
	The day starts with rain, flat landscapes, and a wet road. Still beautiful, though.

and ... CASINOS!

Yep, because nowhere in the world is more crowded than Nevada with Casinos, slot machines, gambling devices, tingling sounds of falling coins and neon signs everywhere.
And in Casinos you can usually eat fairly well and reasonably cheap. 3 stars for Winners in Winnemucca, NV.

The desert is over, I suppose. We are getting in the SIerra Nevada.

And just before Reno, we saw trees! Real ones!

RENO, NEVADA

Got a quarter, pardner? Reno is not as widely known for its gambling as Las Vegas (and not so "beautiful" too) but nevertheless it is a pretty big gambling place.
Slot machines the main option. Everybody is "tink-a-ling-a-klink ..."
Coins and coins, and credit cards that vanish in the gamblers' accounts in Switzerland (or Caiman Islands?)

Here we 'invested' 3 dollars... Neon lights, colors, but no joy

...and lost them again, up to the last cent And do you think we resisted to the impulse of trying? Well ...

So please send money.
We're trapped in the motel.
If we do not pay the rent due by tomorrow at 11:00 AM, I will have to pawn the laptop ...

What is scary is that it is very similar to the Donner Party's itinerary (we have been fascinated by the story) Being finally at the border with California, we can try to make a point of the situation: 4,300 miles traveled, spent about a thousand dollars, seen (or crossed) 17 states, dead tired, lots of stuff to do, dirty laundry everywhere in the car ...