 |
|
The next day we
stopped in Reno for lunch at the Wild Oats
Natural Food Market. Pets are not allowed
inside, but while one of us waited outside with
Toby, the other one went inside to get food from
the deli and brought it back to the outdoor
table. The food was great but the wind kicked up
mid-way through our meal and almost blew
everything off of our table! |
 |
|
From Reno we
continued on our trip heading east on Interstate
80. The terrain was mostly dry like a high plain
desert. Not too much to see on this stretch of
highway other than some passing trains like the
one shown here. |
 |
|
We stopped for the
night at the Motel
6 in Winnemucca, Nevada. Dogs are welcome
with no extra pet fees. |
 |
|
Heading the other
way (west) on Interstate 80 was a huge oversized
truck load. With most oversize loads you can
usually pass with care. However, this one was so
wide it had a police escort and all the cars
heading westbound on the highway had to follow
behind it. |
 |
|
This was something
a little different from the usually desert
terrain. The Interstate goes under this big hill
via some man-made tunnels. |
 |
|
The town of Elko,
Nevada had a nice park where we stopped and had
lunch. I can't remember the name of the park,
but heading east I believe we took the second
Elko exit. When still on the highway, you should
be able to see it on your right. The park also
had one of the best playgrounds for kids that we
saw on our whole trip. |
 |
|
I think this was
the last exit in Nevada before entering into
Utah. We should have filled up the car with gas
at this exit because ahead of us was one of the
longest stretches on our trip without any gas
stations along the highway (between West
Wendover, Nevada and Salt Lake City, Utah). We
didn't run out of gas, but it was pretty close. |
 |
|
As we got closer
to Salt Lake City, we saw a funny looking cell
phone antenna tower. In some parts of the
country, the towers look like trees to blend in
with the environment. I guess in a desert
region, they want it to look like a cactus.
Regardless of the effort, it still didn't quite
blend in. |
 |
|
You know you're
getting closer to Salt Lake City when you start
to see salt residue along the highway. |
 |
|
Here is a photo of
Morton Salt's salt manufacturing plant. They
chose this location because of the high salt
content of the Great Salt Lake. |
 |
|
The Great Salt
Lake covers 1,700 square miles and has a maximum
depth of about 35 feet. This lake is about 3 to
5 times saltier than an ocean. Because of the
high salt content, people swimming in the lake
have an easier time floating. There are no fish
in the lake, but there are brine shrimp and
brine flies. The lake is also the largest lake
west of the Mississippi River and the 4th
largest terminal lake (no outlet) in the
world. |
 |
|
Getting closer to
Salt Lake City, there was a big building
that looked like a Temple. |
 |
|
We stopped for 3
nights at the La
Quinta Inn near the Salt Lake City airport
in Utah. Dogs are welcome and there is no pet
fee. It was
located in a nice open spot with a few other
hotels and commercial buildings that had lots of
grass to walk on. |
 |
|
Salt Lake City
sits at an elevation of about 4,300 feet above
sea level. About a million people live in the
city and the surrounding area. The city has some
nice parks and overall the people seem very
friendly towards dogs. |
 |
|
Liberty
Park in downtown Salt Lake City was
one of the best city parks we've visited in
terms of overall usefulness, atmosphere and
pet-friendliness. The park has a small but nice
amusement park for kids which includes a
carousel, swing ride, little car ride and more.
The park also has a large playground, lots of
areas to walk and frequent live entertainment.
Leashed pets are allowed in the park including
the amusement park, just not on the rides. |
 |
|
There was a
festival going on at Liberty Park the day we
visited and dogs were welcome. They had
entertainment, vendor booths and food. It was
refreshing to see this kind of venue without a
"no dogs allowed" sign. |
|
|
|
Ensign Peak Trail
and Overlook is a nice short hike located about
a 5 to 10 minute drive from the Utah State
Capitol in downtown Salt Lake City. You will get
some great views of downtown from this trail.
Pets are allowed but need to be leashed. Getting
there can be a little tricky. You'll need to
drive through a residential neighborhood to get
there. From the State Capitol head east to
East Capitol Blvd. Turn left and go through a
neighborhood. Turn left on North Sandrun Drive.
The trail will be on the right and there should
be ample parking on the road. |
