Day 8 Ak to home
435 miles, 6
1/2 hours. Mountain Time
Awoke to sun
and cool 74 degrees. We pack the car and
load up on ice. What a pleasant
surprise. Our sliding door opens to a
courtyard filled with blooming flowers and other plantings, small shade trees
and a pool. It is pleasant and
peaceful. We eat on the patio
overlooking the pool and gardens; the breakfast has a big variety and good
quality. While it was a conundrum to find it, it is
actually better that the one in LA Grande.
Heading out, following the Snake River and see a Mule deer and
fawn. Cousin to the Yakima in terms of
its size and importance to agriculture.
The land undulates with low rolling hills, dried grasses and scrub
bushes. Evidence of fire. It is also an agricultural valley serving
some produce, a little wine, no hops, we follow a truck full of watermelons. Famous
Idaho potatoes grown here. Dairy is very big through Idaho with a huge cheese
factory called Jerome cheese, we think it might be a coop. Some beef cattle are here too. The main crops seem to be grown in support of
the dairy herds and cattle, lots of hay tents and silage domes. The temperature has slowly creeped up to 90’s
we see dust devils in the distance.
There are warning signs re visibility when it blows. These landlocked states have weather
temperature extremes. There are warning
of snow plows as well. On the very
highest peaks there are tiny patches of snow.
Water is king here, melt (now well over) and river irrigation (there may
be wells or aquifer but river seems biggest source). The land requires constant TLC; a brief lapse
and it will return to rock, dust and scrub brush. We cross into
tah. Eastern Washington and Oregon and Utah look the same with similar
agricultural focus.
As we near
Ogden, just north of Salt Lake City we are at 102 degrees. We are staying at
the same Courtyard Marriott; take quite a few things out of the car into the
room and keep the ice going in the cooler.
If it’s 102 outside, the car is 120 inside. We parked on the east side in the shade from
setting sun. The Wasatch Mountains ring
Salt Lake with cities lined up between them.
We have fond memories of Antelope Island on the way north, but know it
would be different with very heat stressed animals. We don’t see smoke although the distant
mountains are hazy. Everything is clear
close up. The highway is littered with
lost retread tires mostly from semi’s; it is common practice to retread, but
the heat and long distances cause them to fly off. We are conscience when we follow them. Even a camper threw tire tread in front of us. Cars can travel 80 mph, trucks 75 mph. Gas has been most expensive in WA, Utah
cheapest. Taking a well earned long
evening, maybe some TV? It’s been 7 days
since our last viewing. Trying to keep
up with news via computers when we have access.
Our room is on the 8th floor and nicely appointed with views
of Wasatch. Wondering if we can see Salt
Lake City lights after dark, just south of us. This and all reservations to come we have
double checked for no snafus. We both
have sinus symptoms, Chuck is worse, the need for constant AC in the car and
the AC at the hotel last night blew on him directly. A night of rest without stress might help.
We walk next
door to Slackwater, the same restaurant we ate at before. We sit on the deck overlooking the street. It is well shaded. The heat is dry and not unpleasant – in the
shade. Server says the area is actually
cooler than usual by a few degrees. She
freaked out when we told of server at the Cedars who said they were cool at
103, last Glad we are not a farm hand
who has to be out in the heat. There is
a well represented Hispanic population who now or at one time may be farm
help. Throughout Washington, notably and
Oregon, the American Natives have many areas of dedicated land and their
culture and language is seen throughout.
There will be more as we move east.
We will be
climbing up through a pass tomorrow leaving Salt Lake behind. Maybe cooler?
We don’t think so.
A little
Netflix and then Nighty night.
