Our road trip to Vegas has taken us through some interesting parts of Nevada.

Our first stop was Tonopah (1900) the Queen of the Silver Camps. Few places tell the story of Nevada’s mining past better!
Lunch was at the Mizpah Hotel, a landmark of luxury since 1907. Its origins date back to the days when Tonopah was the last of the Wild West boom towns, bustling with those seeking fortunes in the silver mines. Those who found wealth built this high desert oasis, which has since played host to dignitaries, millionares and movie stars. After falling on hard times, the Mizpah was painstakingly restored to its original elegance and comfort by Nancy Cline (Jacuzzi) who has family ties to the area. We were thoroughly impressed.



We did a brief explore of the Tonopah Historic Mining Park, located on the site of the original mining claims that started the rush to Tonopah.  Jim and Belle Butler’s strike in 1900 brought the United States into the 20th Century, and many of the mining processing techniques developed during that time are still being used today.


We stumbled upon the very intriguing town of Goldfield. When Goldfield was booming from 1905 through 1910 it had all the amenities of any large city, with fancy restaurants, hotels, athletic clubs, church and social groups of every kind, theaters, shopping, sporting events, unions, all the general businesses of the day, casinos, red light district, gold, high grading, and all the hopes of prosperity any individual would want to find.



Many reminders of this boom are still visible. This town demands a return visit. We had no idea the road to Vegas would possess so many treasures.