I finally got good sleep and woke up with the first rays of light. Sadie went behind the hotel for her morning pee and I followed her, since she was off leash. There was old, junked furniture behind the Travel Lodge and several stray cats were spooked as Sadie walked past a torn-up couch that several ferals were using as a home. The streets were still quiet in the cool breeze of desert morning, and I used this opportunity to walk around town.
Tonopah is a pretty hillside town worth stopping in. The historical section is in the lower part of the town, while the big gambling hall, which advertises for miles along US95, is on the far southern part of town. While I ignore gambling establishments, what I prefer is natural history and old stuff. The Tonopah Historic Mining Park in old town, behind the grand Mizpah Hotel, was closed. Old equipment stood out front but the rest was too far away and up the hill to look at more carefully. Stray cats darted across the dirt roads.
I knew that today's drive would be more scenic. We were now away from Area 51. The two-laned highway going north continued to meander up and around the Sierra foothills. We stopped at a rest area just north of Tonopah that offered overnight camping for travelers. Wish I had known about this place as it provided secluded space, a bathroom and a water pump! Camping is limited to 18 hours. Mature cottonwoods provide for shade. Sadie walked around more in the grassy pet area before we resumed our drive north on US95. The drive today was more scenic but just as hot. Towns were getting bigger and greener and there were more choices with where to stop and eat.
Hawthorne, Nevada was our first stop for today. It is a decent-sized town of around 3,670, where military testing is conducted. An Army depot is located on the south side of town. There are many bunkers in the eastern slopes of the nearby foothills that give a traveler an ominous feeling. What is being tested here? Why all the many bunkers lined up in military style, dress-right-dress? I was more intrigued by the military presence than by the big gambling casino in town, El Capitan. We stopped at the McDonald's on the north side of town, where the truck route meets back up again with the regular US95. I went inside to order two Sausage Egg McMuffins and coffee and get on the internet. I would do this quite a bit during the road trip. I do like McD's breakfast array and their coffee is quite good. Sadie always got the sausage patty and egg from the second muffin as her share of breakfast.
North of Hawthorne we started to see seagulls. What were these birds doing so far inland? It turns out they were flying near Walker Lake, a pleasant surprise in the high desert just north of Hawthorne. We caught sight of the 18m x 7m blue lake as we crested a hill and then went down into the town. High mountains to our immediate west gave way to the body of water. Water! Again we stopped, and I took Sadie down to the shore for a short walk. There was no one else around along the western shore where houses faced the water. All I saw was some trash and lots of blue, translucent dragon flies. The shore also has a thick crust of salt along the shore; the water tasted slightly salty for an inland lake. I also saw white pelicans fly over. Pelicans! I didn't know there were white pelicans in Nevada, of all places. Walker Lake was a nice surprise. I'm sure this place is an oasis for all wildlife, being in the high desert. But we didn't stop anywhere else in town and continued our drive north on US95.
The highway then entered lower hills and agricultural land. Alternate US95 then allowed me to turn west and then north, bypassing Fallon and getting to Carson City sooner. This was a scenic route that warned drivers to be careful during the winter season, as the route climbs uphill. It was still hot but the excitement to get to Lake Tahoe and walk around in the cool shade was what drove me further. We were leaving the desert and entering transitional terrain, with more trees, more streams and more houses and rail roads.
Another quick stop was Fort Churchill, an army post built in 1861 to aid settlers to the area. It only operated for nine years. The Pony Express stopped nearby. There are only ruins left of the former fort. It was nice to see decent-sized towns again that offered more than sun-burned wooden homes and hand-painted hotel signs.
Now I was at the intersection of ALTUS95 and US50 and the community of Silver Springs. Should I go north here, continuing on US95, or turn west and head to Carson City and then Lake Tahoe? I watched the truck traffic around me, sat there for a while at a corner parking lot, and opted for the Carson City route since US95 north of here looked isolated and I was ready for civilization again. This was a nice option, as it allowed me to see more history of the region, enjoy a good meal and beer in town, and watch Germany beat Algeria in the World Cup. But there were still other things to see, like the old cemetery east of Carson City in the small town of Dayton.
