Thursday September 21 Into Wyoming, Flaming Gorge and Little America

Heading north from Vernal, Rt 191 passes through spectacular rock formations. We came across a HUGE phosphorus mining operation, owned by Simplot, which provided a good example of restoration/reclamation. Much of the time was over 8000'. There's a surprising lack of fall colors among the "quakies". Hard to believe we're too early?

Our first stop was the visitor center at the Flaming Gorge Dam. Then back around the west side of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and couple of spectacular overviews, from really high up.

As we go north, there's an amazing transformation of the landscape, from red rock cliffs to rolling hills then desolate nothingness as we get into Green River. We pick up I-80 and go about 20 miles west to Little America, where we check into the LA Hotel. The weather has become cold, windy and threatening.

The Little America Motel is a historic place, built in 1952ish before I-80, but when the route of the future highway was known. Its the old US 30, the oldest cross country highway, this section known as The Lincoln Highway. (Little America is a group of hotels, including Sun Valley Resort, owned by the family of  Robert Holdings who made his millions as owner of the Sinclair Oil Co.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_America_Hotels_%26_Resorts#bodyContent

Dinner in the motel dining room, including the largest portion of meat loaf we'd even seen!

On to Pocatello tomorrow.

Dam