Another great trip!

OK, it has been a while since I've posted about a great road trip so here we go. Today's adventure is......car revs instead of drum rolls.....LAS VEGAS TO SALT LAKE CITY!

   Huh? I hear a confused rumble in the crowd, mixed with groans of despair. After all, this sounds like a big desert drive, right? Well, some of it is...the biggest desert drive, actually, was the drive to Reno in November....there was 450 miles of it! This drive, however is absolutely BEAUTIFUL...most of it.

   The boring desert part is actually right in the beginning. From Las Vegas to the first 10 miles in Arizona, it is scrub, brown, and needing of good music. It can be nice, I suppose, in early morning or at sundown. After over 10 years, however, I am sick of the Nevada desert.

   Interstate 15 at least raises the speed limit to 75 once it leaves Las Vegas. We go up a long rise out of the Vegas Valley and then meet the northern end of Las Vegas Blvd. Soon after, U.S. 93 breaks off to head into deeper desert (I've taken it, it is truly desert all the way up to Idaho!), 15 moves to give access to the beautiful Valley of Fire, more desert, then  access to Glendale and Logandale. Then comes a 20 mile stretch of straight flat freeway! This is the part I hate the most. Once that's done, we go down a long steep grade and then enter Mesquite, a state border town with a lot of golf courses and spas. I like this town a lot, actually, not to live in, but because it foretells of change.

   15 then enters Arizona. The first 10 miles are just desert, but then we enter the gorgeous gorge...really! 15 winds through a huge narrow canyon made by the Virgin River. It's almost 20 miles of pure bliss, and when we emerge from it, the Utah line is straight ahead. What makes it so special is that the scenery has drastically changed. Ahead are red-rock cliffs and mesas...I believe Zion Canyon is behind one of them. From there, 15 enters St. George, a favorite town to stop and eat. I recommend Cracker Barrel, but NOT Chuck-a-Rama! There used to be a Shoney's here, but no more.

From there, 15 begins a fairly steep climb in a short time through some mountains and before we know it, we're entering Cedar City, a sprawling small town that is much cooler in temperature than St. George. 15 sort of goes back into the desert, but there is green growth in this one and it goes by fast. There is even an 80mph stretch in rural Utah! Before long, we go through Beaver and then a little after that is the turnoff for I-70. If we go to Colorado, we turn off here, and that drive has its own treasures, including a 110-mile stretch with scenery but no gas,food, or other touch-ups.

From here, 15 begins a long pattern of summit rises and long valleys between them. These valleys tend to have small towns with services, like Filllmore, Holden, Scipio, and Nephi. Nephi is a favorite gas stop for us. Soon after Nephi, we hit Santaquin, the first town in a long line of towns in the Salt Lake area. This string goes almost all the way to Idaho, in fact! We go through Spanish Fork, Orem, Provo, American Frok, and Lehi. We then go over a ridge to see the sprawling Sal Lake City metro area! It's quite a sight. We don't actually go all the way to Salt Lake, we head into Midvale, just south of the city limits, so we can see Vickie's dad. One day we will head to Clearfield near Ogden (30 miles further up 15) to see her Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary.

The trip back is good as well, with the Nevada desert as the LAST part. We are never really happy to come back, since Utah has given us rain, snow, a lack of slots in every store, and just plain good times. It has also given Vickie access to her father after many years, and that is what makes it so special.