Last Sunday the weather here in Utah was just spectacular with clean air and relatively warm temperatures for January. It was most definitely a good day for a cruise in the Cayman GTS. After running an errand, I decided that a drive to Eureka via Utah 68 then west on US 6 would be fun. That route has lots of curvy, twisty roads — just what the Porsche and I love.

I hadn’t been down that route for awhile, and I knew that some work has been done upgrading the old deserted Sinclair Station in Elberta at the intersection of UT 68 and US 6. That building has long been a photo stop for the car folks. Stopping there was a must.

Someone has now added an old gas pump, and the whole place has been cleaned up. They even added a picnic table and planted some grass behind the building. It is now a pretty sweet little rest stop. Maybe one of these days, there will be a real restroom to replace the porta-potty. Not something to go into during the pandemic.

So, after the obligatory photo stop which included some nice, new surprises, I drove west on US 6 up the canyon to Eureka, an old mining town. As the highway heads westward up the hills toward Eureka, it becomes really twisty as it enters the canyon. This is just the type of road that brings out the best in that Cayman GTS. The traffic was nearly non-existent, so the Cayman got a little exercise through the canyon.

Eureka is just on the west side of the East Tintic Mountains in Juab County, Utah. It’s an old mining town – gold, silver and other precious metals. In fact, there are still several large, commercial operations in the mountains around the town.

While not a ghost town, it only has less than 700 residents, and much of the old downtown is boarded up or nearly falling down. But the town has some really interesting old architecture and lots of history. Today, the old elementary school caught my eye, so I decided to pull in and see what the camera and I could do.

These are generally in the art deco style although not nearly as ornate as say the Chrysler Building in New York City. But nevertheless, they do have a definite coolness about them. I really liked the subtle lines and the multi-toned brickwork. The trim detail is just not seen anymore as is the more ornate decorations over the door of the building on the left. The designs seem almost timeless, but with character that the newer buildings just lack.

To me this monotone image just brings out more of that art deco feel. I think it takes the modern edge off of the vehicles too, helping them blend better into the architecture. What do you think?

Well, the day was getting short, and it is best not to be driving in these canyons near or after dark as deer and even occasionally elk frequent the mountains in this part of Utah. So, as I was driving east toward Elberta and then home, I found this spectacular view and pulled over. There is always time for one more photograph.

Now, I would like some feedback here. I personally prefer the more cool toned photo, but my wife hates it. She likes the one above with the subtle warming filter applied. I believe it was an 81 at about 25%. What do you all think of these monotones, and do you have preferences between the more cool tones or the warmer grays?

Hopefully you have enjoyed my little Sunday afternoon jaunt as much as I did. Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog. Stay safe and have happy travels.