My Grand Road Trip

[dbz77]

I went on a five-day road trip through nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Oregon.

I started by driving to Mesquite, Nevada, mostly using Interstate 15. Everything between Cajon Pass and Mesquite is desert, with Joshua trees often in view. Traffic was a bit slow through Las Vegas, so I did get to see all the huge resorts instread of just speeding right past them.

The enxt day, I left mesquite, stopping to take a picture of the Nevada-Arizona stagteline on Mohave County Highway 91. I have a picture here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyUwQQBLDd0/

Soon, I went back on Interstate 15 and drove through the Virgin River Gorge, leaving the Joshua trees behind. Afer that, i reached Utah.

the drive bewtween the Arizona-Utah stagteline on Interstate 156 and Provo was varied. There was desert and ranchland and farms, with mountains. It was a steady climb upwards. And the speed limit was 80 miles per hour. I stopped over at Scvipio, Utah, where U.S> Highway 50 east splits off from Interstate 15 north.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyUxVNarv8o/

The landscape changed upon reaching rocky Ridge, where the suburban development of the Salt Lake City mnetropilotiuan areaz starts on northbound, continuing as far as Brigham City. The speed limit was 70 miles per hour I managed to glance at the Salt Lake City skyline to my right. After Brigham City (about 55 miles from Salt Lake City), I p[assed through Box Elder Canyon with the leaves on the tees all orange and yellow. I stopped for linner at In-N-Out Burger in Logan, where U.S. 91 splits off from U.S. 89 and Utah Highway 30.

I continued north through farmland, taking a picture at the Utah-Idaho state line. See here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyU0qNbr5fk/


https://www.instagram.com/p/CyU1B32ro2v/

I reached Red Rock Pass, which is on the boundary between the Great Salt Lake basin and the Columbia River basin. Here are some pictures.


https://www.instagram.com/p/CyU2UKgr7Oy/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyU231SLico/

I statyed overnight in Pocatello, across the street from idaho State University. Here are some pictures.


https://www.instagram.com/p/CyU3RPhrQAR/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyaNDJ9gZP1/

the next morning, I left Pocatello. I entered Interstate 86 and drove west for its entire length. In the beginning there was heavy fog, and about twenty minutes later I managed to exit the fog. I stopped by Register Rock, where pioneers on the Oregon Trail carved their names. See here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyaN1jMgHcO/

I continues west, passing through farmland and Idaho's capital Boise. I stopped to rest at Love's Travel Stop in Ontario, Oregon, just off Interstate 84. That was my halfway point in my Grand Road Trip.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyaOLR9ALUP/

After that, I continued westbound on U.S. Highway 20 to Bend. I passed through plenty of ranchland, as well as Burns.

I stayed overnight at Bend. The enxt morning, I drove south towards Cameron park, which is east of Sacramento. In Oregon, U.S. 97 passes through the Deschutes National Forest, with its tall evergreen tres. I passed by Upper Klamath Lake, though there was no vista point where I could stop and take a picture. I stopped by the Oregon-California state line.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyaRdMwOL1Z/


I crossed Mt. Hebron Summit in the Cascade Range and then saw Mt. Shasta.

I saw Mt. Shasta off the side of the highway.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyaTnTeOMVg/

I descended to the town of Weed, where I ate lunch at the Pizza Factory.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyaUbx2OMm9/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyaUyzauoy5/

I drove south on Interstate 5 as it made its descent into the Sacramento Valley. There were evergreen forests on both sides. I drove over Shasta Lake.

At Red Bluff, i exited on California Highway 36 and then drove south on California Highway 99. As compared to the section south of Sacramento, from Red Bluff to Sacramento it is mostly a two-lane country road, passing through several towns and twenty-three stoplights. Pictures here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyaVIlhumg6/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyaVQVQO1Dx/

The sun set as I was driving south on the 99. It merges with Interstate 5 in Sacramento, and then joins U.S. Highway 50 east of Sacramentoo, before splitting off again.

I stayed overnight in Cameron Park, east of Sacramento.

the next morning, I headed east on the 50 Freeway to Placerville, and then turned right on California Highway 49.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CygkTcIJ7O4/

Highway 49 is mostly a two-lane country road trhough the farmlands and ranchlands on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. I stopped at Sonorsa Brewing Company in Sonora, California. After that, I continued south, stopping at the Tuolomne River.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CygmV3FJHq4/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CygnTLRJzng/

I then drove through a slow, windy section of the 49 with no guardrails. I passed through Coulterville and Mariposa, before finally reaching Oakhurst to fill up on gasoline. After tghat, I turned right on California Highway 41 to ace3ss California Highway 99 again, and then continue south to the Grapevine grade, passing through the farmlands of the San Joaquin Valley.

I reached the Grapevine and drove the last 100 miles.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CygpEsJPWYf/

[pderocco]

Looks like a fun route. I'm familiar with the stuff in California, and some of it elsewhere. While you were doing that, I was also traveling through those states, plus Wyoming and Montana and British Columbia, but we were on different roads. I wasn't anywhere near Pocatello, but stayed in Butte and Boise (etc.)

[Max Rockatansky]

That segment of CA 49 you speak of between Coulterville is the Bagby Grade in the Merced River Canyon.  Some locals in the Central Valley tried to call it the "mini Dragon."  Personally I think it blows the doors off anything US 129 can muster:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/pChB8zhM81

[US 89]

You picked the best time of year to drive through Sardine Canyon by Logan. Cache Valley area has some of the best fall colors in the west.

[dbz77]

Looks like a fun route.

Indeed it was.

That segment of CA 49 you speak of between Coulterville is the Bagby Grade in the Merced River Canyon.  Some locals in the Central Valley tried to call it the "mini Dragon."  Personally I think it blows the doors off anything US 129 can muster:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/pChB8zhM81

It was slow especially as it had no guardrails. I did find this story from last year.

https://sierranewsonline.com/woman-drives-off-highway-49-into-ravine/

You picked the best time of year to drive through Sardine Canyon by Logan. Cache Valley area has some of the best fall colors in the west.

Yeah, almost all trees in California do not change colors.