Ambient light makes the Milky Way elusive, even in the country. On our recent trip to Mt. Lassen we went star watching but were foiled by the full moon’s brightness.  Determined to REALLY stargaze, Google suggested Tonopah, Nevada, one of the darkest places in the US.  Clean air, new moon rising late, vast desert vistas and the middle of nowhere.

Route to Tonopah via Yosemite. Half Dome is distantly visible from the back side at Olmstead Point in the high country of Yosemite.

High country’s Lake Tenaya, deserted in late September.

Lee Vining’s a convenient place to sleep and eat on the far side of Yosemite. It closes down for  winter when snow closes Yosemite’s Tioga Pass.

Welcome to Area 51. The top secret Air Force test site is alleged to contain the alien spacecraft recovered in Roswell, NM in 1947.  Hillary has promised UFO buffs that she’ll declassify the information if she wins and there’s no reason why not.

The Little A Le Inn is a destination (of sorts – 100 miles from anywhere) surviving on the notoriety of Area 51.

The Little A Le Inn features a friendly bartender, thousands of currency bills stuck to the ceiling and souvenirs you’ll not find elsewhere.

Benton Hot Springs is  one of may towns we passed with few if any current residents. Abandoned businesses, motels, restaurants and homes were everywhere – sad.

The candidates ready to Make America Great Again, were rural Nevada’s choice, signs we don’t see here.

Still puzzling how 3 Guns conserves wildlife.  Must be a deeper meaning.

Tonopah, a booming silver mining town in 1900 with a population of 50,000, is now just a place to sleep at junction of 3 highways.  Current population about 2,500.

Tonopah  must-see: the Clown Motel.

Prepare to be creeped out when you enter the lobby.

Tonopah Historic Mining Park tells the stories of the city’s fascinating characters and displays restorations of relics that mined over $250 million of the silver and gold.

The Tonopah Cemetery contains graves of the early miners.  Many of the markers  are over 100 years old & indicate young men  who died from tuberculosis, mine fires or accidents..

We found this totally isolated spot in the desert and figured it would be perfect for stargazing … if the clouds would just go away.

Clouds cleared and we lay in our chaise lounges drinking in the luminous display:  stars all the way down to the horizon. Found the Milky Way alive and very well. Our old eyes enjoyed far more than any photo could capture.

Heading home.  All 3 roads out of town indicate next gas 100 miles or more.