The last 2 times we were in Vegas, we drove up to Reno, using this route. My husband thinks it's about 1/2 hour faster than taking 95 all the way.

Vegas to Reno: 95 to Tonopah to 6/95, stay on 6. Go through Coaldale (a name, nothing else), through Basalt and Mount Montgomery (past the closed Soper's Montgomery Pass lodge). Cross into California, and pick up 120 over to 395. Take 395 north, and (once you're back in Nevada) you'll go through Topaz Lake, Gardnerville (Sharkeys), Minden and Carson City. We left Vegas at 5:30 a.m., I think it was about 3:00 that we arrived in Reno.....we stopped at Sharkeys, Topaz Lake, Tonopah Station, and some antique shops along the way. Keep your eyes open when you pass through Beatty and you'll see the "Free Parking" archway from the Last Frontier Village....and it still has the Silver Slipper logo on it!!

The part of the drive that is in California will take you through part of the Inyo National Forest, past Mono Lake, Toiyabe National forest, and the Sierra Nevada range. It's a beautiful drive!

I know you're going the opposite direction, but you get the idea, anyway! Have fun and take pictures!

Oh yeah....there's a pretty long stretch that has no gas stations!! The first time we took this route we didn't fill up with gas in Tonopah...might have had a little problem, except we met up with a fellow traveller who carried an emergency can of gas on his horse trailer!! There are good samaratins, if you're lucky enough to find one!! (I think we filled up in Lee Vining...but that isn't on the map that I have with me right now)