Sightseeing In and Around Elko

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Another warm, sunny day and we are off to see what else there is to see.  Our first stop is 8 miles west on I-80 from Elko to the California Trail Interpretive Center where we learn the history and stories of the pioneers who ventured 2000 miles to California to seek their fortune, land, adventure and who knows what else.  The Center has beautiful life size dioramas, murals and exhibits as well as phones where you can listen to the stories of some of the pioneers.  They tell the stories of the Bidwell-Bartleson party and the events that led to the Donner Party disaster.  Outside is a wagon encampment and Shoshone village.  All beautifully laid out and well worth the time.

A Loaded Wagon

Evening entertainment along the way

Getting the evening meal

Bartering with the Indians along the way 

Mural depicting the wagon train crossing the salt flats

What happened to the oxen while crossing the salt flats

One interesting fact we learned was that the wagon trains did use an odometer to find their way and measure distance.  I think I prefer our current ones and our GPS.  

Ron is looking at the wagon encampment comparing our RV to the travel in the mid 1800’s across this same area.  I think I prefer our way of travel to those wooden wagons.  

I can’t imagine making that trek across the country and living under the conditions they did.  So many died along the way but many hearty souls made it all the way and lived to tell the tale.  Ron and I have been in Nebraska and Wyoming and seen parts of the Oregon, California Trails there but always driving east and not west. 

Our next stop was at the Northeastern Nevada Museum where we only spent a short amount of time.  It is a lovely museum with nicely laid out exhibits.  Lots of artifacts from the area and an earlier time in the history of Elko as well as a wildlife exhibit.

A 1930's living room

The remainder of the day we spent going to Lamoille Canyon (located in the Ruby Mountains) which is 18 miles south of Elko. 

Turning off the main highway you wind your way up through the glacier formed Canyon on the scenic two lane 35 mile per hour byway that slowly climbs ever higher toward the snow capped mountain tops with lots of snow still to be seen clinging to the mountain sides while the melting snow creates a few waterfalls from high up flowing down to the ever faster flowing river below. 

While it is nearly June, many of the trees still do not have leaves or are just starting to bud out.  The temperature in the valley below was 82 degrees this afternoon but 68 degrees at the turnaround area near the top.  Not as cold as we had expected with all the snow there.

As we neared the top, the snow was right up to the road and at the turn around area (8,800 feet), a snow plow had exposed the road, but the snow was higher than the car and the road was windy making it a bit scary driving on what was now a cleared one lane road where you could not see around the curves.  Fortunately, we did not encounter anyone driving toward us along that section.

View at the end of the road

We returned to the main road and drove on to the little town of Lamoille, if you could call it a town.  There were only a couple of small restaurants, a three room hotel, post office and a picturesque little Presbyterian church which we are told is a favorite subject for photographers, us included. 

A nice day with some interesting sites.  Since we had coupons for dinner in the restaurant where we are staying, we opted to take advantage of that.  After dinner Ron decided to splurge with $2 to once again play the slots.  He won $47.10 which paid for our dinner and some gas for the car.  Such a deal. 

Memorial Day and Arrival In Elko, NV

Monday, May 29, 2017

  

Thank you to all our vets (and to my husband Ron) who served our country.  We appreciate your sacrifice and willingness to serve. Because of you, we still live in a free country.

Today we leave behind family, Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas to continue our summer travels to the northwest.  It is a beautiful, warm and sunny day and traffic is somewhat heavy but not as bad as it will be later in the day.  Proceeding north and then west, we head to Elko, NV where we will stay for a couple of nights taking in the local culture.

We pass by the Great Salt Lake which is slowly recovering from the drought conditions though not nearly as full as it once was.

The mountains toward Nevada are still snow capped as the ones near Salt Lake are.  There will certainly be a late snow melt this year with the rivers becoming even more full than they already are.  Beautiful. 

Elko may not be on everyone’s list for sightseeing, but we have always found something interesting to see no matter where we stop.  Elko is at the center of Nevada’s cattle country and served as a way station for wagon trains during the western migration.   After settling into our site, we venture out for a trip around town to find out what there is to see.

The Visitor Center (called Sherman Station)  is located in an old log cabin home (made from limber pine) surrounded by four other old log buildings (a school, creamery, livery stable and blacksmith shop) all belonging to the Walther family who settled in a nearby area in the late 1800’s.  The buildings were relocated to Elko in 1997.  I love these old buildings and the stories they have to tell us about the people and times they lived in.  Since it is a holiday, we are unable to go inside the buildings.

