Nevada

After leaving Burning Man we went to Reno, first to dispose of our trash and the iron bars in my picture diorama, and then to ship all our burning man supplies back to San Jose. We would be taking the RV one-way to Phoenix because Cruise America (whom I now call "Lose America") offered what seemed to be a great deal -- one way rental eastward for half price. The quality of their RV was poor enough that it was barely a deal.

I also got new cranks and a new seat for my piece-of-junk new Fuji Folder mountain bike. Don't ever buy this bike.

We then headed east on highway 50, the road that Life Magazine called the "loneliest road in America" back in the 50s. I am not sure if that was a recommendation, but today it is the tourist slogan.

It is indeed a deserted stretch of road, stark, with its own beauty, but not quite as empty as Life found it.

We took it to visit Great Basin National Park. Great Basin is not exactly a spectacular park, it was more a matter of Nevada needing a park I think. It's just one section of the "great basin," the large region of the central west where the rivers drain to no sea, but instead just evaporate.

In the park however are the Lehman caves, which have lots of dramatic formations and can be toured.

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U.S. 50, the "loneliest road in America"

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Stalactites hang down

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Chambers of Lehman Caves, in Great Basin National Park

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A column in Lehman caves