Day 34

 July 20 - Antelope Island State Park, UT

We woke up at 5:15 and were on the road by 6:05 (it took us a bit longer to pack and leave than I thought). Cassandra and I stayed up late planning and chatting. Cassandra has to attend a meeting that started at 6:00am (9am eastern time), so we needed to be mostly ready and on the road by then. We tossed the kids into the car from the camper in their sleeping bags so we could get on the move (and hopefully get them back to sleep). We drove until Ev and Til needed to use the bathroom, which was just outside Reno, NV. We stopped at a Dunkin Donuts (the first national chain we patronized so far on the entire trip), and since Cassandra's meeting ended early, she joined us inside for the end of breakfast. From there, we rode the highway all the way, hitting high speeds through the flat desert roads and made great time. We had 580 miles to cover, and we spent most of the day on the road. Driving through the flat, white Great Salt Desert, we were in awe of the unique landscape surrounded by steep mountain peaks.

 

We arrived at Antelope Island State Park around 5pm (mountain time) and had an incredibly leisurely evening. It was really hot when we arrived, and since these land is desert, there was little coverage and shelter from the blazing sun. Ev and Til were not excited about the heat and asked us to leave almost right away! It is tough out here, but all that was worth the beautiful of this place (to me, at least). The landscape is so unique and strange.

 

The desert (salt flats) on the way in were so flat and white. There seems to be nothing between the mountains but salt flats. The Great Salt Lake used to be much bigger, but has evaporated over the past 30,000 years.

There were strange salt crystal growth on signs and the edges of the water where it has recently evaporated. Again, the drought has reminded us about the natural challenges impacting the American west (not to mention the many other vulnerable regions of the world).

There is something magical about Antelope Island. The mountain peaks seemed stark, yet accessible, but the eyes were easily deceived in this place. 

When we arrived at our campsite, Ev and Til asked if they could walk to the lake (we had a clear, open view of the lake from our site). We consented, and they walked and walked and walked, getting smaller and smaller in our sight as they slowly approached the lake. It was so much further away than we thought (about 3/4 mile away). It is so vast and makes you feel tiny! When they got back, they were hot and dehydrated - Cassandra met them with Gatorade, and we all looked forward to a calm evening.

There weren't many people at this campground at all, so they weren't able to make any friends (and got bored here a bit). The sunset was unreal, one of the most colorful and beautiful I've even seen.

The sky and ground kept changing colors, and it was difficult doing anything but look at it. We had an absolutely glorious evening in a beautiful place. I wish Ev and Til could have enjoyed their time here more than they had so far, and hopefully they get it tomorrow.