Today marks the halfway point of our trip. We have had a pleasant two days here in Brigham City, Utah. We have seen a lot of God’s beautiful earth and a lot of variety. The mountains and the desert have a beauty all their own but Martha says “give me the green, green grass of home.” West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are great places to visit, but we both agree that we don’t want to live there — it’s generally dry and a bit dusty for us. However, the northern half of Utah is a good bit different.
Today we drove about 30 miles to Promontory Summit, Utah to visit the Golden Spike National Historic Site. Promontory marks the place where the Union Central Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad were joined with a golden spike on May 10, 1869. As you know, this tied the East to the West by railroad. This was a major accomplishment for the country. We got to see replicas of the two engines running the tracks at that time, Jupiter and #119. These replicas were completed in the 1979s, and the historical site provides live demonstrations of both trains, along with ranger narration, three times a day. There is also a short 20-minute video about the building and joining of the railroads. It is amazing to hear and be reminded of the sacrifice so many made to complete this railroad.
Jupiter, of the Central Pacific line, was sitting in position when we arrived. The group was small but the National Park Ranger wasn’t bothered.
No. 119 of Union Central Railroad pulled into position during the morning demonstration. In the distance she blew off steam and as she approached the whistle was sounded.
The photo was taken from the Visitor Center on the south side of the tracks.
As we left Promontory Summit we took the opportunity to get off the highway and drive along an auto path above some of the original grade. Near the lower portion of the photo is a fill area. To the left is a cut-through. The grade could be no more than 2%. In the distance are some of the many salt marshes just to the north of Great Salt Lake
On our return, we stopped at a hamburger joint in Corrine, Utah called “The Golden Spike”. They claim to have the best hamburgers in Utah. Since that is the only hamburger we have had in Utah, we cannot attest to the fact, but the burger was pretty good.
A lot of farming takes place here in Brigham City along the base of the mountain. Further into the valley the salt flats become very prevalent although we did see some fields of corn. However, it’s more common to see livestock; lots of cows with new calves and even a new foal with its mother close by.
The main road into Perry, Utah is dotted with orchards and roadside produce stands. We decided to try some of the fresh cherries from one stand. They also have locally grown apricots and lots of yellow and zucchini squash as well as peas. Later in the summer (August) they will have peaches. Bear Lake, nearby, is known for the raspberries it produces.
If you are ever out this way in a motorhome, the Brigham City KOA provides a quiet, scenic view of the area.
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