Leaving Susanville the ride to Virginia City was around 170 miles & took us through some very run-down communities, Loyalton was deserted with several farms up for sale, rain has been in short supply & it's getting very dry, a few days ago at the coast the fire risk was low.
This area is high plains country at around 1500m, a breakfast stop at Sieraville had great coffee as well as the proprietor serenading his guests with County Music at 10am in the morning.
20 miles down the road we skirt Lake Tahoe, what a difference a few miles make, the plush lakeside houses, holiday resorts & Golf courses ooze money in stark contrast to the subsistence farming area we have just passed through.
Passing the lake we enter Nevada skirting Reno & rising through the Rose Mountain ski resort, it's difficult to believe that this barren desert area will be covered in Snow, it is however over 2500m high.
We reach Virginia City early in the afternoon & after finding a place to stay we visit one of the many museums about the Gold & Silver mining on the 'Comstock Lode' which began in 1859.
This area produced over $1,000,000,000.00 worth of precious metal at 1850's prices.
Virginia City was one of the richest towns in the world at the time & attracted business men from all parts of the globe, they also brought individual architecture to the town most of which remains in good condition, unfortunately this French Renaissance structure is not among them.
Tourism is now bringing in the gold along with gambling, Nevada seems to exist on slots as they even have them in the filling stations, John has no success but what can he expect without putting something in first.
The Harley's are in town & don't look out of place with the 'Wild West' buildings.
Most of the attractions close at 5pm so we decide to leave late the following morning so that we can take a short mine tour as well as visit the Forth Ward School built in 1876, this building had many innovations for the time including single desks, flushing toilets, heating to all rooms & water fountains on all floors.
From it's peak of 800 pupils it declined as the ore ran out & closed in 1936, one student is however still there & hoping to graduate soon!
There were innovations in the mines as well with the introduction of 'Square Set' wooden supports being used for the first time, you also have to admire the early surveyors who produced accurate maps of the many underground workings, this old miner shows us around the shaft that runs from the Bonanza saloon.
After the morning tours it's time to get on our way to Bonneville, this basically means crossing the Nevada desert on Interstate 80, what a hot boring road but at least we cover 310 miles to Elko.
We have been recommended the Star Hotel as a place to eat, they serve steaks 'Basque Family Style' which means you also get soup, salad, spaghetti & a selection of beans, the meal is huge, if any of you visit this restaurant one steak between two would be enough for most people.
Saturday brings a further section of the interstate before crossing into Utah & a visit to the famous 'International Speedway' at Bonneville, here you can see us in front of our race tuned BMW's ready to roll on the salt flats.
Here I go on a record breaking run, Burt Munro eat your heart out.
It always amazes me how a big flat area of nothing can make interesting pictures (well I think so), this place is all the better for the lack of tourist facilities & you can do as you please.
This area is high plains country at around 1500m, a breakfast stop at Sieraville had great coffee as well as the proprietor serenading his guests with County Music at 10am in the morning.
20 miles down the road we skirt Lake Tahoe, what a difference a few miles make, the plush lakeside houses, holiday resorts & Golf courses ooze money in stark contrast to the subsistence farming area we have just passed through.
Passing the lake we enter Nevada skirting Reno & rising through the Rose Mountain ski resort, it's difficult to believe that this barren desert area will be covered in Snow, it is however over 2500m high.
We reach Virginia City early in the afternoon & after finding a place to stay we visit one of the many museums about the Gold & Silver mining on the 'Comstock Lode' which began in 1859.
This area produced over $1,000,000,000.00 worth of precious metal at 1850's prices.
Virginia City was one of the richest towns in the world at the time & attracted business men from all parts of the globe, they also brought individual architecture to the town most of which remains in good condition, unfortunately this French Renaissance structure is not among them.
Tourism is now bringing in the gold along with gambling, Nevada seems to exist on slots as they even have them in the filling stations, John has no success but what can he expect without putting something in first.
The Harley's are in town & don't look out of place with the 'Wild West' buildings.
Most of the attractions close at 5pm so we decide to leave late the following morning so that we can take a short mine tour as well as visit the Forth Ward School built in 1876, this building had many innovations for the time including single desks, flushing toilets, heating to all rooms & water fountains on all floors.
From it's peak of 800 pupils it declined as the ore ran out & closed in 1936, one student is however still there & hoping to graduate soon!
There were innovations in the mines as well with the introduction of 'Square Set' wooden supports being used for the first time, you also have to admire the early surveyors who produced accurate maps of the many underground workings, this old miner shows us around the shaft that runs from the Bonanza saloon.
After the morning tours it's time to get on our way to Bonneville, this basically means crossing the Nevada desert on Interstate 80, what a hot boring road but at least we cover 310 miles to Elko.
We have been recommended the Star Hotel as a place to eat, they serve steaks 'Basque Family Style' which means you also get soup, salad, spaghetti & a selection of beans, the meal is huge, if any of you visit this restaurant one steak between two would be enough for most people.
Saturday brings a further section of the interstate before crossing into Utah & a visit to the famous 'International Speedway' at Bonneville, here you can see us in front of our race tuned BMW's ready to roll on the salt flats.
Here I go on a record breaking run, Burt Munro eat your heart out.
It always amazes me how a big flat area of nothing can make interesting pictures (well I think so), this place is all the better for the lack of tourist facilities & you can do as you please.
Boring backgrounds make interesting foregrounds!
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