Into the Great Wide Open

SLC - the Latter Day Saints' ("mormon") headquarters - has become a much more attractive city with high-rises, shopping centers, theaters and culinary infrastructure in the last couple of years. We've been to SLC quite frequently in the past and therefore our first stop this morning was Eva's (French) Bakery in downtown, for breakfast, to refuel and wake up. On to the Cherry Creek Shopping Center passing by the walled-in Mormon headquarters with the huge cathedral and the Tabernacle (where the famous choir performs). On to a bookstore in Trolley Square - great historic architecture transformed into a Shopping/Entertainment Center - to buy some literature before we headed out to the cowboy country.

Downtown SLC, a mural there and winter sports sculptures in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center:


Trolley Square and Weller bookstore, a paradise for book lovers!

All the way straight on, 3.5 hours with a break, on Interstate Hwy. 80 - cloudy with some sun, around 40 deg. F. - wide open land, sparsely populated! We passed the Big Salt Lake and Bonneville Salt Flats, a dessert-like area of sand, salt and water (on the pic below reflection of the water). It's known for land speed records on the "Bonneville Speedway", a race track.

Wendover(UT) and West Wendover (NV) are divided by the Utah-Nevada border and, of course, casinos are on the Nevada side. Wendover Will, a 63 ft (over 20 m) high cowboy still greets people "where the west begins."
Passing Silverzone Pass (5,000 ft) and Pequop Pass (7,000 ft) with blowing snow but clear roads before heading down towards Elko, passing Beverly Hills (!) and the gorgeous Ruby Mountains (pic). Wish we could once visit in summer and enjoy the hiking and fishing there!

Around 3 pm we arrived to Elko, NV, population about 20,000, picked up our media passes at the Western Folklife Center in the historic Pioneer Hotel (left picture), saw the first cowboy poets in the 3G Bar, went for a downtown "check-out walk"(pics below), followed by grocery shopping at Albertsons for basic provisions before checking in the Red Lion Hotel & Casino, our "home" for five nights. Got a clean and roomy, pleasantly furnished and nicely equipped room with fridge, microwave, balcony (= window to open!) and bathtub! What else could we wish?

Elko's main street with famous Capriola's (tackle, saddles, leather stuff) and a mural showing the rich Basque heritage: