were heading towards Salt Lake City. We had not managed to connect with our old neighbors Jean and Don Asay so we wanted to just drive through. But we set the GPS (Luna) on Temple Square and were led there without trouble except more road work getting in the way. We found a parking place nearby and walked in the balmy night to the temple. It was so beautiful!!! We found the Tabernacle and after checking that I did not have a gun in my purse, we were allowed to come inside to listen to the choir rehearsing. I had been there some 35 years ago when visiting Jean Asay.



Luna brought us back to the freeway (15) and to Motel 6 in Ogden. Again too late to find a camp site.



The next morning we started out for Grand Teton via Highway 89 - the scenic route along Logan River. In Logan there is a university which did accept Jalil as a student in the 1950's. Just imagine how his life would have turned out differently, if he had gone there and not to Indiana. While we were there Hoda (Jalil's niece) called and said that our Volvo, which we had lent to her, would not start. Have never had a problem with it.



Just before Bear Lake at a high point there was a beautiful, new rest stop with a view of all of Bear Laked which is a large lake - half in Utah and half in Idaho. There Jalil attempted to call a Volvo mechanic but the phone did not work well there.



At the Bear Lake State Park in Idaho we could drive onto the beach where there were picnic tables near the water. We had lunch there.



The road along the valley passed through small villages and there were occasional old, old, and brown buildings. One sign near Paris stated that a British woman drove an ox team from Illinois to this area in 1849 and she lived there for some 40 years. She became a Mormon in England before taking this enormous trip.



We climbed another summit - Salt River Range. The clouds were now black and there were lightning and thunder followed by huge rain drops. This made Jalil refuse to camp in Grand Teton as he had been sneezing all day and did not feel so good - only allergy per the patient!



Along the Salt River Valley there are a few small towns. We stopped in Afton for a break. There was an arch made of antlers across the whole street. We went to a cute store where they made their own chocolate and had delicious huckleberry ice cream and greeting cards made with old photographs. I bought a few. Jalil had his coffee.

Next we followed Snake River to Jackson. The aspen is turning yellow and it is beautiful but it means that it will be cold at night. Once in Jackson we had trouble finding a place to stay as it was Friday night and we had no reservations as we were planning to camp. The cheap places were gone but we got a suite at Cache Creek - a bedroom with two queens and a living room and a so called kitchenette - hardly anything to work with. As we had food for camping we did well and Jalil went to bed and I am writing and writing blog and e-mails. But I am going to bed now and I hope will make it to Grand Teton tomorrow. Good night!