The winery took a decade to become successful its original vines were raided by wild horses. Eventua

I never thought I would want to leave behind the bedazzlement of Las Vegas to drive across the desert, alone, for a week. But the echoic emptiness of mountain ranges and long, lonely vines warped tour photos roads seems the perfect antidote to Sin City. A thought occurs as I set off from the airport in a rental car: should I be worried vines warped tour photos about why they call it the Wild West ?
Few and far between, the landmarks along Nevada s highways provide a peepshow of the state s claims to fame. Each town appears to be defined by its first building, vines warped tour photos either a casino, church or brothel. Pahrump, about an hour into my journey, has plenty of all three.
To be fair, there are more than 20 places of worship and fewer than five of ill repute, but people travel much further vines warped tour photos for the latter. Contrary to popular belief, prostitution is illegal in the city of Vegas (and the 49 US states outside Nevada), so law-abiding citizens vines warped tour photos head to nearby Nye County.
The cheapest brothel, apparently, is the Chicken Ranch, located a long way from Pahrump s residential area. Next door is the fancier vines warped tour photos Sheri s Ranch, where moonlighting adult-film vines warped tour photos actresses charge four figures.
Sheri s offers free tours, and women are welcome, the sign says. Tempting, vines warped tour photos if I was with a friend, perhaps. A slow-down drive-by is enough for most travellers. I can only muster the courage to go as far as the car park.
Back in town, I book in to the Saddle vines warped tour photos West, one of many basic Nevada hotels connected to a casino. For road-trippers, this type of accommodation is a steal. Room rates and campervan sites are rock bottom, presumably to encourage gamblers to stay. Saddle West has a package including dinner vines warped tour photos at Pahrump Vallery Winery and a personalised bottle of wine.
The winery took a decade to become successful its original vines were raided by wild horses. Eventually, the first harvest resulted in a 2005 zinfandel that won gold at the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition.
Pahrump didn t have electricity until the 1960s, but as it developed, a few famous characters moved in, including former madam Heidi Fleiss. It may look sleepy but the residents know how to have fun.
A local newspaper quotes the town manager Bill Kohbarger: Pahrump is probably the only municipality in the country where you can drive a Corvette at 180 miles per hour, then learn how to shoot a gun, then play a round of golf at a famous golf course vines warped tour photos and then go to one of the casinos and gamble, all in one or two days. He doesn t mention the brothels.
The next morning I head two hours north before taking a detour to Rhyolite ghost town. Founded at the turn of the 20th century, near the aptly named Death Valley, vines warped tour photos this mining settlement rapidly grew. But after the richest ore ran out and the US was hit by the 1907 financial panic , the mine shut down and the gold-seekers left.
What remains is a crumbly collection of half-collapsed buildings and a ghoulish outdoor art gallery. One installation is a spooky recreation of Jesus Last Supper; another is a lone ghost riding a bicycle the exhibit is known as the Goldwell Open Air Museum, created by a Belgian artist.
Two hours further is Tonopah, known as the Queen of the Silver Camps. Halfway between Vegas and Reno, the small town is a popular rest stop. Tonopah also declares itself home to the darkest skies in the US, making it awesome for stargazing. More than 7000 stars are visible on a moonless night.
On first impressions, I assume it will be an uneventful stopover, with the old mining park and Central Nevada Museum its main attractions. The Mitzpah Hotel piques my curiosity, perhaps because it combines the themes of Pahrump and Rhyolite. The historic hotel is notorious for being haunted by a local call girl, murdered by a jealous boyfriend vines warped tour photos in the 1920s. Old miners are also common apparitions in the basement. The large space is creepy and cobwebby; alas, no ghosts.
Later that night, however, white shapes float outside vines warped tour photos my window vines warped tour photos and I wake up with a chill down my spine. The entire valley is covered in snow. Roads are inaccessible. I have to dig out my car with a broom.
By 11am, the melt is sufficient vines warped tour photos to get going safely, and I set off towards Virginia vines warped tour photos City. Another former mining town, where Bonanza was filmed, this one has kept the buzz alive with authentic saloons and stagecoaches. By far the most fun location along my trip, VC is my pick if you only have time for an overnight stop.
The gold- and silver-mining booms turned this community into one of the world s richest and most important industrial cities of the 19th century. Its millionaire residents vines warped tour photos helped fund the American Civil War, and they went on to build empires such as San Francisco.
A well-known former writer for the Reno Gazette, Ty Cobb, bought a three-storey house on a hilltop, which has since been converted vines warped tour photos into a B B. Cobb Mansion, built in 1876, does its part to preserve the local history.
