Highway 50: The Central Pleasure Route and The Loneliest Road

During the late 1980's a major magazine ran an article profiling US 50, a national highway stretching more than 3,000 miles from California to Washington, D.C. The author of the article wasn't very happy with Highway 50's lack of theme parks, water slides, and obvious roadside attractions, noting that the road seemed to go on forever without anything in-between. Thusly, the author dubbed the Nevada stretch of Highway 50 "The Loneliest Road in America." With the moniker trumpeted by Nevada tourist associations on bumper stickers, placards, and state-sanctioned signs, the nickname stuck and in the end actually created a boon for Highway 50. While other famous roads like Route 66 offer travelers more tourist-oriented Americana from a bygone era, in contrast, Highway 50 is a preserved sliced of the American open road. As stretches of the highway roll on and the promise of civilization reveals only abandoned ghost towns, Highway 50 delivers an authenticity other highways lack. Highway 50 might indeed be America's loneliest road at times, but it may also be America's most overlooked. While some cross-country travelers may opt for the more famed byways, Highway 50 is packed with undiscovered treasures from coast to coast. And talk about history! US 50 follows in the tradition of the famed Santa Fe Trail, the pioneer route that carried settlers from the Midwest, eager to make their fortunes into the rugged lands west of the Rocky Mountains. Along this route, today's traveler crosses the Oregon Trail, the Appalachian Mountains and Washington, D.C. So take your time on Highway 50, there's no hurry. History rides with you, from Oakland to D.C. and along the way you'll come across natural wonders like Lake Tahoe and Great Basin National Park. You'll pass historical markers from the Pony Express all the way to the home of Butch Cassidy. You can test your gambling skills at historic Virginia City, Nevada; enjoy unrivaled BBQ in Kansas City, Missouri; visit horse country in Louisville, Kentucky; and round out your trip in our nation's capital. Highway 50 technically begins just west of Sacramento, the capital of California. However, your adventure doesn't really start until you get far enough away from the urban sprawl and maze of freeways, which you'll find at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Start your tour at the historic village of Placerville, an old gold mining town that has embraced its past to become a charming stop for visitors. Placerville is also home to several exhibits tracing the history of gold mining in the region. Before you hit the California/Nevada border, you'll find yourself in the natural playground known as Lake Tahoe, a 12-mile-wide alpine lake that straddles the border and is surrounded by High Sierra wilderness. The lake is surrounded by scores of roads and bike trails offering incredible driving and riding as they frequently follow the lake's shoreline and sometimes climb high into the surrounding peaks. The village of South Lake Tahoe is a colorful community where you can try your luck at the state's most popular activity: gambling. Elsewhere, the Tallac Historic Site, just a few miles off Highway 50, offers a glimpse into the provincial old west of the early 20th century featuring several stately homes open for touring. If you're in the area during the winter months, Tahoe is a skier's dream. The ski resorts of Heavenly and Squaw Valley, among many others around Lake Tahoe, are known far and wide for their challenging slopes. Nevada exhibits the real essence of "The Loneliest Road." Here, you can go from tourist trap ghost towns, to immense stretches of road surrounded by nothing but western desert landscape, and back to former silver mining towns that are alive and well today. No other state along the highway better captures the romantic ideals of traveling back into America's past. Due east of Lake Tahoe is Virginia City, Nevada where history meets tourism. During the Gold Rush of the mid-1800's, Virginia City turned out to be one of the most productive beds for gold and silver. Prospectors flocked to this small village, quickly transforming it into one of the largest boomtowns in the American West. Like other such towns that got rich overnight, Virginia City's vast reserves eventually dried and the people left for greener pastures. But thanks to the 1960's hit TV show Bonanza! Virginia City enjoyed a renaissance period. In the show, Ben, Hoss, Little Joe and Adam Cartwright were often heading over to Virginia City for supplies. Before long the real-life tourists followed, and today the little town is a great Old West place to visit, where history