of your Nevada experience. Clothing
is optional so don’t worry if you don’t
have a swimsuit with you. Just brush
up on your hot spring etiquette be-
fore you go.
EAT YOUR WAY ACROSS NEVADA
One of the joys of motorcycle trav-
el is finding the long way to lunch.
And quite honestly, no one has ever
mistaken me for a dainty chick who
is shy about her food. I like to eat and
part of the fun of exploring Highway
50 is finding the great places to fuel
me for the ride. From simple, local
burger joints to high-end dining, I
like discovering it all. So, let’s break
this down to the places I like most for
the food and local culture.
When you stop off in Baker to vis-
it Great Basin National Park, grab
some chow at Kerouac’s. It’s funky,
the food is good, and the people are
friendly. This is a remote little town
so places like Kerouac’s are only open
seasonally. If Kerouac’s is closed ride
into Ely for breakfast at the Silver
State Cafe. More than likely you’ll be
sitting next to local ranchers from
families that have lived on the land
for generations.
In Austin, stop at the Toiyabe Cafe
for sandwiches or ice cream and take
it all in. Meet locals including the
friendly, talkative owner, maybe chat
with some other travelling riders
or overhear giddy German tourists
abuzz with the excitement of seeing
the real wild west. It’s wonderful.
Middlegate Station, once a Pony
Express stop, is the westernmost of
the remote Highway 50 outposts. It’s
home to a small motel and RV park,
the only gas station for 50 miles, and
a bar and grill. If you’re going to have
a burger anywhere along the route,
this is the place to do it. Say “How-
dy” to Fredda, the owner, and take in
the artefacts she’s carefully curated
to capture and preserve this historic
stop.
Just east of Carson City, the state
capital, is Dayton, the site of Nevada’s
first gold discovery and the oldest
town in the state, according to some.
The historic downtown is tiny but
well worth a visit. If you dislike tacky
t-shirt shops and souvenir stands,
you’ll like Dayton. And if it’s time for
dinner, stroll into JS’ Oldtown Bistro
TRAVERSE 76
for some of the best Italian-inspired
food you’ll find anywhere. If you have
a taste for an adult beverage—per-
haps your bike is safely parked for the
night at your campsite, just down the
road at Dayton State park—find a seat
at the bar, where you can chat with
the locals. Ask Chris, the barman, to
mix up a Manhattan, Val style, made
with rye whiskey and garnished with
one of the Luxardo cherries he keeps
behind the bar for his special custom-
ers. Hell, I might even be there and
I’d love to hear about your travels.
Carson City is the state capital. It’s
a fairly small town but because it is a
center of government, business, and
commerce there’s a surprising num-