DAY 6 cont. - Utah and Idaho

Here we are on day 6 headed north.  We've already traveled through Arizona and Nevada.  The goal is Idaho Falls.  Can we make it in a day?

If you could zoom in on the green sign, it says "Utah State Line".  Yes we are almost in Utah, yea!

St. George

Of course, if you are coming up I-15 in Utah you have to stop at St. George.  The town is great and the temple is magnificent.  I have always loved the St. George temple.  Built by early pioneers, this was the first working temple in Utah.  (Correct me if I am wrong.)  I know that my own ancestors traveled there - it is written in their journals.  What a peaceful and serene place!

One last look and we're on the road again.  Our goal is Idaho Falls, so no stops are planned from here on out.  For the next few hours we see lots of red rock mountains and desert.

At this point I drove for awhile. It was getting dark by the time we rounded the mountain and looked over the valley at Nephi.  I was overwhelmed at the vast expanse of city lights before me.  Little Nephi was a huge metropolis!  Now granted, it has been many years since I've gone this way, but still it was the most astonishing sight.  Absolutely incredible!  From Nephi, there were solid city lights all the way up I-15, through "Happy Valley" and the Salt Lake valley all the way to Brigham City.  The lights twinkled everywhere.  The only dark spots were the lakes and tops of the mountains.  Those dark spots seemed all the more spooky, too.  It felt like they could reach out and swallow you up.  But they were far away.  Between the freeway and the dark were millions of lights going on and on and on....

And the freeway construction!!!!  Well don't get me started on that.  I'll bet the natives are real tired of it.  New lanes and exits and on ramps and walls.  Just not the same old place anymore!

I finally pooped out as we passed Brigham City.  At that point Jeff took over the wheel and took us into Idaho.

IDAHO

We had to make it to Idaho Falls before Jeffrey headed for home (Rolla, Missouri).  He had been doing an internship at Idaho National Laboratories and was only there for another day and a half.  Jeff drove through the night, watching for deer in the road and enjoying the silence and peace of true wilderness.  There were very few lights here.  At some point I dosed off.  We finally arrived at Jeffrey's apartment at 3am and slept in the car till morning broke.

End of day 6