Nelson, Nevada

Thinking that this place has been so close to me for so long and I've never come out here REALLY grinds my gears. I was tasked with finding this place to start with and some how the general address to Nelson was input. Whatever. The map was taking me through a dirt road to the middle of nowhere past a short stretch of houses of all shapes and sizes, all with loads of character. It was interesting to see, especially the little shack like houses and all of the things accumulated in people's yards. Definitely a nice detour. Getting lost can often take you to the coolest places.

Eldorado Mine - Nelson, Nevada

El Dorado Mine is a bit down the road. It's a quaint touristy spot that a family set up when they bought loads of land with an old mine on it. The preserved a lot that was on the property and have been hoarders ever since. They collect old cars and artifacts, most of which are donations. They love what they do, which you can see in the care that they take for the property and how happy they are for you to explore the area; respectfully.

The mine tour is my favorite part about this place. They take you around the property and then eventually through a small portion of a quartz mine. It was much, much cooler underground. Even though it was only the beginning of April it was nearly 90 degrees outside. Deep in the mine it was 65, with a chilly breeze. It was a great history lesson, there was even a ghost story or two to be told. It lasted a little over an hour and cost $12. We got lucky and a tour was about to start literally as we got there, but if you want to do the tour I would call ahead and check their schedule to be safe.

It is crazy to think that Nevada itself is less than 200 years old, we have such a short history. Especially compared to that of other nations. A major piece of our history is the Gold Rush, and this is the perfect place to get a taste of what it would have been like. Every corner you turn is another machine or piece of equipment with a story behind it. There are a lot of Native American artifacts as well, which is by far my favorite piece of Nevada history. The gift shop has crystals and other cheap trinkets for sell, so I was happy!