Nevada Museum of Art

 Our second museum of our fall break trip was the Nevada Museum of Art. I really wanted to see their exhibit about Nevada becoming the 36th State and the display of the Emancipation Proclamation. The museum also carries my book and wanted twelve more copies, which I was happy to deliver.

Don't have a copy yet? It makes a wonderful gift! Find out all the places to buy it on
my author and photographer website.

Outside the museum we found this steampunk submarine, which had been made for Burning Man (I might have to go one of these years!). We were allowed to go in it and climb up to the top. The submarine can actually be driven down the street.

We got our tickets and a special ticket to see the Emancipation Proclamation at noon. That gave us over an hour to look around the other exhibits. Some were really, really strange. I had a lot of fun watching the kids reactions to the different art. I have to admit, they seemed more open to some of it than I did. It made me realize that it's probably a good idea to take kids to art museums when they're young, when they don't have so many preconceived notions.

We went up on the roof for a little while. We didn't see much art up there...

…but we did find nice views of Reno and some changing colors.

Photos weren't allowed in the special exhibit, but it was great. I'm really glad we went to see it. We also saw the papers that declared Nevada a state, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, watched a film about why and how the state was made (to help win votes for the Union), and the 175-page telegraph that made it all official (and was relayed from Carson City to Salt Lake City to Chicago to Philadelphia to Washington D.C.--that's a lot of morse code!). I was also fascinated to see what county representatives signed the first documents. Very few of the current 14 counties were represented, as most everyone in the state at that time was near Virginia City for mining.

Afterwards it was time to eat! I was in the mood for an all-you-can-eat buffet and thought one of the nearby casinos might offer something. But after driving around the area a couple times on one-way streets that didn't pass the parking garage entrance, I gave up and we headed south on Virginia Street. Then all of a sudden I saw an Indian restaurant--with a lunch buffet! I turned immediately and we went in. I was ready for some more cultural exploration.

Desert Girl wasn't sold on Indian food, but Desert Boy liked it quite a bit.

And I was in heaven! It was so fun trying a variety of foods. (I get a taste of Indian food occasionally from Tasty Bites (on sale now at Costco-a six-pack for $6.99) and Jaali Bean (from Abe's Market)). But this was freshly made Indian food with real naan and delicious masala and other dishes I can't even remember. Next time in Reno, I'll definitely be going back!

That completed our Reno adventure. Then we headed south (on Highway 395, as our GPS didn't have the fairly new I-580 programmed into it) to Carson City for even more adventures.

W.M. Keck Museum--Fun with Minerals, Fossils, and a Tea Service

 During our fall break with its focus on culture, I told the kids we were going to concentrate on museums instead of hiking. Believe it or not, they were happy about that. Our first museum of the trip was the W.M. Keck Museum in the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering. We had looked at their website before we went to get the address, and went there. But that ended up being the general address for the University of Nevada-Reno. After wandering in circles for awhile we got directions, left the parking garage, and drove to the other end of campus, where we fortunately found a parking spot and then did the short walk to the museum.

We had the museum all to ourselves, which after our experience at Sand Mountain, was quite welcome.

On the first floor we saw hundreds of different minerals. We oohed and ahhed as we went past.

Then we headed downstairs, where we saw real gold--both on rocks and on the Mackay tea service. The kids were more interested in it than I thought they would be.

Next we headed upstairs, to see some fossils.

I was also quite interested in the carbide lamp collection, as that became the primary lighting source for miners in 1896 (before that they used candle lanterns). Cavers used carbide lamps for decades. I even used one when I started caving, but after having super hot water run down my face because I didn't have it adjusted quite right, I decided to stick with electric. Nowadays most cavers use electric lights, which over the years have become smaller and brighter.

As we were leaving the museum, a staff person stopped us and let the kids pick out a rock. They were both delighted! We used the restroom and I admired the beautiful radiator. A heating duct next to it blew hot air.

Then we took a little detour into the library and found this electric vehicle that had been built for Burning Man. The sign welcomed folks to give it a ride.

It only took about half an hour to see everything at kid speed (we didn't read much), but we all had a good time. Then we got back to the van before the parking meter ran out (we didn't have many coins with us). I was so impressed that I had actually parallel parked. That's not a skill I need out on the ranch!

A Visit to Sand Mountain, Nevada

 Over Desert Boy's fall break we headed west across the very wide state of Nevada to go to Carson City, the state capital, to celebrate the 150th birthday of the state. On the way there we stopped at Sand Mountain, east of Fallon. About four years ago we stopped there and let the kids play in the sand and thought it would be a fun place to return to. I even planned to camp there. But when we got to the turnoff, we could see that things had changed. A sea of RVs was parked at the base of the sand dunes.

 Even though it was Wednesday, hundreds of people in RVs with trailers and off-highway vehicles were spread out. It turns out that Tuesday and Wednesday are free days. Otherwise it's $40 for a week or $90 for the season. The pricing structure was obviously not for the casual nature observer wanting to take a jaunt up to the top of the dunes. It appeared that there weren't any specific time frames for vehicles at the dunes (unlike Coral Pink Sand Dunes, where hikers didn't have to worry about getting run over until 10 in the morning).