I kept Sadie in the van as I strolled through the cemetery. We were parked under shade and all the windows were wide open. Sadie didn't seem to mind not walking around here. I like strolling through old cemeteries and looking at the names of the tombstones, imagining who the first Europeans were that came to the new world.
A historical marker at the front iron wrought gate says
"Founded in 1851, this is one of the oldest constantly maintained cemeteries in the State of Nevada. The trail to
the mother lode passed directly in front and the wagon tracks can still be seen with careful observation.
James Finney (Ole Virginie) after whom Virginia City is named is buried here. The known names are
primarily Italian as this ethnic group has predominated down through Dayton's early history. Recognizing
the potential of the land and the irrigating value of the Carson River, the Italians made this area the
breadbasket for the Comstock."
State of Nevada Historical Landmark #233
Carson City was now just a few miles farther. I had ESPN radio on and the Germany-Algeria match was on. It was tied at one and sounding tense. I knew I had to stop somewhere and watch the rest of the game. I drove into the downtown area to find a brewpub. I located the High Sierra Brewery but it had closed and posted on its doors that it was now serving its beer at the Firkin and Fox two blocks south and across from the state capital. The Firkin and Fox is an English pub located in the historic St. Charles Hotel, right across from the pretty state capital.
Although I was parked in the shade, I opted instead to take Sadie with me on the patio. She sat quietly under my table. I brought her own water bowl with me. When the thick cheeseburger arrived, she had some of it too. My server was a delight and very attentive, trying to get me to see the soccer match from the patio. (I couldn't, due to the glare). In the end Germany beat Algeria and that is all that mattered to me. I left the restaurant happy and continued on to Lake Tahoe. Even Sadie seemed happy to have gotten out of the van for a bit.
I've been to Lake Tahoe before. It was the last marathon I ran in 2000, when I moved from California to New Jersey with the USArmy. It's a high elevation lake that is now surrounded by private property on the Nevada side, with little access to the lake, as well as the town of South Lake Tahoe on the California that is bordered by casinos on the Nevada side. Traffic was horrific. I just wanted to get out of the van by then and take Sadie on a walk. I pulled into the historic Tallac site just north of South Lake Tahoe just to get out of the traffic and to let Sadie out. The Tallac site is a 1920s-era group of cabins on the lake where wealthy people would go back in the 1920s. Several old cars are still parked on the property. I was not interested in seeing someone's former wealthy cabin. Instead, I wanted to take Sadie to the rocky beach and to relax for a bit. There were many dogs on this beach, including three Golden Retrievers who were chasing after balls in the water. Minnie would have had a blast on this beach. I enjoyed watching the three happy dogs.
But Sadie wanted nothing to do with the water. A boxer nearby looked at her which seemed to make her uneasy. I stayed for a bit if just to get out of the van and the traffic. I was not going to enjoy myself if Sadie wasn't enjoying herself, so we left to continue our drive around the lake. My next stop was near a trail head to a short two-mile waterfall hike. Now this seemed more Sadie's taste! And it was. The Eagle Falls hike was short but steep and afforded views of Emerald Bay. This is where we both were able to unwind and walk a bit, albeit with people around us. This was our first official hike of our road trip.
Lake Tahoe is a beautiful place, but I prefer the more remote trails. These remote trails are accessible from remote locations that most tourists don't bother to find, something I knew I couldn't do in the short time we had at Lake Tahoe. The hike up to the falls was a great relief and we still had about two hours of daylight left. We sat and enjoyed the view some more before descending. Would I find a more remote place along the lake, near the water? We stopped briefly at Tahoe City but it was too crowded. Was the entire state of California at Lake Tahoe today? I finally found a spot just before the last of the sun's rays hit the lake at the West End Park in Incline Village on the Nevada side. It was located off a residential area away from the touristy spots. I found it by chance. The street it was off of was not even lighted, perhaps to keep this little gem a secret. The sliver moon was setting over the hills off the lake. I liked the place, but it officially closes at dusk. Although signs said dogs must be leashed, it was dark enough to let Sadie out anyway. She walked around, peed on the grass, and wanted back in the van. I ended up driving back to Tahoe Vista, back on the California side, found a spot behind a group of rental cabins with a strong internet connection, and crashed for the night. It was a surprisingly quiet night again, but this time it was cooler and Sadie wasn't panting like she was on that first night.
We drove 320 miles today.
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