RHYOLITE + BEATTY
Nevada is a freak show, which is why it’s one of my favorite places. I could spend weeks just driving around staring at all it has to offer, but for now we can start with Rhyolite.
Rhyolite saw its peak in a mining boom in the early 1900s until it all fell apart. While the majority of the town’s buildings and major railroad tracks were taken up to be used in newer towns with more profitability, just a few structures were left to transform into a ghost town. And with this ghost town came the presence of an outdoor art museum that really complements the grim backdrop of a forgotten town.
On the other side of the nearest town of Beatty, you can find the Angel’s Ladies Brothel sign and accompanying plane crash site, which is covered in graffiti. Nothing about this makes much sense, but guess what? It doesn’t have to.
Beatty, NV is one of the closest towns to Death Valley. Having been here two times, I’ve had two vastly different overnight experiences. Each of course had their moments for me to romanticize the chaos, but let’s dissect these.
On my first trip, I stayed at the The Atomic Inn, a motel that split three ways only cost us each about $25. The room was decked out in atomic testing photography & stencils of atoms, and the rooms were surrounded by alien decor. The theme hit a little too on the nose when I spotted a roach in the shower as we were about to leave, but hey that’s a bunker for you I guess.
As fun as my night at the Atomic was, some places don’t necessarily need to be revisited. That said, my most recent trip was spent in an Airbnb that I could have stayed in forever. Huuuuge vibe shift ahead.
What both of my nights in Beatty had in common was a dinner at the Happy Burro Chili & Beer. This place has never let me down. And while eating chili in the desert may seem less than appealing, it somehow makes the most sense and nearly caused my soul to ascend with how oddly perfect of a meal it was. TWICE.
I’ll leave this with some snaps of an Area 51 gas station stumbled upon nearby while on the drive back to LA. More places like this should exist
