Nevada: The Loneliest Highway in America

May 6, 2026: Got up early, drove the washboard, and headed to Ely, Nevada. I was going to go to the Ward Charcoal Ovens that are giant stone hives once used to burn wood to create charcoal for the smelting process, but it's a state park so there is a fee (only $10 for out-of-state license plates) AND, more importantly, there are ten miles of dirt roads to get there. Ah, no. That seven miles of washboard to the Lunar Craters was bad enough. Big Blue would like to keep her new windshield shiny and lacking in chips and cracks!

I went to Ely, excited to see their murals. The air was cool and smelled so clean and fresh! I walked around the old cemetery looking at baby graves. Unfortunately the whole main street was being re-constructed. I couldn't even walk down the sidewalks! It was all chopped up with large dirt-moving trucks and cats milling about. The murals are on the sides of the buildings so no access other than gazing from far away.

I left heading west toward Reno on "The Loneliest Highway in America" or Highway 50 that cuts across the center of Nevada. Beautiful, peaceful drive. Not completely lonely as I passed a few vehicles, but wonderfully quiet with interesting, yet calming scenery. The temperature was a perfect 65 degrees and the highway was curvy with ups and downs over the various passes and summits.

I only heard about Stokes Castle from looking for free camping on the app iOverlander. Many people had such good things to say about parking overnight next to castle ruins. Castle ruins? In Nevada? I was curious. They all said they enjoyed an incredibly peaceful and quiet night with the exception of an occasional tourist until the sun went down. So that's where I headed.

On the way I passed through Eureka. Cute, old town with lots of Wild-West-looking buildings. I stopped in to see their Opera House. The friendly office-working woman invited me in to wander at will. Gorgeous! Very well maintained! I love the old-style balconies on the outside and the inside. Straight out of the Wild West!

The castle ruins are in a little town along the loneliest highway called Austin. My initial impression was it's a quaint, adorable town with nice, clean well-maintained houses. The downtown was intact, but some of the businesses were in serious need of new signage or dilapitated. It was odd I was there on a Wednesday, but everything was closed! It has three gorgeous churches on the very short main street and the smallest laundromat I've ever seen located in one of those prefabricated sheds. Top loaders and the cost was only $1.50 per load!! Unfortunately one person was in there doing laundry with stinky detergent and the washers looked dirty. Nope.

For a moment I thought I could live in such a cute town with all the green pine trees and beautiful valley scenery until I took a walk down the main street and encountered reminders I'm in Trumpland with racist, hateful, anti-Muslim, pro-Christian propaganda hanging in business windows. No wonder everything is closed. They probably can't get any customers with their nasty attitudes! I can do a night in Austin, but I won't be living there!

Stokes Castle was only 1/2 mile from town up smooth dirt road. I was excited to see through the trees a real castle-looking structure! OH! There are trees here! So nice to see greenery for a change after months of desert living. I think they are Ponderosa Pines and they smell so good.

OK. With the exception of its "ruined" state, I think this is my dream house! The historical placard says it was built in the 1897 by a guy named Stokes to be used as a summer home for his sons. The architectural plan was based on a castle he saw outside Rome. It seems the sons lived in it for two months that first summer and it was never inhabited again! Maybe the boys were bored with nothing to do in such a small town? What a shame!!! So sad no one kept it maintained, but that seems to be common in a lot of these old Wild West towns. Three not-so-big stories, with balconies, and a fireplace.  Just my size. It's definitely my dream house!

I love the view it has too! The blue skies, sunshine, and cool temperatures make this a perfect setting!

I parked and prepared for my free overnight. As warned, vehicles with tourists showed up every half hour or so, but with not much to look at they quickly left. Around 11pm a vehicle pulled in and shined its lights on me parking right behind me! WTH??  There is plenty of space on the other side of the castle! This is common practice for RVers...they will cuddle right up close, but not usually a car. I guesssed it was a man as men never seem to consider anyone around them. The next morning around 6am their car alarm went off. People are so rude and thoughtless!! Yep, it was a man.

Good-bye, dream house...

Nevada: Lunar Crater Volcanic Field National Monument

 May 4, 2026: I wasn't sure if driving on seven miles of unpaved road would be a good idea, but as usual I kept chanting, "It's an adventure!" 

Most of the road was severly washboarded, a couple spots the sand was so deep I worried I'd get stuck, then right at the end the road became rutted and steeply inclined. I arrived late around 6pm and the main crater was spectacular. I parked right next to it. 

I thought I should explore a bit and see if there were other, better campsites. I could see another van in the distance along the rim, but the road became scary. I thought I'd cut my losses and select safety! I'm not that adventurous!

See the van on the left side of the rim? 
This gives a good size comparison.

It was cold at night but I woke to sunshine peering over the mountains! Next day I hiked around the rim.

View from the other side with Big Blue on the distant rim.

