January – February 2019

HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE

Happy New Year! This issue we're jumping right onto those dirt roads; you’ll find our ghost town story on page 28, and on page 42 you’ll read about great places to fuel up (you, not your car) in Austin. We’re debuting a new arts and culture section this issue, also. It’s right after our events and shows stories, and we hope it helps you find a bit of our state’s creativity. Check it out starting on page 56.

We’ve got three very special features this issue. The first is a look at the mechanics of mining, which as an industry shaped this state more than any other. From gold pans to massive stamp mills and everything in between, learn about the technology that made the Silver State, well, the Silver State on page 70. On page 80, the first part of a new series debuts. We’re calling it True Grit, and it’s about Nevada’s most tenacious and resilient towns that don’t usually get a share of the spotlight. Humbly and with great love, we showcase our beloved Lamoille Canyon starting on page 64. This is one of our most favorite areas of Nevada, and if you haven’t been to visit yet, I’m sorry to hear that. The canyon was forever changed recently, but we have faith she’ll be back one day. Until then, we remember the glory that was, and will be again, Lamoille Canyon.

What’s Inside

Mine Mechanics

Technology developed in the early days of Nevada mining required innovation, experimentation, and a whole lot of determination. ... read more

Odyssey of a Ghost Town Explorer: Part 7

Ghost towns by their very nature are plagued by hardships. They exist because something didn’t work out the way people had hoped. They exist because obsessions of riches and grandeur faded to sometimes sickening realizations that precious time may have been wasted; wrong choices were made. They exist because of broken dreams. ... read more

True Grit: Battle Mountain

Nevada roads go on forever. Small towns appear on the horizon, but are often quickly in the rearview mirror with little more than a passing thought about the town’s existence. And while tourism is the state’s largest industry—and the focus of this magazine—it is not why all towns in Nevada exist. This year, we honor some of those towns that defy easy description but stand tall in the desert, refusing to give into the sways of economic hardship or the passing of time. These towns bloom in the dirt, and they embody true grit. First up: Battle Mountain. ... read more

Austin's Awesome Eateries

There’s a reason they don’t call it the hungriest road in America. BY MEGG MUELLER Anyone who has survived a roadtrip across the Loneliest Road in America—U.S. Route 50, more commonly known as Highway 50—can p ... read more

Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum

The image of a cowboy is synonymous with the west. Of course there were cowboys around the world long before the Wild West was settled, but if you mention cowboys, it’s the west that springs to mind. Romantic images of hardscrabble men (and yes, some women) who lived on the land, rode majestic horses, drove cattle across landscapes covered with brush, and camped beneath endless starlit skies…that’s a cowboy. Nevada has always celebrated and honored their contributions and the new Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum in Elko is the latest venue to pay homage. ... read more

Langston Hughes Sought Solitude in Reno

When Langston Hughes caught the 5:55 a.m. train from Truckee, California, to Reno in September 1934, he was 10 years into a career that would be marked by greatness and controversy. Already a successful poet, novelist, and journalist at the age of 32, Hughes was widely regarded as the unofficial poet laureate of the Harlem Renaissance, which in the 1920s ushered in a prolific and important time for African-American authors, artists, and musicians. ... read more

Only in your State: Thunder Mountain

The word unique gets thrown around a lot, and its true meaning is often muddled. Merriam-Webster defines the word as “being the only one” and “being without a like or equal.” In this section, we highlight Nevada treasures that are not only special, but are truly unique and can be found nowhere else in the world; treasures that can be found only in your state. This issue: Thunder Mountain. ... read more