Neek sez:
In the distance, we saw a lonely little motel with a lonely gas station and a lonely casino. We were at the start of Highway 50 – The Loneliest Road in America! The motel, The Border Inn (aptly named since it stood right on the state border of Utah and Nevada) was our first stop on a challenge that would take us approximately 287 miles through lonely roads, living ghost towns, roadside attractions and a quirky steakhouse.
In 1986, a Life Magazine writer declared Highway 50 from Ely to Carson City, Nevada as one of the most remote areas that he had ever driven and declared it to be “The Loneliest Road in America”. Truthfully, there are probably more deserted roads around but this one has a guidebook and challenges you to take it.To prove that you actively traveled it you must have your guidebook stamped at designated Hwy 50 validation stations. A listing can be downloaded or printed from their website at TravelNevada.com If you get at least 5 out of the 8 designated stamps, you can mail in the back panel of the book to receive a Certificate of Completion officially signed by the Governor of Nevada.
This was an adventure too enticing to resist. We were determined to get all 8 of the stamps.
Highway 50 was part of the route for the Pony Express. It roughly follows the path from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. To become a rider, the requirement was for “young, skinny, wiry fellow not over eighteen. Must be expert rider willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.” It took 10 days for a letter to travel the entire 2,000 miles of the Pony Express route. The Pony Express only lasted for eighteen months until the Transcontinental telegraph line was completed.
The Border Inn was a great place to stop, rest and grab a bite to eat. We found that the area had a great history told through the numerous photographs and newspaper articles about the people in the area.
During the 1900’s, Basques had immigrated to Nevada hoping to find gold. When that didn’t work out, they turned their efforts to sheep herding and decided to stay. By the 1960’s, the Basque (due to improved economic conditions in their homeland) were replaced by Peruvian sheepherders. The photos on the wall tell the story of how sheep herding was so important to the area’s economy and how so much of it has diminished through the years due to foreign competition and the development of synthetic materials.
It was wonderful to see how The Border Inn was instrumental in preserving the history and traditions of the area by hosting The Old Sheepherders’s Gathering during the long winter months. There’s storytelling, open mic, music and a traditional Basque family style dinner. It’s a way of passing the traditions and stories to the younger generation and to whomever since it’s open to the public.
Lex, Sar and I had a great time looking at the photos and reading the articles. We also learned that this motel is unique because while the motel rooms are in Utah, and on Mountain Time, the office, restaurant, and casino are in Nevada, and Pacific Time.
We also made some friends on the trip, Betty and her dog Sandy were on their way to attend a wedding. Betty decided to take the highway for a little road trip adventure. Sandy didn’t seem to mind.
Well, next stop, Great Basin National Park!
Lex and Neek 
Ahoy there! I love the idea of having yer book stamped along the lonely road. Did ye get to all 8 stops? I also loved the idea of the hotel facilities being in two time zones! Reminds me of the bars that are located in two states. One even has a dry county in one half and a wet county in the other. Never been to one of those though. And as usual the facts I learn and the care taken with the writing is wonderful.
x The Captain
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Much obliged Captain! The answer to getting all eight of the stamps lies in the blogposts that we will reveal in good time Sir. As you know, landlubbers have strange ways of keeping track of timezones. I would prefer to navigate the waters and rely on a bright star and a shiny sextant. We thank Ye for the kind compliment! If you are ever in need of a crew for a future voyage please count on us. We enjoy your writings and book reviews also!
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I still am always amazed when I am reminded that the iconic Pony Express that we talk about and refer to to this day lasted only a year and a half long in history!
In your video, 2 minutes into it, you linger a bit on a picture of a woman with a dog, and we don’t know who it is and you even put question marks over her before the filming moves on, but my guess is the reason her picture is on that wall is that her pet dog is a coyote! Yep!
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Yes, there are lots of references along Highway 50 to the Pony Express. It certainly made an impact despite its brief existence! That’s a great guess about the coyote in the picture with the woman! So many interesting photographs in that place all with their own unique history.
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