Day 2 from Las Vegas to Carson City

I left Las Vegas and headed north along Highway 95 which would take me most of the way to Carson City.  This is a lonely stretch of road, and music is a must.  I have my phone hooked up to the stereo in the truck, and it's loaded with classic 50's, 60's, 70's, and very FEW beyond 1980.  Pretty much the same time when I quit listening to the radio.

North of Las Vegas is a prison which once housed OJ.  I believe this is where new inmates are processed and sent further along.  Personally I believe OJ should be sitting in San Quentin on Death Row, but the jury thought otherwise.  How do you like Nevada, OJ?

 State prison north of Las Vegas

This is Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, NV.  If you have ever read the book, "The Stand" by Stephen King, this base is featured in the second part of the book.  The last time I drove past here, I saw a Predator drone flying over the airfield.  No such luck today.

Creech AFB, NV

Right before Highway 95 turns into a two lane highway, there is a turnoff for Mercury.  Mercury is a government town that housed the workers for the atomic tests that were conducted from the 50's until the 1970's or so in the Nevada Test Site.  Now one can catch a tour in Las Vegas that takes visitors to Mercury and throughout the Nevada Test Site.  No cameras, cell phones, or other recording devices are allowed.  Tours are booked up for the rest of the year. I wonder what happens if someone takes the Mercury exit and tries to drive there.  Any takers?

Mercury, NV

Oh look, a sign to the Kardashian's summer home!  Good ol' Lamar Odom had his "episode" in a brothel not too far from this location.  Better him than me.

As Kim K would call it, Home Sweet Home

Who would "eat" there?

I spotted this convertible Chevelle just north of the town of Amargosa Valley, NV.  I don't know my Chevelle's, so don't know what year it is.

About 10 miles before I got to  Goldfield, NV, all of a sudden I heard "BING" from the dash, and looked down.  The tach was swinging wildly, and there was a message to "CHECK GAUGES".  The battery and check engine light were on, and I had no power.  As I was coasting to the side of the road, all I could think of was that I wasn't going to be able to fix this on the side of the road because it's a 2008, and I don't have any metric tools with me, and who knows what the heck just happened.  My wife bought me a AAA membership before I left that comes with 100 miles of free towing, and it looked like I was going to have to use it.  I came to a stop, and the engine was off.  I put it in Park, turned the key, and it fired right up.  Put it in gear and continued my journey.  Of course, for the rest of the trip to Carson City, I kept an eye on the gauges and monitored how the truck felt.  No more issues.  I was too scared to relax.

For those of you who have ever seen the movie, "Vanishing Point" starring Barry Newman and Cleavon Little, this is where "Super Soul" had his radio station.  It was located in the Goldfield Hotel in Goldfield, NV.  Super Soul's station was on the 1st floor in those windows at the right.  By the way, John Amos was Super Soul's engineer before the hicks attacked the station.  If I remember correctly, John Amos was beat down by rednecks wielding 2X4's and wooden clubs.

Goldfield Hotel, NV

Another view of the Goldfield Hotel

I stopped for gas and lunch in Tonopah, NV.  North of Tonopah I spotted this HUGE light out in the middle of nowhere.  It looks like it's in the middle of a dry lake bed, and the light is on the top of a tower.  I have no idea what it is for.  At first I thought it was the sun reflecting off a mirror or mirrors, but I'm not sure.  It could also be the world's biggest bug zapper.

Light outside of Tonopah, NV

Some ruins between Tonopah and Hawthorne

A view of El Capitan outside of Hawthorne, NV, and some ammunition bunkers in the foreground.  Hawhthorne is home of the Hawthorne ammunition plan for the US military.  I don't know if it's still operational or no...doesn't appear to be.  There are signs in a couple of towns before Hawthorne that prohibits ammunition laden trucks to park on the streets.  Good call, folks  :)

El Capitan and Ammo Bunkers

I stopped in the town of Hawthorne for a milkshake and continued on my journey.  North of Hawthorne is Walker Lake.  The water level is way down from what I remember.  It was on this stretch of road that I had a white car pass me with the female passenger giving me a thumbs up and mouthing the words, "I like your car!"

Walker Lake, NV

 After Walker Lake, I turned west on Highway 95-A to Carson City.  It was mostly farmland.  The Carson River runs through here, and it was nice to see some trees again.

Trees lining Highway 95-A

Once I got to Carson City, I checked into my hotel, took the Mustang off the trailer, and went to spend a couple of hours with my father-in-law and his family.  It was nice to drive a car with some horsepower and had a good response to the throttle.  My father-in-law is going to be joining me on some of the events with Hot August Nights, and I'm sure his wife will be glad to get him out of the house for awhile.  :)  When I got back to my hotel, I noticed the right rear tire of the truck was flat.  I called my wife and let her know that her Dad is doing fine, and she stayed on the phone with me while I changed the tire.  It was bummer to do at 11:30pm, but it could have been worse - it could have been on the side of Highway 95 in 100+ degrees weather with the trailer/Mustang still hooked up.  Now that would have sucked.