Back to Boondocking

We didn't have to check out from the RV park until this morning, but we left last night.  We were anxious to get out of there.

We've moved to a BLM boondock between Carson City and Dayton a mile off of Highway 50.

It's close enough to Reno to continue with my mom's medical treatment, but free, quiet, remote, peaceful--just how we like it.  However...it's clear from the trash that this is a popular spot...

My mom told me to check the cooler to make sure there wasn't a dead baby inside.

Meh...whatever.  There's no one here now and we feel relatively safe.  We just hope someone from the Bureau of Land Management doesn't come by and think we're responsible for all this trash.

While we were at the RV park I got to talking to an elderly man who was very sick.  I was petting his dog and fussing over her the way I do with all animals I meet.  He asked me to take her.  He said that he needed three surgeries, one of which he was told was impossible, and that he was probably going into Hospice Care. 

My mom and I discussed it.  As much as we wanted to help the guy, we're just not dog people.  I sleep late and my mom has too much trouble walking to be taking the dog out to do his business when I'm asleep. 

I told him I couldn't take the dog, but I did put up a post on Craigs List for him.  If you're in the Reno/Carson City area and want a very sweet dog, please check it out: 
http://reno.craigslist.org/pet/5755313367.html

Here she is:

Looking Forward to Boondocking Again

There's nothing wrong with this RV park.  The staff is friendly, the spots are large enough and level, the showers and laundry are great, the price was acceptable, the location was convenient.  But after two weeks my mom and I are wishing we could leave now.  We paid for a month, and thus, shall stay for the time we paid for.

I appreciate the convenience and not having to tear down every four days to dump.  It's just that I'd rather be somewhere out by ourselves.  It's noisy here.  If we don't have the fan or AC running we hear voices, people yelling, motorcycles, dogs... 

And some of the people are scuzzy here.  I heard a man say 'Shut up, bitch' to the woman sharing the RV with him.  And when I went to to take the trash out some yokels drinking beer in front of their RV beers said some insult and laughed at me.  You know...like high school bullies.

Which is really just a minor annoyance, but it's still an annoyance.  It's not like I'm going to bury my head under a pillow and cry, but it would be nice to be able to go outside without ignorant eyes on you.

Today we drove to the Carson City boondock that I would have gone to if the issue with the car hadn't devastated us so much that I insisted on 'treating' us to a month at an RV park.  The boondock looked so nice!  I really wish we had just gone straight there instead of an RV park. 

The boondock was just a bunch of dirt roads and trails going through BLM land, but I really like boondocks like that.  I long for the peace of Parowan Gap, where only the odd sheep would come to harass you. 
When I was planning to full-time RV I intended on boondocking all the time like RV Sue.  I wanted freedom with out RV Park expenses.  However, I started out with a travel trailer and it just wasn't practical.  The thing was a pain to tow, and hitching and unhitching was a big to-do. 

So then I got this motorhome in February and suddenly had less hassle and more mobility.  It's really easy to drive this thing, easier than I thought it would be.  I can back up without jackknifing.  I never have the fear of 'getting stuck'.  And I don't need help to back into an RV space anymore.

I thought, NOW.  Now I can boondock all the time.  But in the back of my head I feared I wouldn't do it.  I feared I would continue to stay in RV parks.

However, once we hit the road we were always boondocking.  And it was great, for the most part.  I was able to research and put us in places where I actually wanted to be. 

We had the hiccup in June and July.  I took a month in an RV park to regroup.  Now I just want to go back to boondocking.  I'm not socializing with the people at this RV park, so it's not like I'm missing any companionship by being out in boondock boonies.

We're getting itchy wheels at this RV park.  Yes, we want to get all the packages we need shipped to us, get all the laundry done, and etc.  But I am ready to GO. 

That said, we will be staying in the vicinity of Reno for a while.  My mother is catching up on all her medical needs.  The big one is a painful lump in the crook of her elbow.  We aren't going to get an ultrasound until the end of August, and then will probably take many more weeks for whatever treatment she needs to resolve it.

That's fine.  There's plenty of boondocks for us to cruise around to, and we like this area.

We just have to make sure we head south before winter comes...

Carson City At Last!

BEHOLD this crappily lit picture!  For in it is life for us as it should be, with our SUV and RV riding together.  You can't imagine how grateful we are to have our car back and functioning well.  ;_;  Seriously...the last month and a half was tough.

For the last four days we were in Fallon Nevada camping at the Bonanza Casino.  Part of their parking lot is a full hook-up RV park that only charges $15/day.  I mean, it's pretty dang good for full hook-ups.  Obviously we usually boondock, but it was crazy hot.  Over 100 degrees.  We were grateful for the AC even though we also needed our fans.  Man it was hot.

The RV park was on a blacktop.  No grass.  No showers.  No laundry.  No typical RV park amenities.  Most people would snub their noses at it, but my mom and I like to gamble.  We often seek out casinos that allow RVs to overnight in their lots. 

