Indio to Tonopah

Today I crossed from California into Nevada. This was one of my longer drives (6.5 hrs. straight) as I headed North to Tonopah , an unincorporated town in Nye County NV.

My first stop was a huge pile of boulders on the side of Old Woman Springs Road that had become a graffiti Mecca. Stills did not do it justice, so I walked all the way around to create a 6 minute video (see below). 

Then, at the corner of Old Woman Springs Road and Hwy 247 I found Cafe 247 . This one-time doctor’s office had become a biker themed BBQ joint that also features outdoor music on several stages and all sorts of funky art installations. It is currently owned by Kathy and Alyn Nelson.

I thought I would at least have to leave California to find folks who had a different world view than mine. I chatted with Joe, behind the Hydration Station (AKA bar). He explained that the portable stages were frequently hooked up to trailers and stolen, and that the local police would fine the cafe for the theft, as well as for playing music at all (he said they have a license). He also told me that he also owns a distillery, and that the “Newsom’s communist, liberal democrats” would double charge him for his license. I just listened and asked questions.  I also chatted with Ezra at the T-shirt stand. He was just a cool dude.

I then continued up Hwy 247 to hook up with IS 15 for a couple hundred miles of mostly nothing (see video below) before arriving in Toponah. I am staying at the Mizpah Hotel , a historical haunted hotel that has been upgraded with modern amenities. I booked the Lady in Red Suite on the 5th floor. The hotel also features a bar and restaurant. Toponah is a dark sky area and I was hoping to do some night sky photography. But the clouds (tonight) and rain (tomorrow) will preclude that. 

Lacking a photo op, I went down to the bar, wonderfully tended this evening by Jennifer. Jennifer is originally from Santa Rosa and used to work in a veterinary office. As there is not a veterinary office in Toponah, she began a new career as a bartender; I think she has found a second calling. I spent most of the evening chatting with Dan and Linda, locals who frequent the bar. Their son is a firefighter and Dan showed me several images of fires and his son fighting them.