We are parked at the Double Dice.

Not a fancy rv park but everything works, it is quiet, unseasonably cool and sits on a bluff. That water in the background of the above is a bit deceiving. It is more like a large puddle out a ways on the valley floor. Railroad tracks that stay fairly active to large freight trains run just below. The track is far enough away and below the park – the sound of trains is a nice background sound, barely noticeable.

Standing on the bluff, looking to the south is Iron Horse RV Resort. I tried to book a site there online. It said no availability and then I saw something that said it was to open in August so I never called. I am so glad! Although newer, with sites and grass “yards”, there is not much more room between sites and it sits on the valley floor, with no view, right across from the trains…Iron Horse, yes??? And no access to the desert for walking.

Karl and I can pick our way down this bluff – there are several easy trails. And the dog area runs across the back of the Double Dice so I can look out over the valley to the Ruby Mountains as Karl takes his time on our walks.

We took a very quick cruise through Elko at lunchtime yesterday. This park is beautiful with lots of shade and dogs allowed. It is perfect for a change of pace walk.

Elko just feels good to me – like a nice place. I’m not sure what defines that but I know as I travel that some places feel good and some do not. Elko is not cuted up in any way. There are 2 casinos, slot and electronic gaming machines in every locale, but it is a ranching and mining community.

The laundry room here has a number of signs with a prohibition against washing “diggers” in the machines and direction to a downtown business that takes care of “diggers”. I asked another person doing laundry what diggers were and she didn’t know. We guessed we didn’t have any since we didn’t know what they were…

I woke up at 4:00 a.m. this morning. I’m getting to work as I want to have some time to explore Elko. There is the Chocolate Saloon, Cucina Fresca (kitchen stuff), a Mercantile, a Western goods store, the river area, several Basque restaurants, a Cornish restaurant that advertises pasties as the original mining food, several independent bookstores…it is that kind of small town that feels solid and rooted and also vital. Frontier Citywide provides Wi-Fi everywhere in town.

I’ll take time this week to explore Elko while parked at the Double Dice.