Nevada

We had mostly camping money left, plus a small stash of hotel points, so Holiday Inn Express Ely became our practical little mercy at the edge of evening. If you're a roadtripper, long-haul driver, miner, or rockhound looking for solid lodging before dark, this place fits the bill. What follows is an honest take, with the dust still on the boots. Ely makes sense as a stopping point because it sits where Highway 93 and the wider eastern Nevada crossing route meet up in a useful, no-nonsense way. If you're coming back from the lonely reaches of "Area 51 country," or simply cutting across Nevada on Route 50 and nearby highways, a decent bed starts to look like a grand civilizing force.