Now, my original plan was to boondock near Carson City on BLM land while my mom saw to her doctor appointments.  After our ordeal with the car (and yes, I know I keep harping on it, but it was really stressful AF for us) I just booked an RV park.  Let's spend a month not worrying about AC, showers, laundry, or dumping.  Let's just relax and recover.

I'm at Camp N Town RV park in the middle of downtown Carson City.  We just arrived today but have a good impression so far.  Yes, it's wall to wall RVs, but that's how RVs parks are.  You want amenities, you have to give up wide open spaces.  As long as we have room to park the SUV and open the slides we're satisfied.

The park is an urban RV park where people are basically just living in their RVs while they live and work in Carson City.  It's well-kept, with owners who lay down the law about anyone who tries to make their area look dumpy.  Obviously most of the RVs are permanent residents, but the rigs still look nice and neat.  The bathroom was great.  It's wonderful to have showers!  The site is level.  And there's a Pho restaurant across the street!!

Of course, it's not cheap, because Carson City is a nice town.  With the electric deposit, bathroom key deposit, and rent it cost me $555 to move in.  My normal boondocking budget is $200/mo, and for RV Parks it's $450 tops (which is what this place cost before the other fees) but, you know what?  I can afford it.  I'm not going to deprive myself after what my mother and I have been through.  SCREW IT.  Let's enjoy the month.

Last year around this time we boondocked in the travel trailer at Baldini's Casino in Sparks.  After arriving in Carson City we drove into Reno to treat ourselves to Red Lobster, or as my mother likes to mistakenly sing:  Reeeeeed Lobster! Yum! (the Red Robin slogan).  After stuffing our faces with food that cost half a month's worth of my entertainment budget, we sought out a casino.  I went to Baldinis for old times sake.  I found out that RVs may now only camp in the back lot if they play $25/day.  -_-  Lame.  I guess this is off our boondocking list. 

My mom caught a Pokemon.  (Actually one of the tiny frogs who were all around the RV park in Caliente)

Middlegate Nevada

Hey.

We had to stop for gas at any place that had it as we continued on our way down Highway 50.  I really wish we'd limped a little further, because the gas at Middlegate was $3.29.  Ugh.  Most places right now are $2.50 or lower.

Middlegate Nevada is a stop, not a town, and it's just a store, RV park, bar, and gas station. 

I had investigated staying at the RV park but a Google review said they sent people away because they indicated they voted for Obama.  These were bicyclists who needed water and a place for tent camping.  I couldn't think of any reason why someone would make that up.

Garmin said there was gas here, but all I could see were two pumps that looked like decorative antiques.  I pulled up to the one that said 'No Lead' all the same.

The people cussing and chewing the shit on the stoop of the store confirmed it was a working pump.  It was an analog pump.  I haven't seen one of these since I was 16 years old.  The worker said to pump and then tell the owner inside how much it said on the dial and pay for it.  Before I knew it I'd bought $90 worth of gas for the RV.  It pumped faster than I could stop it.

I went in to pay and prepayed for $20 worth of gas for the SUV.  My mom had pulled up behind me since we were both dry.  The older gentleman at the bar was friendly as he accepted payment.  He asked where I was from.  I told him I traveled around in the RV and didn't really live anywhere. 

"Like a Gypsy?"

"Something like that."

I parked the RV in some shade and filled the SUV tank while my mom went in to use the bathroom.  Then I parked the SUV and went in myself. 

So far everything was fine.  I thought the building very interesting and took lots of pictures of all the old stuff as you can see.  Then I went into the ladies bathroom.  This news article was framed on the wall.

Old news articles are fun to read.  I would have loved to read the one behind the top one.  But the top one made me pause.  Why would anyone pick such an incendiary article in our day and age?  It's just going to make people uncomfortable.  I mean, if it was in a museum with some historical context I would consider it appropriate, but as decoration?  And it's not like they needed another article.  They had one.  They put this one on top of it.  Why?

More random stuff on the walls and so forth.

My mother was being her normal friendly self, making chit-chat, smiling and talking.  She has a personality that disarms people and makes it hard for them not to like her.  But she does speak with an accent.  There's no denying she's not Caucasian once she starts talking.

Frankly, we never think about this.  She doesn't go around feeling uncomfortable.  I don't ever think about the fact that she's Puerto Rican.  We just don't have any reason to be self-conscious about it. 

Anyway, as we're walking back to the vehicles she said the place gave her the creeps.

And then we got back to the cars and saw what had been done.  Someone had folded in the mirrors of the SUV.  Like, flipped them in the way you would before going through a car wash.  My stomach dropped and I got a sick feeling.  The article in the bathroom, the Google review, and the fact that her car had been messed with--well, draw your own conclusions. 

I thought the people had been nice and had no reason to suspect anything malevolent--but here it was.  It had to be one of the patrons, because the owner never left the building, and neither did the woman who also seemed to work there.  Still...

We got the hell out of there.  

