The Great West, day 6 (NV, CA)

We all felt so much better after showers and a good night’s sleep.  We awoke and checked out Tonopah before heading on down the road.  We discovered that the Jim Butler Inn where we stayed was named after the town founder.  He discovered silver and later gold in the late 1800’s in that area, and then brought the railroad into that area.  Tonopah means little water.  It was unknown to them at the time that they had good aquifers beneath them.  We attempted to tour some of the old mines, but they were closed because of the holidays.  As we headed out we also noticed that Tonopah is home to the stealth fighter.  There is an air force base nearby, and the stealths were created and tested here in the 80’s.
Before we reached our next stop as we headed up 95, we came across a random patch of trees and greenery.  It turns out it was a rest stop.  I guess for those of us unaccustomed to desert amenities.  I just can’t understand why people would move out west and simply settle in the middle of a desert with no water nearby and no shade!  I mean the people didn’t even try to hug up against the mountain for shade or wind block – just right out in the broiling sun!  Some of these towns are still functioning and some have become ghost towns.  Hawthorne was the next town of size we came to.  As we rolled into town we saw hundreds of earth covered mounds/bunkers out in the desert reaching all the way to the horizon.  This part of 95 was named Veterans’ Highway which I found quite fitting for the day. As we came into town we came upon the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. We had been guessing that perhaps what we were seeing was barracks or something.  In town, we came across and an artillery museum that no doubt caught the eyes of all the guys.  There was a nice older couple that was running the museum and Mr. Cliff was full of knowledge and information.  As it turns out what we had been seeing was actually the world’s large munitions storage. YIKES! On the way out of town we came across a Memorial Day ceremony that we pulled over and to listen to. Then as we pulled out we noticed a sign off the road warning about unexploded munitions that could cause death or injury.  This thought had already run through my mind.  We were ready to get on out of this town!  Sure feel sorry for all those wild horses that were grazing out in that area! We came across the first water we’ve seen since Lake Mead.  There are only two natural lakes in NV, and we drove past Lake Walker (2^nd largest) as we headed out.
Traveling up 95 north we began to see desert lands gradually have some grassy areas – what a pleasant sight!  We reached Fallon and headed west on 50. We chose to miss Reno and go through Virginia City and Carson City. We received our first rain of the trip but it never got much heavier than a good sprinkle. In Dayton, we saw a mill just off the road where rock/ore had been mined to extract the silver and gold.

Then we headed for Virginia City – where the series Bonanza was based.  It was really cool (according to the boys) because it was covered in mines.  Every 50 feet Samuel was informing us that he had spotted another mine and wanted to know if we could go investigate it.  Some were still active, but most were abandoned from the 20’s.  We spent a couple of hours walking Main Street and enjoying the old facades, wares, and terrific barbecue burgers.  The area is still very rich with gold and silver, but in most cases it is no longer cost effective to mine it.

We opted to continue on 50 so that we could catch a glimpse of Lake Tahoe.  As it turns out we probably saw over half of Lake Tahoe.  For over an hour and a half we drove around the lower portion following the shoreline right on into CA and then turning onto 89 north.  The lake was amazing and so choppy today with the winds.  We loved all the pines that surrounded the lake and were even warned to watch for bear though we never saw any.  At one point in CA we had begun climbing the mountain and had Lake Tahoe to our right.  Nathan was driving, and I was snapping pictures as we went.  However at one point, he stopped on the highway (lightly traveled) so that I could get a good clear shot and I heard him gasp.  I looked over at him to see what was wrong and realized that there was lake on the other side too.  Mind you there was about a 60-90 degree drop off on either side of the road with relatively no shoulder to speak of!  Wowzers!!  Add to that our steady drizzle we were getting at the time.  We breathed a sigh of relief when we had land back around us.  As we left the shores of Lake Tahoe, we began to see granite chunks along the shoreline.  The guys all got out at one spot to have their picture taken in the trunk of a monstrous tree that had been damaged by previous forest fires.  The trees in this area tower over us. The sun was now down and with the weather still drizzly we decided we would stop for the night.  We are planning to continue on 89 tomorrow which will keep us in the state park area with relatively few lodging options when it’s too cold and wet to camp, so we are staying the night in Truckee, CA on I-80 north of Lake Tahoe.