20 min. video tour of Soda Lake Fallon, Nevada

20 min. video tour of Soda Lake Fallon, Nevada

How to get there and what is their once you get there.

The Blue damselfly ( dragonfly) invasion of Soda Lake

The Blue Damselflies of Soda Lake

At this time of year Soda Lake is invaded by dragonflies and damselflies. This year has been an especially wondrous year for Soda Lake. The damselfly population has exploded this year with blue damselflies in the millions. Like clouds of blue fairies they gather at the shoreline and rise into the air as you walk along the edge of the lake. As they make love in the tall grass mating pairs of damselflies form the shape of a heart. This must truly be where the idea for the symbol of love came from. As my dog Tigra plays along the water I cannot help but think of a time when I was young and innocent. And for a moment the troubles of the world melted away as I walked through the blue clouds of Soda Lake.

Lake Lahontan

On such a warm day even with Lake  Lahontan only being half full boaters and fishermen alike are taking advantage of what little water there is. Even with water coming in from the Truckee River the lake is still not even half full. This is a service fee area. With the government racing service fees everywhere I can't really see too many people taking advantage of the lake unless they have the extra money to spend.

welcome water fountains of Fallon Nevada

Welcome to Fallon Nevada

This is the William Street welcome to Fallon Nevada water fountain. It has a beautiful water fountain that runs the length of it. Two park benches face the street so you can watch the cars go by instead of the water fountain. There is no real access from the Walmart side.

The Taylor Street fountain 

This fountain has no access and can only be seen while driving by.

these two fountains pose the following question.

1.  Did the American taxpayer get their monies worth when the city spent close to a quarter million dollars on fountains that you really can't get close enough to enjoy?
2. If it was grant money, is it not still taxpayer dollars and why did the public not have any input as to how the money was to be spent or who got the contracts to build it?
3. If it's designed to entice new business, does it give the false impression that Fallon has water to spare?
4. With the city having trouble maintaining the parks that it has, how much money will go into maintaining these fountains?
5. Could the money have been spent more wisely elsewhere, such as Laura Mills Park or Oaks Park which are in dire need of repair and upkeep? 

    The city of Fallon should really focus on maintaining what it already has.  In an effort to save money the city cut back on its work staff. Local charities attempted to assist the city in making improvements to the local parks to no avail. In one instance several thousand dollars was invested in reseeding the lawn in the Laura Mills Park. Only to find out later that Park maintenance had failed to keep the lawn watered and allowed it to die once again. This begs the question; with an already strained work staff will the city be able to maintain these fountains or will the city parks suffer further neglect due to the additional workload? And with the additional expense of maintaining these waterfalls, will the city make further cutbacks on the city's usable parks?

Sand Mountain

Sand Mountain

    As a kid I remember going here spending the day playing in the sand and coming home spending the next week getting sand out of places I didn't know I had. I always wondered if everyone came home with sand in thier britches how long before there would be no mountain? I guess thats why they now charge a service fee(to replace all sand people take home). Actually over the years there have been so many accidents and so many ATVs going in areas they shouldn't, it became necessary. In my day if someone got hurt there was no phone to call for help and difficult to get to someone hurt, as there were no paved roads.

    Sand Mountain is an area well-known to ATV enthusiasts from all over the world. There is now a paved road all the way to the base of the mountain where you will find amenities such as restrooms and limited camping. Watch for speed DIPS and it is a service fee area. For further information:

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field/blm_programs/recreation/sand_mountain.html

They do not offer day passes, only weekly or by the year. $40 per week and $90 per year. As to why they do not offer a day pass it is better to go thier web site above and read it for your self.

There are other things you can do that don't cost such as one of the side trails that leads to an old Pony Express Station.

Very educational.

Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge

Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge

Of all the places near Fallon, Nevada Stillwater is my favorite place to go. Just 18 miles east of Fallon is a place where you can find more wildlife than you can shake a stick at. The last mile is dirt road, but well maintained. Here you will find an elivated viewing area with wheelchair access, and restrooms.

There is also an auto touring loop (maintained dirt road) that loops around one of the marsh areas. There are self guided tours with well marked trails. Some of my best selling photos have been taken here.

I suggest that you aproch the area slowly so as not to scare off the wild life more than need be. Some things you might want to bring with you are as follows.

1. Plenty of drinking water.
2. It is a marsh so plenty of bug spray.
3. shade, like a big hat or umbrela.
4. spotting scope, binoculars or camera with telephoto lens.
5. cellphone in case of emergency
The larger animals and birds will try to maintain thier distance, but if you are patient and quite they will sometimes get quite close. Early morning is the best time as the animals like to avoid the heat as much as you do. Don't be in a hurry to get from point A to point B, many of the animal you come across will be unexpected. If you are moving to fast your likely to miss them all together.

Some of the most interesting critters are very small and although driving is required to get to some places, walking is best.



damsilfly






Giant wasp

Be aware of your surroundings, watch where you are walking. I have never come across rattle snakes but I have seen black widow spiders in bushes. If you come across a snake, do not kill it. Nine times out of ten its a bull snake (non-poison) and all snakes are part of nature. Avoid the snake if you can and only kill a snake if you must A.K.A(it bites you and the doctor needs to know what kind of snake bit you.) As I said before bug spray is a good idea, not just for mosquitoes, but for ticks and other biting insects. Try not to brush up against bushes to avoid ticks and when your done visiting, check each other for ticks. If you bring your dog with you, a flea and tick collar is a must. 



Tick infested jack rabbit

Churchill County Museum

Churchill County Museum

In our latest quest for things to do in Fallon, Nevada, we vist the Churchill County Museum . One of the few things in life that is still free, but they do take donation. Of all the museums in the state of Nevada , the Churchill County Museum has always impressed me.  

Many of the local families have donated to this Museum, including my own family. The museum covers a great many subjects and there's sure to be something of interest for everyone. From prehistoric fossils to

    Churchill County's early history can be found in this Museum. It is visited by people from all over the world and includes periodic tours to outlying places such as hidden caves and downtown walking tours . Located at 1050 South Maine Street in Fallon, Nevada.  Museum hours are Monday through Friday 10 AM to 5 PM closed Sunday and holidays. For further information  you can visit http://www.ccmuseum.org/ or call 775-423 - 3677 to get current hours and information on events and tours.

    And while you are there don't forget to check out the woolly mammoth bones that my uncle Alvin found by Lake Lahontan.