meets tourist fun. Don't miss the chance to take the train ride! Across Nevada, the "Loneliest Road" parallels one of America's most precious historical trails, the Pony Express. In 1860-1861, more than 75 fearless riders of the Pony Express rode this very terrain, which now carries motorists across its paved length at an amazing rate. Much of the rich history of these riders has been preserved as part of the Pony Express National Historic Trail. Across Nevada, numerous historical markers designate and re-tell the remarkable accomplishments of the Pony Express. The Overland Stage and the Pony Express had an extensive network of stations across Nevada. While most have disappeared, a handful have been fenced and preserved along US 50 including Overland stations at New Pass and Rock Creek and the Pony Express station at Cold Springs. Dayton, eleven miles east of Carson City on US 50, is one of the state's oldest communities. Recently discovered emigrant diaries describe a small mining camp of about 200 people thriving in Gold Canyon, now Dayton, in 1851. Although the town has suffered several devastating fires over the past century and a half, many historic buildings remain today and several are still in use. The two-story Union Hotel on Main Street still stands and the red brick Odeon Hall on Pike Street is still operating as a restaurant. Local history can be reviewed at the Dayton Public School Building, which houses the town's Historic Society Museum. Before leaving Dayton, be sure to take a break at Dayton State Park. It's located at the east end of town and is a picturesque park on the banks of the Carson River. Tall cottonwoods shade the picnic areas and campsites. Soon after leaving Dayton you'll come to the town of Silver Springs. To the south is Fort Churchill State Historic Park, a Civil War-era fort that once protected western Nevada settlers. Today, it is a popular place for picnicking and camping on the Carson River. Ahead on US 50 is the Lahontan State Recreation Area, which includes 12,000-acre Lake Lahontan, popular for camping, fishing and boating. 15 miles east of Fallon are Grimes Point and Hidden Cave, sites that reveal the region's prehistoric Native American past. At Grimes Point, an interpretive trail wanders through rocks covered with petroglyphs, which are ancient Indian rock carvings. At nearby Hidden Cave, archaeologists have uncovered artifacts, including fishing nets that help us understand the region's earliest residents. As you continue along the Pony Express route east on US 50 you'll cross through Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Eureka, another of Nevada's historic mining towns, is a great place to stop for a walking tour. The town has an interesting past and features the Eureka Opera House, built in 1880. Since being restored in the mid-1990's it has served as the area's convention center. In addition to its dozens of historic buildings, Eureka has five large graveyards on the western edge of the town. In the 1880's locals called this part of town "Graveyard Flats" and "Death Valley." When you reach the town of Ely, Highway 50 and Highway 6 become one route. About an hour east of Ely is Great Basin National Park, which boasts 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak. Nevada's first national park encompasses more than 77,000 acres in the Snake Range. The park's highlights include groves of bristlecone pine trees, the world's oldest living trees, with some estimated to be over 3,000 years old. Eighteen miles south of Ely, on the signed dirt road west of Hwys. 50/6, RVers should treat themselves to a visit of the Ward Mining District Charcoal Ovens. These six beehive-shaped charcoal ovens were constructed in 1876 to produce charcoal for the Paymaster Mine smelters. The ovens stand thirty feet high and twenty-seven feet around at the base. Each could hold thirty-five cords of pinon wood stacked in layers, so you know they're big. These hand-made structures are as close as you'll get to the great pyramids, without having to buy a plane fare to Egypt. At the eastern edge of the Pony Express Territory you can visit Lehman Caves, nearly a mile of limestone passages filled with ornate calcite formations. Near the small town of Baker, the once-underground streams dissolved the limestone and the liquefied calcium carbonate slowly precipitated into stalagmites, stalagtites, and helictites that are evident today. Nearby is Wheeler Peak, the tallest point in Nevada, which has a year-round glacier tucked in a circque at its base. It's a sure bet you'll have plenty of Nevada experiences to remember as you depart "The Loneliest Road" portion of US 50. Located 85 miles east of the Utah/Nevada