Day 33: Driven the backroads

Boise, ID to Winnemucca, NV

Another beautiful day! Took a car tour of Boise. First stop the Boise Depot, a Spanish-style railroad station. The Union Pacific knew how to build beautiful stations.

Boise Depot, Boise

Next stop the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. They have a statue by Greg Stone of Anne, but I don’t like it. They made her look undignified. Her foot is on a chair, her body twisted, and one hand is very awkwardly behind her back. Not appropriate for a symbol of resistance to fascism.

Anne Frank statue, Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, Boise

“The sculptor, Greg Stone, from Northampton, Massachusetts, cast Anne as if she were pulling back an imaginary curtain and gazing out a window from the family’s attic hiding place.” Source

It still makes her look awkward and contorted. I would be surprised if no one had objected.

Downtown, there were a lot of people on the streets even though it was Sunday. I also saw a lot of bicyclists. Boise seems a very civilized, and vibrant, town. Went up to Camel’s Back Park, in the North End neighborhood. Seems like a great neighborhood, with some lively stores on 13th St.

Left Boise for Winnemucca, NV, a long drive through mostly desolate country. First I passed through Idaho’s wine grape growing region. Then into Oregon.

At the Idaho-Oregon border. Windy and desolate
Gas station, Jordan Valley, OR

I crossed into Pacific Time and gained another hour, and soon after crossed into Nevada.

Where’s the casino? Found it.

Say When Casino, McDermitt, NV, steps from the state line

I have a fondness for Nevada. The anything-goes atmosphere, the 24-hour culture. The deserts and lonely roads.

Finally arrived at Winnemucca. The city is named for a Chief Winnemucca (1820-1882) of the Paiute tribe, who at one time lived in this area.

Town House Motel (the place I stayed), Winnemucca, NV
Winnemucca, NV

Winnemucca is a treasure house of great signs.

Sign, Winnemucca, NV
An abandoned piece of the Humboldt River, Winnemucca
The “abandoned piece” of the river (I don’t know the geographic name for it) is just below the blue dot
Humboldt River, main channel, Winnemucca

Nevada has a different feel from the other Western states. The feel is hustle.

This is the country that inspired “Willin’.”

Lowell George 1945-1979

4 thoughts on “Day 33: Driven the backroads”

  1. I was going to suggest Winnemucca to you. Did you eat Basque food? You’re only a day or 2 from San Francisco! And yes, the Anne Frank statue looks very strange.

  2. What constitutes a river being abandoned? Do you mean that, geographically, it was a tributary that got cut off from the main river? Yeah and the Anne Frank is just plain bad. Doesn’t evoke any of the emotions I would hope and expect it to!

  3. Without knowing anything, I jumped to the conclusion that that little piece used to be part of the main river channel, then the main channel changed to what it is now. The little piece doesn’t have any visible source, so I don’t think it’s a tributary. Any river experts out there?

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