From Silver Springs we head south on Highway 95 for almost a mile, then turn east on Fir Street, and on a short distance to the entrance of Lahontan State Recreational Area. There are a number of signs along the road that direct us right to the corrals of Lahontan Trails.

Our mounts are gentle enough to be well-mannered, but strong and spirited enough to make them a fun ride. The horseback riding at Lahontan offers some fun variations on the usual trail ride experience, such as galloping across open expanses of sand and the opportunity to cool ourselves off by riding straight into the waters of the reservoir.

After our ride, we return to Silver Springs and turn east on Highway 50 toward Fallon. During the 1800's travelers on the Emigrant Trail stopped and used the water and vegetation in this area to refresh themselves and their animals after enduring the Forty-Mile Desert. About 12 miles east of the city on Fallon on Highway 50 is Grimes Point petroglyph area, which incorporates an interpretive trail and picnic area. This valley was shaped by the waters of ancient Lake Lahontan. The indigenous peoples of this area relied on this lake for part of their livelihood and carving into the rocks and boulders of Grimes Point, which at that point was part of the shoreline.

We travel Highway 95 northwest to the junction of Interstate 80 and drive the remaining 20 miles to Lovelock. The Lovelock area was known as Big Meadows before George Lovelock built a stage station here in 1862. A few years later, the Central Pacific Railroad built a depot here and named it for Lovelock. Today, the town has close to three thousand residents and very active farming and ranching industries.

On day two of our trip, we head south of town to Lovelock Cave. From town, the drive is about 22 miles along the Lovelock Cave Back Country Byway. The cave is one of the state's most significant archaeological digs, yielding a variety of Native American artifacts including 2000 year old duck decoys.

After exploring the cave, we drive back into Lovelock and then return briefly to Interstate 80. We exit onto the Oreana/Rochester exit. After a few miles we follow Emerald Canyon Road, which would take us to to the ghost town of Unionville, but today we are headed for Fossil Hill. At a turnoff, we leave the van here — we'll definitely need four-wheel drive where we're going.

We reached Fossil Hill and begin scouring the hillside for fossils, reminders of ancient Lake Lahontan (reminders of when oceans covered the state and dinosaurs roamed in Utah and elsewhere).