On the Road again..Part 1

After a great summer in CA, it was time to hit the road again to Michigan. This time, we decided to give it a week, taking small detours whenever possible, and do a relaxing sightseeing trip unlike last time.

Day 1: California

After a hot traditional south Indian breakfast, we bid farewell to California and set out on our journey. We stopped at the famous Livermore temple on the way to Lake Tahoe.

I heard about it a lot from my friends, but never got a chance to visit before. After a delicious ‘Prasad’ meal, we reached the crowded South Lake Tahoe by late afternoon. From the Emerald Bay overlook, Lake Tahoe with Fannette Island resembled the Crater Lake(with Wizard island) except for the green hue. 

We followed Vikingsholm trail down to the lake and the Vikingsholm Castle, one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in North America. We walked along Rubicon trail to the boat camp and pier from where we could see distant glimpse of Eagle falls. 

Being a Saturday, the hotels were full and sadly, we had to drive to Carson city for the night.

Day 2: Nevada

The day started in the quiet downtown of Carson City, we strolled near the State Capitol and other state buildings taking pictures. 

At Reno, we checked out the casinos each with its own theme and grandeur, but the best part was the champagne lunch buffet at Eldorado thanks to yelp. 

After such a heavy lunch, it was challenging to drive and I was so jealous of Rama enjoying his Siesta. Finally the sight of Bonneville flats was very welcoming and we reached SLC, late in the night.

Day 3: Utah, Wyoming

At Salt Lake City, we spent the morning at the Temple Square. The conference center seating 21,000 had impressive acoustics, beautiful waterfall and 4-acre roof garden!! 

The Salt Lake Temple was magnificent from outside(no access inside) and the organ recital at the Tabernacle was astounding.

The State Capitol Building stood majestic with incredible art in every room-Supreme Court, House of Representatives. 

After a quick lunch in downtown, we drove to Antelope Island State Park, largest island in the Great Salt Lake. The road to the island with lake on either sides, offered outstanding views of the surprisingly calm and clear lake but had to bear the “lake stench”. 

At the beach, the brine flies would swarm around as we walked to the lake and Rama enjoyed his time swimming(rather say floating) in the Great Salt Lake. 

On the way to the Fielding Garr Ranch, we saw herds of Bison grazing in the grasslands along the lake. 

We started driving back early evening to avoid rush hour traffic, and successfully made it to Rawlins, WY by night. And BANG. A sudden change in plan! we decided to take I-90 further, through South Dakota covering its popular destinations and attractions. We were so excited that we couldn’t sleep and just waited for the dawn.