EUREKA! (Nevada)

Apparently Life Magazine said the portion of Highway 50 that goes through Nevada is 'The Loneliest Road in America.'  All the highway signs have this written on it like it's a good thing?  (I guess?)

Source: Wikipedia

Meh.  I think the road from Las Vegas to Reno is 'lonelier' and a longer drive by several hours, but this road is more famous because it used to be the Pony Express.  Why am I talking about Highway 50?  I'll get to that...

Yes, we did the Cardinal RVing sin of staying at an overnight truck stop for two nights.   We were out of the way, there was plenty of room, and we spent lots of money at the gas station/store/restaurant.  Before anyone says, 'The reason there was alot of room is because other RVers respect the rules,' look at the pictures in the last post.  It's a dust pit.  Our RV got caked with the dust.  Loud trucks surrounded us and infused our air with the essence of diesel.  No fool would stay in such a place longer than they have to except for us.  And we needed the rest.

So now I needed to decide where to go.  I looked for Passport America RV parks.  The nearest ones were Tonopah to the west or Elko to the north.  I picked Tonopah since we want to go west to get to Carson City eventually.  The Passport America park there had loads of 1 star 'if you value your life don't stay here' reviews.  Ugh.  So Elko then. 

Elko (or Wells near Elko, rather) had two parks.  The choicest one was fully booked.  The 2nd choice had a disconnected number and didn't reply to my email.  Both parks only had 20 spots so I didn't want to go without a reservation.  Since I couldn't reach anyone, Elko was out.

UGH.  Where the heck do we go?  We need showers and to dump tanks.  I spent an hour looking at all the parks between Ely and Carson City.  Too expensive.  No shower.  Racist owners?  (What the heck?)  Too expensive.  Too far out of the way.  AHHH!

I find an RV park in Fallon Nevada attached to a casino (mom will be happy) and only $15/night (Milly will be happy).  But it's a four hour drive, and no showers.  AHHH!

I don't really see many other options.  In Ely there is a truck stop on an Indian Reservation (Native American Reservation?) that has showers as well as a free dump station with free potable water.  I figured if I dumped and got water and showered there I could head West with a little more room for winging it.

But I don't dump.  My mom and I just went there in the car and showered.  When I told her I wanted to go to a casino RV park in Fallon she said she would suffer through the four hour drive.  So...why dump when we'd be at an RV park that night? 

Silver Sage Truck Stop in Ely is a great place to shower.  $8.50 allowed my mother and I the use of a handicapped shower where we took turns.  Okay, shower done.  Now we don't need an RV park with a shower.

And so, we got onto Highway 50 and would be driving almost the entire stretch, from Ely to Fallon in one day.  Oh boy.  At least this would be our last long drive for a while.  Carson City is less than an hour away.

Before our fiasco with the SUV mechanic I had a plan to visit all the old west towns in northern Nevada.  There was a lot of mining in the 1850s and a lot of stuff is left over from that era.  I enjoy going to museums, checking out old buildings, reading historical markers--that's my thing.  But the lack of campgrounds in this area that meet my cheapo criteria, along with some major heat, got me to forget that plan.  We just want to get to Carson City and have RV hook-ups and amenities for a month.

HOWEVER...we did pass through Eureka today, which is said to be the best preserved old west town in Nevada.  And, dang it, I demanded a pit stop!  So here we are!

YAY!  Old-timey buildings!  Laura Ingalls probably bought a pound of butter and some salt-pork here in
eighteen-blah-diddy-blah!  COOL!

This is a cliff of coal behind the ice cream shop where we parked the RV.  So...yeah.  @-@

The museum was closed...how dare there.  I really wanted to see a chamber pot.

Here's an old abandoned hotel.  I bet it's haunted.  (C'mon, it's totally haunted.)

Unngghhh.  Would it be a TMI to tell you ancient crumbly masonry turns me on?

I find a lot of old timey buildings apply the 'paste rocks together with cement' technique.

Here's a chunk o' the main drag.  Probably was a shot-out right before we arrived.

Abandoned old-timey buildings are held up by the one new one.

This building is actually just a facade.  The whole thing had caved in, but the facade stays up due to the side buildings it's connected too.

Here's a closer look.  Doesn't it look OLD?  I mean...this thing has been around since before good hygiene.

This is the third opera house I've seen in an old west town.  Apparently opera was big back in the gun-slinger days.  There was that one episode of Bonanza about an opera house too...

I'm going to say it was a brothel.  I don't actually know.   The old timey buildings had numbers that correlated to a map of some sort.  I never got one.

Old-timey sidewalk.  :)

This is older than your mom.

If you sneezed on this building it would cave in.  (Hence the fence).

Can't have an old west town without a masonic temple.  :shudders:

Another view.

Okay!  I hope you enjoyed your tour of Eureka.  We spent all of half an hour here to picture up the blog some.  I wish I could have at least gotten into the museum.  It was late though.  My mom can't drive after dark.

Rest stops without bathrooms used to infuriate me...until I started driving a house around.