Remembering the ”Shoe Tree.”

The “Shoe Tree” on Highway 50 was a familiar landmark, a 70-foot cottonwood filled with dangling shoes, boots, and sneakers that served as a popular stopping point for travelers along Highway 50 in northern Nevada. The tree was cut down by vandals sometime around New Year’s Eve. A Shoe Tree Memorial is planned for Sunday, February 13, from 2:30 to 5:30. It’s open to the public, so please attend and say goodbye. A plaque is also being made. For more information visit

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Middlegate-Shoe-Tree-Rest-in-Peace/115693988503362?ref=ts

Here’s the story of Nevada’s Shoe Tree:

According to Rus Stevenson, who operates the nearby Middlegate Station Bar, located about 110 miles east of Reno, the tale of the Old Shoe Tree dates to the early 1990s. A young couple had been married in Colorado and was heading toward California. As they drove across Nevada, they began to argue. Finally, the husband pulled over to the side of the road, under the big cottonwood, and left his new bride there to cool off while he drove to the Middlegate Station for a beer. After tossing back a brew, he returned to the tree and found his wife still hopping mad. In response, he grabbed a pair of her shoes and tossed them into the tree, then headed back to the bar for another beer. After another half-hour or so, he returned to his wife. This time, they managed to patch-up their differences. Unfortunately, he found he couldn’t get her shoes out the tree and they drove off, leaving the footwear hanging from a branch. Over time, others saw the shoes in the tree and began tossing old pairs into its branches. And thus, the legend of the Old Shoe Tree was born.

It's that magical time of year in Austin

It’s that time again! The 15^th Annual Austin Live Nativity will be held tonight at 6:PM at the Austin Clinic parking area. Afterwards, there will be a Turkey Raffle at the Fire House with hot chocolate and cookies—everyone’s favorite! This is the kickoff for the Christmas season in Austin and it should be a white one.

There will also be a Santa's Village in Kingston from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM on December 19th. This event is hosted by the Kingston Volunteer Fire Department. Every child from ages 1 through 17 will get a present and a picture with Santa Claus. Please contact Shannon at 964-2120 with gender and ages of children you will be bringing to visit Santa. Goodies will be served!

For more information about this year's Austin Christmas festivities, contact the Austin Chamber of Commerce from 9:am-Noon, Monday through Friday at 775-964-2200.

State Route 722 offers some excellent scenery

First off, always check road conditions during the winter months in Nevada! If all looks good weather-wise, State Route 722 is a beautiful drive with great views of snow-covered peaks.

722 veers off of US Highway 50 near the roadhouse at Middlegate. It then crosses two summits: Eastgate at 5,110 feet, and Carroll Summit at 7,492 feet. It reunites with US Highway 50 just west of Austin. The highway is the old route of US Highway 50 and previously the Lincoln Highway. The US 50 designation was removed in favor of the new route that traverses the Desatoya Mountains via New Pass Summit, which is 1,100 feet lower with easier inclines on both sides.

For photos and a virtual tour of State Route 722, visit http://austinnevada.com/Highway-722-photography.html.

Holloween spirits walk the streets of Austin!

If you visit the old mining town of Austin during Halloween, you might just conjure up ghosts and memories of years past. Walking our streets, and visiting the many historic buildings, you’re sure to feel a strong presence of the Old West. And at night, you might want to experience some different spirits at one of the oldest hotel in Nevada. The International Hotel was first built in Virginia City in 1859, and parts of it were moved to Austin in 1863. It still serves meals and drinks but does not rent out rooms (there’s a motel across the street.) Halloween night at an authentic Old West Hotel in Austin Nevada—does it get any scarier?! To learn more about Austin Nevada and the International Hotel, visit http://austinnevada.com/index.html or http://austinnevada.com/international_hotel_is_the_o.dwt

A change of season, a change of color

Fall in Austin signals the end of warm days and the first snowfalls of winter. In town, the trees turn color and paint the streets in swatches of bright yellow. This is a great time of year to pack up your camera equipment and visit Austin. The surrounding mountains offer adventurers spectacular fall color, and small groves can be discovered along many canyons and sidehills. For panoramic vistas, travelers can also visit Arc Dome, Alta Toquima, and Table Mountain Wilderness Areas. Hikers can enjoy many great trails along Kingston Canyon or explore the Toiyabe Crest Trail in the Toiyabe Range. Please remember to always check the weather reports, as the weather can turn quickly this time of year. For more information on these areas, visit http://austinnevada.com/wilderness.html or stop by the visitors’ center and ask where you can view the best fall foliage.

Restoration continues at historic St. Augustine’s Catholic Church

The historic photo on the left shows how St. Augustine’s used to look (click to enlarge.) The church is now in the process of restoration, and will eventually house a cultural and arts center for the communities of Austin and Central Nevada. Activities at the cultural center will include artist workshops, historic presentations and dramas, docent tours, local art shows, music presentations, and permanent collections and exhibits of Austin and central Nevada. St. Augustine’s is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Nevada Register of Historic Places, and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Donations are gratefully accepted to help save this wonderful structure and piece of history. To learn more about historical Austin, visit http://austinnevada.com/history.html

The famous old Gridley Store still stands tall

The old Gridley Store is still a famous landmark in Austin. Owner R.C. Gridley, upon losing an 1864 election bet, carried a 50-pound bag of flour up through town to the tune of "John Brown's Body." While post-race libations flowed in the local hotspots, the sack of flour made the rounds at auction. Auctioned many times, it raised $6,000 for the Sanitary Commission, the Civil War precursor of the Red Cross. Other towns challenged Austin and the sack of flour toured the country. Its repeated auctions raised $275,000 for the cause to help battlefield casualties. Traveling around the country ruined Gridley's health, and when he returned to Austin, he found the mine played out and his store close to bankruptcy. Two years later Gridley and his wife and four children were living in poverty in Stockton, CA. Upon learning of Gridley's plight, newspaper editors in California and Nevada raised $1,400 to buy him a house and small farm, but Gridley's health continued to decline. He died in 1870 at the age of 41.

