Saturday, July 1, 2006 - Cedar City, Utah (The Great Basin National Park)

Today we got up early and drove to the Great Basin National Park in Nevada. This is the furthest point west of our trip. The drive was one hundred twenty miles. About half way to the Great Basin, the terrain changed. We drove over several mountain passes that were separated by wide, flat plains that dipped down and back up again. It is hard to describe, but the vegetation changed as the elevation dropped and it seemed as if these were areas formed by stretching and pulling apart, somewhat like rift valleys. The beauty of this area is a result of natural formations, total isolation, and an enormous sky from horizon to horizon. The ride back was even more stunning, with different sun angles. In the valleys, there were shadows, different colors of green and earth colors and rain in some parts of the sky. Part of the enjoyment of this particular ride was thinking of Sue's dad, Bill, and how much he loved the history and legacy of the west. We both talked about how much he would have enjoyed this trip that we are taking, especially this area of the country. Bob has been surprised and pleased about how much he likes Utah.

Just before we arrived at The Great Basin, we passed through a small town with one unattended gas station, a restaurant, and several shops. The approach to the park was a steep grade upward and we reached the visitors center at 6,825 feet. The park is representative of a larger geographical area that includes parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Washington and a little bit of Idaho. The great basin area is unique in that any water collected here has no outlet to the ocean. Water collects in salt lakes, marshes and mud flats. It then evaporates in dry dessert air.

We decided to have lunch in the cafe and then take a sixty minute tour of Lehman Cave. This underground cave extends a quarter mile into limestone and marble layers. After the tour, we took a drive up to the higher elevations of the park. The highest point is 10,000 feet. The road is a steep, winding road with no shoulder or guard rail. Bob has a small problem with heights and decided to turn around at on overlook around 8,500 feet.

On our return, we stopped at a site near Cedar City that had ancient petroglyphs. These markings on rocks were made by ancient people and their meanings are unknown. They are carved on rock formations and are found throughout this part of the southwest. We toured the relics and took some pictures. We returned to the KOA in Cedar City for dinner.