Wow! Got to check two states off my bucket list today!!!
Started out early, around 7:15, after a nice breakfast at the International Restaurant in Austin, where I got to listen to the locals expounding on their political views. The food was good, though. After checking out of the motel, the GPS told me this:
Guess there is going to be a Keith Urban concert somewhere up ahead???
Check Oregon off my list: (What a dinky state sign, though!!)
Looking back into Nevada, the first thing you see is, you guessed it, a casino!
This part of Oregon is just a lot of this (beautiful, but boring):
Second of the 5 remaining states off my list:
I have to say, Idaho is not what I expected, at least this part. Looks just like eastern Oregon and northeastern Nevada. Came to an overlook a few miles south of Boise, and could see some changes on the horizon:
The final GPS pic before I went to dinner in Boise:
As I posted on Facebook, there was a Basque festival going on in downtown Boise, so I went there for dinner. Boise was entirely not what I expected, being nestled against the Rockies (Sorry, no pics---maybe tomorrow) Here are a couple copied from Facebook:
I had a great dinner here:
Tomorrow, off for Missoula, Montana! Time for bed.
Today was a sad day for me as I had to leave behind my friends I had travelled with from Durango to Torrey. They were from Arizona, California, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and other states which I unfortunately can't remember. I left bright and early before breakfast with the GPS telling me this:
My destination: Austin, Nevada. I must say that from Torrey, Utah to Austin, the scenery is less than inspiring than it was in eastern Utah. Mostly, like this:
Soon, however, I came upon this challenge:
Having successfully completed this challenge, I arrived in Nevada at a combination gas station/restaurant/liquor store/casino.
Pretty sure that the Mormons have a monopoly on everything in Utah, though!
This was my home for the night in Austin:
Sorry, forgot to take the day-ending GPS pic.
Editorial note: As far as I am concerned, and that is after a visit to Vegas and this trip, Nevada can just disappear. I see no reason for its existance, with the possible exception of the Top Gun School about 100 miles west of Austin!
Today was a group drive with 9 S2000's and 13 participants. We are calling this the "after the meet drive."
This morning in Durango:
Our first stop was at the Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah:
There are three bridges here in viewing range of the circle drive, and here they are in order:
The first, the largest:
The second:
And the third:
On the way to our next park, Capitol Reef, I took these shots out the window, which reminded me of my trip through Monument Valley some 6 years ago:
So, here we are arriving at Capitol Reef National Park:
There are so many absolutely stunning views here, I don't know which to post, but here are a few that I really like:
And tonight in Torrey:
I must say, as much as I love Colorado, the scenery in this part of Utah is nothing short of spectacular.These pictures just do not do it justice.
What a great country we live in!!!!!!!
Lots of miles left to go!!!
