[A/S] Nevada City, CA to Virginia City, NV - September 19, 2000

[hhamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Hi Gang,

I have to start by thanking my friend Lynn Wade Imus.... who told me I had to 
go to Virginia City when I told her I was going to Reno. Because of her I am 
here instead of in Reno......... but, I'm getting ahead of myself. 

I got over bashing the under carriage of the trailer... the good news is the 
sewer system wasn't damaged at all.... nothing leaks and the pull things work 
fine.  I do need a new stinky slinky holder though.... I'm wondering why I 
can't just go to Home Depot and get some PVC pipe....and some brackets to 
hold the pipe in place.

The place where I stayed was most interesting.  The gal and her husband and 
daughter rescue Pot Bellied pigs... you know, the little cute ones that get 
big and people don't want anymore.  They live in the house!!! About 10 of 
them. LOL.... they come in and out of the dog door from their fenced yard.  I 
was getting online sitting on the living room floor and always had a piggie 
snuffling up to me.  My dogs were astounded, but behaved like perfect 
gentlemen... I wondered if they would have a hankering for a little pork... 
but I guess not.  They also have rescued goats, donkeys and birds... big loud 
birds.

I left this morning, I realized that the driveway is too narrow for the wide 
bodied Airstream so I filled the ditches with the big rocks which were meant 
to keep people from driving into the ditches.... (c:   I also had a wider 
swing out as there was no fence in the way.  It was still touch and go.... 
but I went.

The drive to Reno was awesome... I stayed on CA 20 instead of I-80 until 20 
ended into 80.  That took me thorugh the Tahoe National Forest.. love those 
forests.  I 80 was uneventful.... it's desert... just some sagebrush, even 
the mountainsides are desert with just a smattering of pine trees.... then 
all of a sudden... a city, a big city.  I got on the CB and asked were I 
should turn off to Virginia City... the truckers jumped in and asked if I had 
an 18 wheeler... "No, just a truck and camper"    They all warned me about 
the hill I would have to climb... HA! They didn't know about the big red boy. 
  Bruiser climbed the hill effortlessly... the vistas were fabulous.... the 
road was wide and smooth... sure, there were some tight turns...but my 
trailer is short enough not to worry.  I was meeting Don again, in Virginia 
City... he has a 34 foot trailer.. I kept thinking "he's gonna kill me."  

I saw lots of horses crossing signs and realized it meant wild horses... more 
about that later.

I drove passed the turn to the trailer park and took the whole rig through 
downtown Virginia City.... Main Street is so narrow we were hanging out over 
the yellow line. I was glad I understood how trailers turn when the little 
tractor pulling a tourist cart signalled to turn..... He was coming toward 
me... his tandem wheels were in the center of the long cart.  I stopped.  He 
turned.... the back end came into my lane about 2 feet across the line.... 
that would have done the trailer in for sure.  Wrecking this trailer is my 
job. (c:

I found the park and Don was there.... we cooked out some lunch and headed 
for town. He, the dogs and I walked all around.  The town is charming.  The 
old wooden plank sidewalks, the old saloon, the great little cowboy 
buildings.... I loved it.  They shops are tacky, crappy te shirts and 
stuff... but looking past the crap to the architecture makes it worth the 
trip.  We spent hours strolling, chatting with people about the dogs, and 
just playing tourist.  Saw the Suicide Table"  a blackjack table that 
supposidly caused 3 men to commit suicide after losing everything.  Saw a 
huge "dress" made of almost 3,200 silver dollars.... sadly, the floor had to 
be torn up that had a woman's face painted in it. 

We drove down a 15% grade to see the neighboring towns.   There was horse 
poop all around Virginia City and the other towns... I asked and it seems the 
wild horses have been coming into town to get food and water..... I wondered 
what they ate and drank, it doesn't look like a gecko could survive in the 
high desert it's so dry.

I'll be looking for the wild horses for the next few days.

Tomorrow we are going to Lake Tahoe to find the House and "town" from the 
Ponderosa.... remember Bonanza?

Hunter