Top Gun's home gateway to 'loneliest highway'
by Mark LaPointe, Outpost Staff
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As the gateway to the loneliest highway, Fallon, is easily accessible from both Carson City and Reno. From Carson (as the locals call the state capital) take U.S. Route 50 east. In about an hour you'll reach Fallon city limits. From Reno, alternate Route 50 will get you to Fallon in about the same amount of time and is easily accessible from Interstate 80 east. You'll want to fill up your gas tank in Fallon and be sure you have plenty of water and film.
Ft. Churchill, 10 miles south of Fallon, was a garrison for Union troops during the U.S. Civil War. Photo by Mark LaPointe |
Travelers with time and an interest in history, Americana or geology will find the long trip full of interesting sites and potential adventures. Those who can stand to spend more than six hours in a vehicle can feasibly drive straight through to the Great Basin National Park stopping only to refuel the car and the body. But I recommend a more casual drive across the desert. It'll get you in the mood to relax.
The first sight you'll see will be a long stretch of salt flats. Here, clever individuals have written messages in stone for all who pass to read. "Mike loves Janis" proclaims one heart-filled proclamation while another warns, "Jesus is on his way!"
At the eastern edge of the salt flats is Sand Mountain. This impressive hill, 600 feet high and 2 miles long, is a testimony to Nevada's prehistoric days when much of the state was covered by a large inland sea. According to the Nevada Department of Transportation, the hill was formed by sand swept by centuries of wind from a former island within this sea. Climbing Sand Mountain is a great diversion for those with time to kill and high endurance. And if you find yourself in pain after your hike, you can call for help on the Loneliest Phone, which sits proudly beside the hill.
copyright 12/10/97 Nevada Outpost http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost
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