So quiet here with very few tourists. I'm guessing most look at that washboard road and have second thoughts.

Mornings here are cold at 38-40 degrees and although the sun shines all day, I cannot keep my feet warm! I now remember why I love Arizona so much. I do not do well in cold weather!! If my choice is 40 degrees or 100 degrees, I'll take 100 degrees!!

Nevada: Area 51 and the Extraterrestrial Highway

 

May 4, 2026: The signs for the Extraterrestrial Highway are all covered in stickers! I'm not sure why. Stickers all over signs and poles are very popular in Nevada.

Other than the two signs and a little cafe in Rachel with alien tourist souvenirs, there really isn't much to see. Just a lot of flat desert. No aliens.

Well, unless you count the live rattlesnakes on the road! There was one in my lane all spread out trying to keep warm so I tried to center him directly under so I wouldn't hit him. I looked out the side mirror and he was all coiled up in the middle of the road hoping to bite someone.

Roads are so much nicer here and well maintained. Even if the road starts to get less smooth, they have signs "ROUGH ROAD" to warn you! In Arizona it's just a given they are bumpy, potholed, and "rough".

Nevada! Techatticup Ghost Town and the El Dorado Mine Tour

May 3 - 4, 2026: I was so anxious to get out of Arizona! I spent a glorious eight months there with sun shining nearly every day, swimming every day under that sun, good food so hard to find anywhere else. But the travel bug bit. I headed back to Nevada. A couple months ago I attempted Nevada and California, but encountered snow. The weather up in northern Nevada is now in the 40s at night so tolerable. First stop, Techatticup Ghost Town and the El Dorado Mine Tour! 

This is the coolest ghost town I think I've ever seen! First, it has a LOT of buildings of all kinds, four of them are originals and the rest built over the years. Many of them are being used as homes. Second, it has a lot of old things just hanging around for interest and creative decoration. Over a hundred of every kind of old vehicle, ancient farm tools, musical instruments, weaponry, there is even something that looks like a time machine! So fun! See photos below.

I loved the "Big Sign" everyone is required to read, along with other sassy messages that constantly made me laugh:

Love number 5!

This is a mobile jail used at the mine for bad miners.

I went back the next day for the El Dorado Mine Tour. Very fun and informative!

Excellent day one of the Second Adventure!

The Second Great Adventure!!

May 3, 2026: Are you looking at the above photo and thinking, "Who cares? Another desert photo? Boring."

Oh, no! That is my new WINDSHIELD! It is so sparkly clean! And I'm so afraid to drive for fear, 1) it'll get bug guts all over it, and 2) some maniac driving a truck or semi will throw rocks at it! I am being very careful!

I am ready for my Second Great Adventure! Last year I left on Earth Day, or April 22, 2025, but it felt early. Once I got up to Wyoming I was driving down this beautiful country road I noticed no leaves on the trees!  I thought how beautiful it would be with greenery! So I waited as long as I could before getting so antsy I couldn't stand it. 

My to-do list was long! New back up camera, tune up, new water pump, new brakes, get rid of storage unit, donate or sell anything I couldn't fit in the van, go to the dentist, go to the eye doctor, get new glasses, get new drivers license, get new social security card, get registered to vote, get new virtual mailbox. Whew! The last on my to-do list was a new windshield. I was hoping to wait until next fall since it was already damaged and driving on freeways and rocky roads would only damage it more, but that last week one of the FOUR cracks started traveling across the width of the windshield. It drove me nuts. 

I'm still having problems with Big Blue. She's still leaking coolant, still overheating on inclines, still groaning like a wounded whale when I reverse, the transmission still doesn't know what to do, and the brand new brakes feel "jumpy". I've had it into different mechanics and they all say nothing is wrong. I disagree! But what do I do? I think in another few weeks when I get to "civilization" I'll find yet another mechanic and invest another too much money! It would alleviate a whole lot of stress if I could find someone competent who could fix her! Or maybe she's just old and fixing is not going to happen! I certainly understand that!

Until then, off I go!!! It's an adventure!!

More Arizona Meanderings: The Wildlife Tour

March 31, 2026 I drove from Carlsbad Caverns through New Mexico, Texas, and back to the corner of New Mexico along highway 9 which runs along the Mexican border. I could see the "Wall". I'd never seen it before! Border Patrol all over mostly in pickups, some on ATVs, blimps tied to the stations floating high above in the air. Lots of dead rattlesnakes on the highway. I camped just east of Animas out in the desert. So very quiet especially at night with no one on the highway and the stars bright in the sky.

The next morning I headed to Bisbee through Portal and Douglas. You know when you are in Arizona by the condition of the roads. No other state is this bad! Even Texas has awesome roads and they are a Republican state. WTF, Arizona?

But the weather has cooled to high 70s - low 80s and the prickly pears are blooming which makes up for it!

