Admittedly, it took some time for me to embrace Nevada. Moving from moisture rich Michigan to the high desert was a major change. I didn’t know what my life would be like here, nor did I know anything about this state. I can’t remember what I had anticipated before the move, but I find that many people visiting Nevada expect the entire state to be all Vegas-y. Thankfully, it’s not. The west is full of wide open spaces and it not only offers a new challenge photographically, but also new places to explore, and that is what has helped me come to love where I live. This is my Nevada.
These pictures were taken last October in Monitor Valley in central Nevada (45 miles southeast of Austin and 86 miles northeast of Tonopah). It’s a beautiful area and well worth spending some time checking it out. The best part is, you’ll likely have the valley all to yourself, or at least it seems that way.
We camped near the Monitor Valley (or Pott’s) Hot Springs and soaked in that fantastic tub pictured first up above. *As of Fall 2017, this hot spring has been closed to the public.* After dark, when the clouds cleared out, the stars were endless. Pictured below is a building just down the road from the hot springs.
Another hot spring in Monitor Valley is Diana’s Punch Bowl, about 5 miles away from Pott’s Hot Spring. The scenery from this spot is gorgeous too and worth a visit – but not for soaking, it’s 190 degrees at the source. We decided to head home by making a loop instead of backtracking through Austin. This allowed us to check out the ghost town of Belmont.
Belmont was established in 1865 and became the county seat of Nye County in 1867. The town started to decline about 20 years later and then in 1905, the county seat was moved to Tonopah. Belmont is kind of remote, but it’s well worth a visit. 
K Dickinson Photography 
Reblogged this on Nevada State Personnel Watch.
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