Loneliest Road in America - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 209

6. Sand Mountain
As the highway leads east, it dips into the dry bed of an ancient sea; then 15 miles farther,
Sand Mountain, a large dune, looms above the flatlands. The sculptural formation, about
two miles long, rises an abrupt 600 feet. At one end of its base lie dilapidated stone walls,
the ruins of a Pony Express station.
The Pony Express, though long on legend, was short on life. No matter how fast the
horses ran, they could never match the speed of the transcontinental telegraph. Virtually
overnight, what had taken days by pony could be sent in seconds by wire. On October 24,
1861, a scant 18 months after start-up, the Pony Express was dissolved.
7. Austin
Bare, bold mountains and sagebrush desert characterize the remote stretch of Rte. 50 that
leads onward to Austin. Although this area may appear lifeless, the stillness is broken by
such animals as snakes, lizards, coyotes, and jackrabbits—all more active after night fall.
Flying above, however, are the more conspicuous denizens of the desert, including ravens,
hawks, eagles, and occasionally, flocks of horned larks.
HistoricAustin,withviewsofthesteep-sidedToiyabeRange,wasanotherofNevada's
silver-mining boomtowns. Unlike many mining towns that went bust before soundly con-
structed buildings could be erected, Austin offers a number of surviving structures, includ-
ing lovely early churches. Three pioneer sanctuaries, their bricks stacked high against the
sweep of sky, make the town a welcoming, historical sight. And just outside town, down a
twisting canyon road, lies Stokes Castle, the fanciful creation of a mining baron.
8. Eureka
The road out of Austin soon climbs to Austin Summit, a pass perched at an elevation of
7,484 feet. To the southeast rises Hickison Summit, where visitors can picnic on the lower
slopes and enjoy far-off views and petroglyphs. Antelope Peak and Summit Mountain
punctuate the eastern horizon, both more than 10,000 feet high. Continuing on to Eureka,
you'll feel your engine alternately strain and sigh as Rte. 50 crosses ridge after ridge.
Eurekaitself isoneofthestate'sbest-preserved miningtowns.Itsbuildings,include an
old newspaper office (now a museum), an 1880s opera house, and a well-restored court-
house still in use.