Westward-Ho!

We've completed the hardest portion of our journey, traveling across Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, ending in Fallon, NV at the Navy Air Station, the home of the Top Gun Flight School. We are enjoying a second day of rest here at quarters on base. Yesterday we participated in the 4th of July Parade in Fallon and were again greeted by cheering and flag waving crowds. The population in the whole county is 28,000 and we think most of them were lining the streets. We watched fireworks shot from Rattlesnake Mountain last night and thought of all of you celebrating with families back home. It was cool enough for a jacket on the desert.

We left Green River, WY in the high mountain desert on Wed., July 1. We stopped for re-dedication ceremonies of the Black and Orange motor court (originial to the Lincoln Highway) at Fort Bridger State Park. We were greeted by mounted Sheriff's Deputies as we approached the town. We traveled on to Evanston and enjoyed one of our most unique settings for lunch. The town had refurbished and repurposed the railroad machine shop for use as a community center, and the town hosts many events now in the building. Note the beautiful wooden doors in the picture that opened for the trains to enter.

The drive into Murray, UT was a slow descent into the Great Salt Lake Basin. All afternoon we came down through an immense, green canyon into the traffic of the city, heading for Murray, UT. Thank goodness for excellent police and UDOT escorts.

The next morning, the convoy departed for Dugway Proving Ground (DPG) in western UT. The convoy had lunch at the military compound headquarters and then stopped for pictures at a bridge built by the 1919 convoy engineers. Then the real test began...the convoy exited the DPG and started for Ely, NV via 100 miles plus of gravel, dirt, dust, rain, mountain lightening, and mud. Along the route were monuments to the Pony Express, ruts from the stagecoach era, and steep grades on slick, muddy roads. The convoy that left Murray in no way resembled the group that rolled into Ely at 10 pm that night! The guys were cold, wet, and exhausted but exhilerated by the adventure of the day. Den, being the last in the convoy, experienced the worst of the road conditions. Mud was caked 3" deep in some places on Jezebel. The convoy experienced only one breakdown within one mile of the paved road into Ely. Rather than fix that jeep, the maintenance team loaded it onto a muddy trailer in the dark, and drove the last 2 hours during storms. Our hosts held dinner and served the guys a seated, hot meal when they got in, complete with door prizes! And what did Marilyn do that day? I traveled west on paved roads with some of the chase vehicles, skirting the Great Salt Lake. We stopped to take pictures at the Bonneville Salt flats, had lunch at the first casino in Nevada, and checked into our rooms at a historic Western hotel in Ely - it was a tough day! Then we watched the sky turn dark and paced for 4 hours until the convoy appeared - thankful that all came in safely.

Friday, July 3, was clear and crisp in Ely and the 260-mile drive to Fallon proved far easier than anticipated. The high mountain summits and views of the valleys below were so beautiful as we descended into the desert again across the "Loneliest Highway in America."

Being quartered on a military base over the 4th of July weekend, we are reminded that the price of freedom is not free. Happy Birthday, America!

We miss all of you, Marilyn and Dennis