Red Truck Road Trip – WEST Coast Team

Contrary to popular belief, I am not a hood ornament. However, it seems that this basic idea is lost on my traveling companions, who thought it might be entertaining to use me as a good luck charm whilst they challenged the land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats (when asked which land speed record they were challenging, I was given a blank stare for a minute and then placed on the hood just before the car was started). I suppose I should consider myself lucky that they didn’t have a modified Indian motorcycle to strap me to, but I can’t say that that particular thought was terribly comforting as we blazed along the remains of Lake Bonneville.

The day started off easily enough: having arrived in Salt Lake City late last night, we all slept in and had a late start. However, once we managed to ooze down to the car, we were off and running. The drive out of town was somewhat lengthy and painfully dull, largely due to the unchanging landscape that surrounds Highway 80 and an overwhelming lack of civilization for a good hour or so. Along the way, Mike started drawing a comic (he wouldn’t let me see it) that he finished up when we returned to our hotel room this evening. However, the guys eventually found an area which looked largely untouched and desolate for their purposes, so they pulled off the road, drove onto the lake bed, and broke out their equipment.

Once they finished shooting their photos, capturing their video, and scaring the living daylights out of me, the guys continued on 80 West until they found the Salt Flats Cafe located next to the actual speed test track (located at Exit #4 in Wendover, Utah) and grabbed one of the tastiest (and cheapest) dinners they’ve had yet. It was probably a good thing we got out of the Flats when we did, because we were driving within a massive dust storm about 30 seconds after we’d pulled back out onto the road. After that, they headed back to the city and proceeded to work on their various art projects. And now everyone’s asleep.

Everyone except me.

I think this is my cue for an evil laugh.