We got up early today as we weren’t sure what the situation with the wildfires would be, and the smoke was definitely having a negative impact on both our breathing. The car had a layer of ash on it when we loaded it.

Time to head for fresher air! Not a whole lot of scenery today along US 40 westbound. Much of the same desertlike landscape. We climbed a few peaks, and eventually hit I-80 westbound. When I saw the sign that Reno, NV was 540 miles away, I did think for a split second about heading to Sacramento. We would have had maybe 30 minutes to visit a lot of people before we had to head on to Seattle, so I nixed the thought before it really got started. It was a pleasant split second, though.

Our first destination was Salt Lake City Brewing Co and Squatters Craft Beer. Mom and I shared a salad (which, I am hesitant to admit may have been my first green veggies since we left Illinois).

We drove to Temple Square, but a large thunderstorm was brewing, so we pulled to the side of the road and plugged in the directions to tonight’s lodging. I did manage to get a photo of the capital while at a red light.

We hit a bit of rain which cleaned the bugs of the windshield and helped with visibility as we left Salt Lake City. We crosssed into Idaho about 2:40PM, and watched vast green farmland come into view. I took a break from driving so was able to get some photos along the way.

Alfalfa field

And we got to see more wheat fields. This is a bit bittersweet, though, as we were detoured off the freeway onto the frontage road due to a fatal accident with a car and tractor trailor. Watching the wheat undulate in the breeze was mesmerizing.

It was a long, slow end to the day, and I won”t lie and say it was all happiness in our car.

But we made it to the hotel, unloaded what we needed, and I made a trip to the grocery store. Tonic water, Rose’s Lime Juice, rainbow roll sushi, and a few other snack items. When returning from to the hotel, I pulled in, parked , gathered the groceries and went to the side door to go up the stairs. My key wouldn’t work, and I thought maybe I had put my cell phone near it. I headed to the main lobby entrance, walked in, looked around for a moment and realized this was not the hotel we’d checked into. I turned around on a dime, walked back to the car, and drove to the parking lot next door where we are staying. If that didn’t say it had been a long day, I don’t know what does! A beverage and nosh and we are both much better!

I think tonight calls for a good night’s sleep and waking up when we feel like it. Oh, and today’s public service announcement is a good reminder for everyone tomorrow. (I would add to this ‘unless you are a paid professional.’)

We’re off to southeastern Washington tomorrow, and hope to catch a fireworks display in town. And there are wineries within walking distance of the hotel! (Or at least it looks like they’re walking distance.) If you are traveling today or tomorrow, be safe and don’t drive faster than your guardian angels can fly.