Nevada road trip itinerary

Nevada Road Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Las Vegas to Tonopah

Distance and Drive

The distance between Las Vegas and the destination is 208 miles, with nearly three hundred and thirty minutes on the road. The trip was ushered by a pumpkin spice latte in hand, with a wonderful tour of the basement of the Luxor Hotel, as I picked a rental car from Avis at the check-in desk. Reservation beforehand was important; many aspiring tourists in the queue had no vehicles to take part in the Grand Canyon day tour.

On the Free-Range Art Highway

The tour went along I-95, which is also known as the name of Free-Range Art Highway, dating back to Reno. That latte caused a fast stop to be made. The roadside service and cafe were purely coincidental and next to Creech Air Force Base, where unmanned aircraft testing is done. A drone, which was as impressive and unrealistic as landing the MQ-9 Reaper in Nevada, was spotted landing.

First Stop: Beatty and Beyond

First of all, the attractive little town of Beatty presented itself. The road continued after it passed through to Goldwell, where the Goldwell Open Air Museum is situated. The surrealistic figures scattered the desert scenery and gave way to strolling, taking shots, and being absorbed in an appreciation of quirky art. A mile further was the most photographed ghost town in Nevada, Rhyolite.

Rhyolite’s Story

Rhyolite is also the place that preserves the remains of a former prosperous town of the gold rush. There are buildings there which can be defined as fragments, remnants of a hysteria that shone bright, and which abruptly ended, with the closing of the mine in several small years. In the present days, its derelict nature is still there, but film producers find this town to serve as the setting of their movies.

Lunch Stop: Beatty Again

In Highland, Back at Beatty, a well-earned rest stop was had at Happy Burro Chili and beer. Well known, the chili that gets you all heated and filled with hot dogs or in a bowl with some potato chips, it goes well supplemented with either a cold beer or a soda of intoxication, since this part of the road trip would be spiced and warm-welcoming.

Next Stop: Goldfield Last Gas for 94 Miles

Outside Beatty, there was a sign that said there was no gas for the next 94 miles. The half a tank seemed to be safe only initially, but the calculation died soon when the gauge dropped below the long road. Four miles out of Goldfield, the gas light flashed on. Relief arrived just in time and drove into town fuming and made herself up.

We could not pass through the International Car Forest of the Last Church in a straight line, but when we refueled we bided our time to go around. The location of the performance was in the middle of a small community, and it was an unusual and magnificent art object: cars were partially covered by sand, sprayed with insane graffiti, at angles that cannot possibly exist.

Highlights of the Car Forest:

1. More than 40 vehicles in weird amounts, half-pulled out or piled up.
2. Mark Rippie, with the support of artists Chad Sort and Zak Sargent, is part of a creation.
3. Seated with the aim of taking the provisional of the largest car forest in the world.
4. The pick of dreams of a photographer, particularly in the late afternoon magic hour.

Night in Tonopah: The Haunted Mizpah Hotel

The highway took the next turn to Tonopah, where a room was made in the old Mizpah Hotel, by far the most haunted building in the United States. The building is picturesque, and its spookiness is associated with the  Lady in Red since they believe that she haunts the building due to a murder that occurred on the fifth floor.

Dinner at The Pittman in the hotel commenced with a cocktail at the bar. A visiting pianist would also provide musical entertainment for the guests on a grand piano, filling the room with classical music. 

Subsequently, the night became darker. Soon, with settling sleep, came an unseen one whispering momentarily in an ear, and producing a chilling effect about him long after the deed was done. Rest was there with a bang, and there was the Lady in Red all too real.

Exploring Tonopah

The town of Tonopah is small enough by itself, with heritage buildings and weird sites. The notorious Clown Motel is a disturbing oddity even in the neighboring town, a mile away. Its rooms lie full of endowed clown kids, some of whom are sickly sweet, some close to nightmares.

Haunted hotels and desert Art, through Tonopah, there was the element of mystery, suspense, and something sublime, and then they headed to the next adventure, aliens were looming just down the road.

Day Two: The Extraterrestrial Highway

1. Distance Covered: 237 miles. 
2. Drive time: approximately three hours and forty minutes without delays caused by royalties, dinners, and alien attacks, otherwise extending over the whole day. 

