Across Nevada

Just a travelling day, to get from A to B. We took Hwy 80 from Reno to Wells, a dual lane all the way with big on and off ramps to little towns and industries along the way. It is high altitude so there is no agriculture, the main industry appears to be gold mining and the little towns appear to service the industries. There were a lot of trucks on the road and a lot of freight trains on the line that ran parallel to the highway.

Because of a lot of fires in Nevada and Idaho to the north there was a lot of smoke about so the 'big' landscapes were not so big. We could vaguely see the mountains and valleys on either side as we motored along at 70 mph. Luckily we aren't anywhere near the fires but they have caused a lot of damage and are not yet under control.

A highlight on the trip for me was an exhibition in the library at Winnebucca. It was Audubon's paintings of birds, about 30 of them, on loan from the Nevada Museum of Art. Many were published in The Birds of America, and it was absolutely spectacular to see the real thing up close. We were the only people there.

A gold mine, we think.

Lots and lots of billboards as we approached each town. We joined the culture and stopped at maccas for lunch and free wifi.

And then we turned north and headed to Twin Falls in Idaho, crossing a time zone on the border. Just before the border is a town called Jackpot and even though it's only a little town it is crammed with casinos. I was quite pleased to leave Nevada but then we didn't give it a fair go - I probably shouldn't judge a State by a trip through on a highway.

As we approached Twin Falls we started seeing agriculture, irrigated pasture and crops and a lot of hay-making. There must be a lot of water available because every bit of suitable land is irrigated.