Taking a trip to look at possibilities (Elko, Fallon: mortgage, hotel)

[gypsyjena]

Ok. First of all I'm a single woman, with more than half a brain and a full set of teeth. I am thinking of moving to Nevada. I'm pretty sure I'll stay single, keep my teeth and hopefully maintain my brain all while beating off the hoards of desperately lonely men

Seriously. I am leaving from Wyoming in mid-October and was thinking of taking this route on my "way" home to IL. I-80 from the Utah line to Carlin, then south to Eureka, then West to Fallon, south to Coaldale and back east to Ely into Utah to catch the 15 back to 70 and I'm on my way home.

The purpose of this trip is to see where I might want to move. The things I am really looking for are....access to lots of public land (since I can't afford my own), reasonable housing costs and there has to be cattle ranching going on in the vicinity.

My only bills are living expenses and my mortgage of $200/month. I would like to end up with the same situation, though I will probably have a higher mortgage, but hopefully not too high.

I have worked alot in the utility business, even worked for Southwest Gas many moons ago (in CA), but now I wait tables inbetween seasonal jobs in cool places (I'm in Wyoming right now). I guess I am saying that jobs aren't that big a deal....though I do need one.

The whole cow thing....well, I love cattle and though I had to sell all mine, I don't want to be too far from them.

Any pointers or ideas on my route would be appreiciated.

Thanks

Jena

[humboldtrat]

Check out Winnemucca (not on your route) and Elko (on your route). Nice medium size towns with things to do, access to shopping, outdoor activities near forested mountains and plenty of cattle ranching in both areas. As for jobs, both Winnemucca and Elko are county seats of their respective counties, so there may be city/county jobs available. Both towns are on I-80, so there may be jobs in the gas station/truck stop/restaurant/hotel/casino business. Retail jobs should be available also. Both towns have a Wal-Mart among other retail possibilities.

[NVDave]

Carlin: a mining community with ranching going on around it. Due south of Carlin are some large ranches in both Elko and Eureka counties, in particular, in Pine Valley in Eureka County. (follow 278 south out of Carlin and you're in Pine Valley).

Eureka: plenty of ranching/farming going on in the area. Jobs are to be had at the local mine (Ruby Hill) operating equipment. Don't laugh at these jobs - they start at $18/hour+bennies for driving haul-paks to and fro. The requirements are a clean driving record, a clean drug test and having some common sense. They'll train you, and you have to pass your MSHA certifications and remain drug-free. If you can do that, you can hold down a mining job. Lots of wives of farmers and miners are driving haul-paks at the mine, so don't think that women won't/can't do it.

Fallon: lots of farming/ranching in the area, but you have to get off US-50 to see most of it. The Navy air station is a huge employer there in Fallon.

Coaldale? Don't bother. There's almost nothing there. You probably think that, coming from Wyoming, you know what "remote" and "isolated" means. I've driven through lots of Wyoming. Take it from me -- you folks have very, very few places as isolated as Coaldale.

Ely: a nice town of about 4,000, with most all the services folks need. Jobs aren't hugely plentiful, but they are there.

I second the recommendation to look at Elko and Winnemucca. Winnemucca has more ag-related stuff going on than Elko. Elko county has huge ranches within the county, but they're a ways outside of view from Elko. If you drive north on NV-225, you'll see some big ranches, and if you look at places east/south of Elko, you'll see some large ranches. But there's not much ranching going on directly next to Elko any more. The BLM has rather thoughtfully burned up vast tracts of rangeland in Elko county, much of it near Elko proper. Kinda difficult to graze cattle on ashes.

[Jose Montara]

Twill be rather lush in the spring, that cheatgrass comes back very nicely

[GOLDRNNR]

I'm heading back up north from vegas. Been too long...