“If you are driving back, you should not miss southern Utah”, I was told more than two months ago, I am glad I listened to that advice, yesterday drive was incredible throughout the day, with the help of some luck.
Las Vegas’ strip in the morning is like a half empty glass of wiskey looked with hangover eyes, it is hard to look at it. The huge clown of the Circus hotel looks too big and the colourful neonlights structures are dwarfed by the desert sun. One rather hit the road and get away.
However if you want to stop there is no much around, industrial plants for the estraction of minerals, cement from the mountains sides. With some luck, and the help of a sign, GOOD FOOD, I find a diner in a god forsaken place called Ely, near a phantom place called Glendale. It is a diner, like the one you would see in a road movie. Entering it is like entering in a movie set, the blonde, once upon a time pretty waitress behind the counter, the other, stouter, one that only smiles to regular customers, who are mostly large men. Two huge tv screens showing golf and a reality are the vivid reminder that you are indeed in reality. They would not be there if you were in a movie. The diner offer a meat-lover menu. The big-boy breakfast includes a ½ pound ham steak, scary.
The highway 15 is a beautiful ride, but when I leave it to get towards the national park the scenery becomes amazing. The layered rock formations are all red in the great majority, but also white, grey, and white. However, within the desert there is a small river, the river Virgin, which allows for agriculture and farming. John Smith the prophet and founder of the Mormons had pointed to Utah as the promised land and a good section of the population in this area are Mormons.
In spite of this the National Park is called Zion, it is beautiful with its coloured mountains and its rivers. Exiting it means changing shape of desert yet another time, this time is more of a western tipe with large plain and at the bottom this large flat hills.
Driving with the evening sun behind you means having a good lighting of the landscape. Between Salina and Green River on the I-70 there are 110 miles without services, without a town, only the occasional ranch. It is the kind of place where god may give signs: It starts to rain, and a rainbow appear. Driving for about one hour with a rainbow, a full one, in front of you, and driving in the middle of it, in the rain, and lightning in the far back, I do not know why but is a filling experience.
Las Vegas’ strip in the morning is like a half empty glass of wiskey looked with hangover eyes, it is hard to look at it. The huge clown of the Circus hotel looks too big and the colourful neonlights structures are dwarfed by the desert sun. One rather hit the road and get away.
However if you want to stop there is no much around, industrial plants for the estraction of minerals, cement from the mountains sides. With some luck, and the help of a sign, GOOD FOOD, I find a diner in a god forsaken place called Ely, near a phantom place called Glendale. It is a diner, like the one you would see in a road movie. Entering it is like entering in a movie set, the blonde, once upon a time pretty waitress behind the counter, the other, stouter, one that only smiles to regular customers, who are mostly large men. Two huge tv screens showing golf and a reality are the vivid reminder that you are indeed in reality. They would not be there if you were in a movie. The diner offer a meat-lover menu. The big-boy breakfast includes a ½ pound ham steak, scary.
The highway 15 is a beautiful ride, but when I leave it to get towards the national park the scenery becomes amazing. The layered rock formations are all red in the great majority, but also white, grey, and white. However, within the desert there is a small river, the river Virgin, which allows for agriculture and farming. John Smith the prophet and founder of the Mormons had pointed to Utah as the promised land and a good section of the population in this area are Mormons.
In spite of this the National Park is called Zion, it is beautiful with its coloured mountains and its rivers. Exiting it means changing shape of desert yet another time, this time is more of a western tipe with large plain and at the bottom this large flat hills.
Driving with the evening sun behind you means having a good lighting of the landscape. Between Salina and Green River on the I-70 there are 110 miles without services, without a town, only the occasional ranch. It is the kind of place where god may give signs: It starts to rain, and a rainbow appear. Driving for about one hour with a rainbow, a full one, in front of you, and driving in the middle of it, in the rain, and lightning in the far back, I do not know why but is a filling experience.
The evening is spent in Green River.
Davide, e strepitoso come viaggio! enjoy enjoy e enjoy! prends en plein les yeux pour nous aussi.
ReplyDeletebacio caro
Hi Davide. These are beautiful pictures. I'm glad you're back in vaquero mode. Hope you wept by the Virgin River for those of us stuck back here in LA traffic--Carolie
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful rainbow :-)
ReplyDelete