Montana Trip - Day 9

[awake early (0530), but managed to get some more sleep before finally getting out of bed at 0815L - got on the road as soon as I could after that - drove north on I-15 all the way to UT-83 - realized after I passed Corinne that there wasn't going to be any fuel for a very long time (thank goodness I had enough...) - found Golden Spike National Historic Site - very interesting: just as I arrived they were demoing old locomotive procedures - trains parked where the golden spike was driven on May 10, 1869 - watched movie, toured museum - would have continued across the desert on the old railroad bed (to see the Bonneville Salt Flats), but didn't have enough gas... - drove back to UT-83 - stopped at ATK site (old Thiokol) to see "rocket garden" - back on UT-83 and took it as far as West Faust Valley Road (W 11200 N), then east towards Tremonton - got on I-84 and drove south, intercepting I-15 - got gas at Brigham City and then had lunch at Hunan Village (mmm...) - still undecided about what to do next (tired, wanted to go back to room to relax - but can do that any time...) - took US-89 south, stopping to mail a post-card - got on I-15 and drove to Salt Lake City - got off a little north town and followed railroad tracks into town (ended up back on 600N Street) - drove east up "capitol hill" - pretty - stopped for a short time at Brigham Young Heritage Park - then drove around the campus of University of Utah - turned onto Emigration Canyon Road (Burrs Lane) - found "This is the Place Heritage Park" - nice views of the city and, clearly, a nice place to walk around with the kids (and learn more about pioneer life) - didn't stay too long - instead, continued into the Wasatch Mountains through Emigration Canyon - turned south at UT-65 and got on I-80 (east) - exited at UT-224 and drove up to Park City - found free parking - walked around for over an hour, enjoying the unique stores and the Park Silly Sunday Market - wanted some ice cream, but things were closing up quickly - on the way back down the mountain, visited the site of some of the 2002 Olympic Games events - got back on I-80 (west) around 1830L - decided to check out the Great Salt Lake - using I-80, found a few good places to view it (beaches, building from movie, etc.) - there is clearly more water in the lake than when my Atlas was produced... - turned around at [exit 88] (photographed salt flats along highway) - found exit for the Great Salt Lake State Park (it was just closing, 1900L) - still able to drive along the edge for a while - got back on I-80, used I-215, Legacy Parkway and US-89 to get back to UT-193 - drove back to Hill AFB - drove down Hill Field Road until I found a little Greek restaurant - had a nice kebab, rice, salad, potatoes and gyro meat and a great conversation with the cook (he said no one had been in all evening) - interesting kid (from Hillsboro!) - finished dinner just as he was closing (2100L) - back to room - laundry, photos, journal, expenses until late (0100)...]