Read from bottom up

Wednesday, August 4th

Got back on the road late. Thought we would get an hour driving in before calling it a day. The road from Ely to Las Vegas must be the second lonliest road in America. No place to stop, not even a wide shoulder. After 2 ½ hours we hit a rest area. We were thrilled with the beauty of the mountains and were looking forward to a good nights sleep after dealing with the tire. WRONG! Shortly after falling asleep it felt like we were in the middle of a trucking convention. Truckers started pulling in and kept it up until dawn. Why do they let their engines run? During the winter I can understand, but it was hot last night. Each truck seemed to get louder as the night grew darker. If I woulda’ had a gun I could have gone postal.

Made our last official train stop today in Boulder City, NV. The train only runs on week-ends. They have a beautiful setup, but small. They should team up with McCloud, since McClound closes on week-ends.

Drove across Hoover Dam. Our first time. Traffic was backed up for an hour, but it was worth the effort. A lot of construction going on. It looks like a four-lane road will eventually make the connection with NV & AZ.

Tuesday, August 3rd.

Currently sitting in the parking lot of a tire repair shop in Ely (pronounced E Lee) Nevada. Sometime yesterday a tire went flat about a hundred miles west of here. I think the bad tire was a result of the rock incident we had in Yosimite. We spent the night in Eureka, NV. Micki got her hot tub, TV with the Bachelorette and a king bed. Reno to Ely is over 300 miles on Hwy 50, which is called the loneliest highway in America. Almost no stations or hotels. When we realized the tire was shot we kicked back and took it easy thinking today would bring a solution. One emergency tire place was located a few miles outside of Eureka. We sat in their driveway for an hour this morning and no one ever showed up. We spent the day driving slowly (80 miles) to Ely where we found a tire repair shop, but no tires, at least not our size. It is now 6:00 p.m. and our new tire just came in from Utah. Hopefully we will be on the road soon.

Yesterday morning was very productive and fun. We went to Virginia City, NV where we drove up a 15% grade in the RV. What a great fun town. They have a small short-line railroad and a few cabooses. We have three potential retail outlets, one already placed a large order and I believe the other will follow soon. Anyway a great morning, but the 300 mile drive to get across northern NV has been a challenge. The last time I did this road was 1981. It was a challenge back then and doesn’t seemed to have improved since.

Almost forgot to mention the delicious $80 icecream cone in Truckee. Actually is was $8 for the icecream and the rest was for a parking violation. The RV is long enough that it merits two tickets.