The quirky, little-known US town that should a famous destination

“Only two men were killed the day I arrived,” reported a newcomer to Elko in 1869. Back then, this dusty settlement in north-east Nevada was a rough and ready cowboy town, newly accessible by the Central Pacific Railroad and gripped by gold rush fever. It had 45 bars and probably just as many brothels.

Today, people still come for gold (one of the northern hemisphere’s largest gold mines is nearby), but less so for iniquity. You’re also unlikely to be challenged to a gunfight for double-parking your horse.

I’m in Elko out of sheer curiosity. When I was deciding where to stop in Nevada while taking the California Zephyr Amtrak train from San Francisco to Chicago, my only criteria was that I wanted to go somewhere I knew nothing about.

Having spent two days here, I’m astonished that Elko isn’t more renowned. Thanks to an influx of Basque shepherds from the Pyrenees in the late 1800s, it offers an intriguing fusion of Western and Basque culture, plus it’s flanked by the stunningly scenic Ruby Mountains, an Alps-like explosion of soaring peaks and glacial valleys. The drive into Lamoille Canyon is especially spectacular.

It’s also endearingly quirky. The city centre is dotted with 36 colourful 1.8-metre-high cowboy boots, all decorated by local artists to celebrate Elko’s centennial in 2017. There are also more than 100 murals, ranging from photorealistic portraits to artworks celebrating the city’s cowboy, mining and railroad heritage.

The oddities continue in the Northeastern Nevada Museum, where alongside first editions by celebrated Western author Will James is a mountainside diorama of more than 180 stuffed animals, including lions, musk ox and polar bears. There are more surprises downstairs in the History Gallery, where it’s revealed that celebrated crooner Bing Crosby was such a fan of Elko that in 1948 he was made honorary mayor.

Although you’re more likely to spot a mining truck cruising through downtown than a cowboy on horseback, western culture is still celebrated at events like the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, where 6000 people descend on the city every January for a week of music, crafting and story-telling.

Elko also hosts the state’s oldest rodeo, the Silver State Stampede, in June, and it still has traditional outfitters like JM Capriola, a 96-year-old store that specialises in artisan leatherwork. When I drop in, Oscar is putting the finishing touches to a $US6000 ($8656) saddle. Originally from Mexico, he’s worked here for 45 years and proudly shows me a photo of the most expensive saddle he’s made – an elaborate custom commission that sold for $US40,000.

Basque culture is also alive and well. Many descendants still speak the region’s original dialect and the annual National Basque Festival in July is a high-spirited gathering with folk dancing, wood chopping and strength contests. The culture’s most enduring legacy is its hearty, family-style cuisine, which you can sample at several restaurants, including the Star Hotel and Toki Ona.

My visit to the Star Hotel begins with a Picon Punch, a knee-buckling concoction containing grenadine, brandy and Picon Amer bitters, followed by a buckle-straining platter of cabbage soup, spaghetti, Basque beans, French bread, pasta, slow-cooked beef and fries. It’s delicious, but having not spent the day mustering sheep, I can manage only half.

My final stop before re-boarding the train is the California Trail Interpretive Centre, an immersive museum that depicts the hardships endured by the 250,000 pioneers who attempted the gruelling 3200-kilometre westward trek in search of a better life.

It’s something I ponder later as I recline in my air-conditioned private roomette on the Zephyr, the Nevada high desert rushing past in a scenic blur outside. Transcontinental travel still has the same intoxicating allure as it did in the mid-1800s, but thankfully it’s now a hell of a lot easier.

THE DETAILS

TRAIN
Departing daily from San Francisco to Chicago (and vice-versa), the California Zephyr makes three stops in Nevada, including Elko. See amtrak.com

STAY
Located in the city centre, the Ramada Hotel at Stockmen’s Casino has spacious rooms from $US90 ($130) a night, breakfast included. See wyndhamhotels.com

FLY
Delta Air Lines flies to Elko via Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. See delta.com

The writer was a guest of Brand USA and Travel Nevada. See visittheusa.com.au; travelnevada.com