You know, I never thought I would ever say it, but in many ways, the desert has become home for me. After all, I've been living in Las Vegas for 23 years come this August. I really did not think I would last this long here.
Well, Las Vegas itself it not my center of being. No, my desert center of being is actually 100 miles from here, in a town called Laughlin on the Colorado River, just across from Bullhead City,Arizona. Vickie and I go there often and when I'm there, I feel some sense of inner peace, moreso since last summer when I had a bit of a breakthrough in my mental health.
The reason I bring all this crap up (I hear your toes tapping, how rude!) is because there is a U.S. highway that for most of its Canada to Mexico length is a desert road. That highway is U.S. 95, and at nowhere is 95 more at home than in good ol Nevada.
Some stats first:
Mileage in each state:
Arizona: 123
California: 130
Nevada: 647
Oregon: 123
Idaho: 538
Major Cities
Yuma
Henderson
Las Vegas
Is anyone seeing why this is the desert highway of desert highways? Of the 647 miles in Nevada, I'd guess that maybe 40 miles are in a town or city setting. 95 is a freeway from Boulder City to a few miles west of Indian Springs. Currently, the new Interstate 11 shares road with 95 from Boulder City to the Mt. Charleston exit, about 42 miles. The Las Vegas metro area is THE ONLY metro area that 95 services.
All right, let's get this tour started!
Arizona
U.S. 95 begins in San Luis at the Mexican border, then travels across the farrmlands of the lower Colorado River up to Yuma where it crosses Interstate 8. Yuma is sizeable enough to be considered a sort of major town for 95, even though it does not get freeway status. From Yuma, 95 enjoys some good empty and flat desert to Quartzite where it joins Interstate 10 into California...the road pavement equivalent of hitching a ride.
Interestingly enough, north of I 10 is where Arizona route 95 begins, traveling close to the Colorado River's eastern 'shores', servicing Parker Dam, Lake Havasu City, and the Colorado River Valley's unique comminuty, running almost 30 miles from just north of Needles to the northern end of Bullhead City.
California
In contrast to the flatness of Arizona, 95 in California takes on more curves and hills. From Interstate 10 in Blythe, 95 winds along the Colorado River's western region, passing a few desert resorts along the way, traveling 86 miles to Needles, where it meets some remnants of old Route 66.
A short note about Needles: it is a desert town in all respects, from old and low buildings to smokers with missing teeth and a faraway look in their eyes. I say this because many people envision Las Vegas as the desert. Las Vegas is is giant desert OASIS, much like Phoenix.
In Needles, 95 hooks up with Interstate 40 (as does classic 66 albeit silently) for a 10 mile stretch before going on its own...well, 66 does follow for a few miles before going off on its own decades old journey. After many miles of less than pleasant roadway (CALTRANS apparently does not think of 95 as a priority), 95 enters...
Nevada
It also gets better quality road and a divided highway status for a while. Just 2 miles inside of Nevada is the turnoff for Nevada 163, a nice divided highway taking travelers the 19 miles to Laughlin...I know this highway well!
After that turnoff, 95 gets a 75mph status for about 19 miles except for the tiny town of Cal-Nev-Ari. After a mile long 25mph speed trap called Searchlight, 95 resumes its expressway status for 35 miles, passing several solar farms, to meet Interstate 11 and U.S. 93 just west of Boulder City...and here the Las Vegas 'fun' begins. After crossing Railroad Pass, travelers get a wide shot of the Las Vegas Strip even though it is about 20 miles away. It is a freeway for sure, but it is often congested in many places. After intersecting Interstate 15, 95 continues into the western Vegas burbs, going west and then curving north and then later northwest after Rancho Drive merges with 95. After passing through the Centennial and Skye Canyon areas and providing access to Mt. Charleston via NV 157 (this was once an at-grade turnoff but is now a full freeway exit), the 95 freeway sheds I 11 (for now) and re-entered the real desert, taking an often westbound direction for several miles.
Passing Indian Springs and Creech AFB, 95 soon enters Nevada's largest county (Nye) and is again reduced to 2 lanes for the first time since leaving California. Soon, 95 enters the Amargosa Valley and provides a few access points to Death Valley on its way to Beatty, a town that is over 100 miles from Las Vegas, and the next town of note is Tonopah, which is 93 miles from Beatty! That is how it is in the desert, so travelers need to plan their gas stops strategicallh.
In Tonopah, U.S. 95 meets U.S. 6 and they travel together for 40 miles until 95 gets tired of 6's whining and turns off to head to Hawthorne, an oddly-placed hamlet that was once home to a piece of Cold War ammunition plant history...ah those were the days!
After Hawthorne, 95 traveles along Walker Lake, a beautiful but oddly placed waterway. After Walker Lake, there is a turnoff for 95A, which provides access to Yerington before heading north to meet I 80 in Fernley. 95 continues north for 39 miles to Fallon, the current home of Top Gun (is Kenny Loggins in your head?). From there, 95 is back in the desert for several miles before meeting Interstate 80 and joining it to Winnemuca, where 95 heads back north 73 miles to McDermitt, a typical Nevada state line town with some gaming.
Oregon
95 is all high desert through its 1-county (Malheur) march through Oregon with little to no services for 123 miles. As with almost all desert roads, there is some nice scenery here if your mind is in it. Otherwise, feel grateful that Oregon raised its speed limit from 55 to 70 a few years ago. There are some small services in Jordan Valley, otherwise a nice quiet and hopefully clear desert drive.
Idaho
At well over 500 miles, Idaho contains a good chunk of U.S. 95. The funny thing is that 95 doesn't go through anything big in terms of towns. It gives mileage for Boise but other roads go there. Near Marsing, 95 enters agricultural regions served by the Snake River. Near Parma, 95 is joined by U.S> 20 and 26 for a few miles before they exit into Oregon. 95 then intersect sI 84 and U.S. 30 in Payette.
The next city that 95 shows mileage for is Lewiston, which is well over 200 miles away...and like Boise, 95 doesn't go into Lewiston, either. Same with Moscow. 95 does get a good-sized town at last in Coeur D'alene, but still skirts the center of Sandpoint but does get to cross thorugh Bonner's Ferry before ending at the Canadian Border in a forested region.
In fact, as 95 gets futher north in Idaho, the deserts give way to lush greenery and mountainous areas and beautiful lakes. This can't be the same 95 that had absolutely no shade in Arizona! Oh, but yes it is...it is almost like 95 got put into a swank retirement home after years of hard labor.
U.S. 95 has a little of everything, though very little city. However, that is part of its charm, like other highways in the country...built to serve the smaller towns and the vast nothingness that lies between them.
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