Our next day was a long one. In order to avoid staying in Jackpot, (yes we’re gun shy now) we opted for a longer drive. Usually we try to keep our drive time to about 6 hours, adding another hour or so for fuel and coffee stops. This was more like 8 1/2 hours drive time, with about 11/2 hours for fuelling up. The route is really quite mundane, the scenery didn’t change much as we made our way across the Nevada desert. We broke up the monotony, by listening to road tunes and sharing the driving. It was the first time in 4 years that I have taken a turn behind the wheel! I have to say I quite enjoyed piloting the little beast! I even took us through the only mountain pass on the route. The Humboldt Forest pass is winding and steep. I think I only gave my copilot one little scare.
It’s along this route that we started to see signs of the historic Oregon Trail and Pony Express. The road connects today’s travellers with the pioneers and prospectors who once braved this unforgiving land. The halfway mark is Ely, pronounced Ellie, by the locals, was once a bustling copper mining hub. They have preserved their history with interesting and colourful murals in the Old town, and through the historic Ely Renaissance Village.
As we made our way from Ely to Las Vegas the skies were was clear and the sun started to shine! It was fun to watch the temperature gauge move from single digit to double digits. Even though we were on a “no fun stops” agenda, I did manage to persuade Andrew to stop at the Pony Express rest stop for our annual smooch in front of the iconic Pony Express sculpture! Vegas was in our sights and we spotted the city from miles away just at sunset. We arrive at our reserved RV park ready for a dinner out, some dazzling lights, and of course some people watching in Sin City, Nevada.
Travels with the Eh Team 