Day Eight - Through to northeastern Utah

Today was a day of contrasts. On the motorcycle in the mid morning (have to take time at my campsite to juice my breakfast and pack up the camping tent), I made a quick stop at a sporting super store to pick up some fuel for my camp stove.

The contrast left me shaking my head. Here's this sporting goods store perched on the edge of the spectacular Snake River canyon. Such natural beauty is part of the western landscape, and yet here is this shopping center literally sitting on its edge.

So one walks to the edge of the parking lot and sees this:

And I back up into the parking lot and step to the other side of the motorcycle and take this image:

And you can see that the parking lot is on the EDGE of this gorgeous vista. Now I walk around to the other side of the motorcycle and take THIS image:

Can you imagine working with that view at your front door? For this Californian, who sees natural beauty like this tucked away in the mountains or at least a good drive from my door, this travesty is hard to comprehend.

Back on the road after that quick stop (the light was too flat to paint that vista), I headed south and east to Utah. Coming into the Salt Lake watershed, I could easily see why Brigham Young was enamored with the potential of making this area's natural resources available for his following. But Salt Lake City is no draw for me (pun!!), and I headed around the city and up into the mountains, stopping for the night at Heber City. I found a nice RV park, and set up my camp surrounded by huge homes on wheels, feeling as though they were looking down their noses at me. However, I know that when it is all said and done, my expenses will be far less than theirs! Rather than sit around watching cable, I'd rather be out EXPERIENCING this wonderful world. And I sure did...

The wind was blowing, a storm moving in, and I was rained on during the night, snug in my tent. Tomorrow, east over the Rockies to visit my long-time friend in Colorado Springs.

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