Day 3: Great Basin NP to Twin Falls, ID
July 9th, 2007
Today didn’t start as early as we probably would have liked but we were in the car by 8am. This is pretty good considering how tired we both were. We filled up in Baker again and headed for Golden Spike NHS, which is located on the northern edge of Great Salt Lake near Promatory, UT. Unfortunately in order to get to Golden Spike we had to drive on the “loneliest road in America” but only for a short period. This road could also be called “lots of dead deer” road. When we finally arrived at Golden Spike we were disappointed to see that they had already started pulling the engines apart so we missed out of the famous picture of the engines touching where the last spike was driven in, completing the transcontinental railroad.
NOTE: It is always disturbing when you see man made things that destroy the area around protected sites. Golden Spike is not immune. On the way into the NHS, we couldn’t help but see the gravel quarry. It completely mars the landscape and is very out of place. Scott plans on making a formal complaint.
At Golden Spike NHS, we had the opportunity to see where the golden spike was driven into the railroad. Unfortunately there is not golden spike there now. It is commemorated with a plaque. But the essence of what it meant to the westward expansion of this country is still achieved. This was a very important part of the history of the US, whether welcomed or not.
After a quick tun on the east leg of the auto tour, we left Golden Spike and made our way to City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho. As we attempted to get on I-84, we almost got t-boned by a guy in an RV (damn RVers) who never even looked right as he started across the road form the off ramp. Luckily Scott has really good reflexes and we live to tell the story. Not far up the interstate from Golden Spike there is a display of missiles which Scott found necessary to stop at so we did.
City of Rocks visitor center was closed by the time we arrived but we opted to take the drive through the reserve anyway. NOTE: we missed out on getting ourpassport stamp so we’ll have to send for it. The drive was all right. Nothing really spectacular. We have to give them credit as there were a ton of campsites. It is obvious that this location is used for car camping and rock climbing. Kim did not really get the “city of rocks” idea but then again she wasn’t traveling this country in a wagon train either. We found the drive frustrating as there were no descriptive signs at any of the stops so you just kind of guessed as to the significance. We managed, mainly due to Kim’s error in reading the park map, to miss Register Rock, where it would appear emigrants engraved their names as they made their way west. While that was a bummer, we are glad we can mark this site off our lists of places and never have to come back.
We got into Twin Falls, ID around 10:30pm. After checking into our hotel, which by the way has its own cat named Bo that likes to hang out in the lobby, we headed to Shari’s for a late dinner. While the food was good, albeit expensive, the atmosphere of having a quiet, relaxing dinner was spoiled by a group of obnoxious teens who appeared to feel they owned the restaurant.
At 1am we are still awake. Scott has sore leg muscles which required use of IcyHot and Kim needed sunburn relief after a fiasco the other day at Great Basin in which she managed to get a sunburn even though she wore sunblock. Never before did she have a hand print on her arm. But the best thing of all, even though we’re still awake, is that we finally got to take a shower! Showers are not overrated!!!