Reno to Boulder City ️

We began our Nevada adventure by departing Detroit and flying into Reno, where we picked up a rental car. Close to the mountains and easy to navigate, Reno is a great launching point for heading into the state's interior.

Although we had such a packed itinerary over a four day span, this trip would best be enjoyed if you take your time and truly appreciate everything you see on your route!

First Stop: Reno

Start with coffee at Chrome Coffee Works. It’s a good spot to shake off travel fatigue. Quick service, good espresso, and a cute retro space.

Midtown has a few solid lunch options within a short drive. If you want variety, Reno Public Market works well, especially if you’re traveling with someone who eats differently like myself. (GF, DF, etc.)

I absolutely love antiquing while in historic small towns, and antiquing in Reno is worth a stop. Uncle Junkee is packed and chaotic in the best way. Prices are fair, and it’s the kind of place where you might actually find something, not just browse through junk.

Virginia City

From Reno, it’s about a 35-minute drive to Virginia City. The road winds through hills that still look like they remember mining. The town is tourist-heavy, but the bones of the Old West are still visible under all the T-shirts and fudge shops.

The Silver Terrace Cemetery is the stop you shouldn’t skip. It’s high above town and easily explored by foot. The markers range from ornate ironwork to handmade stone, and the view over the valley is strange and beautiful.

The Mackay Mansion Tour is also worth it (cash only, $14 per adult, open until 5 p.m.). The guides actually know their history, and while they don’t push the ghost stories, they won’t deny them either. They’re proud of the visits from Zak Bagans and Johnny Depp.

Afterward, you have to walk the main strip. The Bucket of Blood Saloon, Silver Queen Hotel, and Piper’s Opera House are all part of what makes the town still feel real.

If you’re into ghost tours, the Washoe Club offers one around 6 p.m. and you’ll definitely want to book ahead. It’s a short tour but gives you access to parts of the building that aren’t open otherwise! We really enjoyed our tours and seeing the city for the first time. Don’t get me started on the nightmares I had about the hat man.

The Long Drive South

The trip from Virginia City to Amargosa Valley is about five and a half hours. If you’re picky about food, pack snacks. There’s a lot of nothing between towns, and your phone signal will drop often. The drive itself is part of the appeal. It’s long, flat stretches, empty motels, military storage bunkers, and the kind of silence that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

I was lucky to be the passenger princess this time since my husband loves long drives. We stopped at the Clown Motel and Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah. Both are famous for being strangely unique, but they’re genuinely interesting stops. The clown motel shares its property with a cemetery, and the Mizpah is notoriously haunted. We packed our clown costumes for a photo opp and peeked inside the Mizpah on our way to Beatty. But don't forget to stop at he International Car Forest of the Last Church, located right outside Goldfield. It’s a short detour worth taking.

One of my favorite places along the way was Rhyolite Ghost Town. It's a great stop for photos and a short walk. The sculptures of ghosts not far from the town in ruins were truly haunting. I couldn’t help but be enamoured by them.

Dinner options in Beatty are limited, but Smokin’ J’s Barbecue was a surprise. Great food, friendly staff, and perfect for travelers. Order extra if you’re heading to Amargosa Valley afterward, because there’s not much near where we stayed the night.

We also stopped at the Area 51 Alien Center. It is an easy place to pull over for a short break, and I ended up buying more magnets and trinkets than I probably needed. It is only about ten minutes from our lodging, which made it a convenient stop along the route. It also made me feel better about driving not taking the extraterrestrial highway this trip

We spent the night in the Bottling Room at Tarantula Ranch, a charming, rustic space that feels both cozy and unique. Despite the name, there weren’t any tarantulas to be found, just a few moths bumping into the light outside and the sound of wind moving through the empty vines.

Coffinwood to Boulder City

From Amargosa Valley, it’s just under an hour to Pahrump. Breakfast at Mom’s Diner is the move. Solid coffee, good eggs, and the kind of spot where everyone looks like they actually live there.

After that, we headed to Coffinwood, which you’ll need an appointment for. It’s exactly what it sounds like, a place where everything is made into a coffin. The owners were kind, funny, and

honest about what they do. Although it looks spooky, it’s a place of craftsmanship and care. It’s strange in the best way and worth the stop if you appreciate people doing something different.

From there, it’s about an hour and a half to Boulder City. We made a few fun detours at the Outpost 51 Alien Museum and Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum. Both are small, weird, and worth it if you like odd collections and homemade monsters. The man that created these museums truly did it for the fans. We loved seeing someone so passionate about practical effects and aliens.

We wandered around downtown and grabbed coffee while we checked out the murals and vintage motels before stopping at Chilly Jilly’z. It has the old charm we traveled for and perfect if you’re overheating. I got the Dole float, which is dairy- and gluten-free.

If you want something classic to round things out, the Hoover Dam tour is close by and surprisingly worth doing. Otherwise, the Boulder Dam Hotel has a small museum that’s a good final stop, especially because that’s where we stayed the night!

This truly was an awesome way to see new spooky things. In the end, Nevada isn’t trying to impress you, and that’s what makes it work. The drive from Reno to Boulder City is full of ghosts, wind, and long, empty roads where you can actually think. You'll find places that are ramshackle or behind the times where people are still trying to hold on, but there's beauty in that. If you like travel that’s a little offbeat, a little imperfect, and full of stories, this is the route to take.

A road trip through Nevada’s weird, haunted, and strange stops. From ghosts and aliens- to handmade coffins.

It’s Official : The Krewe of BOO!