border, Delta is the first stop along US 50/6 in Utah. US 6 splits off north here and will take you into the town of Eureka, which was, predictably, once a wellspring of gold and silver. However, unlike most boomtowns, Eureka's output lasted well into the 20th century. Those days are now long past and today Eureka is a relative ghost town save for the quaint Tintic Mining Museum. In the late 1800's, Butch Cassidy and his gang roamed these parts, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor earning himself a legend and the tag, "The Robin Hood of the Wild West." Today, many Cassidy-oriented attractions spread out across south central Utah. Some may require a short detour off the Loneliest Road, but it's well worth it for those in search of Wild West history. Where Hwy 6 intersects with Interstate 15, take I-15 south to get back to Hwy 50. If you're looking for a scenic diversion, you'll be rewarded by driving through Nebo Loop Scenic Byway (Forest Service Road 015). A camera and lots of film are essential for this photographer's paradise. Climbing to over 9,000 feet in elevation, the drive provides impressive views of Utah Valley, the Wasatch Mountains, and 11,877-foot Mt. Nebo, the tallest mountain in the Wasatch Range of the Uinta National Forest. This area is characterized by many scenic overlooks and the brilliant fall foliage of this drive is hard to replicate anywhere else. At the southern end of the Nebo Loop is the junction of I-15 and SR-28. Take 28 south to Salina, where you'll rejoin Highway 50 as it merges with Interstate 70, on your eastbound trek. Entering Fishlake National Forest would be a great place to pull over the rig and stretch your legs. Continuing your Highway 50 expedition eastward (as I-70) for a few hours you'll arrive in Green River, a major outdoor recreation hub. Arches National Park, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef are all about an hour's drive from Green River. For major water adventures check out the mighty Green River, famous for its world class rafting, boating and canoeing opportunities. The area is surrounded by the Book Cliffs and the San Rafael Swell. Here you will see red cliffs, deep canyons, panoramic views, fantastic sunsets, a cold water geyser, petroglyphs and pictographs, a sandy beach along the river, dinosaur tracks, old mining ruins, the outlaw trail used by Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, and so much more. After enjoying all this area has to offer, it's time to hit the road again on Highway 50 (I-70), eventually saying goodbye to Utah and making our way into Colorado, the Centennial State. Passing into Colorado, your first stop should be at the Colorado National Monument, a brilliant geographic display along the raging Colorado River. Don't miss the Rim Rock Drive, a spellbinding route not for the faint of heart, but one that offers great access to hiking and biking trails. From there, head east to the town of Grand Junction, a fantastic chance to step into history of western Colorado. Clapboard buildings and wooden sidewalks abound here. The town offers visitors a terrific chance to do some antiquing. Assuming that your antique or collectible quarry proves elusive, you can pass some pleasant hours away at the Museum of Western Colorado. The area has always been a hotbed for paleontologists, the museum displays local fossils unearthed from the area over the years. After Grand Junction, Highway 50 departs southeast from I-70. The next town on the route is Delta, and just outside of the city limits is Fort Uncompahgre, an impressive living history museum that recreates life on the frontier as it was some 200 years ago. You owe it to yourself to see it. Soon, you'll be climbing high into the Rocky Mountains and within shouting distance of Gunnison National Park, one of this country's newest National Parks. After taking in the impressive scenery, take time to recharge your batteries at the quaint town of Gunnison, a historic western town highlighted by its red brick main thoroughfare. For the armchair cowboy, Gunnison annually hosts Cattleman's Days, the oldest rodeo in the West. Whether you're visiting the area during the winter months or during summer, you'll enjoy the fantastic vistas of Crested Butte, home to some of the best downhill skiing in all of Colorado. Mountain bike riders know this town is world-famous for off-road cycling, as well as the Fat Tire Bike Week held each year. Many thought this former boomtown passed its heyday more than 100 years ago, but skiing and tourism have resurrected this village, turning it into one of the most popular stops along Highway 50. Crossing over the Continental Divide, another survivor from Wild West days