Adventure in the NV Outback – Day 4

This was my least favorite day of the trip because it was a lot of driving and back to life, responsibility and reality in Reno. 

We hit the road early.  We were on a mission today to see the Shoe Tree that had been recently cut down.  The Shoe Tree was a giant cottonwood tree that was filled with hanging shoes.  The legend is that the Shoe Tree was born when a couple of newlyweds got in an argument, during the argument one of them tossed the other's shoes into the tree.  When they made up they tossed the other person's shoes in the tree as well and people have been tossing shoes ever since.  We finally found the tree right before we reached Middlegate.  It was sad to see the big tree cut down but there were several nice memorials dedicated to the tree.  The other cottonwoods next to the downed tree have become the new shoe trees so the tradition will live on.  It was still sad to see such a big old beautiful tree was cut down by some jackass, hopefully Karma will give the person, or people, that cut down this beautiful tree what they deserve. 

Pouring some water out in honor of the Shoe Tree.

We had a good breakfast in Middlegate and then got back on the road heading to Fallon.  At this point we had stamped Austin, Eureka and Ely in our Hwy 50 Survival Guide so all we needed that day was Fallon and Fernley to complete our mission.  We arrived in Fallon and got our stamp at the first gas station we saw, then we decided to go find Bridget’s family home and explore her family roots.  Bridget’s family used to own a farm in Fallon.  They sold the farm to Model Dairy and the land has since been subdivided for more houses.  The funny thing about most Nevada towns is that you can find an old farm house in the middle of town and it is surrounded by newer homes, Bridget’s family farm was just like that.  We saw the old farm house and we could see that the neighborhood grew up around the old house.   After we drove by the house we were on our way to Fernley.  We got our last stamp at the Wigwam in Fernley.  We survived the loneliest road in America and we were on our way home to Reno.  

I had a great trip with two of my best friends, it was a fantastic Memorial Day weekend.  I am proud I survived the Hwy 50 challenge and I think I may have met some of the friendliest Nevadans on the loneliest road in America.

 

Thanks Dad for letting me borrow the Ford Explorer! 
50 Miles of Dirt Road + 1 Flat Tire + 1 Blizzard + 4 Days of Driving = Built Ford Tough

Adventure in the NV Outback – Day 3



Bridget made a friend

We woke up this morning in the lovely town of Ely with a few inches of snow.  One of our neighbors was very nice and helped Bridget clean the snow off the car.  Everywhere we went on this trip people were nice to us, everyone wanted to help us and they were all very friendly.  That made me proud as a Native Nevadan to know that when tourists come to check out the Nevada outback the locals are very nice and friendly, it gives travelers a little taste of Mayberry Nevada style.  I think people in rural Nevada are much nicer to visitors than people in the big cities in Nevada.
 

After we packed up all our stuff we hit the road.  It was a blizzard but the snow wasn’t sticking to the roads.  We called the visitor center at Lehman Caves and they said that the caves were open so we decided to take the chance and drive in the blizzard out to Great Basin National Park.  It was a beautiful drive in the snow, we just couldn’t believe it was Memorial Day weekend and there was so much snow. 

On the drive we saw the most enchanting pair of Elk on the side of the road.  The Elk were standing in the snow next to some bushes, it looked like something out of a National Geographic magazine. 

http://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/lehman-caves-tours.htm

We arrived at the Lehman Caves visitor center about 20 minutes before our tour.  We had good timing because we had to have Bridget and Andy’s shoes cleaned before entering the cave.  The parks service makes people clean their shoes if they have previously been in caves or mines to try to limit the spread of white nose syndrome.  My first thought when I heard White Nose Syndrome mentioned was cocaine addiction, but it turns out White Nose Syndrome has nothing to do with cocaine, it is an illness that is hurting bat populations in America.  The bats are exposed to a fungus and it gets in their nose and ends up killing them.  It is a very serious threat to the species so they are trying to make sure people are not spreading the fungus when they visit caves and mines.     

