Leaving Nevada

Berlin-Ichthyosaurus State Park - This 1,153-acre park is an unusual combination ghost town and fossil exhibit, located just outside of Gabbs.  Thirteen buildings make up the ghost town of Berlin (occupied from 1864-1911).  Fossil remains of the prehistoric ichthyosaurus, 40-ton "fish lizards," which became extinct 70 million years ago, are on display.

I wish I had taken this trip in the Jeep because the road was very narrow and the trees scraped my coach.  I finally had to turn around and unhook to continue in the Jeep.

I also had a chance to "finish" my drive on Highway 50.  Although it is named the "Loneliest Road in America," I drove on some highways here in Nevada that I felt deserved the name as well.

Hawthorne, NV - most of this area is owned by the Army and used for demo and dismantling firepower from previous wars.  It is the largest deposit of ammunition in the world.

Hawthorne and Mina sounded a really loud siren at 12:30pm each day.  I was told it was to remind people it was lunchtime. They also "blow" it in case of fire.

Delightful stop at the California Trail Interpretive Center.  They have done a good job of interactive exhibits and historic demonstrations.  The displays start in Missouri and end, of course, in California.  Traveling around in my "covered wagon" I'm sure I've mentioned how fascinated I am with the wagon trains and what a journey that must have been!

Some of the "boots" in Elko and the saddest Polar Bear I've ever seen

There have been several days of high wind warnings in the area so I tried to stay "put" as much as possible, although I don't seem to have as much trouble driving my coach in the wind as others report on the FB groups.  I try to be sensible, however.  Today, a combination of rain and snow was predicted, but what I got was hail most of the day, which I suppose is a combination of the two.

Since snow was in the forecast and the Ruby Valley involved crossing the Ruby Mountains, I decided to wait for better weather .... which was today.  This was the road -


The highest peak of the Ruby Mountains, Ruby Dome is 11,387 ft.  There are 10 peaks above 10,000 ft. and dozens of alpine lakes.

- so I turned around and drove around the mountains to do the Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway, which also was closed (8,784 ft)

Lamoille Canyon is nestled within the Ruby Mountains (yes, they were named for the rubies that were found there) and was carved during the Ice Age.  It is often referred to as the Yosemite of Nevada.



Here in Elko, I am close to the Geographic Center of Nevada.

The highest elevation in Nevada at 13,142 ft.

Nevada has been beautiful and surprising; surprising in that I didn't realize how mountainous it is.  I don't think I ever got lower than 3,000 feet, although I probably did in the southern part of the state. Every time I felt like I was in the "bowl" and at sea level, I actually wasn't.  I am not exaggerating when I say this is the most frequent road sign in the state (along with a cow on it because of the open ranges).

I have been snowed upon with temperatures in the low 20s; I have had sun and 85 degrees, hail, rain, dust storms, and high wind warnings.

Unfortunately, I did not track my mileage, but I have definitely earned my state sticker!