is Canon City. Few cities in the region have so diligently held on to its past as Canon City. Surrounded by massive peaks, the scenery ain't too bad, either. Within town is a bevy of saddle shops, western gear, antiques, and charming eateries that are a throwback to the old days. RV-mounted Hopalongs, Genes, Roys and Dales will feel right at home here. Departing Canon City also marks your departure from the Rocky Mountains. From here, the landscape flattens out through eastern Colorado and eventually turns into Kansas, but unless you're in a rush, your tour of Colorado isn't over quite yet. If you're itchin' for one last ear-popping adventure, take a detour and head north a-ways to the town of Colorado Springs. From there you can venture to Pike's Peak, which is the highest drivable point in the nation. Care to test your vehicle's mettle up the peak? Another worthwhile destination for you students of history is Bent's Old Fort, an impressive historic exhibit, lying just east of the town of La Junta. Built in the mid-1800's, the fort was once an important outpost in the Wild West. Today, it has been impeccably restored by the National Park Service and now offers visitors an intriguing journey into the world of frontier trappers, explorers, and soldier life during the Mexican-American War. Heading east you'll soon leave Colorado and enter Kansas, the American heartland. Here the Loneliest Road rolls some 500 miles across a prairie state with unchanging landscape of, well, prairie. For literary and crime story buffs, the town of Holcomb is noteworthy. In 1959, two drifters brutally murdered a farmer and his family. Years later, the gruesome crime was immortalized in Truman Capote's landmark book, "In Cold Blood" (and a later movie starring Robert Blake). Heading east you'll eventually make your way to Dodge City, long ago the famed center of the rip-roaring Wild West. Unfortunately, much of Dodge City's heritage is gone. Little is left of its storied past including even Boot Hill, the legendary cemetery that served as the final resting place for many a gunslinger who met their end in Dodge City's raucous streets. Today, there exists a few examples of recreated old west shootouts, a well-meaning western museum, and a few roadways named after the likes of Wyatt Earp. A little further east on Highway 50 in the town of Kinsley, which holds the distinction as the exact geographic midpoint between San Francisco and the Atlantic shoreline. Press on to find some interesting historical artifacts at Fort Larned. The prestigious Sante Fe Trail once cut through this land bringing pioneers, traders, trappers and other adventurers up and over the rugged Rocky Mountains. While much of Highway 50 in Colorado and Kansas parallels this historic route, Fort Larned and the nearby Santa Fe Trail Center are without a doubt the most preserved and interesting stops for trail history. Fort Larned was established in the mid-19th century to protect the many travelers on their passage west. The fort was in operation until just after the Civil War and currently remains one of the best living history museums in the west. Far to the east of Santa Fe country, Kansas finally offers some impressive scenery, Kansas-style. Be sure to stop by the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, near the town of Council Grove. This preserve, complete with living history exhibits, conjures up reminders of Willa Cather's romantic 19th century novels of life on the Great Plains. Crossing into the "Show Me" State (Missouri, for those who don't know), history abounds in the village of Independence. The town was once the starting point for the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails during westward expansion, and was also the childhood home of former President Harry Truman. Anyone interested in American history shouldn't miss Independence's National Frontier Trails Center, one of the nation's most impressive exhibits dedicated to life on the frontier. While in the town of Sedalia, about 100 miles east of Kansas City, treat yourself to the performance of some good ol' ragtime music. Each year, the town hosts the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival, named after the "Father of Ragtime" who wrote "The Entertainer" among other ragtime favorites. The Missouri State Fair, which takes over the town for two weeks every August, is also held here. Passing into Illinois, the historical markers along US 50 begin to spread out. However, one more stop worth mentioning is the town of Salem, the childhood home of William Jennings Bryan, the gifted lawyer and three-time presidential candidate. Today the town is home to a small museum dedicated to Bryan. Besides