Due West

Though so beautiful, I left Wyoming a day earlier than planned due to the fact that I wasn't feeling so great. Incredibly road weary at this point. And physically weary as well. Thanks to Airborne and/or Zicam, as well as my own forethought to pack such items, I staved off a cold and was able to enjoy the last leg of my adventure to its fullest.

First stop, Salt Lake City. Learned some more about Mormons. I wasn't aware how integral they were both to westward expansion and the development of the transcontinental railroad. AND when they headed west they did so mostly by hand-cart. No horses or covered wagons. Say what you will about the Mormons, those folks are hard-core. Loaded up their stuff and PULLED it across the country. I keep getting out adventured. The Cancun 10 are... well in Cancun. The Guiri is walking across Spain as we speak. And now the Mormons... So they get to Utah and say, yup, this'll do. And built this:
Didn't get much of the history of the building. Apparently I missed out not touring the Tabernacle, but it was hot as balls and I felt like ass so I continued on until I got to the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Walked on it barefoot. It was crunchy. And salty. Very weird. Like nothing I'd ever seen. Also the site of the World Land-Speed Record Runs. Speaking of Utah, who's in next summer for camping in Southern Utah? Supposed to be amazing. Anyone?

Since you asked, the opposite of Yellowstone is this:
Sexy boy texted to remind me to have a beer in Utah. Missed it by about a mile, but stopped here for one anyway because, well, beer is nearly always the answer. Talk about culture shock. Lost 20 bucks. By the way, traveling hint: If you find yourself in Elko, Nevada, keep driving.

One day later I found myself here:
My hometown! First time since Tucson that anything looked familiar. I could finally abandon my GPS and my maps. Of course, this did not mean the adventure was over. It began with a hometown sunrise:
I grew up with this. Be jealous.

Then Bird and I did something I had never done before, despite growing up here. We drove all the way around the lake, stopping to eat and gamble and see the Nevada state capitol. Bird won $150 on nickel slots. I lost another $20. It was great fun. See:

Then we did something we had both done many many MANY times. Tahoe City pub crawl. Oh what a night. Specific details cannot be publicly revealed, but I'll share a couple pics:

The following night we saw English Beat at Truckee Regional Park. One of the coolest venues to see a show that I've ever experienced. The band was awesome. We danced for hours. Such a good time. Ben and Joe, you guys totally missed out.

And now I am home. Sitting in MY coffee shop, about to go to MY apartment, spank MY kitty and sleep in MY bed. For my next entry I will be including stats, best of's and worst of's for the whole adventure. Any suggestions? i.e. Best Rest Stop, Worst Chiggers, etc.