A week in Nevada - days 1 & 2

Tired of the cold and snow in Utah, I'm going to Nevada to find some sun.

Wanting to avoid the freeway as much as possible I take the bikers-shortcut, which only adds about 80 miles and a couple hours of riding... 

I'll be staying in Vegas and doing day rides Tuesday and Wednesday.

First day ride is to Gold Pointe, Nevada -  a ghost town about 195 miles from Vegas.

The Gold Pointe post office..

There are acres and acres of neat old stuff around Gold Pointe.

I talked to one of the locals, a very nice fellow, who told me that since Gold Pointe is known as a "Ghost town" some of the tourists who come to visit are surprised and somewhat disappointed when they find live people living there. The winter population is a grand total of 9. 

I leave Gold Pointe and get back on the highway and head for the next Gold town...  Gold Field, about another 30 miles...or so.

Gold Field, a town of less than 300 residents, also has a plethora of cool relics in and around town. The main road through this tiny berg is paved along with a few others, but most of the local streets are dirt.

 Speed limits are enforced....I had a friendly conversation, luckily with a happy ending, with a Nevada State Po who was posted on the far end of town, then I took side roads (observing speed limits) back through town to the International car forest of the Last Church. Well, sort of...it wasn't where my directions said it would be..so I asked a pretty red haired lady who was coming out of the post office for directions. "The what?" she asked with a smile, I explained again to which she replied dryly, "Oh that.. Well........" And she gave me excellent directions, which I followed and arrived at the car forest in scant minutes.

 And here it is.... 

Free spirit Mark Rippie and artist Chad Sorg created the car forest completing it in 2011

I'd like to meet the guy (or gal) who lifted that rock up there....

 Another school bus in the background.

If you visit the car forest, bring some crayons, or spray paint, or even a rock.....in the car forest you are allowed and encouraged to express yourself freely.

Aaaaaaaaand I've tarried to long, I will have to make tracks if I want to be back to my lodging before dark. 

But,

I don't make it and ride the last 45 minutes in the dark....I didn't mind to much, the temperatures were perfect!

(next ride is in ' Nevada ride - days 3,4,5')