Mile High

I woke up and prepared for the relatively short ride to Salt Lake City (SLC). I knew I needed to be on the road no later than 1000 which meant less time with my friends than I would have liked. While I was loading the bike up my friend pointed out a flying object in the sky.

It appears to be the B-2 Spirit? Anyone more familiar with (military) aircraft? They also mentioned it was unfortunate I could not stay an additional day to see the Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds will be performing for the Air Force Academy Class of 2021. I hit the road around my anticipated time and hit I-25 towards Denver (moniker Mile High City). Having visited Denver in the past I did not make any stops this trip because of my timeline.

I was fortunate because I did not encounter any traffic until I was near Colorado State University (the top search result for "CSU"...versus this CSU). I also noticed Hardee's is back to being Carl's Jr in Colorado. I know I am nearing home when I see the name Carl's Jr. As I passed through some of the surrounding cities I called another friend to see if they had lunch availability. They were unable to make lunch, but we spent some time catching up on the phone until I eventually lost service somewhere on US 287.

Do you recall a comment I made about the lack of call boxes? Well I finally found another call box on US 287 where it meets Red Mountain Granite Canyon Road. I do not know if it works but it certainly exists. This stretch of US 287 seemed to be mostly ranch(es) or nothing. I could not complain (yet) because it was a beautiful day with an acceptable temperature. I continued on US 287 until I finally made it to Wyoming.

Another state to add to my visited list. Once I was a little further into Wyoming the temperature dropped and it was windier. Did I make a mistake? Should I have turned back after crossing the state line for my photo op? I went on towards Laramie, WY and I stopped for lunch at Mr. Bill's Burgers. I try to support local establishments when I remember and it is possible. Mr. Bill's Burgers claims to be 100% Wyoming beef. I only ordered a bacon cheeseburger and fries (which hit the spot) since I still had a decent amount of hours until SLC. I did see a couple of long trains which is always a welcome sight if you are not having to wait at a railroad crossing. I went to the gasoline station next door and while I was filling up watched a vehicle behind me keep moving their vehicle. I could not figure out what they were doing until they were positioned awkwardly. The person exited the vehicle and pointed out to me the pump locations were very close which explained their erratic behavior. I filled up on gasoline and was on my way again.

I was now on I-80 and I would be for quite some time. The temperature had dropped a bit again so I was on the hunt for the nearest rest area. I eventually saw a sign for one so I went towards it; however, it was not just a pit stop like most rest stops. It required getting over the river and through the woods completely off the interstate which irked me but I really wanted to add another layer. The rest stop was Wagonhound Rest Area which did have a nice view (see banner image). If I remember correctly this was the last proper rest area. The other rest areas just a parking pullout pit stop as expected but sans washrooms, so plan accordingly.

When I was back on the interstate the digital boards over the lanes displayed a (frightening) warning message about 40+ mph wind gusts. It did not seem as bad as Kansas or Colorado, but I was concerned. I put on my hazards and continued as there are not a lot of places to stop at (Wyoming is second only to Alaska in population density). I had a friend check the potential dangers of the gusts warning while motorcycling. It did not bode well but I am here typing so you know it did not get me, yet. I was still a little cold even with the additional layer as the temperature did not break 60 degrees Fahrenheit most of the way. I had hoped to see this stretch of highway now known as Highway to Heaven. I think I missed it. All along the way I saw billboards for an ice cream cone under a dollar at Little America. I did not stop for ice cream because that would mean removing the helmet. Yes, I am that lazy.

I was sad to see signs at multiple junctions on the highway leading towards Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. I had initially planned to visit the parks for at least a day, but I cut it before the start of the trip. I was told it could be its own vacation so I did not want to rush the experience. The parks will likely always be there until Yellowstone decides to erupt, at that point there will be bigger issues. Until it does erupt (geological time is fun) I will plan for a visit in the future.

I eventually made it to state line and into Utah. It was a fun cruise descending down the highway into SLC. While I was cruising I used the opportunity to catch up with another friend on life and things. Once I made it into the city I used the GPS to locate lodging. The first establishment I stopped at did not have any rooms available. It was not that big of a deal though because all of the lodging options seemed to be clumped up in the same general area. I got back on the bike and went to another location nearby basically next door.

I settled at Hampton Inn & Suites Salt Lake City Airport for the evening due to availability. There may have been other locations with a potentially lower rate, but I had been on the road for (10.5) ten and a half hours so I settled here. I spoke briefly with the staff and I asked if I could keep the bike somewhere near the entrance. If only I could roll it into the room. They were happy to oblige and without me prompting looked into first floor accommodations. I was now set with a room and my bike was near the entrance. We chatted briefly about the I-80 and they mentioned their (unfortunate) familiarity with it due to their former life. It was one of their routine routes when they were a trucker. I grabbed a luggage cart to bring everything into the room for the night. It somehow seemed there was a lot more I had packed or I am delusional now after a month on the road. I opened the bags I needed and this time there was no system for placement. Everything just scattered across the floor near the entrance. I was tired and I just wanted to clean up for the night to prepare for the next day.

After I cleaned up for the night I started working on this post until my body shutdown...