A 1986 article in Life magazine described the segment of Route 50 which runs through Nevada as "The Loneliest Road in America" - and ever since, folks like ourselves have been drawn to travel this off the beaten track of highway.
After Lake Tahoe, we made our way to Fallon NV which is on Route 50. Checking into our hotel, we noted that a military base must be near, given the flight jackets many of the fellow travelers checking in had on. It was true - we discovered that the
Navy's "Top Gun" Naval Air Station was right down the street. Hidden in plain sight as it were.
The next day as we left Fallon and began traveling the "loneliest road," and we observed first hand why Route 50 had gained it's moniker - the wide open spaces went on for over 30 miles at a stretch in places - and, as noted in the photos - one might drive that distance or further without spotting another vehicle in either direction! We encountered an interesting sign near a roadside stop... "Caution Low Flying Aircraft" - referring of course to the fighters and bombers that conduct training over the adjacent bombing ranges! In fact you probably will encounter more flying objects along Route 50 than other vehicles while traversing the expansive terrain of Nevada along the Loneliest Road.
Winding our way across Nevada, crisscrossing the various mountain ranges which then opened back on the wide open ranges provided contrast, stopping along the way in scattered small towns such as Austin, where one could hear the roosters crow in the distance accented by a barking dog that was competing for the gas station attendant's attention! Then there was Eureka, where we picked up a bottle of the town's namesake (bourbon) - at the combo grocery, hardware, gas station and building supply store.
We stopped for the night in Ely NV, which was originally founded as a stagecoach stop as well as the Pony Express - and later became a copper mining town. Much like the exposed multicolored layers of terrain that had been mined back, the town had layers of development, from abandoned gas stations and buildings on the exterior to newly developed hotels and casinos toward the center of town.
We found it interesting that Route 50 actually traverses more of Americana that Route 66 - running from West Sacramento CA all the way east to Ocean City, Maryland - 3,200 miles in total. And along that expanse, Nevada gets the unique moniker for the loneliest stretch of pavement - with some of the longest and widest views of this great country that we have ever observed from the comfort of our "wheel-estate."
PS:
"At the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling." - Shanti
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