Day Ten: Shoshone - Pahrump, NV

Before leaving for our ride in the morning, we were curious as to what the road ahead of us was like, so we cruised down to the Charles Brown General Store to ask the clerk if she was familiar with the terrain. She informed us that there was a mountain pass (of course—when isn’t there?), and it was going to be a tough one to cross. We were surprised to find, however, that the climb wasn’t too bad; instead, the flat road into the next town was the kicker. We snapped a shot of the “Welcome to Nevada” sign and then carried on our way another 10-ish miles to the city of Pahrump. Alongside the highway we found a grocery store called Smith’s, where we hung out for lunch and small talk with people passing through. We learned that Pahrump is a popular town for military veterans, one of which couldn’t leave Slater alone, leaving him with the following advice: “Never join the Marines, never sleep in a swamp, and never visit the third world.” He might have been a little bitter…

Before leaving the store, a man named Hank approached us with an interest in our trip. While talking with him, he waved hello to customer after customer—and by the end of the conversation it was obvious that he’s a small town hero. He is a baseball coach in Pahrump, and the kids and parents love his outgoing personality and thick Bostonian accent. He offered up his property for camping, and sent us on our way with a business card to get into contact later in the day. We headed to a gas station to pass time and devise a plan (we are quite the loiterers), and inhaled a few too many gasoline fumes for our own good before deciding to give Hank a call. Minutes later, we were on our way to his home and found ourselves in a lush yard full of rabbits, koi fish, turtles, three dogs, and a domesticated duck named Daisy.

Hank showed us around his property and home, and we learned that his place seems to be the hangout for the baseball boys in town. He told us stories about his wife and her job in social services, and his kids, many of whom have been adopted. Hank is a businessman at heart and works as an alcoholic beverage distributor in Nevada. His experiences have led to a lifetime worth of stories and we were lucky enough to enjoy many of them that night and over coffee in the morning. Our night at Hank’s was full of laughs and enchiladas and cold water and everything good in the world.