Went Through the Desert in a Soul with No Name: Day 6

Yesterday holds the record of the longest distance on a single road, at least so far this trip.  We got on the I-80 West in Salt Lake City and stayed on it for 515 miles until we got to Reno, Nevada.  Along the way we saw the Great Salt Lake, the Utah Desert, the Salt Flats, and the Nevada Desert.  We stopped to play in the salt and at another point to throw the baseball.  We ended the evening in Reno.

One of the first things we passed was the Great Salt Lake outside of Salt Lake City.  We had read that the original explorers who found the lake thought that they had found the Pacific Ocean.  After seeing the lake, it's easy to believe because of the abundance of salt and seagulls (apparently the state bird is the California Gull).  Something else which we had read about the lake is that it can emit a very foul smell, something to which we can also attest (boiled eggs, anyone?).

As we were exiting Utah, we came upon the Bonneville Salt Flats.  It's an immense stretch of hard, white, salty ground. This State Park contains a track for people to try to set the land-speed record.  It was extremely bright due to the sun's reflection off of the white ground. We had a great time exploring, and doing other acrobatic activities.

State #10 - Nevada.  By far the most boring of the state signs we've encountered on our trip.  I guess all of their money goes into better casino signs.

After hours upon hours of driving in a straight line, we stopped at a rest area in Nevada which was along the California Trail.  It had a nice grassy area, so we decided to pull out the baseball gloves and throw the baseball together for a few minutes.  It was in a valley, and there was a gorgeous view of the mountains in the distance across a large plain. It was a welcome break in our 500+ mile journey on the I-80.

We stayed at John Asuaga's Nugget Hotel and Casino near Reno in a place called Sparks, NV.  It was Brian's first experience of a Vegas style casino.  We walked around the Nugget when we first arrived, and then headed into downtown Reno to check it out.  We walked through Circus Circus, El Dorado, and Silver Legacy: 3 casinos all connected by walkways.  While in Circus Circus we partook of their buffet, which means we got a small taste of everything, including their featured Prime Rib and Shrimp.  Mandy assured Brian that this was almost like Vegas, but not quite as glitzy and opulent.

Throughout the day we were surrounded by the desert.  It reminded Brian of the devotion which he wrote for the Trinity Lenten Devotional this year.  It was on Psalm 63 which begins with "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water."  David is apart from God's presence in the sanctuary because he is in the wilderness and his stark surroundings serve as the perfect setting to express his feelings.  Being away from the Lord is like living in a desert with no water. In this psalm, David doesn't focus on his need for water, but his need for God.  We are thankful that, because we have believed in Jesus as the Son of God, streams of living water (the Holy Spirit) flow from inside of us.  Therefore, we do not need to fear being away from God's presence, as his Spirit indwells those who believe, forever bringing us into the throne room of God.





Today we plan on stopping by Lake Tahoe on our way to see family in Roseville, CA.  It looks to be a short day, especially when compared with yesterday.