A Weekend Getaway to This Quirky, Historic, Haunted Nevada Town Was Just What I Needed

After driving a stretch of U.S. Route 50 in eastern Nevada - "America's Loneliest Road" - hiking in the desert, and seeing what I could see, I needed a place where I could lay my head for the night. I consulted the map, and discovered Ely, Nevada, was probably the only place in the vicinity with a hotel. So, I pointed my rental car westward, and, escorted by a herd of loping pronghorn, I rolled into this old Nevada mining town on a Saturday evening.

As I explored the available hostelries, I found that the incredible-looking Hotel Nevada had availability and I ended up booking a two-room suite - with a complimentary breakfast and free bar beverage, mind you - for less than three figures.

When the historic hotel was built in 1929, it was the tallest building in Nevada, and apart from me, it's hosted many celebrities - who are commemorated in a "walk of fame" on the sidewalk outside the hotel. At the time, Ely was a booming copper mining town; it's also home to Nevada's oldest brothel. Today, the community of 3,900 is still bustling, thanks to tourism and outdoor recreation opportunities -- and Hotel Nevada plays a large part in that.

The hotel's eclectic decor leans heavily into taxidermy and an Old West motif, and since we're in Nevada, the main floor is largely dominated by a casino. Hotel Nevada's original restaurant was replaced by a 24-hour Denny's in 2017, so (and with all due respect to Denny's), I opted to look for a dinner at an establishment with a little more local color. I found it - along with an Old Fashioned and a tasty, reasonably-priced, steak dinner - at Rack's Bar and Grill. Rack's also had a really swell-looking patio, but the evening breeze and the city's 6,400-foot elevation proved a little cool for my still-summer-kissed skin, so I opted for an indoor table. Next time, though, I'm coming prepared for outdoor seating.

Walking back to the hotel, I was doing a bit of exploring when a friendly singer loading equipment into Maggie's Lounge busked me in for a listen. I stopped in for a set of live country-tinged covers as locals getting off of work began to filter in. Then I headed back to my hotel, where I struck up a conversation with the bartender, who gamely let me teach her how to make an Old Fashioned. While we were chatting, she explained that ghosts wander sealed tunnels beneath the hotel and sometimes make their ways upstairs to hallways and guest rooms. Suddenly, I was questioning why I'd gotten such a good deal on the room...

Fortunately, I awakened after a ghost-free night of restful sleep and enjoyed my free breakfast at Denny's, where the servers were extremely friendly. I'd seen an old-fashioned soda fountain the night before, and I'd wanted to stop in, but it was closed on the Sunday I tried to visit. There are also plenty other things to do in Ely, Nevada. It's probably best known as the home of the Nevada Northern Railway museum.

Nevertheless, Ely's abiding friendliness played out with my last stop of the weekend, Taproot, where I found an excellent cup of cold brew for the road and plenty of smiling faces. I don't know when I'll get back to Ely, but I definitely want to return - if for no other reason than to see if that fountain will make me a chocolate soda. And when I go back, I'll definitely stay the Hotel Nevada; until then, Ely will live in my dreams.