After a summer that has lingered with hot temps, we are sneaking out of the Vegas valley and heading to the cooler temps at one of the country’s least visited national parks, Great Basin.

An easy 4 hour drive from Vegas to Ely – pronounced “eel-ee” – gets us close and provides the last civilization before the wilds of the park. The drive was beautiful and having never been in this part of the state before, we were astounded by the lakes and greens of the desert. A huge change from Southern Nevada. A couple tidbits of advice. First, even though you’re in the middle of nowhere, the highway patrol is there. The 70 mph speed limit is easily exceeded, but we saw one upstanding citizen making a financial contribution to the state. It’s okay, he was from California. Second, watch the speed changes in the little towns. They were full blown “Boss Hoggin’ It” in Lund sitting right behind the sign where it drops from 70 to 45 in less than 200 feet. Brake check anyone?

We decided to spend the night at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites. Brand new. Inexpensive. And awesome. Plus we got to share the place with some of the participants of the Silver State Classic Car challenge, the fastest open road race in the World. Using NV-318 they exceed the speed limit like fiends. The record was set in 2017 by a couple guys driving a former NASCAR vehicle and averaging almost 220 mph. Hope the avoided Lund… we didn’t see any NASCAR cars, but we did see a couple Vettes, an old Camaro, and even a pair of very new Carrera 4s. Not sure they’ll break the record, but I know they’ll have fun.

We grabbed dinner at the Margarita’s at the Prospector Casino next door. And it was awesome. I posted a Yelp review out of excitement. I’ll paste it below for those of you who don’t follow me on Yelp. Looking forward to visiting and hiking the park tomorrow, it’s going to be a great trip!

Yelp Review:

Okay, let’s be real. This place is awesome. Is it in a tiny casino in out of the way Ely, Nevada? Yup, it sure is. Would I drive back up here from Vegas to go? Damn right I would. The food was fantastic and authentic. What was so great? Carne asada was flavorful and tender. Pico was fresh and on point. Tamale was cooked perfectly and spicy. Grilled jalapeños were rockin just the right amount of heat. Oh, and a top shelf margarita (actually a bowl of expensive tequila with almost no mix in it) for $10? I WILL BE BACK.

Plus, the service was great. The two young men bringing drinks, chips, and bussing tables should teach classes on efficiency. Everything was handled, and they were pros. Our server was the Latina Aunt we all wish we had.

Bill was $75 for three people with multiple drinks and dessert. Does that deserve a 50% tip? It did tonight. If you’re nearby, you gotta stop.