If you’ve been to Burning Man, you know a little something about today’s Road Trips post. I recently visited Surprise Vally with a friend, which literally sits on the California/Nevada border by Cedarville – an hour and a half drive from the Black Rock Desert.
Our mission was to pick up a piece of artwork from an artist who lives out there (and to stay at a friend of a friend’s who owns Bare Ranch, where we had a BBQ with a group of friends who were also in the area).
The area is simply stunning. A mix of high desert, mountains and ranch land. If you get the chance to road trip up there, whether for the Festival or not, I’d highly recommend it. The drive is east of Reno on I-80; you turn off at Nixon, which is an Indian Reservation, after passing the turn-off for the new Tesla Battery Factory.
You first have to go through Gerlach, and those who know Burning Man will recognize this as the turn-off, as well as a place to get gas and something to eat. Bruno is a bit of legend who passed this year at the ripe age of 94. He had the oldest ongoing gambling license in the state. There was no gambling at the time I was there because it was in the process of being transferred, but Bruno’s is also known for their ravioli, which we did order!
After Gerlach, there is Pottery X, where a group of people live, make pottery, paint and sell those items to the public. It’s worth a stop – I picked up a birthday gift for a friend. Finally, there are natural hot springs, so if you are looking for a real getaway, you can book a hotel and indulge in the hot springs after a long day’s hike.