The Lehman Caves are awesome and a must see if you can get out to the far east side of Nevada.  The cave is full of beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, and popcorn looking walls.  We took the shorter tour because the long tour was sold out.  Even though it was a blizzard the long tour was sold out, I couldn’t believe it.  I really enjoyed our tour, it felt like visiting another planet.  I enjoyed the stories our guide told us about the locals using the cave in the late 1890s and early 1900s.  He said they explored the cave as a form of entertainment and that there were stories of Free Mason initiations that took place there and that at one time during prohibition there was supposedly a speakeasy in the cave.  I loved the idea of people having a good time at a speakeasy in the cave back in the day, that story really got my imagination going.  

Our view when we came out of the cave.

Nevadans love to make political statements.
This display is in protest of the water pipeline
in the works from North East NV to Southern NV

After the tour of the cave we got back on the road and headed to Austin.  We ate lunch in Eureka got the stamp for our survival guide and then we were on our way again.  Since we already suffered the loss of a tire and there was a blizzard we limited ourselves to fun on paved roads which in the Nevada outback really limits your options.  We were lucky though because it was a spring snow and it wasn't sticking to the roads.  We arrived in Austin and checked into our hotel the Stinkin Lincoln, then the only thing left to do was to get a drink.

This picture was taken on Friday when we got
to town, the blizzard was on Sunday.

We had our first drink at the International Bar which was right across from our motel.  The bar had an interesting vibe, the minute I walked in I wanted to remodel it and fix it up because it had so much potential and it was obvious the place is neglected.  We met the owner/bartender and ordered our drinks.  The owner/bartender wins the award for most awkward conversation of the trip.  So we had a drink and played some pool, then we decided to move on to the next bar.  The next bar was the Silver State Bar where we had drinks the first night in town.  It was nice to see our friends there again.  So we had a drink and then kept on moving for our Austin blizzard bar crawl.  The next bar was The Owl Club and the owner Mary was behind the bar.  Mary is a great lady and a local legend.  She told us stories about the town and the history of the bar.  The bar was once a morgue, and at one time a movie theater, and now it is a bar so Mary had a pretty crazy history lesson for us.  We had a great time chatting with Mary and the other few people in the bar but the highlight was when Mary treated us to a shot of Brandy with a peppermint floater, it was really good!    

Us with Mary at the Owl Club Bar

After we left the Owl Club we decided to go up to the Toyobi café and have dinner, the bar crawl started around 3:30pm and we had been to every bar open in town, yes all 3 of them, so it was time for dinner.  After dinner we headed back to Silver State Bar.  This time we sat at the bar and chatted with the locals as if they were our old friends.  Everyone was really nice and friendly.  After our first round of drinks a guy at the bar bought everyone a round.  I have never seen that happen before where someone buys the whole bar a round, it was great!  So we had one last drink with our new friends in Austin before we called it a night.  Since it was around 11pm we felt like we had a very successful bar crawl. 

Picture of the trip!

Adventure in the NV Outback - Day 2

We woke up at the Stinkin Lincoln, then got ready for our next adventure and walked up the street for breakfast at the Toiyabe café.  After breakfast I had Andy take my picture with the cardboard cut out John Wayne.  You know you would do the same thing if you had the opportunity.  The people sitting at the table next to us thought it was cute that I was taking my picture with the cardboard cut-out so they encouraged me to roll my pants up just like John Wayne, they were very helpful and friendly folks.
 

After breakfast we walked back to the motel and got the car.  Then we were off to Berlin Ichthyosaur Park.  The park is about 60 – 70 miles outside of Austin and a good 50 of those miles were on a nice flat dirt road.  The dirt road took us through a beautiful valley, the surrounding mountains were all snowcapped and the sun was out so it was a beautiful day.  Even though the sun was out it was still a bit chilly.  We drove down the dirt road for what seemed like forever; just when we thought we might be lost we came upon the town Ione.  We asked the first people we saw, which may have been the only people in that town, and they told us we were going the right direction.  We finally reached Berlin with 20 minutes to spare before our tour of the Diana Mine.  So we quickly checked the place out and then met our tour group.  For the tour we were given a hard hat and a flash light.  The guide also gave us an escape route in the mine in case of a cave in, I'm so glad we didn’t have to use that exit strategy.  The mine was exactly like the mines you see in movies.  Wood beams and lots of dirt.  There was also a lot of visible quartz and we could see where the miners had followed the gold vein when they mined this gold mine.

