Just last weekend I got back from a trip to California. I had actually flown out to California to drive back home with a friend who was moving back home. I had 5 days off of work to make the trip with him. I took a couple extra days than necessary so that we could do some sight seeing. I can't just drive across the country and not stop to see something new! I've spent most of my travels on the West side of the United States so there weren't really any states between there and here that I hadn't been to but I LOVED Utah when I went 4 years ago. Everything about it is just incredible. They have everything! Well my friend's route had us driving right through Salt Lake City. I had been to the zoo in the area but not anywhere West of that. So on our way in from California I was on Trip Advisor to try to find something interesting to do and the Bonneville Salt Flats came up. I remember it being on my list of places I'd like to visit so I brought it up to my friend and he agreed we could stop there. He'd already been but he said it was awesome! Well once we pull up to the overlook at the Flats we're on the Eastbound side of I-80 and I will just say that side is not what I was expecting. It was salty, yes.. but in patches. The real Flats were on the Westbound side of I-80. We looked it up on maps and it was a half hour drive East to the next exit just to drive another half hour back to see the best side of the Flats. I told him I was really disappointed. I couldn't really even see anything from the overlook because there were 4 semi-trucks parked at the stop blocking the view. Well, my friend agreed to do something illegal.. We would use the 'emergency vehicle turnaround only' to whip a U-turn and get on the right side of the highway to see the Flats. The turnaround was about 20 yards from where we were so it took us a solid minute and a half to be on the other side and it was well worth it! They go on FOREVER and it is so flat, I don't even think the photo does it justice. Its breathtaking. We had pretty good timing too. We spent about 45 minutes there and as soon as we decided to split was when the crowed rushed in. Fun fact.. The Bonneville Salt Flats are remnants of an ancient Lake Bonneville. What's left of that ancient lake is the Great Salt Lake. The Salt Flats now stretch over 30,000 acres.
Side note: If you want to check them out, I suggest trying to get to them while you're going West! — at Bonneville Salt Flats