From SLC to BWI

Today's mileage: 560. Caffeine units: 64 oz Diet Pepsi. Alcohol units: on my way to 24 oz. Oil changes: 1. U-turns: 3 (looking for non-fast food). Minutes spent trying release bike rack fastener to no avail: 10.

I slept like a baby in a fantastic pillow top king-sized bed and awoke to a steady downpour outside. And it was 45F, a lovely summer day in Utah. The pleasant surprise of Cinnamon Toast Crunch at the continental breakfast took the sting out of the weather. As I munched my high fructose corn syrup, watching the local Fox affiliate's morning news, I noted that a commercial for a "family values oriented" talk radio station was directly followed by the return-to music to the newscast: a wordless version of the Village People's YMCA. Oh, the delight.

I took the Vibe to a nearby Pep Boys for an oil change and spent the waiting time watching Tiki Barber on the Today show demonstrate kiddie toys and learning what bikini styles are best for pregnant women this summer. After the Vibe got serviced, I drove through BYU, whose architecture was less than exciting. But it definitely wins points on setting. Though the low-hanging clouds obstructed the view of almost all the surrounding mountains, I used my imagination. On the way back to the hotel, I noticed a number of billboards for "modest" clothing, from wedding dresses to shorts. That and more than one plasma donation center. Huh?

After checking out of the hotel and loading my bikes in 45F rain, I drove north to Salt Lake City. The city layout is in a grid with each street 1/10th of a mile apart. Every 1/10th mile, the street number is increased by 100, so 7 miles away to the south, the street is called 7000 S, running east to west. Thrilling. I drove up the one hill in the downtown to the state capitol building and then whizzed by the monstrous Mormon church complex.

Then I headed out towards I-80 along the Great Salt Lake. It was pouring outside, so I pulled over for just a second to look at the lake--it smelled awful. I got back on the road and headed towards Nevada, first passing through the salt flats. The rain storm was intermittent, and in the distance I could see various mountain ranges. In fact, the entire drive today was like strolling through a museum of mountains. I had my little guide--my map--and kept trying to identify the various groupings of beautiful peaks in the distance. The Ruby Mountains were my favorite. For the most part, the drive was flat, but there were occasional ascents through passes as high as 6000ft, above the snow line. The towns in Nevada that I saw lay between I-80 and foothills of mountains. The towns like to display an enormous version of the first letter of their names on these foothills. I couldn't tell if it was paint or cleared brush or what, but Carlin had a big "C" in the distance, and Wells had a "W." I couldn't help but chuckle as I passed through Battle Mountain.

I stopped in Elko for a sanity break and in Winnemucca for non-fast food but couldn't find any. Winnemucca has the most amazing setting--it's essentially right along the snow line between two sets of peaks. But the town was just depressing--it's a pseudo-halfway point between Salt Lake and Reno, so it's pretty much a truck stop with lots of motels.

I got back on the road, and as I made my way towards Reno, I noticed hundreds of roadside graffiti made out of rocks--people had stopped along the highway, collected rocks, and spelled out their names, their frat letters, and their professions of love. Too bad no one took into account the need to elongate the letters for optimal perception from the highway--it was pretty difficult to make out the messages unless they were on a small upslope.


I made it to Reno, and after checking into my luxurious accommodations (read: Rodeway Motel), I found that there were zero non-fast-food restaurants in the vicinity. So I hit the bottle. I love beer, especially when it's sold at a gas station. I then found out that the "free wireless internet" advertised on-line was limited to the lobby, which closed at 10PM and does not permit alcohol. So I am presently sitting in my car outside the lobby, surfing the net and drinking beer. I just hope I get a ticket for BWI.

Tomorrow I go to Cali!