I was a bit floored when I saw the Papa Murphy's pizza vendor. I guess we didn't need to bring that top ramen!

The kids really wanted to play in the sand, so we carefully made our way out towards the dunes, where I stood guard while the kids played. When we saw vehicles coming our way, we scurried out of the way. It wasn't exactly relaxing.

Despite all the vehicles on Wednesday, when we drove by again on Sunday morning, there were probably double the amount, plus a constant stream leaving the dunes. Over half had California license plates.

I had quickly decided not to camp at the dunes, as the noise level was quite high, and there clearly wasn't a tent section. We went back down the road and checked out the nearby Pony Express Station, where we saw the dunes with some awesome light.

Desert Girl really loved playing in the sand.

The Pony Express Station was neat, but not a place I'd like to stay at. Driving across the state at 70 mph is long these days, I can't imagine how hard it would have been back in 1860. And the signs by the Pony Express Station said it didn't have a roof and the water tasted terrible. Not exactly a rousing endorsement.

We ended our evening at Sand Mountain with a really pretty sunset. I thought the OHVs would get off the dune, but they just continued roaring up and down the dunes. albeit with their lights on.

If you like OHVs, this is definitely the place for you. If not, it's very pretty from a distance.

Oak Creek Canyon

 East of Delta, Utah is Oak City, Utah (check out the link for an interesting tidbit about the country's atomic history), and east of it is a beautiful canyon called Oak Creek Canyon. I never paid much attention to it until it burned in a huge wildfire a couple years back. When we had some extra time one Saturday, we decided to go drive up the canyon and see what was there. We were impressed.

Even though it was obvious that the fire had burned really hot, taking out whole hillsides of trees, the vegetation was coming back well. The oak trees were already several feet tall, and colorful maples dotted some of the areas. A big section of ponderosa pines had been protected from the fire. Those that did burn may produce the next crop of ponderosa pines, as they require fire in order for their seeds to regenerate.

We eventually turned around and came back to the lower campground. We found an old picnic structure.

Behind it was an impressive amphitheater. I let the kids play in the leaves and use their imagination while I wandered around taking photos.

I'm not sure who uses this amphitheater, but I'd sure like to be there for some performance.

The leaves were spectacular.

I was a bit surprised to see signs announcing bears in the area. I guess the acorns help provide enough food for them.

The campground host has a cabin. It looks like a great place to spend the summer. We will definitely be adding this canyon to our summer camping list.

The canyon is located in the Fishlake National Forest. Activities include camping;  fishing (for introduced trout); rock climbing; hiking Fool Creek Peak, the highest peak in the Canyon Range; wood-gathering; hiking Devil's Den memorial trail; and checking out the fire rehabilitation.  When you drive the road, there are places where they tell you not to stop for the next mile because of flood damage, and when you see how they had to bulldoze through all the debris to reopen the road, you don't slow down too much, even on a sunny day!

It's so fun discovering places that aren't too far from home and yet are so interesting.

Happy 150th Birthday, Nevada!

Tomorrow is the state of Nevada's 150th Birthday. It entered into the Union on October 31, 1864 as the 36th state.

I sure never imagined I would be living in Nevada. I always had visions of it being a barren wasteland. Little did I know that it's an amazing place, with so many secret getaways and treasures.

Apparently Nevada has a state song. I never had to learn it to live in Nevada, but perhaps schoolchildren do learn it. And in case you wondered, here it is (and if you'd like to be part of a world-record attempt to have the most people singing a state song, at 10 am today, click here):

Home Means Nevada

OFFICIAL SONG OF THE STATE OF NEVADA (NRS 235.030)
Written & Music by Bertha Raffetto

---

Way out in the land of the setting sun,
Where the wind blows wild and free,
There’s a lovely spot, just the only one
That means home sweet home to me.
If you follow the old Kit Carson trail,
Until desert meets the hills,
Oh you certainly will agree with me,
It’s the place of a thousand thrills.Home means Nevada
Home means the hills,
Home means the sage and the pine.
Out by the Truckee, silvery rills,
Out where the sun always shines,
Here is the land which I love the best,
Fairer than all I can see.
Right in the heart of the golden west
Home means Nevada to me.

Whenever the sun at the close of day,
Colors all the western sky,
Oh my heart returns to the desert grey
And the mountains tow’ring high.
Where the moon beams play in shadowed glen,
With the spotted fawn and doe,
All the live long night until morning light,
Is the loveliest place I know.

Home means Nevada
Home means the hills,
Home means the sage and the pines.
Out by the Truckee’s silvery rills,
Out where the sun always shines,
There is the land that I love the best,
Fairer than all I can see.
Right in the heart of the golden west
Home means Nevada to me.

Happy Birthday, Nevada!

(We will be celebrating for a few days and will have some posts about how to celebrate a state's 150th birthday coming up soon.)