Day 24: Nevada

Halfway

Today is ½ way through my trip, it’s gone by fast.

I headed from Truckee down the west side of Lake Tahoe, it’s one of the largest lakes in North America, after the great lakes, and the views were stunning. The first time I came to Lake Tahoe was with my parents for a ski trip. My sister had a new job and couldn’t take vacation, but Mom and Dad took my brother and myself. I think it was the last vacation I took with both my parents.  I was reflecting today how I was 24 and my parents were old.  Except of course, my Dad was 3 years younger than I am now, and my Mom was in her 40’s – how did that happen?  On that trip, I drove the family down this same highway, after skiing, probably to see a show in Lake Tahoe.  I remember that drive in the dark was really hard, it was dark, and it was windy road.  Seeing the road in the daylight, I had reason to be stressed all those years ago. Today, at one point, going down switchbacks I was behind a guy on a bicycle and he was going faster than I was.

From South Lake Tahoe I headed up the east side of the lake to Carson City.  I stopped to take a picture of the Capital of Nevada. It was not that impressive.  Compared to Montpelier, it was pretty mundane.

Next I headed to my stop for the night, Tonopah Nevada, as I wanted to make some miles before hitting Utah tomorrow.  The best part is when my GPS put me on a dirt road out of Carson City for 15 miles. It wasn’t even a good dirt road, it was all washboard so at 15mph, it felt like my fillings were going to fallout. After I hit the blacktop it was 175 miles of desert, at one point there was a sign, “no services for the next 100 miles” It’s all good and now I’m in this funky little town, it’s not Vegas but there is a brew house across the street, so what more do you need?

Song of the Day: Bittersweet, Big Head Todd and the Monsters (my feeling being ½ halfway done)

Podcast: Nothing today

Book on Tape:  The Wright Brothers 

Beer of the Day:  999 IPA, Tonopah Brewing Company

Total Miles 310