Antelope Island is the largest island within the Great Salt Lake at 42 square miles. The island lies just minutes from the hustle and bustle of Salt Lake City, but seems a world away; an oasis of wilderness. It captivated me. The light was soft, though often dramatic as it danced through the clouds. Wildlife is abundant here. We saw jackrabbits, coyote, bison, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, and a barn owl during our visit. The salty water of the lake does not support fish, however brine shrimp thrive in it. The shrimp provide food for millions of migratory birds. The lake is gorgeous from a distance. Up close, you can see (and smell) what is left behind from millions of birds feasting on brine shrimp. It’s pretty gross, however we witnessed people swimming in it; to each their own.

Mosquitos also thrive here. They are relentless and I concluded that they must be immune to deet, as it proved useless in repelling them. The netting on our tent was covered with them, just waiting for that zipper to open in the morning, so they could feast again. We experienced our first storm in some time while camping here. Thunder, lightning, wind, rain…the whole shebang. It was quite the storm too, with the tent blowing in on us as we “slept”.  We don’t get real storms in Oregon (at least we haven’t experienced any in the Rogue Valley), and I’ve missed them. Experiencing a storm like this, with just a tent for shelter is a humbling experience; you are at the mercy of nature. There is a sense of renewal that comes following a storm; as if everything is fresh and new again.