this, Salem is simply a charming small town, with historical mid-western flavor. Your last stop in Illinois along Highway 50 should be at the town of Olney. Whatever it may lack in historical highlights, it makes up for in a curious phenomenon. In the mid-1900's a batch of albino squirrels was set loose in town (who knows why?) Today, these little white wonders are plentiful and provide a regular tourist attraction. While you may not be aware of it, southern Indiana has a wonderfully diverse but little-known landscape, where lush rolling hills meet the banks of the Ohio River Valley. The town of Vincennes is steeped in history tracing itself back to the Revolutionary War. Today, you can visit two important historical places, the Indiana Territory State Historical Site and the George Rogers Clark National Historic Site. Continue east on Highway 50 to French Lick, home to Indiana's favorite native son, Larry Bird. The small, quaint town today has many items of memorabilia dedicated to the NBA basketball Hall of Famer. Highway 50 soon dips into the Ohio Valley where it crosses out of Indiana and heads towards the city of Cincinnati, a town of substantial scale when compared to the many sleepy Midwest towns you'll have traveled past. Catch a Reds game in their new ballpark, drop by the zoo, or enjoy the best shopping in the area. The charming village of North Bend looks over the majestic Ohio River. Here, you'll find a large park that is the resting place of the ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison, who tragically died after only one month in office. East of Cincinnati is one of America's first planned communities, Mariemont. Most of the structures here were prefabricated off-site so the town has since become an important historical location. It demonstrates how the Industrial Revolution helped to create mid-western metropolises. Probably the finest stop along Highway 50 in Ohio is the town of Chillicothe. Founded in the early 1800's as an industrial center, Chillicothe has a rich and well-preserved history. The town features many Victorian mansions, some of which are open for tours. West Virginia is the next stop along the Road, where Highway 50 twists and turns its way high into the Allegheny Mountains. Most of the Highway 50 meanders through rural American towns. One pleasant stop is at the town of Clarksburg, the birthplace of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. The rest of the town is quite picturesque, with many turn-of-the-century buildings dotting the folksy downtown area. As you depart, a check of the map will tell you that your next destination will be Virginia. The Alleghenies soon give way to the Appalachian Mountains once you cross into Virginia, and here the state's tourism board would like to remind you that "Virginia is for Lovers." This section of Highway 50, from the state border on until you reach Washington, D.C., is plagued by suburban sprawl. It can make locating the route's historical charms a challenge even for the experienced road warrior. However, it will be worth your time to find the town of Winchester. It's one of America's top producers of apples with several orchards open for apple picking, in season. When you become "picked" out, mosey into town for a tour of the reconstructed offices of George Washington as they were when he led the revolution over the British. You can jump forward in time nearly 100 years and visit Stonewall Jackson's preserved Civil War headquarters. Head east to the provocative Manassas National Battlefield Park, the very ground where the first clash of the Civil War took place July 21, 1861. Things are quieter now (unless there's a re-enactment going on), and the park is home to a number of monuments and a visitor's center with an exhibit of historical artifacts dedicated to the bloody battle. Continuing along Highway 50, just before you hit D.C., you'll come across of one of America's most revered places, Arlington National Cemetery. This 600-acre expanse is the final resting place of nearly a quarter million Americans who gave their lives serving this country. Few places in America offer such important and poignant views as Arlington. For those who visit, it can be a deeply moving experience. Finally, your trip across Highway 50 brings you to our nation's capital Washington, D.C. The perfect end to this road trip through American history can be found at The Mall, where you can tour the monuments to our brave, wise and faithful predecessors. Other places to see on your D.C. itinerary should definitely include the White House, Smithsonian, capital building, Washington and Lincoln memorials, Washington Monument as well as the scores of museums and historic sites.