After checking out of the happening Atlantis Casino, we went to Starbucks to wait for a call from the dealer to let us know that the part arrived. Once we were all coffee’d out we headed to the dealer around 11:30 since Mike had said that UPS usually delivers between 11:00 and 12:00. When we got there, he already had the part. Dropping the current lock keyed to the ignition key was a snap and the new gas cap installed in less than 10 minutes.
After a fuel and lunch stop we were on the road by 12:30 heading towards Austin, NV on US route 50, also known as the ‘loneliest highway‘. As we left Reno and then Fallon behind traffic thinned out and we had a great time riding this straight road.
‘Straight’ and ‘fun’ in the same sentence? Absolutely, since it was the scenery that makes this ride. The area seems (is) desolate. Wide open spaces and mountain ranges, dry sand beds, sand dunes, national forest, straight, in the horizon disappearing road, tumble weed. The pictures just cannot capture the majestic scenery. We really enjoyed ourselves today – not feeling lonely at all since there was a steady stream of cars.
Temperature wise, today wasn’t bad since we were riding at 6000ft (1828m) or higher for most of the day. A thermometer at the gas station in Austin, NV read 82F (28 C), quite pleasant since the humidity was very low.
Researching places to stay, Diane found the Bob Scott campground in the Toiyabe National Forest just outside of Austin, NV our destination for the day. Though it has no showers it does have flush toilets and it’s free to boot. Doesn’t get much better than that. When we arrived there was only one other ‘camper’ in an RV.
Todays route.
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- new gas cap without lock
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- new gas cap
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- new gas cap
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- – the hinge that broke
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- – the hinge that broke
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- gas cap removed
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- all better
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- Leaving Reno
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- Leaving Reno
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- Leaving Reno
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50 – small pull-out to put on chains in the winter
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50 Historical marker: pony express Cold Springs station
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- US 50 Historical marker: pony express Cold Springs station
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- US 50 Historical marker: pony express Cold Springs station
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- US 50 Historical marker: pony express Cold Springs station
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- US 50 Historical marker: pony express Cold Springs station
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- US 50 Historical marker: pony express Cold Springs station
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- US 50
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
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- Bob Scott campground in Toiyabe National Forest
