Back when we lived closer to Utah, I would go out that way on bike rides, hikes, or just fooling around when work was slow. Eastern Utah is almost entirely empty of people, or so it seems when you are not close to a town. Which was most of the time, for me, when I was on these jaunts. One time, I messed around longer than I really needed to, and by the time I was on my way home, it was getting late and I was hungry. I was passing through the near ghost town of Thompson Springs, just off I-70.
There was an old cafe right on the main intersection, a place that I had not seen open for business, but it didn't look like it was deserted. I hadn't been that way in a while, and this time the place looked busy. I was very happy to find an actual restaurant out there, so I found a parking spot and went in. As I opened the door, all conversation ceased, and everyone turned to look my direction. Oh boy, one of these times, I though. But this was no small town crowd wondering who the stranger was. It was quite a mix of people, some dressed very well for being in the middle of the desert on a weekday evening. I approached the counter, where I could see a few vacant stools. Someone behind the counter watched, but said nothing. I stopped. Had I stumbled on to a private party? A family reunion? It was getting to be very odd.
Finally, I asked if they were still serving dinner.
"We're filming a movie," someone said, helpfully. OK. I didn't see any cameras or other such equipment. The place was brightly lit, but the only lights I noticed were the old ones that looked to have been there for decades. This was before people filmed things with phones. I apologized for interrupting, and got back in my car and headed home. The building appears to exist still, unlike the Amtrak depot across the road and several other old derelict buildings.
The cafe was looking very much abandoned by 2012.
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.971...omjHtioNGx_8a15A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
