RenoVous

  Near Lahontan and Fort Churchill, along the Carson River, a new state park is being opened. Earlier in August they released some names to be chosen from, and they'll announce the winner in the fall.  So they posted the above sign for now.  ^_^ Naming The land was privately owned for over 150 years, and includes portions of the California Trail as well as the Pony Express Trail. An historic ranching property, it also housed a divorce ranch in the 1940's. So you can see, it covers many aspects of Nevada history. And of course, protects wildlife habitats.

  My cousin was involved with a short documentary about the Picon Punch, a favorite drink among the Basque houses and those who frequent. The first Basque Hotel was actually in San Francisco, and that's where the drink originated.  When the owner moved to Elko, he brought the Picon with him. Amer Picon is originally a French herbal bitter liqueur.  But when prohibition ended, the owner was looking for a cheaper, more local source.  And he found it with Torani.  They make flavoring syrup and sauces.  Amer was the only alcoholic drink they manufactured, and they never had to advertise. They recently decided to end production, but they shared the recipe with a Reno distillery, Ferino. In 2025, Picon Punch became the official state cocktail. Recipe There was an Artown event to see the movie and hear some talk. I've had the punch before, so I tried a Basque Old Fashioned - replacing whiskey with the Amer. Topa!

  We found a time capsule in the middle of the desert. Some filming for Independence Day  took place in Rachel, NV. Specifically, the mobile home park Russell Casse lived in with his kids. And it was during this time that SR 375 officially became known as the Extraterrestrial Highway. The studio is now owned by Disney. It's important to note that when Will Smith is walking towards Area 51, he is on the Bonneville Salt Flats.  Not even Nevada desert.

  Diana's Punchbowl is a vase-shaped depression located along a small fault in the Nevada desert. It is also called the Devil's Cauldron. There is a geothermal pool about 30 feet down, and it runs around 180-200 degrees. Over thousands of years, mineral-rich groundwater rose out of the fault line, creating a travertine hill with this crater in the center. Nye County is one of the most seismically active regions in the state, situated in a geologically deforming zone known as Walker Lane.  It accommodates 25% of the shear motion between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates.  

Forest Morning. Pyramid Lake Sunset. Lunch Date Downtown. Reno Glow Under the Stars.

  Out in the desert of Goldfield, junk cars are the canvas of The Last Church. "More akin to a druidic henge than any Christian chapel."

 Goldfield, NV was the largest city in the state from 1906 to 1910. Founded in 1902, it was once considered "The Greatest Gold Camp Ever Known." One of the first buildings in town was the Santa Fe Saloon, built in 1905. The courthouse and Goldfield Hotel were built in 1907. I remember reading a book about it being haunted. Goldfield has remained the seat of Esmeralda County even when the town was dead.  But we were surprised to see some liveliness this past weekend.  We stopped in a boutique and the owner was very excited about the new gas station set to open soon. Tomorrow's photos will show why we drove down there.  ^_^

 We found a lukewarm spring in the Kirch Wildlife Area. We stopped in Eureka, which has some old timey bits. And a perfect Valentine's Hot Spring.

  "America's Scariest Motel." It opened in 1985 in Tonopah, NV.  Leroy and Leona Davis wanted to honor their father's clown figurine collection, so they had inspiration and decoration. The new owners, as of 2017, really elevated the theme. I'm not even afraid of clowns, per se, but there is certainly a creep factor to having SO many around you.  And while you sleep. Today, they have around 4,000 pieces of clown memorabilia. Papa Davis is buried right across the street in the historic Tonopah Cemetery. Old Tonopah

 This is the very hot source of Paradise Valley Spring.  It appears to have dissolved a bit of the rock around it, here's from the other side. There was a pool set up but another couple was hanging out, so we decided to head back towards Kyle Hot Springs, where we enjoyed a lovely soak. But there were several people here too, so we decided to move along.  We chatted with a couple who had the "I'm not lost, I'm exploring" sticker that we identify STRONGLY with. Camping at Rye Patch.

  The Silver Belle, from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest here in Nevada. "Starry skies to neon lights." For 55 years, a tree from American public land has been selected for the Capitol.  This is the first time one has come from Nevada.  The red fir was blessed by the Washoe tribes before it was harvested. As it travels across the country, it stops for various parades and events.  The Kenworth truck carrying it has a tracker. Almost There! Once in D.C. it will be adorned with 10,000 handmade ornaments. Lighting will take place December 3rd.

 We took a turn to find a reservoir and ended up enjoying a beautiful drive. We made camp at Wildhorse.