Planning Nevada Tour Summer 2009

[Jeebs]

First post here goes:

Any native Nevadan's here? Anyone from Reno?

I've lived in Nevada my whole life and I've started thinking that taking a tour of everything around would be fun and a good idea. I've been talking to a few buddies of mine and they want to go too. BASICLY, the plan is like this if you have a map of nevada in front of you:

We go from Reno, North to Vya, Then East all the way to Jackpot, Then South from there to Caliente (Possibly Veas) then East to Tonopah, then North to Austin, Southeast to Hawthorne, then finally back home to Reno.

I'll probably be taking 2 weeks for this trip, maybe closer to 3 depending on what we want to do and how much fun we have. I'll be in my Subaru Brat, a few of my friends will have subaru's and we may have a Jeep tag along as well. I've started collecting everything I believe we will need for the trip, getting tubs sorted with different camping gear and spare car parts. I do have a few questions though:

1) Anybody know about gas stations in Northern Nevada? I can't seem to find anything as far as services for towns such as Denio, Mountain city, and Mcdermitt.

2) Anybody know of any way cool places off the beaten path to see?

3) Any recommendations/suggestions?

Thanks for the crazy long post, I appreciate all the help. :)

[W. Larrison]

I've been planning a trip through Vya this summer, perhaps.

In looking around, I'm pretty sure Denio has a gas station (singular), which I found listed as the "Denio Junction Station" 1-775-941-0171. There's also a gas station in Fields, Oregon about 20 miles north. "Near" Vya there's gas in Cedarville, CA.

I also get a reference for a gas station near the hotel in McDermitt Hotel. (The Hotel McDermitt...775-532-8588) You might give them a call and ask.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Any native Nevadan's here? Anyone from Reno?

Not a native, but been in Las Vegas for seven+ years. Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! I have traveled to all of those places several times in the last few years. We have some time (summer 2009!) so I will post again later.

Mark

[Athos]

I'm not a native to Nevada, but in the time I've been here, I've made various trips over a good portion of the state. Here are some sights and activities, I've heard of or visited:

There are several opal mines up by Denio, where you can pay a fee and dig your own opals. I haven't done this yet.

Near Elko are the Ruby Mountains and LaMoille Canyon, which I have heard is beautiful.

Pyramid Lake is also nice, and if you travel north along the dirt road on the west side, there is a rock that looks like George Washington.

Near Ely is Great Basin National Park.

Between Ely and Austin is the Hickson Petroglyph Site, which has a bunch of carvings in the rock and is just off the highway.

Berlin Icthyosaur Park is interesting. They've got several fossils of the fish dinosaur.

I've also heard Belmont (north of Tonopah) is a cool ghost town too.

Looks like you'll be taking the Extraterrestrail Hwy, which isn't all that great, but is fun to say you've done it.

-SJB

[Quebec Gen]

After such a long trip, you'll certainly be ready to soak for a few hours in the warm waters of Spencer Hot Springs in Austin. Here's a site that will help you locate the exact spot and other hot springs along your route. Check out the International Café in Austin they have the best burgers and fries around. Their service is a little on the slow side but it's definitely worth waiting. Also don't miss the Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park south of Ely and camp in one of their yurts -- I love those.

Also, if you're a history buff, the Pony Express Historic Trail crosses several times U.S. 50 as you can see on this map and you can still visit the old station at Ft. Churchill Station in Silver Springs. Although I have never been there, I heard Rhyolite, west of Beatty, was a very interesting ghost town. If you go through Virginia City, browse through Mark Twain's artefacts at the Museum inside the old Territorial Enterprise Building.

If you're interested in movie locations, Misfits Flats near Stagecoach was named after the movie The Misfits starring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe which was partly shot in that area. Reno was the movie set for movies such as Desert Hearts (1985) and Kill me Again (1989). You can find more about movie locations here.

Gen