Talk about a shock to the system. Both nights before riding, deep-in-the-night showers surprised the desert. And the greens, yellows and reds just popped out all over the place. Good news, bad news, yin/yang, the only problem with that is that McCovey and I are allergic to the cat-piss smelling, bright yellow sage blooms we get Spring and Fall. You can tell I am so fond …. 

So it’s a good yin that pretty much any drug labeled multi-syllable -adines, -amines and -izines work pretty well for me. No love for the -oates or the -olones, though.

Check out the roadside yellows. Yeah, THAT stuff.

To leave Ely headed south is to celebrate. You might ask how it is possible to head south out of Ely, but don’t. The people there seem hardworking and solid. And sad. The town was hard to read this time as the entire main drag was torn up – maybe new sidewalks and road surface? I had a good salad at Rack’s Bar & Grill and a pleasant stay in the comfortable Prospector Hotel. Hated having to walk through the nicotine-riddled casino to get in and out, but so it goes. 

The road to St. George is magnificent, particularly with those low, bright clouds turning every vista into an impossible canvas. See?

It must also be noted that trading Ely, Nevada for St. George, Utah is a little like flying from a small town in Siberia to Germany. The weather went from frigid to perfect, the streets went from missing with chaos to pristine – Utah was indeed like rain in the desert. But it’s too much of a shock to the system. Can St. George be too clean? It is so neat and tidy, it’s a little spooky. I’m here for two nights and feel destined to understand this place. Are there music venues? Is there appetite for For the Song? Who lives in these beautiful enclaves? Is there enough water?

And what a lovely ride!

Finally, today’s 3.5 hour ride was perfect in terms of length and interest. It’s way more energizing than riding for 6-8. And it may just be that a temperate Germany beats a frigid, smelly Prospector every time.