Today, Gridley Store is marked by Nevada Historical Marker 119. For more information about the old Gridley Store, visit austinnevada.com. For photos of the store, go to visit the Gridley photo album on the Austin Flickr page.

American Indian rock art comes alive at Toquima Cave

Located just outside Austin, Toquima Cave is a great archaeological site that contains prehistoric pictographs, which are painted symbols, designs, and patterns. To get to the cave, travel about 14 miles east of Austin on U.S. 50 to the point where it intersects with State Route 376 (the road to Tonopah). Turn south on 376, then after about a tenth of a mile, take an immediate left onto a dirt road that’s marked by an historical marker for Toquima Cave. (“Hot” tip: on your way there, you might want to take a dunk at Spencer Hot Springs.) Continue for about 15 miles across the valley and head into the mountains. At a place known as Pete’s Summit, you’ll reach the Toquima Caves Campground. The campground is marked with large forest service signs. Park near the campgrounds, then hike about a quarter of a mile on a marked trail to the cave.

For more information about Toquima Cave and American Indian rock art, visit austinnevada.com/trail.html

A walk along Main Street, Austin

Summer along Main Street is one of the best times to enjoy the small town atmosphere of Austin. The shopkeepers are friendly and always willing to help visitors find their way around town. A walk through this historic town and visiting its many shops makes for a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Austin was a very prosperous mining town in the 1800s, so there are a lot of stories hidden within the walls of its buildings. If you travel Highway 50 this summer, make sure to stop and enjoy this quaint Main Street with its numerous historical landmarks. For information about the town and all of its Main Street shops, visit the Chamber of Commerce that is located at the courthouse.

Learn more about Main Street in Austin at AustinNevada.com

Visiting Stokes Castle

To get a real taste of summertime in Nevada, take a trip to see Stokes Castle and the surrounding country—just like the Stokes family did over one-hundred years ago! This unique three-story stone tower is located just outside of town and offers a spectacular view.

Construction of the castle began in the fall of 1896 and the building was completed in June, 1897, by Anson Phelps Stokes, mine developer, railroad magnate and member of a prominent eastern family. It was built as a summer home for his sons, principally J.G. Phelps. After the castle (or the tower, as the Stokes family always referred to it) was completed, it was used by the family for one brief period in June and July, 1897. Since then, with one possible exception, the structure has remained unoccupied.

Stokes Castle is made of native granite, hewn and put in place by the ancestors of people that still live in Austin. The huge stones were raised with a hand-winch and held in position by rock wedging and clay mortar. The architectural model for the castle was a medieval tower Anson Stokes had seen and admired on an Italian campagna, near Rome. It originally had three floors, each with a fireplace, plate glass view windows, balconies on the second and third floors, and a battlemented terrace on the roof. It had plumbing very adequate for the times and was sumptuously furnished. The structure stands as an abiding monument to the local men who built it and to those who helped develop the mines of Austin.

Learn more about the history of Austin at austinnevada.com/history

Summer mountain biking is here!

If you want to experience some great Nevada mountain biking this summer, plan a trip to Austin, Nevada. There are trails for people just passing through the area as well as longer more technical rides. The rocky, brush-covered hillsides surrounding this historic mining town is a playground for mountain bikers of all levels. Riding the famous Pony Express Trail is a “must do” for any serious mountain biker.

For spectacular scenery, try one of the many routes in the nearby Toiyabe Mountain Range. The Toiyabe Range begins in northwestern Nye County north of Tonopah and runs approximately 120 miles northeast through eastern Lander County, making it the second longest range in the state. The highest point near its southern end is Arc Dome at 11,788 feet.

Some of the rides around Austin include the Castle Loop, Cahill Canyon Run, Bob Scott Slide, Gold Venture Loop, Crest Cut-off, and the Pony Canyon Down Hill Trail.

To learn more about mountain biking around Austin, visit AustinNevada.com

It’s a great time to relax in Spencer Hot Springs

Need to warm up and melt away your worries? Spencer Hot springs, near Austin Nevada, is a great place to sooth the aches and pains after a day of hiking, riding, or the daily grind. Spencer is a cluster of natural springs on unimproved public land and the largest pool has water of about 140 degrees flowing into a concrete tub.

Spencer Hot Springs is located off SR376, just east of the junction to Highway 50. Watch for the turn-off between mile markers 17 and 18 on 376, take the dirt road approximately 10 miles. The Springs are to your left. There’s no fresh water, restrooms, or amenities so you have to rough it—and that adds to the experience! Make sure to always test the water before you jump in. Hot springs can change temperature without notice so always keep an eye on children.

For more information, visit http://austinnevada.com/trail.html.