Into the Nevada desert

Tuesday 6 November 2018

Firstly - thank you to all of you who contacted me re my anxiety/panic attack on Sunday offering good wishes and help if needed. I really appreciate it. I'm feeling mostly better and am taking things very easy and will continue to do so for the remainder of my trip. Thank you again.

I left Lake Tahoe this morning in -6C temperatures thinking it would warm up as I headed into the Nevada desert. It didn't lol. Still biting cold but the sun is shining.

I made a bit of a blue yesterday. One of the things on my list of things to do was fill up with petrol and that somehow slipped my mind. I was on the road for nearly an hour before I realised I was under a 1/4 full. Yikes. There was nothing in sight for miles and miles, just a flat desert and a long straight ribbon of road.  Just as I was getting a bit concerned I came across one of the many Casinos that just pop up right out in the middle of nowhere and yes there was a gas station so I was back on track.

Having a low tank is very unusual for me and I put it down to the events of the last few days. It won't happen again.

On the way I stopped for lunch at a place called Hawthorne Nevada and they had the biggest USA flag I've seen.

Nevada Desert...or a moonscape?

No petrol station in sight lol

My destination today is Tonopah, an old mining town in Nevada and about 2/3 of the way to Las Vegas. From Lake Tahoe it's 240 Miles (386 kms), again on excellent roads. I feel Nevada must reinvest the Casino revenue into building safe inviting roads. My stop was mainly to break up the drive to Vegas but I'm glad I found it. It's a very old town and half of it has been done up and half is falling down. It's a very "western" town and some of it looks like there should be a dirt road and horses tied up to hitching posts outside the saloon.

Jim & Belle Butler

Lincoln Continental - not in good nick lol

Early mining equipment

Local garage

I'm staying the the Mizpah Hotel. It was built in 1905 and is 5 stories high. According to legend Wyatt Earp kept the saloon, Jack Dempsey was the bouncer and Howard Hughes married Jean Peters in Tonopah. These claims have been debunked by disbelievers but I would like to think I'm sleeping in a hotel where this actually happened.

Now they tell me there is a ghost - "The Lady in Red" and many guests have seen her - allegedly.  Apparently she was cheating on her husband and he shot her dead in a jealous rage. The hotel was closed in 1999 but was bought and the new owners  renovated it and it reopened  in 2011.  The renovations have kept the last century feel about it the place and it's almost a museum in the lobby. I love my room.

Hotel Mizpah

My Room

 

My Room

 

The door to the original safe. I guess
 it was for all the silver they mined

Check out the typewriter

Another big old safe

If you are ever making the drive to Las Vegas I really recommend you do a stop over here. There are also 3 casinos in town - only small ones but more than I would imagine.

I'm going to shower and jammy and get into bed early tonight as I'm watching the results coming in on the midterm elections. Very interesting so far!!