Once we were done with the Diana Mine tour we continued a few miles up the dirt road to the Ichthyosaur part of the park.  I was really looking forward to this part of the trip because I wanted to buy a shirt just like my friend Andy’s with a big Ichthyosaur on it that says “I Dig Ichthyosaur” because it is a unique T-shirt.  After we arrived at the visitor center we checked in and paid our $3 each for the tour.  Our tour guide was so excited and he absolutely loved his job, he also loved how quick witted we were and got a big kick out of us and of course Andy’s shirt.  The guide was hilarious in a funny nerdy kind of way.  Every time he asked if we had questions and no one asked a question he would say “oh good that means I’m doing my job” and then he would laugh at his joke.  It was really funny.  So we took the quick tour and the guide told us about the fossils that were first discovered in the 1920s.  Then he walked us around the visitor center and showed us the fossils in the center dig area.  Some of it was really hard to figure out and see but other parts of it I could easily tell what fossils I was looking at.  It was really interesting.  After a quick Kodak moment out in front of the Icky wall we were back on the road again for the next part of our adventure.  The only part of our mission we didn't accomplish was we weren't able to buy Icky t-shirts.  Because of budget cuts the state park is no longer selling souvenirs to tourists. 

And and the coolest t-shirt ever!

Then we were back on the dirt road.  We were driving back towards Austin when all of the sudden the alarm sounded and the warning lights on the dash panel went off indicating there was a problem with the tire pressure.  We were right in front of one of the only ranches we had seen so I passed the ranch and then pulled over to check it out.  As soon as I opened my door I heard that dreaded sound of air hissing and escaping from my tire.  I couldn’t believe it.  My first thought was we can’t let this ruin our adventure.  My second thought was glad I asked Dad where his spare tire was on the Ford Explorer before I borrowed the car.  Lucky for me Bridget and Andy had changed a tire the week before on their car so they were pros at changing tires.  You know practice makes perfect.  They were so impressive, Team Walden rocks!  I didn’t time it but I swear they changed that tire within a half hour. 

Just as they finished changing the tire the rancher and his friend pulled up, and their kids and a few dogs.  They were all very nice.  They helped us pump up our spare tire and check the pressure.  While they were pumping up the tire I learned that the youngest puppy, a darling little black and white border collie, they had with them was named Arthur and he was a 9 month old herding dog,  That day he was learning how to herd cattle.  This pup was exhausted.  First he fell asleep under the car.  We had a tough time waking the poor little guy when it was time to move the car to pump up the tire.  Then he fell asleep next to the car again.  When we left we had to make sure we didn’t hit poor Arthur because he was not moving one bit, he really needed some sleep. 

They sent us on our way and we made it back to Austin.  The rancher told me to find a guy in Austin to fix the tire but the guy wasn’t around since it was Memorial Day weekend.  So we continued on to Eureka and then Ely.

They are such a cute couple!  They even share drinks!

By the time we got to Ely all the tire shops were closed and it was snowing.  So we found a motel and then went to dinner at All American Pizza.  While we waited for our pizza Bridget and I brought the map out and figured out where we got our flat tire that day and where we were going the next day.  While we were looking at the map the owner of the pizza joint came out and starting chatting with us about our travel plans.  I told him about our flat tire and how I was a little worried about taking the lonely back roads without a spare tire, he started thinking about it while he got our pizza together.    We had a really good pesto pizza, it was exactly what we needed after a long day of dirt roads, flat tires and then a blizzard.  After we ate our pizza the owner came back out and brought us each a complimentary piece of chocolate cheese cake, it was delicious.  He asked me if he could see the tire.  Being a complete nerd I took him outside to the car and showed him the spare Bridget and Andy put on earlier in the day, he laughed and then told me he meant he wanted to see the tire with the hole in it to see if he could fix it for me.  So we brought the tire out.  The slit was so big that the key fit through the hole in the tire.  He said he didn’t think it could be fixed but then he thought he might have a spare that would work for me.  So he and his friend ran to his house and got us a spare tire. 

