Road Trip ~ Utah or Bust
Nine hours on the road. You see nothing and everything when you spend most of those hours crossing Nevada. I mean no offense to residents of the state but how do they do it ~ live there I mean? Okay, they have no state income tax and lots of minerals to mine, but the landscape is boring and casinos are the primary form of entertainment. At least the traffic can provide something to look at, especially since lots of trucks and big rigs are on the road. Thankfully, this is just a pass through state for me and I'm happy to leave it behind.
FYI ~ We decided not to push it and drive the entire way to Utah in one day. The Oak Tree Inn off Exit 301 in Elko is a decent place to spend the night. The hotel is minimal but clean and friendly with a work out room, jacuzzi and pool. We paid $69 and breakfast at one of two local restaurants was included.
This town is known for its Cowboy Poetry Festival, as the place to turn off hgwy 80 if you're traveling to Boise, and a starting point for hunting trips. It also attracts skilled contractors to work gold mines in the area. We met one fellow who moved to Elko 11 years ago when gold was about $200/ounce. Now that it's over $1000/ounce the mines are furiously pumping out gold 24/7 and the town is benefiting from the activity.
Sunshine is the other gold that this place has in spades. Elko sits in a wide open valley and doesn't even attempt to hide from the sun.
1 comment:
Years ago when we went on a roadtrip with the kids, we stayed in a town called Winnamucca. We renamed it Whine-amucca because of it's bugs and ugliness.
Couldn't get through Nevada fast enough and on to more beautiful landscapes and attractions.
Happy trails to you... See you Sunday!
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