Having been on-board Amtrak for a couple of days already, first, from New York City to Chicago and second, from Chicago to San Francisco (via California Zephyr), I have formed indelible impressions of the states that the train has passed through.
This is Part 3 of my Sightseer series.
After an overdose of green-and-brown-hues courtesy of Illinois and Iowa farmlands as well as the seemingly endless expanse of the Continental Divide in Wyoming, I was hoping that the next state, Nevada, would offer us a different vista. The previous night was spent cruising along the state of Utah with nothing but darkness. Morning caught us in Winnemucca, a little town in Nevada about 5 or 6 hours from Salt Lake City, Utah. There is a change of time here, 1 hour back, from Mountain Time to Pacific Time since we were going westward. I hope I'm correct. This change of time can really be confusing especially for someone like me who is from the other side of the earth.
The arid, barren and rusty-dusty surroundings I woke up to had me thinking of Mars. Indeed, the Nevada landscape is much different from the states we've passed within the California Zephyr route (Chicago to San Francisco). I would say, and I hope my impressions are correct, that Nevada has a similar topographic pattern as the state of Arizona - an arid low desert, followed by a semi-arid mid-desert and somehow a lush high desert. Nevada reminds me of the Arizona scenery en route to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon where I went to a couple of years ago.
Here are some shots I've snapped.
Part of Winnemucca, Nevada en route to Reno; still in
low desert with little or no vegetation at all.
Photo below looks like it was taken straight out of Mars.
The water element and a little vegetation break the monotony
of the rusty-dusty feel of the surroundings.
Who likes to live here anyway?
The following photos were taken mostly in Reno, Nevada, some of which were already in the mid-desert before the train started its ascent towards Sierra Nevada.
This little river amidst a barren landscape is like a breath of fresh air.
Don't know what this is - an observatory? a factory?
The house in desertlandia makes me wonder what is it
like living here.
What's the meaning of life if this is what one sees daily?
Finally, a decent settlement with flowing water.
More trees in this part of Nevada. This is still part of Reno
going to Truckee, California.
Where there's water, there's life :-) This place looks much
more alive with flowing water, houses and some vegetation.
I love those houses on top. I can take a vacation here.
Vegetation gradually changes on the way up to Sierra Nevada.
That hilltop mansion surely has an excellent 360-degree
view of the surroundings. Pity the small house below :-)
It's a bit foggy at the background. On our way to Sierra Nevada.
This part of the mountain has some jagged edges.
The sight of an interstate freeway makes me think that
civilization is just around the bend.
The landscape of Nevada is obviously more diverse. After Nevada, parts of the state of California would be next, the highlight of which is the view of Lake Tahoe from the top of the Sierra Nevada.
That would be Part 4 of this series. Thanks.
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