8/12/16
Dear NH,
How are you doing? When will you be leaving on your trip? You might even leave for your road trip before you get this letter.
Yesterday was such a crazy day. I started out in Las Vegas, Nevada. I had been to Las Vegas four times already, so I already knew a lot of things about that city.
I stayed at a giant resort hotel called Monte Carlo. This hotel had something like 25 floors, a wave pool, and a lazy river.
After eating a giant breakfast in one of the hotel restaurants, I spent some time in the pools. It was already really hot outside, so being in the pool was kind of nice.
Finally, it was time to go. I still had to get across Nevada and head toward Mammoth Lakes, California. I started on my way.
I wasn't planning on stopping on the way, but I encountered some really interesting places. First, there was a place called Area 51 Alien Center. This place was a combination gas station, diner, convenience store, alien enthusiast site, fireworks stand, AND spot for setting off fireworks! How crazy it was! I took a couple of photos and bought a pin with an alien on it as a souvenir.
I continued on the road northwest across Nevada. I next stopped in a ghost town called Rhyolite. This city is actually a part of Death Valley National Park. Most of the park is in California, and Rhyolite is the only part in Nevada. I had been to Rhyolite once before, but that was years ago, so I wanted to stop by again.
When I arrived, I found several buildings in ruins. (These buildings have been in ruins for years.) I walked around some of these buildings and found a lot of pieces of rusted metal, old drink cans and parts from a machine. Some of the metal pieces were probably even from old mining equipment since Rhyolite used to be a mining town.
One really interesting thing I found was a grave for a woman named Mona Belle. Next to her grave, I saw many trinkets: beaded necklaces, drink bottles, high-heeled shoes with messages written on them, and old silk flowers. There are several tall tales associated with Mona Belle. One story is that she got into a fight with her husband. She shot him first and hurt him. Then he shot her and killed her. Now, people leave small trinkets for her in tribute. I left a bottle of nail polish!
The other really interesting thing I found was a real mine shaft. It was blocked off, so you couldn't go all the way inside, but you could go in the entrance area and look inside.
There was even a really old cemetery down a dirt road nearby. Most of the graves were marked by pieces of wood. Some were marked by stones, and some were not marked at all. Rhyolite was such a good stop, but I had to continue.
Not far out of Rhyolite, I stopped again. This time, I stopped because I saw wild donkeys. There was a whole herd of them. Some were eating. Others were crossing the road. I took tons of pictures and moved on. However, I saw more donkeys, so I stopped again. This time, there were baby donkeys! They were so cute!
I finally pulled myself away from the donkeys to continue my journey. By this time, it was late enough for dinner. It was decided that the next stop would be in a town called Tonopah. Tonopah, Nevada was a strange city. It was prosperous around 1900 because gold was found in the area. Of course, the gold "dried up" and the town went bust. Now, the town still exists, but it's not as big or as successful. I went inside a casino/hotel called Tonopah Station for dinner. The inside of the building was full of unusual antiques. There was a giant, taxidermied bear with a sign that said his name was James. There was also an old doll propped up next to a doll-sized sink. A doll-sized toilet was next to her, too! There were mannequins in Victorian clothes and old signs from now-defunct (closed) businesses. The place was like a museum!
After dinner, I needed a place to stay since it was dark. I looked no further than a place called Clown Motel. This was one creepy motel. Inside the motel lobby are hundreds of clown figurines. On each room door, there is a funny-looking clown ready to greet you. The creepiest part is that the motel is next door to a cemetery! This cemetery is the final resting place of miners, gold prospectors, and townspeople who died between 1901 and 1911. I bravely entered the cemetery after I got my things settled in my room. I was a bit too scared to go very far into the cemetery. I'm not usually scared of cemeteries, but I guess they are more unnerving at night.
That was my interesting day! I hope you are having interesting days too, and I look forward to hearing from you about your trip.
Your teacher,
Elaina
