Nevada: The Northern Part

May 30, 2026: Highway 140 from the Nevada border to Winnemucca was not so pretty. Boring, bland, desert dust as far as one can see. I lost a hubcap on the way. I am not happy about that! Most of Big Blue's hubcaps are cracked (cheap plastic) anyway so I see another van expense in my future. It's neverending!!!!

I'm nearly out of plastic bags! They are an intregal component of my elimination process (my toilet!) so this is seriously inconvenient. Both Oregon and California have banned plastic grocery bags. What do I do? I head to Nevada! I skipped northern Nevada the first time so I have things to see, but the deciding factor in which way to drive...there is a Walmart in Winnemucca and Nevada doesn't have a ban on plastic grocery bags. The checker told me to take as many as I wanted! I took her generosity seriously and left with two piles. Not sure how many bags in a "pile"? Maybe 100? For FREE! I used to boycott Walmart, now I love them! Does that make me a bad person?

After hoarding plastic "bathroom" bags and feeling pretty proud of myself (I have sunken to a new low...), I decided to go into the town of Winnemucca and see if I can find the First National Bank, the bank Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid robbed. I assumed it would be large, imposing, and a celebrated slice of history. Instead it was a tiny building on a corner. I almost missed it as it's not much to look at, but it does have a sign with not much explanation of its historical significance.

I thought I'd walk around Winnemucca just to see anything of interest. I think there are more casinos here than in Reno! Many of them are named after the outlaws. I noticed there are murals being painted all over! What the heck is going on? I just walked into Winnemucca's Mural Festival and artists are invited from all over to paint a wall! When I started asking questions, I was invited to join a tour. Most of the murals have historical or cultural themes. They sure add a lot of color and interest to alley walls of old buildings.

That night I stayed at Water Canyon Recreation Area. Camping is free and allowed for three days. People driving up and down the dusty dirt road. All night I felt like I was suffocating! I needed to know this about Nevada. Do I want to move here? NO!

May 31, 2026: Thunder Mountain Indian Monument is a man-made vernacular sculptural garden near Imlay, Nevada, off Exit 145 on Highway 80. I've had this on my list of "must-sees" for a long time. Entrance to park is free, but they request a $2.00 donation per group for site preservation. Ah, it doesn't look they they have attempted to preserve anything in the almost forty years it's been abandoned! I find that sad. I'd love to volunteer to help preserve it! It's a creative and fascinating artistic endeavor that was clearly a project of passion. The structures were built with found objects, cement, wire, and bottles. The themes are the accumulation of trash from white society that enroached on the already existing Native American culture. It was built by the self-proclaimed Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder (a "Thunder Mountain" doesn't exist) and covers about 5 acres. Most of it is now in ruins after he committed suicide in 1989.

This is the main structure fenced and protected as an historic landmark.

Entrance to the hostel where hippies stayed in the 1970s. It was burnt down in 1983 (arson).

Love the sculpture all over. Too bad it's not being preserved....

I always wanted to build something like this...

Next I drove to Unionville, supposedly a ghost town. It was a disappointment. Some old buildings are privately owned. Not much to see. I continued to Reno and Whole Foods. I love shopping at Whole Foods! It makes me feel like normal person with a real life. 

Today was a stupid driver day for sure. First, I'm on the freeway going 65 miles per hour (the speed limit) and I'm behind a Sprinter van. They are huge so I can't really see what is in front of them. I think I followed him uneventfully for about twenty miles. Then a car comes up passing us on the left and before the car gets to the Sprinter, Sprinter pulls out unexpectedly in front of the car. I think, "That was reckless." Little did I know, in front of the Sprinter was a camper trailer traveling about 50 mph! I barely had time to slow and slam on my brakes. Asshole Sprinter! Please learn how to drive! He should have attempted to pass the camper when he had enough room giving me enough time to see he had someone in front of him and before another car was attempting to pass!

Next I'm going through Reno on the freeway at 65 mph like everyone else and this idiot girl who just pulled off at an exit decided it wasn't the right exit and slowly pulls back onto the freeway going about 45 miles an hour! I slammed on my brakes and nearly skidded right into her. She sped up fast or it might have been really ugly. I laid on my horn. What is with these stupid people? 

Next outside of Reno (Reno has very bad drivers!), I'm casually driving along again at 65 mph, and a car in the oncoming lane decides to pass the semi in front of him. There isn't enough room to pass, you dingbat! Again, I slam on my brakes because he doesn't look like he's going to make it. Now I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and be KIND, but instead I through my hand out the window and flipped him off. I couldn't help myself. You'd think these experiences would make me afraid to drive. I was slamming my brakes on all day long. Nevada drivers are idiots.

I forgot to get gas in Nevada...it was $5.23 per gallon three miles from the border. In California, it was $6.29 a gallon!

View of Valley near Alturas

I stayed at the Crowder Flat Road in the national forest just east of Alturas. The dirt roads were very rutted and still damp from the rains. I almost got stuck at one point, but survived.

Big Blue made that mess in the bottom part of photo
inching way out while trying to turn and run!

The night was incredibly peaceful, perfect temperatures (72 during the day and around 45 at night). 

I can't believe it's already June!! Four more months of adventure to go!