Doing Battle: Scenes from Battle Mountain, Nevada

Interstate 80 is a long, lonely stretch of road when traveling through the great state of Nevada. Many miles separate the small points on the route, with hours of pretty but desolate scenery in between. We had the pleasure of stopping in the gloriously melancholy little town of Battle Mountain, between Elko and Winnemucca, for a night's stay at the Super 8. There wasn't a heck of a lot going on, but there was one honey of a sky that day -- dark menacing-looking clouds with bright shards of sun illuminating the worn landscape. They have some terrific mid-century signs here, courtesy of the Owl Club casino and the Nevada Hotel, which boasts of both food and fun, and one of the nicest water towers I've ever seen next to the fireworks emporium. Their name is derived from a clash between the white settlers and the original Shoshone inhabitants, but it's a peaceful community now and provides a place to gas up, get some grub, a good night's rest, and a hand or two of Texas Holdem before hitting the open road in the morning. That's their Battle cry and they're sticking to it.