Hawthorne, NV.

Tiger and I went through Arizona a little to quick. However on our route there wasn’t much to stop and see, after Wickenburg. So we took Hwy 93 over to 163 and on to Hwy 95 north skirting California.

We stopped in Tonopah, NV. for the night and  looked  for a VFW or a Elk’s Lodge. Found both and both were closed. However while parked in front of the Elk’s lodge the newly elected ER came by to see what we were up to. J.J. LaRue is his name and explained that the post and lodge doesn't open except when they have meetings. The town is to small to support a daily opening. But JJ did take Tiger and I around the town and show us a good time and we met alot of the Elk’s at the local club called the “Banc Casino”. The next day we left going north.( Thank you JJ for a great night out.)

  Stopped in a little town called Hawthorne. Pop: 2,000. It was established in Mineral County in 1881 on the western side of Nevada. It sits at an elevation of 4,255 feet and is surrounded by several mountain ranges that protect it from extreme weather allowing for nearly 365 days of sunshine a year and relatively mild temperatures. Found the Elk’s, the VFW, and the Legion. The Elk’s and the VFW have electric and water hook ups for RVs. So we decided to stay a week or two at the Elk’s Lodge. None of these clubs open till 5pm. Since we don’t have TV and there is nothing to do, but maybe gamble at the El Capitan casino,Tiger and I spent alot of time reading books and playing in the desert.  

This is the only Casino in town and it is across the street from the Elk’s Lodge. They have one store “a Safeway”.  The views of the mountains and of the lake are picturesque. The air is pure and the climate is fresh. While playing in the desert we found some petroglyphs. Took pictures of them and the mountains. Only found one rock like this. 

The views are fantastic. Walker Lake, fed from the north by the Walker River, is the heart of recreation in Hawthorne. This lake was once part of the Lahontan Sea, a prehistoric sea that covered much of Nevada. ( can you believe it. we are standing in a prehistoric sea bed. ) Hawthorne is called “America’s Patriotic Home,” and the red, white and blue streets and flags blowing in the wind show the town’s great national pride. Part of this pride is the Army Depot, an ammunition storage site south of Walker Lake. Construction began on the facility in 1928 and it served as an ammunition staging area for World War II. It is said to be the largest facility of its kind in the world, covering more than 147,000 acres. Today, the depot employs a large majority of the residents of Hawthorne.

In 1984, after nearly 50 years without a major mishap, one of the storage bunkers exploded. The blast was contained as intended, blowing up instead of out, and the deeply feared chain-reaction causing immense damage and loss of life did not occur. In the early 1990s a bunker detonated for no discernible cause, unless it was provoked by a lightning storm the previous day.

We thank the Elk’s Lodge members for their hospitality.  We also thank the VFW for allowing Tiger to come in and meet the Vet’s. ( He really like the kids toy box ). Till later, have a good one.