Tonopah NV - A Study from Google Photos

Nestled in the San Antonio Mountains is the city of Tonopah. The road leading into town is insufferably straight. There are no trees that dot the horizon, just some low growing bush with gradations of tan and brown. The powerlines that follow the path of the highway are perplexing, just who needs electricity in this empty countryside? And then there are the mountains. From a distance the slate gray color looks like it belongs more on the moon than here on earth. Nothing is growing on these mountains. Are there animals that live amongst the invisible crevices. It looks so smooth from this distance. And the longer you drive, the further away the mountains seem to be.

Just when you think you are on a road to nowhere, the higway curves and you see life. It's Tonopah. The largest city in Central Nevada with over 2000 citizens. As jagged as the mountains that surround the city are, the city itself is flat. The most cared for and tallest building in town is the Mitzbah Hotel, a five story building located on main street. It's red illuminated sign on the top of the hotel serves as a beacon, a welcoming glow to strangers and the locals as they make their home. Driving along this main street you see the usual mainstays, McDonalds, Shell Station, but the local businesses are what catch your eye. The Clown Motel with it's vibrant colored clown cut out that flanks the driveway. And don't forget the Jim Butler Hotel named for the founder of Tonopah. This man found the 2nd largest silver vein in Nevada. Beyond the main street, you won't find any other stoplights, a stop sign is all that is needed.

The residential neighborhoods go from from well care for homes to shacks that look abandoned, condemned, with broken down cars in the yards and garbage strewn in the yard. A random, loose rooster is not an uncommon sight. And here is a homeowner shooting at rats that have crawled out

from under a trailer. Aside from the local service industries, I wonder just how the citizens make their living. After all, there is no logical reason for Tonopah to exist, to continue to thrive. Here is a smattering of people living in the desert at 6200 feet about sea level. How did they get here? Why do they stay?

I imagine life in the desert to be one of constant avoidance of the elements, the heat, the dirt in the air, the heat, always the heat. And how easily life would become unbearable without electricity to cool you and the water. Just what state is the water coming from? Having lived in a small town 22 years of my life, I feel like life in Tonopah is stagnant. Tonopah is either the beginning or the end a life. Can you imagine a whole life spent here? The mere thought makes me want to take a nap. Day in, day out, the same people, the same routine. But now let's take Tonopah and fill it with your friends. Clean up the streets. Force some trees to grow. And encourage the rednecks to take a hike. Now I see the beautiful night sky, the best in the country for seeing stars. I imagine a patio strung with novelty lights, a grill with glowing embers cooking burgers and brauts, and pitchers of ice cold drinks. But best of all would be the people, sitting on lawn chairs, laughing, arguing, and sneaking a cigarette. At the end of the night, we would hug, get back into our respective BMW's or Geo's or bicycles to go home, crawl into bed, knowing tomorrow, a few streets away, we could meet again.