Utah's Land Art, Locomotives, and Rockets

Today, your first stop will be the Sun Tunnels. As part of the sculptural movement known as land art in the 1970s, Nancy Holt built this large installation in the Great Basin Desert. You’ll see four large concrete cylinders that play with the light and shadow as the sun moves throughout the day. On the summer and winter solstices, the cylinders perfectly align with the angles of the rising and setting sun.
The tunnels are also pierced with small holes representing four star constellations: Draco, Perseus, Columba, and Capricorn. Through the small holes, the sunlight creates shadows inside the tunnels tracing the earth’s rotation. Feel free to take some extra time to eat your packed picnic lunch here.

You don't want to miss this rocket and missile test facility! It features an open-air display with rocket motors that were developed on site over the past several decades. Formerly known as ATK (Alliant Tech Knowledges), the company is now Northrop & Grumman and still uses the test facility.
In the rocket garden, you will find missiles and boosters and many other military and space exploration equipment, including those used for NASA space missions. The rocket garden is free and open to the public.

Your next stop is the Golden Spike National Historic Park, where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met to create the U.S.'s first transcontinental railroad. In 1869, a ceremonial last spike was placed into the rail line to officially connect the railroads.
In the summer, you can see a demonstration of two locomotives in action, the CPRR Jupiter and UPRR No. 119, or you can see them in the engine house during the winter. You can also explore interactive exhibits, hiking trails and drive on the 1869 railroad grade.

Next you'll find yourself at another iconic piece of land art called the Spiral Jetty, located on the north side of the Great Salt Lake. This sculptural piece was built in the 1970s by Robert Smithson and is made of mud, salt crystals, basalt and dirt. The Spiral Jetty is only visible if the lake level is below 4,197 feet. The Great Salt Lake has been below its historical average so the jetty has been consistently visible in recent years.

Take a break from the car and relax at the Maddox Ranch House, a local favorite in Perry, Utah, near the mouth of Sardine Canyon. It features a dine-in restaurant and a drive-in option with car hop service. The restaurant features American-style dishes such as fried chicken, turkey steak, shrimp steak, and all-natural bison. The drive-in offers burgers, homemade root beer, thick shakes and homemade ice cream.