loneliest highway in america

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There are very few stretches of road where a guy can roll the throttle up to 100mph and just hold it there until you are out of fuel, US Hwy 50 across Nevada is one of those places. The day started in Shingletown, Ca. This day marked the return back to Colorado after hitting the 48th state of the summer(california). The morning was cold, not unbearable but cold, maybe 40degrees. Heading east out of Shingletown the road dipped, climbed, twisted and weaved - a beautiful ride. As the road descended its final descent I rolled into a small town and found a gas station. At the station I happened upon another couple also on a motorcycle trip (I forget there names and the name of the town), quickly made friends with them and we decided to grab breakfast. Meeting folks on the road is always a great experiance. We sat for nearly an hour, traded stories and they even bought me breakfast, a really nice way to start the day!  After finishing our meals we said our goodbyes in the parking lot and went our seperate ways. Continuing east towards Reno the temperatures quickly rose, the sun was shining and I was now back in the desert. Coming through Reno I found myself playing a bit of leapfrog with a couple of other motorcyclists as we were all now on eastbound I-80. Not giving a lot of thought to it I exited the interstate in Fernley, a good point to catch US 50. While pumping gas and sucking down some water I noticed the two guys in the parking lot, and not having a lot of social interaction on these trips, wandered over and said hello. It turned out that we were heading the same direction with the same stoppping point in mind, Ely, Nevada. Now, If you've never ridden US 50 you are missing out. Coined the "loneliest highway in america", it truly is. Wide open desert road broken up by a few random passes allow you the opportunity to settle in and open up the throttle. Throw in the added bonus of riding with a couple of guys on faster bikes and you have yourself the makings of a 100mph crossing of Nevada. With only a few stops for gas, road side chatting and water we made good time to Ely, found a cheap room at a hotel casino and made plans to meet for dinner. We did just that. Like earlier in the day at breakfast, we enjoyed great conversation, a good meal and new friends. A nice way to finish a 600 mile day. Of course, at this point we are all exhausted, the day was coming to an end. I remember this day as one of the best this summer. Thanks Michael and Mark! Good meeting and riding with you, hope to see you on the road again! 

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