Nevada - Beautiful Boredom

If you plan on taking this route through Nevada for the first time....listen up - because just as you get on the road at Ash Springs you will need to make an important left. Last year I almost missed it - Derek caught it at the VERY LAST minute - urrrrrrrrrrr - this year I was on the ball but Derek had forgotten - 'are you sure?!' he says.

Remember to take a left on to the 375 to then take a quick right onto the 318 - so that you don't wind up on the 

Extraterrestrial Highway! 

Although if you didn't know this highway existed you probably still wouldn't since the sign is pretty shot out! Too bad - would have been a great pic had we remembered to stop that is....

Anyway, once we made a right on the 318 our trip through the remainder of Nevada in one day was underway. This day began with 318 north to the 6 with a right turn bringing us shortly into Ely (gas), continuing north on the 93 until Lages where we took a left - the continuation of the 93 vs the 93 Alt to Wendover  to Wells (gas) and then carrying on ahead to Jackpot! (no gas). 

We could have stopped for the night in Jackpot but knew that bad weather was on the way and therefore wanted to get as close to Nampa as we could get - or really as far as Derek could handle driving in one day. From Jackpot on it was night driving and we arrived in Buhl, Idaho at around 7:30 pm.

400 miles or about 645 kilometers!

The longest - furthest day this trip.

We only stop for food and gas. Depending on the vehicle you have make special note of gas station locations! and here it is - ONLY IN THE MAIN TOWNS - Ash Springs (which you just left - go back if you forgot to fill up), Ely, Wells and Jackpot.

That's it? 

YUP!

Just starting out on the 318 - beautiful farmland.

Enjoy it - civilization is about to disappear.

I have made several references to the fact that driving through Nevada is lonesome. It is - it really is. There is a whole lotta nothin' out there! Although at the same time it is VERY VERY beautiful! It is also made less lonesome by the fact that it is a VERY VERY well traveled route. I call it the Idaho express - and may have to change that to the Idaho - British Columbia express - since they were the two main license plates. It is also a major truck route!

I have a love/hate relationship with Nevada - although we travel it in one day - it is a one longgggggggggg day. I am torn between the beauty and the sheer boredom of it. 

During our 2008 Desert Wandering tour we came up from Death Valley and landed in Tonopah - where it was snowing in mid April - I may add! We then followed the 376 through the Big Smokey Valley to the 50 AKA the Loneliest Road in America - to Eureka - a neat little town, then we took the 278 north to Interstate 80 to Elko. Elko is a very interesting place - we truly enjoyed our visit there! We stayed the night at the Thunderbird Motel even though we had our trailer just because of the cold temperatures. We then carried on the Interstate until Wells and then of course north to Jackpot.

We are sure getting to know Nevada - up close and personal!

This is one of the most interesting parts of the whole day.

A drive through a valley carved by the White River - awesome rock formations remain.

WARNING WARNING WARNING!

If you are one of our wonderful travel buddies still sunning it up in the south and don't want to read about or see - the S word - stop here! Exit our blog and go have a nice cool Meyer lemonade! 

If you think you can handle it - or even want to use it to gloat - well then carry on! BUT DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!!!

Our first look at snow! Cassia! SNOWWWWWWWW!

There are only 2 - yes 2 - rest areas on this route. The first is Sunnyside. We stop there for lunch - it is one of the only rest areas I know that has hot running water in the washrooms - AND it is out in the middle of nowhere!

Just after we took the right onto highway 6 this came towards us. We got a strange feeling that we should pull over....what gave us that idea - oh - I don't know - maybe because the cop was IN OUR LANE!

Just to the west of Ely along the 6 is the worst bit of road of the whole trip because you go through a pass. It is very high - almost 7,000 ft and curvy. The roads were clear but we could tell the snow was fresh - and there was a lot of it!

fun fun!

Also the steepest grades along the mostly flat highway.

Cassia finds all sorts of things to entertain herself in the back!

Ely - our first gas stop. I think you have to be made of something special to live in Ely - so so so far away from the rest of the world.

Just north of Ely - hmmmm - not looking so good up ahead.

Along the way we pass through the Heeby Jeeby town! We won't mention any names - this place is sad enough without us adding to the problems but whoa! This is the most downtrodden town we have EVER come across. With last years warmer temps people were standing on the street - the most forlorn looks we have EVER seen. It kinda gives us the shivers if you know what I mean.

Quick lock the doors! just joking - urrrr well no, not really!

Poor ol' Heeby Jeeby town!

Next up - the Pony Express rest area. Last year - not totally realizing the extent of this huge undertaking in one day we also stopped here. Actually, Derek and Roofous took off on Cassia and I for so long I was starting to wonder if he had head for the hills never to return.

This year - we just sailed on by. We have miles to make.

A close up of the Pony Express statue from last year. Imagine riding the Pony Express way back - and I think our trip is long!

Much of the time the road looks like this - long and straight.

I find the longest part of the trip from Lages or Lages Station on some maps (used to be a gas station but no longer) to Wells the longest part of the trip. It tends to drag - not overly scenic and a bit of a climb thus taking longer. 

Last year we spent a cold cold cold night in Wells under a closed Casino sign that was on it's last leg and swayed and creaked in the wind. We weren't going to repeat that experience. Not sure what you can get in Wells other then gas - but gas you can get. There are three truck stops - Flying J's, Love's and Sinclair. We stopped for some internet time at the Love's because it has a McDonald's in it - you know just inside the gas station through the CASINO.

Thankfully, by leaving early and wasting no time on the road - and Derek driving the speed limit of 65 miles per hour - faster then we usually drive - we made it to Wells with hours to spare.

Just as it was getting dark we pulled into and out of Jackpot. Not much in Jackpot except what? 

yes, Casinos!

All the rigs that we had seen that day - and many others we hadn't - were there, but we decided to move on. From last year we also knew of the Buhl Visitor Center and the free dump station they offered and a gas station beside it - we decided to overnight there. It was a good decision although it meant about an hour of night driving, which we try not to do very often.

But boy were we happy to FINALLY pull off the 93 onto the 30 and a mere 12 miles later hit Buhl and our home for the night. More about Buhl coming soon!

What a day! 

I'd almost forgotten what Cassia looked like with the three of us glued to our seats all day!

Thanks for coming along for the ride! You made it less lonesome! :)

Teresa

Today's Interesting Link: I have been spending a whole lotta time on Pinterest lately - leading me to this site and that one, oh and that one, and just look at that one! You would think I would have a ton of links - and I do! but they are almost all cooking blogs - I just can't get enough of them! Here is the link to one of the most popular of my pins yet! a recipe for Coconut Milk Shampoo - I cannot wait to get home to make it! I know I will be hooked!

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