Today I headed south on 89 and then west on 9 to pass through what must be one of the absolute wonders of the natural world, Zion National Park. With the government impasse the park was officially closed, which meant that (a) I didn't need to pay the usual $25 entry fee and (b) they had roped off a lot of the roadside pullout zones. Although the former point was appreciated (even if I would've happily paid the fee to support the park), the latter meant that the multitude of tourists had nowhere to go to safely stop and take pictures -- which meant that the park was an absolute circus, with people stopping mid-road, pulling into traffic without looking, and u-turning without warning.
As I entered the park on the red-paved roads, I pulled over to take a picture -- only to find that my camera battery was dead (even though it showed a decent level of charge last night). As were my two cellphones. So, no I have no pictures of what was surely the scenic highlight of the trip. So, I'll have to go back -- anyone care to come along? The scenery is beyond all expectations here, as grand in scale as Yosemite but with much more color, detail, and texture. Each turn of the (very) windy road reveals a new landscape more breathtaking than the last.
After Zion it's difficult to be impressed, but the rest of the day was also beautiful -- south on Interstate 15 to join Route 18 northbound, then west on Utah 56 to Nevada 319. Turning south and west on Nevada 93 brought me to Nevada 375, known as "The Extraterrestrial Highway", so named because it is near the famed "Area 51". Now known (and only recently acknowledged by the US Government) as Groom Lake, this USAF base is believed to have been home to the U2, SR-71/A-12, and F-117 stealth fighter programs; today, the unmanned drones used in combat operations are apparently piloted from there. Sadly, I made no aircraft sightings, despite numerous "Low-Flying Aircraft" signs.
Although I often give Nevada little credit, the route really was beautiful: high desert scrub, with eroded sandstone mountains and the occasional Joshua Tree forest. The Extraterrestrial Highway joined with Highway 6, which brought me to Tonopah. I've stopped here for the night -- a bit shy of my goal (California!), but I didn't relish driving for another hour or two into the sun as the deer started their evening movement. Only the very long stretches of construction (and associated loose
gravel - rather nerve-wracking on a motorcycle), the free-ranging
cattle, the blustery crosswinds, and the afternoon sun beating directly
into my eyes detracted from the drive through Nevada. (Hmm. That's a pretty long list, but the ride was
very good.)
My camera and cellphone batteries are on charge, and so I should have pictures to share again tomorrow. Now to decide which route to take west through the Sierras...
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