The following chapter is now directed directly towards Area 51 after the frightening mood of last night. The highway went on and on, right, and deserted, leading to a remote desert town, where the main feature was one peculiarity, the Little A’Le’Inn. 

Within, walls are laden with alien-related souvenirs and books. During lunch, the bar manager provided definite directions on how to get to the gates of the most secretive military facility in the world.

Into the Dust Toward Area 51

With the help of a hand-drawn map, the dirt road was fifteen miles long until it reached a complex of gates. There were postings of surveillance and limited entry, and constant quiet mention of the fact that pictures may get you into trouble. 

No one sees guards, no honking cars, but feeling like one was being watched was difficult to do away with. Entrances were some distance away on either side of a second set of gates as one turned right at a deserted black mailbox that must stand as a UFO chaser symbol. 

There were another ten dusty miles with fencing, with threatening, and with an odd gratification of being on the verge of the most secretive test range in all of America.

The route has some major attractions:

1. Little A’le In Rachel, diner, bar, alien souvenirs.
2. My drawings show how to go to the main and back gates.
3. The mythic sign of a black mailbox indicating the turn-off.
4. Massive coverage of military test sites in the Mojave Desert.

Boulder City: Rest and Retro Charm

They returned to Las Vegas and then headed to Boulder City. The night stay had been in the Sands Motel, where one even was parking by the door and was handed the key that was very out-of-date, unlocking the room. Laundry was powered by quarters on the machines on site, courtesy of a fast-stop CVS that had to get laundry detergent.

Boulder City has a historic past of the Hoover Dam constructors who lived in the 1920s; the heritage remains in the depiction of the town in silence. The evening meal was provided by a small Mexican family restaurant and a local Starbucks, as the morning ritual when heading to the Hoover Dam, which can be considered monumental itself.

Day 3: Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon

1. Distance: 50 miles. 
2. Commuting Time: less than one hour, but the day was much longer.

The Hoover Dam required time; the photographs also required time, as well as the admiration of the masterpiece engineering of the 20th century. Constructed between the 1920s, the project was completed two years before the scheduled completion and below the budget, and this can be attributed to two inventions.

1. An enormous drilling apparatus that could have as many as thirty men who could lift several explosives at once. Two tunnels were used to divert the Colorado River, cutting off on both sides of the state, to conserve years of labor.
2. A cooling system whereby a refrigeration pump pumped chilled water into a set of pipes constructed inside the poured blocks of concrete. This accelerated a success that would otherwise have taken a hundred and twenty-five years.

The trip proceeded to Lake Mead to have lunch after endless photos. This is the largest artificial lake in the United States, a stretch of 110 miles in length, which is a creation of the Hoover Dam, per se. 

The lake provides water sports, fishing, hiking, and irrigation in the arable land, as well as other features besides its scenic outlook to the desert. A one-time low price of 25 dollars is required to enter; however, an annual US Parks Pass of 80 dollars means having access to all national and state parks, and so to the Grand Canyon.

Red Rock Canyon

The road then turned off into the west, going to Red Rock Canyon and its spectacular desert landscape. One of the first things to visit in the park was the Information Center, where a brief film was shown, and then the 13-mile loop tour started with photo stops along the route. 

Trails provided easy, light walks to kickbushes and desert animals. One tarantula over the road almost found its spot in another tire, and one of the cyclists halts to capture a picture of its leisurely walk across the road. There is camping within the park, but it is very basic. 

Visitors can expect:

1. None of the RVs has electric, water, or sewer.
2. Consumption of water taps, picnic tables, and toilets.
3. The tarantila family strolling about at times.

Red Rock Resort Stay

The last night was spent in Red Rock Resort, a premises of a grand casino hotel with a fantastic pool intended to be used during desert summers. The landscape was manifested in interiors, and there are plenty of options in the dining scene. 

The 8 Noodle bar was an exceptional success that even increased the number of patrons. My differences had a half-hour waiting period at the kitchen counter, where observation of chefs working became an experienced.

Onward to Las Vegas Outlets

Morning implied coming back to the urban life, going to the  Las Vegas Premium Outlets. Three hours were far too short and promising enough of an addition to a future shopping vacation. Outside of casinos, Las Vegas is full of family attractions, dixyisch locations, and safari surprises which testify that there is more than neon lights in Las Vegas where roulette takes place.