Strange and wacky Nevada. Pictured above is Thunder Mountain. This attraction was a side pit stop on the I-80 Cowboy Corridor from Reno to Winnemucca. Thunder Mountain Monument looks as if the contents of a landfill popped to the surface and fell into a pattern over five acres that is part sculpture garden, part backyard fort, part Death Valley theme park. Interesting to say the least. Turns out it’s a deeper story than the apparent junk tells. Read more at
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Day trip from Winnemucca:
* Water Canyon Recreation Area – managed by BLM, this place seemed so far out of town, yet it was only a 10 minute drive. Too bad we don’t have a Jeep. We ask a lot of our compact car Lois, and she’s done us well, but Nevada exploration truly requires a 4-wheel vehicle. Fortunately, the mile or so of dirt road to get there was in good condition, and we were treated to some spectacular views.
* Paradise Valley – 40 miles north of Winnemucca, the Valley town was reachable by a paved road. A bit unsettling though, as numerous “Call 911 for Medical Services” signs were posted every 5 miles or so. Cell service was up and available, and with a case of bottled water in the back seat we felt as if we could take on a dose of risky traveling. The small town of Paradise Valley nestled in a large grove of tall Cottonwood trees, and is almost a ghost town with so many old abandoned buildings, many built back in the 1870’s. Very photogenic however and well worth the drive.
* Winnemucca Sand Dunes – again, without having a 4-wheel car, we couldn’t drive into this ATV recreational area, but stopped alongside the highway to admire the gentle slopes and pretty wind-swept sand patterns on the ridges. This spot may have been a preferable choice to experience an ATV ride over the large and very intimidating St. Anthony’s Dunes that we did in Idaho, but what a thrilling adventure it was!.
* Water Canyon Recreation Area – managed by BLM, this place seemed so far out of town, yet it was only a 10 minute drive. Too bad we don’t have a Jeep. We ask a lot of our compact car Lois, and she’s done us well, but Nevada exploration truly requires a 4-wheel vehicle. Fortunately, the mile or so of dirt road to get there was in good condition, and we were treated to some spectacular views.
* Paradise Valley – 40 miles north of Winnemucca, the Valley town was reachable by a paved road. A bit unsettling though, as numerous “Call 911 for Medical Services” signs were posted every 5 miles or so. Cell service was up and available, and with a case of bottled water in the back seat we felt as if we could take on a dose of risky traveling. The small town of Paradise Valley nestled in a large grove of tall Cottonwood trees, and is almost a ghost town with so many old abandoned buildings, many built back in the 1870’s. Very photogenic however and well worth the drive.
* Winnemucca Sand Dunes – again, without having a 4-wheel car, we couldn’t drive into this ATV recreational area, but stopped alongside the highway to admire the gentle slopes and pretty wind-swept sand patterns on the ridges. This spot may have been a preferable choice to experience an ATV ride over the large and very intimidating St. Anthony’s Dunes that we did in Idaho, but what a thrilling adventure it was!.
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After a full day of driving fun, we decided to check out one of the many Basque restaurants in town. The Basque people make up 4.2 percent of the local population (the highest percentage of any city in the United States!). They speak their native language, Euskera, and practice the customs of their homeland on a daily basis. Saturday nite dinner date was had at the historic 1800’s Martin Hotel, where we enjoyed Family-style dining, similar to restaurants in northern Georgia. Tables for ten people, you choose the main entree of your choice (Jim had Prime Rib and I opted for Ribeye steak), and then everything else is served around that; complimentary Burgundy wine and home made bread to start, followed by homemade soup, salad, Basque beans, Basque mashed potatoes, carrots, hominy, hand-cut french fries and then to finish after the entree their very own recipe of bread pudding!
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Of interest around town were these large fenced parking lots with big Greyhound style Coach buses. Many of the parked vehicles were pickup trucks with tall poles and bright-orange pennant flags. We finally put two and two together and realized these are employee parking lots for the numerous gold mine operations scattered all over this area. I’d say it’s a sure bet that the largest employer in these parts are mining companies.
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Oh, and I must mention the cutely named “Run-a-Mucca” motorcycle rally and music festival held annually in May. Too bad we missed it.
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