I mentioned Cafe Diva in the previous post and would be remiss if I didn’t expound on the meal we had. Superb! I think I should expound a bit more… Started with an Avalanche amber beer, then Asian pork belly and kimchi spring rolls with a delicious peanut coconut coulis. Then had a surf & turf entree that was elk tenderloin with veal demi-glace and cornmeal crusted diver scallops with a cherry bacon bourbon sauce and green goddess pesto that was fantastic. Then I didn’t have much room for the generous portion of summer veggies w/almonds and surprisingly addictive Yukon Gold mashed potatoes (I am not usually a potato guy). My bike still managed to get me back after that weighty and tasty meal though it was still raining. Mike & I rode to the hotel in a window of lighter rain according to the radar.

We woke up to continued light rain and packed up and headed out on US 40W. Through the 584 miles we covered today, we practically made only one turn into I-80 around Park City, UT. I enjoyed the high desert which was a misnomer at least today due to the steady precipitation. We pulled off into the Dinosaur National Monument just east of Dinosaur, CO and had a NPS ranger explain the interesting geology of the area with tectonic plates extending to California causing twists, ridges and canyons in that area along with plenty of exposed fossils.

We then entered Utah and had a brief respite from the rain as we ride through Vernal. We pushed to Heber City and gassed up when we decided to meet my in-laws in Park City for lunch. They were just out there vacationing for a few days and it was a special treat to share an Irish lunch (Shepherds Pie for me) with them. We then breezed past Canyons and wound down to Salt Lake City on I-80 dodging the rain (not successfully). A few downpours through the city brought continued dousings and us to the Great Salt Lake. We had our longest dry spell as we crossed the lake and salt flats extending over a hundred miles west to the NV mountains and Wendover, NV. It was 85° with the sun out and I will post a couple pics from the Bonneville Salt Flats, just north of the interstate which we visited. As we were posing there we saw the storm brewing just south and west. We headed up the mountain into the dark blue/grey gloom. In about 20’ the temp dropped from 85° to 49°. Rain was at first coming down in sheets. Saw a couple of dirt devils off to the south and some spectacular lightning. The rain gave way to some painful hail. Mike pulled over as he couldn’t see. Flashers on and 35 on the 75mph I-80 (it was 80 for much of UT) I had a few instances where the standing water was so deep that my front wheel kicked up a strong wall of water onto my boots. It was as if I was getting hit in the feet with a fire hose. Mike had the same. Alpinestars GoreTex boots are amazing. So comfortable and totally waterproof. All that water and our feet were perfectly dry. After the hail came the wind with more rain. Not quite as strong as Kansas but Mike estimated 50 mph winds. I won’t rehash but it was another two and one-half hour stretch in the soup all the way to Elko. Promptly put the heat on, and took hot showers to raise core temps. Heat on in the room to dry gloves and neck gear.

Went to the Star restaurant here in Elko. Constantly owned and operated since 1910 by a series of Basque owners. Who knew that Elko is a Basque bastion? Lots of them settled here. So much food. Pic will show some of it, AFTER I had eaten half of my 16-18oz. filet. Family style cabbage soup bowl and salad bowls were followed by platters of: kidney beans, chick peas, green beans, French fries & bread. Great atmosphere and met nice folks at the bar including a guy, Chris from Carnegie, PA. This rainfall is very unusual this time of year, but whatcha gonna do? Aiming for Klamath Falls, OR, just skirting the northern border of California on the way.