America. They’re consistent, predict-
able, and fine for when you just need
a place to sleep. But I hope you’ll
want more out of your Highway 50
adventure. Just about any little town
along the road has a few interesting,
quirky, independent motels owned
and run by folks that you’ll probably
want to meet. There are even a few
historic hotels that have been serving
visitors in Nevada style since long be-
fore interstate highways and jetliners
began to define most modern travel.
One of my favourite places to stay
is the Hotel Nevada, in downtown
Ely. It’s an imposing six-story brick
building that was the tallest in the
state when it opened in 1929. The
sidewalk out front features a walk of
fame with the names of some of the
hotel’s more noteworthy guests in-
cluding Ingrid Bergman, Gary Coo-
per, Stephen King, Pretty Boy Floyd,
and Evel Knievel.
The towns along the highway are
small and connected by long stretch-
es of road with no services at all and
little or no cell-phone service. So
don’t plan to find a big choice of mo-
tels right around the next bend. And
don’t count on being able to Google lo-
cations or check Yelp reviews to find
exactly what you are looking for. Get
into the spirit of small-town explora-
tion. Arrive early, have a look around,
and see what’s available. Find a motel
you like, chat with the owner, check
into your room, and stroll out for a
meal, or go ride some local roads.
If you start looking for accommoda-
tions early in the afternoon and don’t
find anything you’ll still have plenty
of time, and probably a good cell sig-
nal, to start checking in the next town
an hour or two down the highway.
TRAVERSE 78
TENTS AN OPTION
Are you planning to camp? Nevada
has some great state parks where you
can pitch a tent or hang your ham-
mock, get fresh drinking water, and
maybe even a hot shower. I really
like Cave Lake State Park, near Ely.
If you and your bike are ready to ride
some dirt to get to camp, head for
Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, south
of Highway 50 in the middle of the
state, near Austin. Berlin is a mining
town from the 1890s that has been
preserved in a state of arrested decay.
The ichthyosaur was a huge aquatic
reptile that lived in the area 225 mil-
lion years ago, when it was covered
with water. The park contains a large
concentration of fossilized remains
of these giant, carnivorous, fish-liz-
ards. You can also camp at Dayton
State Park, or at Washoe Lake State
Park, just north of Carson City.