I was blown away by this man’s kindness.  He gave me a spare tire out of the goodness of his heart and sent us on our way to our next adventure.  I don’t know many places where people are this nice and helpful.  I really appreciated his kindness. 

Thanks to the guy at All American Pizza we were back on the road again.    

Adventure in the NV Outback - Day 1

This is how I got ready for the trip.
Map on the refrigerator

For Memorial Day weekend I decided to skip the cold lake and boating scene this year and instead explore the Nevada outback with my friends Bridget and Andy.  We started our adventure on Friday when Bridget got off work.  We hit the road and headed out on “the Loneliest Road in America” Highway 50 to Austin, Nevada.

On our way we stopped at Middlegate Station for dinner.  We sat at the bar so it wouldn’t take too long and we could get back on the road.  The guy behind the bar was named Russ and he was friendly enough for a bar out in the middle of nowhere.  The interior of the bar and grill was very dark.  The bar smelled of grease and cigarettes because so many people were smoking.  Middlegate Station is one of those places where people sign dollars and staple them to the ceiling.  I quit stapling my money to the ceiling at bars like this when the recession started, now I just use that money wisely and spend it on cocktails.  The walls were decorated with a lot of interesting and eclectic pieces of Nevada art and history.  On one wall they had several branding irons and on another wall there was a sign that was from Tombstone with a warning to loose women.  There were also several hunting pictures and Nevada maps. 

I ordered a burger and fries and Bridget and Andy had garden burgers.  I think I offended Russ when I only ate my hamburger and some of my fries, he was a little irritated I didn’t eat all of my fries.  The food was good but I was full and not about to eat more and get sick.  So after Russ mentioned he didn’t like to see food wasted we agreed that I should take my fries in a to-go box.  After we enjoyed our dinner we then got back in the car and got back on the highway as the sun went down.

We continued our drive to Austin on Highway 50.  As we drove we watched the weather change because a storm was brewing.  Who knew?  Bad weather on Memorial Day weekend in Nevada…never!  Okay if you aren’t from Nevada I am being very sarcastic, the weather is usually awful during Memorial Day, it will be nice the week before and often the week after, but rarely is the weather nice on Memorial Day weekend.

I really enjoyed the first day of our drive.  It was beautiful to watch the wind storm move across the desert at dusk.  Austin is roughly a 3 hour drive from Reno so we saw a lot of sage brush and desert our first day.  When we finally got to Austin we checked in at our motel, the Lincoln Motel.  Then we walked up the street to check out the bars.  The first bar we saw was the Silver State Bar.  There was a fluffy Golden Retriever sleeping in the bar so we thought it must be a good bar if they let dogs hang out and we decided to have a drink. 

The bar has recently been remodeled so it was really nice and modern.  Bridget and Andy ordered Jack and cokes while I ordered a Makers Mark and coke.  We got carded, which made my day!  The older I get the more I like to have my ID checked to see if I am over 21.  We sat at a table at the bar relaxing and chatting with the owner of the dog.  He was a nice guy and it turned out he owned the bar.  

About a half hour after we got our drinks we over heard the bartender asking around about Makers Mark, at first I thought the owner was trying to buy our drinks, then we realized they were trying to figure out how much to charge us because no one drinks Makers Mark there but apparently me.  Finally the bartender caught our attention and asked if $3.50 for the Jack and cokes and $4.50 for the Makers Mark and coke was okay.  We agreed to the price and it cracked us up that everyone in the bar was debating what to charge us and we didn’t quite realize it. You know you are in a small town in the Nevada outback when the whole bar debates what to charge you because no one has ordered a Makers Mark and coke before.  Although I have to say, I was pretty happy with the price they came up with because in Reno most places try to charge you $6 and up, which is robbery in my book.