Virginia City is known for its nightlife, especially the live music, which draws in revellers from far afield. One of the best regular gigs is at the Bucket of Blood, where the Comstock Cowboys perform most summer weekend afternoons.
vines warped tour photos The next morning, before departing for my final destination, I regret those last couple of drinks when I try the stagecoach (10 minutes for $US12 ($11.50)). The operators have kept the horse-drawn vehicle vines warped tour photos as it was in its heyday, with wooden wheels and no suspension, so it s a noisy, body-rattling ride.
Arriving vines warped tour photos in Reno, known as the biggest little city in the world , I am distracted by the Sierra Nevada mountain range. I wonder if this magnificent setting is the reason such a casino-riddled district has never grown to challenge Vegas. How could you stay glued to a poker machine when so much beauty exists outside?
These facilities cost only $US45 to use for the day. The signature Pantai Luar treatment costs an extra hundred or so. But after days of driving, drinking, gambling, ghost towns and brothels, I reason that it s a much better bet on a massage table than a roulette table.
Getting vines warped tour photos there Qantas (13 13 13) flies from Sydney to Los Angeles or San Francisco, with connections from there to Las Vegas on United Airlines, united.com, Virgin America, virginamerica.com, or American Airlines, aa.com.
Driving there The drive from Las Vegas to Reno is less than 800 kilometres but is best paced over three or four days. A rental car can be picked up from Vegas airport and dropped off at Reno airport.
Atlantis Casino Resort Spa has rooms priced from $US59 (plus tax) in the atrium tower to $US280 in the concierge tower with VIP check-in, butler service and an exclusive lounge. The spa facilities can be used for $US45 a day.
1 Route 66 Known as the Mother Road, this is the classic 1950s US time-warp road trip via kitschy diners, motels and the Grand Canyon. Only scattered segments of the old highway remain, but one of the longest surviving sections starts in Arcadia, Oklahoma. From Chicago to Santa Monica, Route 66 is not shown on modern maps so be sure to download directions from national66.org.
2 Pacific Coast Highway This two-lane highway stretches from the north-west tip of the country, at Olympic National vines warped tour photos Park, almost all the way to the Mexican border. Best avoided during the crowded summer months, the route passes through forests, seaside towns and Californian wineries. Other highlights include Redwood National Forest, Big Sur and the wild Oregon coast. roadtripusa.com.
3 Great River Road Follow the Mississippi River from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. This drive takes in eight more states: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin, alongside forests, prairies and swamps. Music fans will enjoy the lively scenes of Memphis, Clarksville vines warped tour photos and New Orleans. experiencemississippiriver.com.
Hiring a vehicle in the US is cheap and easy, but there are a couple of facets that most foreign drivers vines warped tour photos overlook. According to the US government s own website (usa.gov), you need an International Driving Permit.
vines warped tour photos While it is true that your car hire operator will not ask to see your IDP, if you happen to prang your vehicle, in the absence of an IDP your insurer might decide you are not a legally licensed vines warped tour photos driver, and further misfortune vines warped tour photos will follow.
The second thorny vines warped tour photos issue is insurance. vines warped tour photos In the US, you need Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) and Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI), which covers you against claims by an injured person or for property damage caused by your hired vehicle. Unlike the rest of the world, it is not unusual for vehicles hired in the US to come without any cover, which means the hirer is liable for the full replacement cost of the vehicle, any damage caused to another vehicle if they are at fault, plus any third-party damage.
Another option is to hire through an agency with full insurance built into the price. Britain-based rentalcars.com is one that includes full damage protection and third-party liability with zero excess for foreign drivers. Readers of Travel s Tripologist column have also recommended traveljigsaw.com.au and carrentals.co.uk.
Great! I m glad I inspired you to explore your new backyard. vines warped tour photos Bring someone and head to Virginia City. Or just take the short drive to Pahrump Winery for wine-tastings and dinner. But I did some fun things in Vegas before the drive, vines warped tour photos too (besides drink and party) vines warped tour photos e.g. helicopter to Grand Canyon, shot my first gun, learned to drive a bulldozer You live in a playground enjoy
The Cruisey Life's Blog! Be prepared for waves of laughter and splashes of gossip as I take you on 10 cruises a year, reporting live from the wonderful, often weird and sometimes wild world of cruising.
Until someone corrects me, I'm claiming to be the youngest cruise editor in the Southern Hemisphere. Editor of Cruise Weekly vines warped tour photos since 2009, I also contribute to Sydney's Sun Herald newspaper and various magazines. My most recent articles appear in International Traveller (Jan 2013) and Gourmet Traveller (Feb 2013). For the olden days, se