June 6 to June 23. 2015

Since my last post we have done a lot.   We spent a couple of nights at Valley of Five State Park in southern Nevada.  Lots of red rock formations, we were parked in the middle of them.  From Valley of Fire we drove to the Hoover dam and Lake Meade.  Our next destination was Beatty, Nv.  On the way we stopped for lunch and fuel and unhooked the car and drove the 'strip' through Las Vegas.  Muriel was disappointed that she did not get to pull the handle on any slots.
From Beatty we spent a day touring Death Valley.  We went to the lowest point, 282 feet below sea level and walked out on the salt flats.
Our next stop was Lee Vining, Calif.  From there we drove into Yosemite National Park.  This was the most beautiful spot we have seen.  We walked among the giant Sequoia trees and saw the best water falls we have ever seen.  Muriel and I happened upon a small lake back several miles on dirt roads in the park.  Saddlebag Lake was at 10,000 elevation and had been frozen over just a week before.  They ferry backpackers out to trail heads on the far end of the lake.  Muriel and I got to ride the ferry, a pontoon boat, out to pick-up a family from their hike.
From Lee Vining we drove to Carson City, Nv just for a stop-over.  We found the city, the capitol of Nevada, so interesting we spent several nights and also drove to Lake Tahoe.  There was a very nice railroad museum at Carson City.
Our next stop was Elko, Nv.  Again just intended as a stop over but we spent a couple on nights.  The California Train Interpretive Center was very well done and Muriel and I both were quite moved by the presentation and explanation of the hardships endured by the people traveling the trail.
Next stop, Salt Lake City, Ut.
We traveled Interstate ?  along side the Bonneville Salt Flats on the way to SLC.   We toured around the Mormon churches and temples and the state capitol.  Our tour of the Confrence center, guided by a young man of the church was very informative.
On Sunday morning we got to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  Later that day we drove to Antelope Island, the largest island in the Great Salt Lake.  The island is 15 miles by 5 miles.  We got to view deer, a coyote, and numerous bison. The old homestead on the island is now open to viewing by visitors.
Next stop,  Blackfoot, Id.  I wanted to stop here because several years ago when Bay State negotiated to buy a flour mill at Blackfoot I through my name in the pot to go there to manage the plant.  We just drove by, it is a very nice looking, new plant.  We visited the Idaho potato museum in Blackfoot and learned that there is quite a bit involved in raising good quality potatoes.
Today we moved on Irwin, Id.  From here we will visit Jackson, Wy and Great Tetons National Park
for the next several days.