As the other people in the bar left and called it a night the bartender came over and visited with us.  Her name was also Lisa and she was about my parent’s age.  Her son came in for a soda and we got to meet him, he was 18 or 19, they were all really nice and friendly.  Lisa started visiting with us and telling us stories about the area and about the locals.  She started mentioning a few people from Round Mountain.  I used to have a lot of real estate clients from Round Mountain, in fact I was the Realtor for something like 1 out of every 8 families in Round Mountain at one point.  Everyone I have ever met from Round Mountain has been lovely!  My clients mostly worked in mining and they were the nicest most reasonable and down-to-earth people I have ever met.  I always enjoyed working with my Round Mountain clients.  So I mentioned my clients and “name dropped,” sorry Andy I know you hate when I do that as much as I hate when I do that, and it turned out Lisa at the bar knew all of my clients.  Nevada is such a small state!   

After we finally finished our drinks it was time to call it a night.  We went back to the Lincoln Motel, affectionately called the Stinkin Lincoln by the locals, and hit the hay.  The next day we were starting the highway 50 survival challenge.

Arrivederci Italy & Warning Alitalia Sucks!

We got up early in the morning to catch our shuttle to the airport in Rome.  It was very sad to say goodbye to our new friends and especially to Francesca our Globus Tour Director because she was so good to us.  Then it was off to the airport. 

We arrived at the airport and checked in at Alitalia.  The representative at Alitalia was gruff and not very friendly.  So we checked in, went through security and waited for our plane.  We got on the plane and settled in for a long flight back to Chicago.  The first thing I did was clean my seat and the area around me with disinfectant wipes because it was gross.  The cleaning wipes were grayish brown and black when I was done because the seat was so dirty.  I also cleaned my brother Tom’s seat, I think it embarrassed him but hey what are sisters for?  I should have known it would be dirty, I remember walking by first class on my way to my seat and I thought boy am I glad I didn’t pay for first class, it isn’t that nice and the seats are dirty.  Guess I should have thought of it as a sign of what my seat would look like and how bad the Alitalia service was going to be.

Graphic borrow from: http://crankyflier.com/2006/12/14/alitalia-strikes-again/

Right after takeoff we realized we were on a plane with the worst flight attendants ever!  It was flight AZ 628 just in case any Alitalia folks ever stumble upon my blog.  My mom says the crew reminded her of the Capital One Vikings.  They didn’t look like the Capital One Vikings but their behavior was like them, the attendants were mostly young good looking people but their behavior was so rude and their personalities sucked.  I don’t remember exactly how long the flight was, I think it was 9 to 10 hours, but from Rome to Chicago is a long way to go with no customer service. 

About a half hour into the flight they gave everyone a drink, and then they disappeared.  We saw them cordon off a row of empty seats on the plane, and then they put up curtains and apparently had a nap or a private party.  It was very awkward for the passengers to witness this strange event.  In the meantime there is no one to help if you need a drink or have an issue.  The moment that really pissed me off was when I saw an elderly lady in her 80s having issues.  She needed a drink and she had to get up and walk around with help from the people around her.  It would have been nice if the flight attendants were around to help this woman.  The other passengers began helping themselves to drinks and helping this woman because it was as if there was no flight crew on the plane.    

At one point my mom wanted a glass of water so I got up and went to the kitchen of the plane to ask for a drink.  One of the attendants was there watching a movie on a portable DVD player.  I asked her for help.  She looked at me and listened to my request, gave me a dirty look like I interrupted her, then went back to watching her movie.  So I picked up the bottle of water, poured a glass and I made sure she saw me helping myself, and then I went back to my seat.  I just couldn’t believe how rude she was.

The whole flight went on like this.  They did get up and feed us at one point but then they disappeared again and didn’t offer us drinks or help us dispose of our trash after we ate. 

I don’t think I am that high maintenance when I fly, but I need a little service to make it bearable when it is such a long flight.  I know this is pretty common because there are a lot of websites and blogs dedicated to the poor service of Alitalia. 

After we arrived in Chicago we had to go to Customs.  While standing in line I saw the crew walk by so I counted them.  There were 12 flight attendants and 4 or 5 people that looked like pilots.  I couldn’t believe with such a big crew they did such a horrible job.    

So the lesson of the story is Alitalia sucks, don’t expect much from them and you won't be let down.  After this flight we were so glad that we missed the original Alitalia flight from Chicago to Rome when we were on our way to Italy.  I feel blessed that I didn’t have to experience this on my first flight to Italy and that I experienced the wonderful customer service of Air India instead.

