One of the items on my long, winding Bucket List was swimming in the Great Salt Lake, located in the state of Utah in the Southwestern US. I’ve always had more than a bit of trouble floating easily in pools (and normal oceans) because I don’t have a lot of body fat. The Salt Lake is unique among Earthly bodies of water in that it has much higher salt and mineral content – and thus is much easier for skinny asses like mine to float in.

To swim in the Great Salt Lake requires driving across a causeway to Antelope Island State Park, just outside of Salt Lake City. It is a stunning drive where the scenery is very calming. On the way, I noted a number of biker-hikers, riding at top speeds down the causeway to the Island where great hiking, food and swimming awaits.

The air here is filled with the smelly stink of an ancient, inland sea – the kind of stink that you know for sure to be healthy and nutritious, as it is about 10x on the smell of the ocean and then some. All I know is my skin absolutely loved it. This is a curative place, quite peaceful for the most part.

And then, there are the flies.

The first pic, above, you notice something about the shoreline of The Great Salt Lake. It’s dark grey…and, dammit, it seems to be moving…just a bit. The second pic you see more movement, and the third, there’s no mistaking it. There are salt flies lining the entire shoreline, and yes, they are moving in waves. It is fascinating to watch:

The hiking here is pristine, and you can see some truly unique scenes that you won’t see anywhere else. Sometimes, the lake is as smooth as glass, but other times, it has a gentle ripple to it…

…and the contrast of the built environment against nature’s backdrop always stuns:

On some of my hikes here, I’ve found some real treasures, like this daisy, with its petals flowing with the wind…

…and this beautiful scene where I came upon a half-broken, quite lonely bench as I rounded a small hilly area, backdropped by the Salt Lake in the distance:

Just stunning! And don’t forget to take a dip, you’ll be happy you did!

Click the caption image to the left to see the slideshow with my captions, or click the   at the top right of this page to see the pic behind this content. You’ll see the loneliest bench on the planet. And you will sit there. And meditate. And dream…