Nipton, California

Nipton, California.  Population under 50 . . . or fewer.  

Nipton, California.  In the middle of nowhere.  Borders the Mojave Wilderness area.  Used to be a place where cattle would be herded to be put on the train.  Now it is a virtual ghost town.

Currently, Nipton is the home of the Hotel Nipton, a cute little B&B with an awesome cactus garden in front, a general store, and the Whistlestop cafe.  We decided to eat there, and it was a great decision.  The homemade burgers satisfied more than most, and the homemade fries were well worth the wait!  We were able to visit with two park archaeologists from the Mojave Wilderness area, and their explanations of the fauna of the area made for greater enjoyment as we drove to Sandy.

While sitting at the picnic table (with seats so low, I thought I was going to fall down) we could also see the solar-powered generating station.  Thousands of mirrors are focused on a tower that is filled with salt.  As the salt melts, it sinks into the ground, heating the water that then creates steam that generates electricity.  It is a great application of solar energy, except that it is incredibly expensive.  And birds, bats, and other flying creatures can be vaporized flying through the 1000 degree plus heat near the towers.  I guess every technology has its downside, and this one has some big ones . . . but it was cool seeing it.

Someday, I think it would be fun to spend a night in the Nipton B&B.  It would be a different experience, but it would support the area . . . all good things!