The Walther House - Front

The Walther House - back

School House

Creamery

Livery Stable

Blacksmith Shop

We also find these large, brightly decorated cowboy boots in numerous places around town including in front of the Court House.  Reminds us of other cities we have been in where large items of various kinds (statues, etc.) can be found on the street corners of the cities.  These boots are certainly appropriate for the city since this is where the first and continuing National Cowboy Poetry Gathering takes place each year in January.

We also found this funky white bear on the sign for the Commercial Casino.  We did not venture inside but were told that there is a very large stuffed polar bear inside the building.  After looking up some information on this, I found out that  "White King" is a 10 foot, 4 inch stuffed white polar bear that was killed in Alaska and has been standing guard at the entrance to the building since 1958.

Since the Casino Buffet at our RV Park offers a two for one dinner, we decide to stop in for dinner.  Afterwards we get our free Players Cards and sit down at a 1 cent slot machine to try our luck with our $10 complimentary credits for the slots.  Ron played with both cards and manages to win us $18.75 on my card which pays for our dinner.  We are such great gamblers that after we win our money, we cash out and leave.  My thing is to quit while I’m ahead.

A nice day and quiet campground even with two or three freight trains passing close by.  They don’t blow their whistles like they did in Casa Grande, AZ this winter so just the rumble was all we heard.  Tomorrow we will take in more local sites and museums.

New Scenery in Salt Lake Area

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Our drive from Green River, UT to Salt Lake was uneventful and gave us some beautiful views of the snow capped mountains of Utah and the Salt Lake area. 

We arrived here in Draper (a suburb of Salt Lake) this past Monday and Ron was busy for the first couple of days with my brother Gil taking out the old TV, preparing the space for the new one and then getting the new one in and adjusted.  Gil is a great handyman (takes after our Dad) and has all the necessary tools to get things done since he builds furniture in his basement for his home.  Thanks, Gil.  You did a great job.

Gil and Sherry always have new places to take us even though we have spent time here over the past 30+ years and this time was no exception.  Also, Sherry always prepares us some delicious meals.

One day Gil drove us around Temple Square, the Capital Building and some old homes in downtown Salt Lake.  Excuse my poor pictures as I took as Gil drove and they are not the best.  We have done this numerous times before, but it is always great to see the area again.  

He also took us to a funky Mexican Restaurant called the Red Iguana where we enjoyed a great lunch.    

Another day, Gil and Sherry took us for a drive to Heber Valley  where we toured Sundance and Cascade Springs stopping to enjoy a lunch at the Soldier Hollow Golf Course (site of the 2002 Winter Olympics Cross Country Skiing).  The full length windows of the restaurant gave us a beautiful view of Heber Valley and the snow capped mountains beyond.  We followed lunch with some yummy ice cream cones at the Heber Valley Cheese Company.  Interesting flavors.  Sherry had Cookies and Cream while the rest of us had True Aggie Night flavor which was vanilla ice cream, raspberry cream and dark chocolate chunks.  Delicious.

Sundance is owned by actor Robert Redford.  He purchased the property in 1969 envisioning it as a “community committed to the balance of art, nature and community.”   The Stewarts, a Scottish immigrant family homesteaded the area in the early 20th century and the second generation family developed the mountain area into a ski resort called Timp Haven.  Developers had envisioned making the area into large condominium complexes, but Redford wanted to preserve the land and “develop a little and preserve a great deal” which he has successfully done.  There is still a ski area along with private function areas, a restaurant and a hotel.  All the buildings blend in nicely with the surrounding mountains and forest. 

 

Here we are by the stream.  It was cool, thus the jackets.

Cascade Springs is just that, a cascade of many springs flowing down from the mountains into various pools with asphalt and wooden walkways winding though the forest and around the pools.  What a beautiful and serene place to spend an afternoon.  There was only one other family there while we were so it truly was serene. 

Saturday Ron, Gil and Sherry played 9 holes of golf at a local course.   Ron was telling Gil and Sherry about his golf ball always ending up in water.  They thought he was exaggerating until Ron hit the ball with no water anywhere around.  His ball hit the ground, bounced sideways and ended up in this puddle in the middle of the fairway.  It was a spot only 15 inches in diameter but he hit it squarely.  See picture below that Gil took.

This morning we had a waffle and sausage breakfast on Gil and Sherry’s sunny east facing wood deck before saying goodbye to them for this trip.  Thanks for a wonderful visit and delicious meals, Gil and Sherry.  Love you guys.