Dreaming Nevada

Adventures await across the Silver State for the visitor who loves small towns and history.

- STUART ROSE BROOK

Growing up in Southern California, I spent a great deal of time traveling with my family across the Mojave Desert to Arizona to visit family in Phoenix and tour the Grand Canyon State. I admit I have been to more places in the 48th state than any other, even though California is my home state, but in the last few years, I have discovered a state that I want to explore from end to end and return to on a regular basis: Nevada.

That's right, the Silver State, well known for the Loneliest Highway in America (U.S. 50), historic Comstock region of Virginia City, and the bright lights of Las Vegas and Reno, all of which are great reasons to visit Nevada. U.S.50 can be driven in a day between Utah and California, but if you do that, you will miss the chance to visit the historic towns of Ely, Eureka, Austin, and Fallon, let alone Great Basin National Park and side trips to historic sites and unforgettable ghost towns. My point is, slow down, take your time, and if you can't do it all in one trip, plan on going back and visiting one or more regions each time you return.

And if you love the outdoors, skiing, fishing, hiking, hunting, birding, geo-caching or offroading, make sure and go prepared because Nevada is an adventure waiting to happen.

Driving Nevada

Recently I completed what I call a circumnavigation of the Silver State, with my only regret being that I did not have a month to do it. Nonetheless, I enjoyed every mile of the road trip which began and ended crossing The Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge over the Colorado River at Hoover Dam on the Nevada-Arizona border. I saw hundreds of miles of some of the most beautiful snow-covered peaks, endless desert valleys, lost cell service for 150 miles, and enjoyed the hospitality of small towns and big cities, east to west and north to south across the state. And I can't wait to go back.