Get along little doggies
Leaving out of Glenn's Ferry we hit the freeway for a bit until we connect to some farm roads that will still get us where we're going.without the monotony of the interstate. Small towns and ranches unfold on the vast plains. The roads are as straight as an arrow and other traffic non-existent, I give the Grey Goose some reign and eat up some miles. Until....
Until a small sign says road closed, DETOUR. Evidently in the middle of nowhere this highway begs attention. So we turn onto a graveled road and get behind the only other vehicle I've seen. A large 18-wheeler kicking up such a cloud of dust we could barely see it. I'm sure he couldn't see us either or he would pull over and let us around, wouldn't he...?
So we hang way back out of the dust, even stopping occasionally for Kat to take a picture. Finally the 12 mile detour is over and on toward our next stop,
Until we get stopped again. This time not by local law enforcement, but by a cattle drive. I had noticed little piles of manure in the road and figured since we weren't in moose country it might be cattle. I'm smart that way. I reduce speed expecting Longhorn cattle to somewhere ahead. Topping a hill we come upon not Longhorns but Black Angus cattle being driven down the road to the next pasture. We slow to a stop and talk to a rancher astride a beautiful cutting horse. He is amazed we have been to Alaska. He tells another horseman, which I take to be a grandson, to part the cows so we can pass through. We tell him thanks and as he waves goodbye says, "Eat more beef". The youngster on his own cutting horse clears a path and soon we are on our way again. See what you miss by staying on freeways.
We are heading toward Promontory Point at the Golden Spike Historic Site. As we drive toward the park, the winding road we travel passes over the original railroad dump, or fill. Various signs offer trails where you can hike and see more....we decline. Once to the visitors center we flash our National Park Pass and go in. Lot's of info on the Golden Spike event is here, with videos and dioramas telling how it was all done. I skip it.
We go directly outside to the train engines and the spot where the last spike was driven. But it wasn't there. I mean I knew a golden spike wouldn't be there, but I thought a reasonable facsimile would be. Nope. Just a replica of a tie with a small plaque marking the spot. The reasonable facsimile is inside.
A little disappointed we explore the locomotive engines. From a distance. Please do not climb on engines. I see why, they are very pretty engines, not what you would expect from such old engines....Hmmm. It seems the original engines were scrapped after years of use. These fine replicas were built in 1979 by contractors who reproduced them using exact measurements taken from the original photographs. So we take our original photographs and head further into Utah. Here's some interesting information, The two engines that played a big part in history were both an accident.
We hit Salt Lake City and the freeway during rush hour. I should say we got back on the freeway at Brigham City and got off the freeway at Provo. Over 100 miles of rush hour traffic...Whew !!
Finally we clear the interstate and make it to Price, Utah. As warm as it is this evening, tomorrow promises to be a hot one
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