The Tonopah Tales 2007 - a Reality Show Brewin'

 

Tonopah remains a town fit for a reality show based, in the words of George Costanza, on NOTHING. Here in tonopah...there is the acronym AAA. Which stands for...

• Anger
• Alcohol
• Ammunition

...the mix of which are the basis of all the charm and hospitality that ooze out of this ol' mining town. Once a bustling mining & military town, Tonopah presently feels D E A D. The town is a mix of boarded up shops and businesses coupled with roadside fare (namely fuel) to nourish weary travelers headed between reno & vegas. Its income is derived from the tills of the remaining local business and TICKETS (Esmeralda County is the most expensive speeding ticket in the state - believe me I know). The place seems completely impossible for kids to be positive, connected with the world, stay out of trouble and achieve greatness because there simply isn't anything to do.

Yet, to me, for all its ill, there is still something inside that wants to take a week or so off, camp it here, and learn via the power of osmosis what makes these folks tick.  Maybe even work on my ill-fated book idea, or any of my countless other web ideas. I have my journ to the middle of nowhere for 2008 planned already, Speed Week at Bonneville, but perhaps 2009 I will rain down on this town and answer my internal question...what's up? I just have to get to this before the renaissance happens and the Starbucks & Ultra Lounges roll into town shakin' their little behinds for the men folk...

If you're behind me on my drive, can you catch the lights?

WBV

NOTE: if you want to represent Tonopah, historic jewel of the desert, please comment here.  I dont mean to give the place a bad rap, i just speak from my own observations.

(another treo post - sorry for the typos)

Comments

[Bryan Landaburu says...]

Just to prove i make this drive every year, here is a link to my previous post. See...my documentary idea still strong in my head.

http://fuze.typepad.com/fuzeblog/2006/10/the_tonopah_tal.html

dammit if The Nevada Passage wasnt the first reality show based in the area...mine will be better. nuthin XtrEEEEm about it. Just good ol' folks doing their thing.

2009...we'll see.

BL