And then there are the rats...see him bottom of the photo? I think this is a pack rat? Not sure. I was told they are rather cute like chipmunks when they aren't eating your vehicles, but they are more like vampires coming out at night and not in the sunlight so I'm not sure. He does look like the pack rat photos online. Now I know I'm back in Arizona!! I have my rat beepers and blinking solar lights in the engine. I'm ready for them!

But what about the scorpions, giant spiders, and

RATTLESNAKES?

The news is warning there have been an increase in rattlesnake bites this spring. I've been trained by people who have lived here all their lives. When the nighttime temperatures are above 50 degrees, the rattlers are out in full force. In the spring they are aggressive, probably because they just got out of hibernation and are hungry. I enjoy hiking or walking since I'm sitting a lot when I'm driving or even when I'm not traveling I spend a lot of time on the computer. I like to get out of the van, exercise, and stretch especially now that I'm still trying to recouperate from the ankle fracture and trying to break in my new hiking boots. However, I am now nervous about hiking in the desert. My eyes are constantly scanning the landscape. Last night was 64 degrees. The rattlers should be out now regardless of whether I see them or not. I've only seen one on the highway to Arizona, but it was slithering off the road into the bushes so I only saw his tail.

One life-long local told me avoid walking near piles of rocks, bushes, or piles of sticks as that's where they are usually camouflaged or curled up. Don't reach for anything and be aware of your surroundings. OK. That doesn't help my stress and paranoia. Maybe I can avoid hiking until I leave Arizona? 

Another van woman said when you walk, walk hard, the vibration will warn them, and they will slither in the opposite direction (sometimes). They will usually start rattling about five feet away and this woman said, "It is unmistakable...the rattle of death!" I told her I'd seen rattlesnakes on TV and in the movies. She said, "No, up close and personal, the rattle is much more traumatizing! You know you are going to die if you don't get the hell away."

This morning I encountered my first rattlesnake...ever!!! Walking cautiously down the middle of the drive, watching my steps, watching the side bushes, rocks and sticks (Is that a snake? No it's just a stick! Whew!), and there he is about fifteen feet ahead sunning his whole three (?) foot long body across the dirt drive. OMG!

He's kind of flat and skinny. I wondered if someone ran him over, but no one has been driving around here and I hike this drive a lot. He's just hungry. Maybe he's a baby? He's shiny, unlike a stick. I threw some rocks that came close to him, but didn't hit him. I wanted to see him curl up and hear the rattle. He didn't move. No aggression that I could determine. I gave up and backed away. No need to tempt him. I imagined he'd slither after me out of spite. Hike over. Now everytime I hear a noise I'm jumping out of my skin. LOL!

OMG! I saw a gila monster! Sluggishly making his way across the dirt road in the desert! This camping location is great for wildlife which might not be a good thing, but it's definitely an adventure! This guy was about a foot and a half long. I stopped driving, turned off my van, and attempted to take photos before noticing he headed for under my van! I couldn't drive away for fear of running him over so I got a fly swatter and swatted his tail. He continued to the other side. They are venomous, bites can make one sick or dead (rare), but so beautiful! I kept my distance. I remember hearing stories of big ones that would attack pets and small children, but I think those are just urban legends. Arizona is adventure land!!

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

On the way back to Arizona, I stopped at the Carlsbad Caverns. OMG! They are so big! The caves are as big as a high school gym or an indoor baseball stadium. The holes in the floors are bottomless. Lovely cement walkways and railings which is good because it's dark in there, and often wet or slippery! We were told not to speak loudly so everyone was quiet walking silently down, down, down equivalent to 75 stories! The descent is a flat cement trail with handrails, steep until you get to the bottom, then mostly level with only one steep incline and one set of stone stairs totalling fifteen. The volunteer tells everyone if you have foot, ankle, knee problems or other health issues, don't do it. By the time I got to the bottom, my knees ached and shook with exhaustion, but I was fine. The temperature is an even 57 degrees so they suggest bringing a coat, but I didn't need one. Even though there were a lot of people, most of the time I was alone encountering only two groups: one school group and one organized tour. They were not quiet,! LOL! They stunk of shampoo, laundry detergent and fragrances of all kinds. I hussled passed when I could.

Entrance

What they don't warn you about is the smell! It smelled like dead things or moldy bat shit. My lungs felt a bit irritated, but I had no lasting effects. I can't imagine working or volunteering there for long periods of time. It's got to be toxic.

We were instructed not to take flash photos or point the flash down, but my camera doesn't really do that. Most people were videoing with their cameras which didn't produce a strong light. I did some videos, but they are too large to download.

Courtesy of the Carlsbad Canyon National Park Website

It's open between 9am and 5pm. Entrance fee is $15 unless you have a national park pass then it's free. You need to reserve in advance or get there when it opens to reserve a spot. They stop selling tickets or giving reservations around 2pm or whenever tickets are sold out. Special tours when available cost extra and require reservations.