Yes, that is a real live buffalo on the banks of the Great Salt Lake, less than ten miles from Salt Lake City. Upon arriving, we asked the friendly lady at the guard shack for campsite that could accommodate our “little kids” tent and Al and Nanc’s “big kids” fifth wheel trailer. She hooked us up nicely, but let it be known, “Al Murphy better arrive by 7:30pm, because, these gates will be closed and no one, and I mean no one, gets in after 7:30.” We said okay, and made note of the fact the exit was open 24-7 and there were no spike things in the road to prevent Al from driving in the wrong way should he miss curfew. To reach the camp ground, one must negotiate the causeway for 8 miles across the lake, or better put, one must handle the increasing stench from the brackish swamp lands at the edge of the lake. What had we got ourselves into, soon the stench had invaded the car, the further we went, the worse it got. Finally we reached the island, and at this point we were a tad bit scared. Will we be able to cook, drink beer, or even sleep with this odorous air ? Thankfully we didn’t have to answer that question. After reaching the island, we crossed over a ridge, and presto, the swamp had turned into a lake, and the desert air had rejoined us. The stench was a distant memory.
No pics of the maiden voyage for our new roomier tent with extra poles for support during a wind storm, but we did manage to snap a few from our perch above the lake at sunset.
We may have been just far enough away to avoid the noise and lights of SLC, but no such luck with regard to Hill Air Force Base. A constant stream of jets passed over the lake en route to firing ranges near the Nevada border. Curtis had suggested we should have stayed near the Bonneville Salt Flats, so we could observe the amateurs trying to get there hot rods to the sound barrier on the race course. Something tells me, he might have also suggested we ignore the "Keep out, military firing range ahead" signs.Al and Nanc arrived just before curfew, so there was no need to flaunt Utah state laws. The fifth wheel simply pulled into the spot, Nanc hit a button, and we were inside enjoying cold beers with chips and salsa. How can something so big, be so easy to set up? We spent more time trying to figure out which tent pole went where than they did getting the fifth wheel ready for action.
Warm temps greeted us in the morning. Our plan was to wake up at 8:00am and hit the road at 9:00am, but that quickly turned into noon, no worries though, we are now on Desert Time. The day ahead will deliver us southbound through familiar territory with a final destination somewhere along the San Rafael Reef.
