Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

We left Bishop on Thursday morning after much discussion on which way to go.  We wanted to go up 395 but there were high wind warnings so we decided to go Hwy. 6 to Tonopah.  We had never been to Tonopah and my research indicated that it would be an interesting place to visit.  We had also never been on Hwy 6 so that would be another “first.”  Hwy 6 had no adverse conditions posted on the web so away we went.  But first Russ snapped this early morning photo of the moon over Bishop.



We had a great time in Bishop but it was time to move along.  Hwy 6 goes out of Bishop and continues over 3000 miles to Maine.  It is 112 miles to Tonopah, Nv in a mostly straight line.



I am always a little afraid of unknown highways but this one was a great road.  But that road report about no adverse conditions?  Don’t you believe it.  It was blowing like a sun of a gun.  Dust devils and big gusts.  I was glad we were not on a high mountain pass.  But our Lazy Daze drives so well in high winds that we didn’t have any problems.  We felt the wind alright but Therapy just held the road like a champ and got us safely to Tonopah.





I had read that  Tonopah was an old mining town and I guess I expected something like Tombstone or ???  I had also read that there was good RV parking at one of the Casinos.  Too say I was disappointed on both fronts is an understatement.  The drive to Tonopah was interesting and at times even beautiful, but Tonopah itself…fuggeddaboutit!!!  It was an awful, dry, dirty, dusty, rundown hovel that was on it;s way to being a ghost town but had not yet arrived.  It just lost something in the translation!

The RV Park was indeed behind the casino…a fully blacktopped, uneven lineup of parking lot slots.  There were full hook-ups but it was nothing but a run down parking lot.  And I mean parking slots…not a breath of fresh air could get between the tiny spots and it was pot holed and just plain YUCKY.  I would rather stay in a turn out along the highway than pay actual money to stay there. 

We didn’t see anything that endeared Tonopah to us so we decided to cut our losses and go a different direction.  We came back to Coaldale Junction and took Hwy 95 towards Fallon.  That is another two lane country highway that was a very enjoyable ride.  Passed a large salt marsh and some very colorful hills.

Just when Russ felt he could drive no longer, we spied a little RV Park right on the highway.  Not quite into the small town of Mina, NV is the Sunrise Valley RV Park.



It doesn’t look like much from the road but I can’t say enough good about this place.  I am posting some pictures now but will post more tonight when I have more time.  We need to get a move on now so this is just a taste.



this is a small park but it has full hook ups, nice level spaces and great ingress and egress.  Plus it has lots of open places for the dogs to get a little exercise.  The place is clean and quiet and has GREAT Wi-Fi.  We paid $28 for the night.  The guy even has an airstrip and an old plane out back.

We woke up to the sounds of doves and other birds.  The highway noise was not noticeable and we slept great.  I highly recommend this place if you find yourself on Hwy 95 between Hawthorne and Coaldale Junction.

Gotta run …more later tonight.