Almost Halfway There–Winnemucca, Nevada

    

I love the drive from Sacramento to the Nevada line along I-80 in a car, especially on a clear, sunny day.  Above we are just past Auburn.  When we did this in our motorhome to Truckee on our way to Quincy, that was nice too...but I am so much more alert driving the motorhome, and more relaxed driving a car.

   

Soon we are at Emigrant Gap (above left), and then getting close to Donner Summit (right).  Marcia took many of the pictures, but I took a few today too.  I guess we share the camera pretty good, don't we honey?  Honey??  HONEY???  Hmm, where did she hide the camera now????  (She never likes it when I sneak a shot while I drive).

   

And as we get closer, we see snow along the side of the road where the sun does not shine (left), and then Boreal Ridge Sky Resort (right), one of the first ski resorts around the Lake Tahoe area to open each year because they have been making their own snow for around 35 years, probably more.

And then just over the summit, we pull off the Interstate and view the beautiful Donner Lake.

   

Just a bit down the road we come to Truckee, where the Fruit Inspection Station for incoming traffic is located for the west-bound lanes (left), and as we get closer to the boarder, we drive along the Truckee River (right).

Over sixty streams flow into Lake Tahoe, and only one, the Truckee River, flows out.  And instead of heading out to the Pacific Ocean like most other rivers on the western side of the Continental Divide, the Truckee River heads east/north-east through Reno and into Pyramid Lake, which is a dead lake with no rivers exiting the Lake.

 

And as we get closer to Nevada, the green trees start to disappear.

And there we are, into the Silver State.

Also known as “The Treeless State” (though if you look close there are a few off to the right there along the Truckee River.)  But one thing we did agree on……

It sure make one heck of a good sunset…..  We are staying in a Super 8 in Winnemucca, got a room with a Jacuzzi in it.  Picked up some Chicken from the Raley’s Grocery Store next door along with some stuffed potatoes and a Tortellini Salad.  Ate, had a good soak, and we are both feeling very relaxed.  Should be in Salt Lake City around 2 p.m., and looking forward to having dinner with Steph.