Nevada here we come

We bid farewell to Century Campground and headed west on I-80 on a bright day. Dennis drove to the first fuel stop on the southern end of the Lake. Then I was to drive across the straight, flat road into Nevada. Of course, there was wind - does it ever stop out here? But it wasn't too bad and I was able to handle the coach nicely. It was fascinating to see the salt farms complete with the Morton girl on the building. Guess this is a prime example of American ingenuity - like the saying about making lemonade when life gives you lemons.








But then we hit the whiteout! I've driven in snow during similar conditions, but never a whiteout caused by blowing salt and sand. SLOW DOWN Dennis ordered. But he didn't have to tell me that since I had already started to let the engine brake work. The whiteout lasted less than a mile and we were glad get clear of it. Of course the motorhome and van look like we drove to Syracuse during major snow squalls! We decided it was too long a trip to try to make Reno/Verdi in one day so we added an extra day and decided to head for Winnamucca NV.











Dennis drove over a few mountains and had some wind (of course) but we saw some beautiful scenery again. RV'ers joke about going 37.5 mph over mountains so I guess we are official members of that club now. The engine brake on the motorhome worked well to keep the speed down on the descent and we never had to look for any runaway truck ramps. That is a good thing since we have only seen one or two on the entire trip.






The snow capped mountains are beautiful. There is a lot of haze it seems so I'm sure we are not getting the full effect but we're still impressed. Storms were brewing off to the south along the Shosone Mts but we only ever had a few sprinkles of rain.









We pulled into Winnemucca before 5 pm - and thats Pacific time. Now I hope we can get used to the time difference. The stop in Winnemucca was the parking lot of the Model T casino. Dennis asked if we were obligated to gamble if we stayed there - like we wouldn't at least visit for a little. So after dinner we ventured into this small casino with lots of old machines. I sat down at a nickle machine and started to play then realized I didn't like it. So I cashed out and all these nickles come pouring out! There are a lot of nickles in $20 and it has been a long time since we've played where they don't issue paper vouchers. Since we were both tired we turned in early - 9 pm!!!





Winnemucca morning was nice and quiet till I opened the curtain and saw a tractor trailer had pulled in between us and the neighbor. His cab was about 18 inches from our front door. And we never heard him come in at all. Guess we were tired. Sometimes being almost deaf does have its advantages.









On Wednesday morning we headed out for the 3 hr drive to Verdi and enjoyed a lot more nice scenery. There was a strange haze hanging at the base of the mountain and we aren't sure if it is fog, smog or dust. But out here with this never ending wind, dust seems to be the best bet. And there were more salt flats, nr the road to Pyramid Lake. Out here people don't deface buildings, they write messages on salt flats with rocks. Pretty neat!





While in Winnemucca we made reservations for a campground west of Reno in Verdi - Terrible's Gold Dust Ranch. It came with high recommendations and was a bit out of town so we decided that would be our base for a few days. We also decided to not head for Oregon until Sunday, so we are now 2 days "behind" but had plenty of extra time built in. And of course the mountains coming into Reno are breathtaking. Stephen, I bet your ski boots are calling.



Terrible's Gold Dust Ranch is in a beautiful setting not too far from Donner's Pass. It's a good thing I packed plenty of food. This is the same Terrible's that started as a chain of car washed in Las Vegas. There are several casinos owned by company and a small one here. Of course we sampled the play there also. Dennis is doing very well, which is a good thing since my luck is still back in Pennsylvania. In late afternoon we set out to find a car wash to clean up the van. There was a 1/2 price coupon in the campground brochure and you know how we love to save money. Hand wash and dry for $5. Can't beat that and the van looks much better.
The Atlantis casino was nearby so we decided to stop by. It was much more like the Las Vegas casinos and fairly busy for a Wednesday evening. Dennis did well, and I did held my own. An oriental woman was sitting between Dennis and I and she had a Royal Flush and won $1000! It always seems I am beside the big winner, not the big winner.
Today was laundry day. Can't get away from the dirty clothing and need to dust and sweep in the motorhome, no matter how far from home we get. Campground had a nice laundry and I spent the time talking to a woman who has been full timing for 14 years. She made some suggestions for things we should see and do in this area and we are probably heading to Virginia City tomorrow at her suggestion.

We're waiting now for the portable RV wash team to arrive to clean up the coach. They're working on a 5th wheel nearby and should be here soon. We'll feel much better when the salt and sand are off the coach. As you can see, it is very dirty. in the meantime, Dennis is trying to take some pictures of some of different birds that are flitting around the campground. Of course I forgot the bird book but thank heavens for internet searches.





We have learned a few things so far. For instance, when a bag of chips is at 8500 ft, it is not a good idea to try to open the bag.









Dan and Ann, check out the 3-wheeler with 2 wheels in front.












There there is the Nevada style moving van. We're still happy, healthy and really enjoying ourselves. Meeting nice, interesting people and having fun exploring.