pony express territory | north central
NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA PONY EXPRESS “Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over 18, must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.” Yeah, you could call this some rough terrain. Spanning Nevada east to west is the wild, mountainous, rugged route of the famed Pony Express. The terrain hasn’t changed much in over 150 years, but stay on the highway and you’ll find a taste of the Wild West tamed through time. Your trek through this stretch of Nevada will take you on U.S. Highway 50, known as “The Loneliest Road in America.” Solitude and tranquility infuse the sagebrush sea along this ribbon of highway, and each town tells the story of the boom and bust of Nevada’s mining heyday. Ely, once a major resting point for Hollywood celebrities on their way to vacation throughout the West, now sparkles with vintage neon and a classic American “Main Street.” Find yourself by getting lost in Austin, where miles of mountain-bike trails showcase the beauty of Nevada’s high desert. Sample some of the best farm-to-fork fare in Fallon, where you can also taste wine and distilled spirits at an estate winery. Sure, Nevada’s Pony Express region has come a long way since the mail route blazed across the state in 1860, but it’s still an authentic slice of the Wild West. This is the land for explorers, where rugged beauty shines through sagebrush and snowcapped mountains across the Silver State.
Sand Mountain
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2/18/14 2:58 PM