Cross Country on I80

[John Kasaian]

I got some pretty terriffic cloud shots in Wyoming on I-80 in June, 1976 (but those clouds probably aren't there any more!)

[sbacon]

... I was really looking forward to southern Wyoming, but then I thought it would be all snowy peaked mountains and such...ah well.

As Glenn mentioned, the Snowy Range is near Laramie off I-80. So if you plan to spend the night in Laramie, sunrise from the pass or at Lake Marie might be an option. It can be spectacular. The pass is about a 45 min. drive West of Laramie on Hwy 130.

[jhogan]

Check out the old airbase at Wendover (former home of the "Enola Gay"), on the border of NV and UT. It's immediately south of the highway, about 1 mile. Stop in at the control tower museum, and make sure to ask about the Center for Land Use Interpretation's various exhibition galleries scattered around the base.

Have fun..

[Scott Davis]

Not far off of I-80 in Wyoming is Flaming Gorge national park. Very definitely worth a detour. When you're heading off the interstate toward the park, you at first think, what the heck, why am I wasting my time to come this way? then the road takes a bend, and POW - a deep-cut canyon emerges on the right, revealing rainbow-hued rock layering going down perhaps a thousand feet. Follow the signage off the main road and turn down the Wyoming State route that runs you to the bottom of the canyon. It is a graded washboard road, but passable unless there has been a lot of rain. The vista at the bottom of the canyon is at least as amazing as the views from the top. The trip can be done in perhaps two hours of detour off your main trek. Also worth a stop on I-80 is the point of crossing the Continental Divide (I don't recall if there is an eastbound exit for this or not - you may be able to stop to look out only from the westbound lanes). Rawlins, Wyoming is also an interesting little community to take a few minutes detour through - and about the only place in the area to stop for lunch. There was a cute little place there that I ate - it had a Holstein cow theme - even the waitress wore a cow suit. A little bizarre, but the food was decent and CHEAP.

In hard driving, you can make it from Sacramento to State College in three and a half days (I did DC to San Fran in 3 1/2, doing 12 hours a day on the road). You'll have plenty of time to check out the sights and scenes along the way.

[Blueberrydesk]

Thanks again to all that have given me some great ideas for the trip; I'm packing now and will be getting an early start tomorrow morning. I'm going to try and push hard the first day so that I can get in an hour or so shooting Flaming Gorge (thanks, Scott!) on my second day.

Everyone may get a kick out of this, but I'm taking both the 8x10 Kodak 2D and 4x5 Osaka, as well as all the supplies needed to turn a motel bathroom into a portable darkroom. I've only got 2 8x10 holders, so I'm gonna develop as I go. I'm stocking up on distilled water so I don't have to worry about ph levels of local water supplies.

Everything will be FP4+ tray developed in Pyrocat HD. If there's any good shots when all is said and done, I'll resurrect this thread and post a couple. Thanks again for all the help!

I feel like Matthew Brady without the talent or knowledge!

[Donald Qualls]

Well, but on the other hand, you also don't have to deal with ether in the field, with safelights that run on a flame...

[Blueberrydesk]

Donald, I guess I owe you thanks (and angst). You see, your sig line is the reason I bought the 8x10.

[eddie]

Eddie, I will actually eventually be making my way to NY; Where's Kingston located? (I assume you don't mean Queens...)

kingston is 2 hours N of NYC on I87. great place for photography. we got it all! stop by.

PM sent.

eddie

[C. D. Keth]

Just west of Salt Lake is the Saltair, a strange tourist attraction. it used to be a big resort back when bathing in salt water was supposed to have medical properties. It burned down at some point and now there's a mediocre (compared to the original) rebuild of it. Interesting in it's own sort of way.

Further west of that is a very large morton salt plant that's pretty interesting. I don't know about photographing it, though.

[barretthead]

i leave from philadelphia for a destination of portland, OR, one way, in late aug/early sept. i can take as little or as long as i like. shooting for 4-7 days, i need some americana inputs. i want to see all the little burnt out and beautiful stills from my country's history. please provide any and all suggestions.