America's Loneliest Road: U.S. 50 and the Lincoln Highway in Nevada

U.S. Highway 50 in Nevada has been called America's loneliest road. There are other lonesome stretches of highway, but the band of asphalt from the Utah state line to Lake Tahoe is more than worthy of the title. For vast distances, it extends toward the horizon in an unbroken line, attended only by sagebrush, all-but-deserted mining towns, and empty spaces.

he high desert of eastern Nevada is populated mostly with wild horses, antelopes, jackrabbits - and perhaps even a few ghosts. This path through the heart of the West's most rugged landscape began as the Overland Trail, traveled by riders on the Pony Express. Next came the groundbreaking Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental road.

America's Loneliest Road retraces these pioneering trails and roads in a historical travelogue accompanied by some 400 vintage and modern images. You'll visit places like the McGill Drug Store, the International Hotel in Austin, and the Hotel Nevada in Ely. You'll rediscover abandoned pavement, and you'll explore ghost towns like Hamilton and Lane City as you trace this desolate road and its evolution from the late 19th century to today.

Ely, Virginia City, Carson City, Fallon, and Lake Tahoe are stops along the way. Much of your trek may seem lonely and even haunted, but there's far more life on this historic Nevada highway than meets the eye. You'll meet characters like Mark Twain, famed opera singer Emma Nevada, tunnel-builder Adolph Sutro, and more than your share of ghosts. Come along on a journey to discover what lies on America's Loneliest Road. You'll be glad you did.