Desert Rose is a nice little RV park along US-50 but Fernley is a pretty quiet little town.  Their wildlife management area is mostly a giant mudflat this time of year so birding is not so great.  The only near excitement was that Betsy (you know, our garmin) tried to send us cross country into the management area.  No way, you would be surprised how slimy desert soil can get when it is periodically flooded.  Ick.  We chose another route that involved at least graded gravel road. 

A lot of sculptures must come out of Burning Man.  Fernley has a couple in their Main Street Art Park.  I like the turtle best but the bottle cap flower/tower is pretty cool too.

Weather is still unsettled in this part of the country so we are treated to dramatic looking skies for much of the trip.  Across the valley and along mountain ridges to either side bright billowing pillow-like clouds erupt above dark menacing storm fronts where rain streaks toward the ground.  It mists then pours then clears.  There is a burst of brilliant sunlight then it all closes in again.  Wind buffets the motorhome particularly fierce as we cross passes or the widest open spaces.  It is a bit hard on the driver but pretty spectacular for me.     

Wild burros are along this stretch of US-95 too.  We come to Hawthorne NV home of the largest arms depot in the world.  Row after row of earthen bunkers march across the scrub brush desert.  Impressive…a bit frightening to imagine a time when one might “need” all this fire power.  The road takes a very unexpected turn as we climb cliff-side along Walter Lake.  A very curling section of 95 is carved into the jagged bare rock face along the west shore.  They warn of big horn sheep crossing.  I keep out a sharp eye but see none.  It is all beautiful in its own desert kind

Tonopah Historic Mining Park encompasses a number of the early mines that were responsible for the boom of Tonopah.  We check out the museum and the History of Tonopah film…we will have to do the site walkthrough another time.  It is 45F and the wind is howling.

Did you know… US95 Reno to Vegas is home of Phase I of the Nevada Electric Highway Initiative?   We noticed many Tesla charging stations as we drove this way.  The docent at the historical park filled us in: it is the result of that initiative.  Tesla funded them all along US95.

Related did you know…the only lithium “mine” in the US is here in this valley.  It is actually “mined” by evaporating naturally occurring lithium laden brine that is found under these ancient sea beds.  Who knew?

Built in 1907 and beautifully restored in 2011 the lobby of the Mizpah Hotel is a wonderful space decorated in rich maroon and natural wood with old west chandeliers.  Lunch at the Pittman Café in the Mizpah was lovely and delicious: Greek lemon chicken soup and a fantastic burger.    

A bit less opulent…actually a little creepy… is the Clown Motel.  The lobby is filled with clowns of every type and a unique made-up face adorns each guest room door.  Fun but potentially nightmare inducing.

Is it art?  Is it just junk?

25 or so miles south of Tonopah in Goldfield NV we find the International Car Forest of the Last Church.  The pictures say it all. 

Cool thing, I saw three pronghorn antelope as we headed back to Tonopah.  I had not seen any yet this trip through the southwest. 

Yep, the weather man was right.  Rain started Saturday night and has spilled into Sunday.  By mid afternoon it is sleet then snow with a promise of below freezing temps tonight.  We are inside all day.  Monday is to be drier and climb all the way into the mid 50s.  If that “balmy” forecast holds, we plan to do a bit more exploring.

We trek through wide basins blanketed in desert scrub.  Wild burros graze along the fence line; even a few foals.  In several places thousands of years of prevailing winds have swept the fine sand into massive sand dunes piled up against the mountain ridges.  As for evidence of mans’ presence; we pass the Area 51 Alien Center at Scotty’s Junction, the Dinky Diner in Goldfield and an unexplained row of 10 ft high sticks or bare trees with ribbons tied in them spaced about a mile apart along a stretch of 95.     

US 95 climbs up out of desert into the surrounding mountain ranges.  That couple thousand feet in elevation brings with it some significantly cooler temperatures.  Temps didn’t exceed 60 the entire trip.  We settle in at Tonopah Station, a casino/motel/restaurant with an Automated Washboard and a row of RV sites.  Nothing special but a level spot with power (we are going to need heat the next couple days) and there are museums and such to check out here.  

We make a quick trip to the Central Nevada Museum – it is one of those small-town museums filled with items donated by local residents and businesses.  It is an interesting peek into the history of this place and the lives of those who have called it home over the years.      

We got a nice rain today after we spent the last two days washing and waxing the rig.  It looked really nice for 24 hours or so.    

Off we go to China Ranch Date Farm.  China Ranch Road winds down a steep, narrow wash then opens into a lush oasis.  Date palms are scattered among the cottonwood and willow that line the banks of a meandering creek.  It is a lovey setting.  The “Ranch” is a collection of run-down buildings with a fair number of trailers thrown in for what we imagine is housing for ranch labor.  The gift shop is chock full of stuff ranging from Native American crafts to spiritual crystals and hand-made soap.  We sample a half dozen varieties of dates from the dozen or so they grow here.  I come home with a pound of Zahidi dates.  They are not as sweet as many we tried with more of a real flavor.  We passed on the many baked goods (cookies, muffins cakes and breads) but did share a date shake.  It was tastier than I recall my last date shake…not just sweet but sort of nutty or earthy tasting.  Quite good.

Trails along the creek and ridges are probably quite nice but it is rainy and muddy so we take a pass on the hiking and head back to town.  The weather didn’t allow for a great first impression of the place.  Perhaps it is worthy of another stop some bright, sunny, but not too hot day to check out the rest of what the “Ranch” has to offer.