Amazing how cactus-free the first 50-60 miles of the course is. Live oak reminds me of the TX Hill Country and the tall, dead grass the West Coast, but without a Pacific Ocean over the horizon.
I will say/tease that the last segment climbing up towards the final awesome sweeping descent to the Utah State Line really reminded me of TX Hill Country. The scrub oak and steep/ledgy almost limestone terrain.
North of Jacob Lake also has the really refreshing decent out of the pines and into the grassland via a creekbed canyon.