My advice to you if you have to fly Alitalia.

-          Bring disinfectant cleaning wipes so you can clean your seat, it made a world of difference.

-          Bring some snacks and beverages, maybe a bottle of water or two.

-          Make sure you are up to date on all vaccines before traveling 

After Chicago we jumped on another flight to Salt Lake City, then another to Reno.  It felt like it took ages to get home but we finally made it.  We loved our Italian adventure and had a great time but we were happy to be home.

Looking back at it a year later I feel like it was yesterday that I was on this trip.  It was an amazing vacation and it began my new love/addiction for international travel.

A year ago today I was in Sorrento & Rome

We said goodbye to Capri and then sped across the bay to Sorrento.  Sorrento is a very charming town and it is well known for Limoncello liquor.  We went shopping in Sorrento and checked out the sights. 

The most unexpected surprise was found in Sorrento.  My brother Tom and I were walking on what we thought was a bridge.  We decided to walk across to the other side so we could see the view.  When we looked down we didn’t see a river or even a creek, we saw a castle!  We literally found a castle in a hole in the ground.  It was a big surprise!  So then we started tricking our Globus cousins (the people in our tour group) into finding the castle.  When they came out of the store to wait for the bus we told them to go over and see the creek because it was really cool.  They would walk over and we would just wait for the surprised look on their face, it was priceless.  Everyone was shocked to find the castle. 

 

After spending some time in Sorrento we got back on the bus to head to Rome.  Rome was our first and last destination for this tour.  We got to Rome, checked into our hotel and then were rushed off to dinner.  On the way to dinner they took us to the Trevi Fountain which is one of the most famous fountains in the world.

The tradition is that when you are in Rome you throw coins into the Trevi Fountain to ensure that you return to Rome someday.  There are several different versions of this legend.  Another tradition is that if you throw two coins it will lead to a new romance and three coins will inspire a marriage or a divorce.  Then it gets more complicated you are supposed to throw with your right hand over your left shoulder to bring luck.  I was so confused by this that I threw a lot of coins with several strategies of right shoulder, then left shoulder, right hand, then left hand, you get the point.  Better safe than sorry when it comes to luck and love and of course I want to go back to Rome someday so I wasn’t going to take the risk of making a bad wish at the Trevi Fountain.

 

Our charming waiter

After throwing every coin we had in our pocket in the Trevi Fountain we went with the tour group to our last dinner in Rome so we could all celebrate a wonderful trip.  It was a little bittersweet because we made new friends and bonded with these people on the tour so we hated to say goodbye to our new friends and we were sad because our friend Danielle and her Mum didn’t make it to dinner that night.  The restaurant we went to for our last dinner was very nice.  They gave us a room for just our tour group.  The waiters were all very nice and there was one that was really funny.  I swear this is the only guy in the country that flirted with me, I am going to blame that on the fact that I was traveling with my dad and brother which probably makes me look unapproachable.  The waiter asked my brother first if we were attached, once my brother told him I was his sister the guy started putting on the charm.  It cracked us up because I started getting really embarrassed.

After dinner it was time for gelato.  The charming waiter came to our table and served everyone but me, then he looked at me and said “you allergic or don’t like ice cream?” I said “ oh no, I want ice cream” so then he smiled big and brought me out the biggest bowl of ice cream.  The whole group laughed because he was teasing me about the ice cream.  He was really funny, I bet he uses this routine on all the young ladies.

After we ate our ice cream we thanked our tour director and she thanked us for being a good group.  Then the waiter brought in roses.  He first went to my table and kissed me on the cheek and gave me a rose, it was hysterical, and everyone was cracking up.  Then he brought a rose to each lady in the room and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  Some of the men were jealous so he gave them roses and kisses too. We all had a good laugh with this waiter and enjoyed our last dinner with our group of Globus cousins.  After dinner we took another last bus drive around Rome and headed to our hotel so we could catch our flights home the next morning.  This was the perfect way to end our vacation.       



Francesca Bossi our tour director and hostess with the mostest.



The waiter chased me when I left
and gave me all the rest of the roses.