Coming to San Francisco in October - visiting Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and contemplating a drive to Salt Lake City - looks somewhat barren lonely area - how long will the drive take and any suggestions where to stay on the journey? Not in a particular hurry!

I made that drive with my parents about 10 years ago, and it is more than somewhat barren and lonely. It is almost completely barren and lonely. If I remember correctly, it took us a couple days to get across. The first day we drove to Elko, NV which was a fairly decent sized town with some motels and restaurants. Nothing exciting or particularly picturesque, but a place to sleep. There was also a museum of the history of the area that we went to. The salt flats are between Elko and Salt Lake City - a long drive though nothingness. Our trip was in June, so we left Elko in the late afternoon and drove across the salt flats during the night so that it wouldn't be so hot and arrived in Salt Lake City in the early morning hours.

It took me 11 hours driving about 70 from Reno to SLC this summer. One stop for gas and a real quick lunch. It's barren, but it isn't lonely. There is a lot of traffic along I-80. I don't think there is a good/interesting spot between them. Bite the bullet and drive the whole way.

From South Shore Lake Tahoe to Salt Lake City is 560 miles. Most of which is on I-80. It's barren but I enjoy the drive through Nevada.

Winnemucca and Elko are pretty nice towns.

Utahtea

Thanks to everyone for your advice - sounds a long journey, but I think we might decide to visit Elko on the way across and it shouldn't be too hot in October, should it? Pleased to hear we will not be alone on I-80 - we are from England and not used to the vast distances you travel in the US. Many thanks again.

It took me 12 hours duringthe winter,and there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING out there, but a couple of old whore houses.

One thing I noticed on our drive through Nevada was that every so often just off the interstate we would see a house trailer or two with a few cars parked in front, a few trees, a garden - obviously someone's homestead. I always wondered about the people who lived there. They were literally hundreds of miles from anything or anybody. Why do they live way out there? What do they do for a living? Schooling for the kids? I saw some swingsets, so I figured there were kids in some of those places. It must be a heck of a trip to the grocery store.

Betty,

It probably won't be to hot across Nevada. Infact, it might get cool to down right cold at night.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/local/USNV0024?whatprefs=

I hear that the Ruby Mountains near Elko, NV are really nice.
http://www.nevadawilderness.org/northeast/ruby.htm

Utahtea

Betty,

One word of advice.......Try not to let your car's gas gauge get below about 1/2 before filling up. Gas (petrol) stations are few and very far between.

Dick

And another word of advice. Pull off the road, if you get sleepy...or change drivers. A sandwich, an apple, and a can of Coke may be helpful (a little sugar, a little caffiene). Yes, it's one of those highways.