Halfway through our trip, we were about to go from one familiar city in Winnemucca to another, in Elko. However, most of what awaited us east of Elko was entirely unfamiliar to both of us and opened our eyes to new areas that we will be returning to with some regularity. Follow along with the rest of our trip below!
Day 3: Winnemucca to Elko
After a hearty breakfast at the Griddle, in Winnemucca, we made a brief stop by the Winnemucca Visitor Center to learn about Buckaroo culture and history and to see the Buckaroo Hall of Fame. We returned to the Interstate to make our way towards Elko. Just outside of the city, the beautiful California Trail Interpretive Center facility can be spotted on the north side of the freeway. I learned a surprising amount about a period of U.S. history that I had previously imagined I was well-versed in. The exhibits and information are expertly curated, and the volunteer docent was knowledgeable and remarkably helpful.
Our first stop upon arriving in downtown Elko was the Western Folklife Center, a favorite of ours, and the host to the famed National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. The rotating exhibit at the Western Folklife Center still had the theme from the 2020 National Poetry Gathering displayed, which focused on the representation and legacy of black cowboys. Following the Civil War, roughly 25 percent of cowboys were black, which has seldom been represented in historical documentation or popular culture. The exhibit on display was both beautiful and powerful, and seemingly lent me another foot to kick myself with for missing the 2020 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. We sauntered across the street to J.M. Capriola Co., a renowned saddle making and western wares company. They allowed us into the shop to watch them working on their next saddles, a marvel of craftsmanship to experience.
We intentionally compressed our day as much as possible to try to leave time for the sight that had been most calling to me on this trip. Lamoille Canyon is a mere 21 miles out of the back of Elko, and is the access point to the Ruby Mountains, also known as the Swiss Alps of Nevada. The stories of this area’s beauty have long piqued my interest, but I knew basically nothing about it. I could not believe how easily accessible Lamoille Canyon was from Elko. I really could not believe that it looks like that! Megan thankfully drove so I could wildly swing my camera in every direction with glee. After a short stint of 4-wheel-drive in the unplowed soft snow, the road ended at Thomas Campground. The last bit of light was hanging on the peaks, and we rushed out to explore what we could. I snapped away photos until it was pitch black, and we finally warmed our hands in the car on the way back into town. The exhilarating scenes for a landscape photographer were satisfying, but mostly they made me aware of my need to properly visit beyond the campground.
Following a good stomp-around in the snow at Lamoille Canyon, we were ready to eat our weight at the dinner table. When I am following I-80, and I am hungry, I am likely to be found at a Basque restaurant. The Star Hotel is one of my absolute favorites. They spotted two hungry voyagers, right away, and had enough steak and sides to comfortably feed 5 people overflowing the bar top in short order. With just one day left on our trip, we went to go visit our best 10’ 4” friend, White King, then turned in for the night.
Day 4: Elko to West Wendover
Our final day on the trip also began with a hearty breakfast. This time, from McAdoo’s, in Elko, and it started the day off, right. We intended to visit Angel Lake, outside of Wells, then head to Ruby Mountain Brewing Company. However, our directions were off, and sent us to the wrong highway, which then told us to cut through a ranch property bearing a sign stating that, “Your GPS is wrong, this is not the way to Angel Lake.” However, as luck would have it, that ranch happened to be the locale of Ruby Mountain Brewing Company (and it turned out that the highway towards Angel Lake was closed, anyway)! Steve and Maggie met us in the barn that serves as the brewery with their absolute ham of a pup in Rue. The garage door looks out on their working ranch, with the jagged peaks of the Ruby Mountains so close they look like you can reach out and touch them. Steve calmly and humbly explained his brewing history (as Maggie poked fun at him), which started almost 30 years ago as a pet project to hand off to his sons, who became firefighters. Instead, he has churned out award-winning beers, beating many of the big companies regularly at the Great American Beer Festival with zero hint of pretension. Do not pass Wells on I-80 without arranging a visit to Ruby Mountain Brewing Company if you love craft beer and outstanding company.
The light was dwindling, fast, and we tried to make it to Angel Lake before dark. As stated above, the road turned out to be closed, but up to that point, the drive was stunning. Angel Lake will find a place on our list of Nevada destinations we are coming right back for, and the sunset from the side of the mountains was magnificent. We departed for our final landmark, Wendover Will, the gargantuan neon cowboy residing along the Nevada-Utah border. Tired and hungry, and with a long drive back to Boise, Wendover Will was not waving “hi” to us as he was to others that found themselves on the Cowboy Corridor. It was a friendly neon “farewell, seeya soon.”
This post is in partnership with Travel Nevada and Travel Mindset.