Tonopah to Carson City

Saturday, May 23, 2015
Carson City, Nevada, United States
Got away earlyish, 8.15, and decided to have breakfast on the road, as it didn't come as part of the deal. Coaldale had looked a likely town - 40.3 miles away. However, I'd googled to be on the safe side, and I knew Coalside was a ghost town. So was Mina the next place marked on the map. But - I knew there was a MacDonald's at Hawthorne if all else failed. Hawthorne would be 1hr 33mins into our trip (103 miles). Might be Hawthorne for brekky ....

It rained in dribs and drabs most of the way today . Apart from a nice Rest Area not far outside Tonopah, there was really nothing to see - no animals, no houses - until we got to Coaldale, which really WAS a ghost town. Until now, and after for ages, the grass was tufty little lumps. There was a lot of rain water lying around, and a few springs/small lakes - so there must be something really wrong with the soil. Clay maybe? Anyway, very barren and desolate.

Mina was almost a ghost town - I think the "Desert Lobster Cafe" was still operating. There was a stretch limo outside; it looked quite out of place.

We ended up having Maccas at Hawthorne. This is an army town with lots of barracks and heaps of underground bunkers. The army made 'ordinances' here - so I guess they tested them. This is one I need to google.   After this, we drove alongside Walker Lake. There was no cultivation or cattle at all, until we got to Schurz, which is on the Walker River .

The road cut across, but the river looped north - the next cultivated area was Yerington, on the Walker River as it looped south again.

We arrived in Carson City about 1pm I think. There was a room available on the ground floor which agreed with what we booked - so we were "in like Flyn". It cleared up a bit, and we went walkabout at 2.45. A nice city - we walked past the old trains "Nevada State Railroad Museum" and watched it all for a while. Did the tourist walk - then ended up at a bar "Firkin & Fox". What a surprise - it rained again. It was 35 minutes back to the motel, but we timed it well and did the entire walk without getting wet.

Ate at Grandma Hattie's Family Restaurant next door to the motel. The 'Senior meals' are great. You can actually eat it all, and it costs 30% less!
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