Day 1

posted by Christopher James

Well, Day 2, really.

It was a hellish flight to Reno. (When will I ever learn to stop scheduling transfers through Chicago?) By the time I got into town I was pooped. But not too pooped for Blind Onion!

I'll put Blind Onion up against any pizza anywhere (even Chicago), and they recently opened a new location right next to the Great Basin Brewery. Try the Whoop Ass Witbier; it's got a clove-y kick on the front and a very clean, light finish, perfect for summer.

Unfortunately, it is not summer yet. A storm is coming through and may yet mess up our plans. More on that in a moment.

We had grand plans for Friday, traveling along U.S. 50, the Loneliest Road, to Eureka. I, however, got it in my head that it would be fun to drive around Pyramid Lake. Except there are no paved roads that go all the way around the lake and I got lost and ended up half way to Gerlach before figuring it out. There went most of the day. But we got neat pictures and saw a herd of antelope.

Instead of leisurely making our way east, we drove straight to Eureka in time to catch the Utah Shakespeare Festival's presentation of A Mid-Summer Night's Dream. (Again, it's not summer yet.)

Mid-Summer is not my favoritest Shakespeare play, but it was still a clever, modern-dress production. The room was packed with maybe two dozen high schoolers from around the area. They were really enthusiastic, and afterward the actors answered a few questions for the audience. (Puck's secret to success: Get in everyone's face!)

We then checked out the Keyhole Bar, an honest dive. We met some other travelers and Amber ordered what the bartender thought might've been Eureka's first ever martini. I think she was pulling Amber's leg. We were told to come back in the morning for Papa's excellent bloody marys.

Now about that weather...

Seems we may get to enjoy lots of Papa's bloody marys!

It's been a fun first day of travels. With luck, the 4-wheel drive will get us through the snow. With all the driving, I get to do lots of thinking. What's striking about this area is the prevalence of the U.S. Government. Washington's a dirty word here, but every few miles is a sign for this or another BLM or Forest Service presence. We drove by the corral where they offer wild horses for adoption. We were reminded not to drive our OHVs off-trail. We got an earful about Senator Tester's recent wilderness proposals. Even the old sponsor of the Opera House, Farmers & Merchants Bank, advertises as being under federal supervision. In the course of my work, I knew about all of these things before. But as is so often the case, experience is more profound than knowledge.

I'll have lots of time to contemplate the role of the federal government in the West as we (attempt to) make our way to Ely.

Location:Eureka