Day 8

We got into Utah not long after we left the hotel this morning. Even though we were on highway 70 which merged with 50 the scenery was outstanding with that southwest look. We traveled through, over and around mountains and buttes.  We stopped in Salina for lunch.  After lunch we climbed a few mountains up to 8286 feet, and rode through a town called Delta. It was 98 degrees in Delta. Then we entered Grand Basin National Park.  The key word here being basin.  It should have been named Death Valley.  Flat, low and HOT for about 100 miles.  It made Delta seem like it was air-conditioned.   I had no idea how hot it really was when were out there, but heard later this evening it was 108. It was the hottest stretch yet on this trip. And of course it was 80 miles between service areas.  After the Grand Basin we stopped at the Borderline Motel and Casino. It was no more than a gas station gift shop and a room with a few slot machines. But that's where we took our pictures under the entering Nevada sign.  After leaving there, we climbed another couple mountains and wound our way into Ely, Nevada where we are spending the night.  

It was 444 miles today and now we're three time zones away.  

Riding through the southwest like we did today, it made me think about old westerns with Gene Autrey, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Peter Fonda in Easy Rider. 

There has been a change in our itinerary. Tomorrow we are headed to Lake Tahoe instead of Yosemite.  We will get to Yosemite after Tahoe. 

Many of you may be wondering why Im wearing long sleeve shirts if it's so hot.  It actually keeps me cooler by keeping the hot sun off my skin. The white shirt reflects the heat and also keeps the heat from dehydrating me so fast.