Re: Travels with Stella! 2 A Great American Ride--Out West
Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:01 pm
It became time to leave southern Utah. There was one site I had planned on visiting, but didn't and that was Zion. Just didn't have time, and, when I was at Bryce I was parked next to a guy who had ridden from Ontario on his FJR. We talked and he said he had been to Zion the day before and it was over 100 degrees. At the same time it was in the low 70s at Bryce. So, I leave Zion for another time and head up US 89 toward the north east. 89 is an interesting road, very scenic and passing through semi abandoned towns. I have a good friend who loves to photograph abandoned houses and she would really spend some time here, I know, but again it was time to move.
I remember a particular town just south of Marysvale that looked like an abandoned movie set, houses, old storefronts, overgrown gas stations with Regular at 102.9. I should've stopped.
But 89 brings me to some small very living towns also, including Ephraim with The Satisfied Ewe diner where I had a humongous chili burger because it was 11:10 and breakfast was not served after 11 and 16 year old Sarah who would be a junior next year, and didn't really have any college plans except for wanting to go "east," and was spending her first day of summer working the counter at the Ewe would not break any rules, especially those hard and fast rules about the proper time for breakfast and the proper time for lunch. So, it was a chili burger, and coffee.
Riding from Ephraim I happen onto this area
riding up 89 to 31 to 264 to 96 it puts me there
big coal mines here, but mostly wild beautiful scenery and wonderful roads, though around the staging areas for the coal depots it was a little slippery.
The red rocks are gone. Eventually I pull into Duchesne and camp at nearby Starvation State Park, yes, Starvation. Don't know the history here, but I was the only one and pitched the tent overlooking a lake.
That evening I remember waking during the night and looking outside and seeing the summer Milky Way a glistening stripe overhead.
Next morning, rising and shining, shoving instant oatmeal down the gullet, drinking very hot too strong coffee, I am on my way and will this afternoon hit Wyoming, and back into Utah and back into Wyoming and then Idaho for a while along Bear Lake, just to say I've been there, and then back into Wyoming.
and stopping for the evening in Thayne, Wyoming, there being no campground I could find in Smoot, Wyoming
I remember a particular town just south of Marysvale that looked like an abandoned movie set, houses, old storefronts, overgrown gas stations with Regular at 102.9. I should've stopped.
But 89 brings me to some small very living towns also, including Ephraim with The Satisfied Ewe diner where I had a humongous chili burger because it was 11:10 and breakfast was not served after 11 and 16 year old Sarah who would be a junior next year, and didn't really have any college plans except for wanting to go "east," and was spending her first day of summer working the counter at the Ewe would not break any rules, especially those hard and fast rules about the proper time for breakfast and the proper time for lunch. So, it was a chili burger, and coffee.
Riding from Ephraim I happen onto this area
riding up 89 to 31 to 264 to 96 it puts me there
big coal mines here, but mostly wild beautiful scenery and wonderful roads, though around the staging areas for the coal depots it was a little slippery.
The red rocks are gone. Eventually I pull into Duchesne and camp at nearby Starvation State Park, yes, Starvation. Don't know the history here, but I was the only one and pitched the tent overlooking a lake.
That evening I remember waking during the night and looking outside and seeing the summer Milky Way a glistening stripe overhead.
Next morning, rising and shining, shoving instant oatmeal down the gullet, drinking very hot too strong coffee, I am on my way and will this afternoon hit Wyoming, and back into Utah and back into Wyoming and then Idaho for a while along Bear Lake, just to say I've been there, and then back into Wyoming.
and stopping for the evening in Thayne, Wyoming, there being no campground I could find in Smoot, Wyoming