The Weird Weird West road trip

Summary

• The 908-mile drive from Seattle to Nevada takes approximately 16 hours and follows multiple scenic routes through Oregon and Idaho via Interstate highways.
• This road trip features 13 unique stops showcasing quirky roadside attractions and natural landmarks, from Gas Works Park in Seattle to the Atomic Survival Town in Nevada.
• The journey culminates at The Republic of Molossia, a self-proclaimed micronation near Dayton, Nevada, making it an unusual and memorable endpoint for the West Coast adventure.

The drive from Seattle to Nevada

The drive from Seattle, WA, to Nevada takes around 16 hours with a total distance of around 908 miles.

Via I-84:This is the fastest route via places like Yakima in Washington, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Oregon and Idaho, Boise in Idaho, and Elko in Nevada – this takes about 16 hours to drive the 900 or so miles.

Via I-5 South: Another route goes through Wendell via the I-84 near Glenns Ferry and Twin Falls in Idaho, then via Jackpot, Wells and McGill in Nevada. This takes about 17.5 hours to drive the 1000 or so miles.

Via I-84 East and US-93 South: The route is around 16 hours, going past attractions including Mount Hood National Forest, Warm Springs Reservation, Redmond, Burns, and Malheur National Forest in Oregon. Then Orovada, Golconda, Valmy, Battle Mountain, and Austin in Nevada.

*Tolls are not likely on these routes.

Starting point: Stop 1: Gas Works Park

2101 North Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103
Gas Works Park is a former coal plant that has been turned into a beautiful green space that retains most of its distinctive industrial features and has been made safe via various eco-friendly additions to the soil. Landscape architect Richard Haag designed Gas Works Park to transform Seattle's polluted 1906-1956 gasification plant into a pioneering post-industrial park by preserving industrial structures and using bioremediation, opening to the public in 1973-1976.

This hidden gem overlooks Lake Union, on the edge of the freaky Fremont neighbourhood, which is home to the huge Fremont Troll sculpture and a statue of Lenin, among other curiosities. Now the park is open for concerts, games or just a good stroll around the old Gas Works perimeter to enjoy some seriously quirky architecture.

Rent a car in Seattle to start the journey. An SUV could be great for carrying people and luggage alike with its roomy boot space.

Stop 2: Ye Olde Curiosity Shop

Pier 54, 1001 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98104

Ye Olde Curiosity Shop displays a large variety of items from many cultures and countries collected over the last century. It’s one of the most unusual things to do in Seattle, described by a local newspaper in 1927 as “the world boiled down”. It opened its doors in 1899 and has since welcomed more than a million visitors every year.

Taking pride of place in the shop is Sylvester the mummy, thought to be one of the best-preserved human bodies in the world. It’s located downtown, with the Hertz 8^th Avenue location close by – A Chevrolet is a popular choice of rental car at this location.

Stop 3: Mount Tabor

SE 60th Avenue and Salmon Street, Portland, OR 97215

Mount Tabor is an “urban volcano” – a 194-meter-high extinct volcanic cinder cone located in southeast Portland, Oregon, extinct for over 300,000 years. In the spirit of Keeping Portland Weird, it’s one of the few in the United States and has been turned into a forested park.

The journey to the top comes complete with hiking trails of various difficulties – and many scenic stops for picnics – up and around the cone. At the summit, the 176-acre Mount Tabor Park includes playing courts for basketball and tennis, as well as some fantastic views of the city below. The nearest Hertz location is South East Stark Street, with Kias being one of the most popular rental choices here.

Stop 4: Lava River Cave

Lava River Cave in Oregon is the site of a volcanic eruption that happened 80,000 years ago. More than 5,000 feet long, it curves its way beneath Deschutes National Forest. It’s located 12 miles south of Bend, Oregon. Use the nearby Lava Lands Visitor Center (58201 South Highway 97, Bend, OR 97707) as a reference point. Or exit Highway 97 at 151/Cottonwood Road, turn left through the underpass, and follow signs to Lava River Cave (one mile on your left). Take a trip there to see some of the Beaver State’s most beautiful natural features.

A guided tour takes you a mile deep into the cave to explore its innermost secrets – and the beach-like conditions at the bottom where the steady trickles of sand collect at its lowest point. This is not to be confused with Lava River Cave in Flagstaff, Arizona – that’s a different place. The nearest Hertz pick up location to Lava River Cave is Roberts Field Airport HLE, with Buicks being a popular rental here.

Stop 5: Shasta-Trinity National Forest

3644 Avtech Parkway, Redding, CA 96002

Shasta-Trinity National Forest is the largest national forest in California, covering 2.2 million acres of rugged wilderness, mountain lakes and rivers. These include the majestic 14,179-foot Mount Shasta and the expansive Shasta Lake – the largest lake in the Golden State.

The National Forest is an ideal destination for getting away from the weirdness – for a little while. And although the California climes may not seem like the place for a spot of cross-country skiing, the peaks of Mount Shasta offer just that. In the warmer weather, Lake Shasta provides an ideal getaway, with boating and fishing available alongside some lakeside lazing. The nearest Hertz locations are in Redding - at Redding - Market Street HLE and Redding Municipal Airport, and Fords are a popular rental choice at those pick-up points.

Stop 6: The Wave Organ

83 Marina Green Drive, San Francisco, CA 94123

The Wave Organ in San Francisco is a wave-activated acoustic sculpture located on a marina jetty, featuring 25 pipes that produce haunting, gurgling sounds as the incoming bay waves hit a set of PVC pipes. Engineered by maverick Peter Richards and installed in 1986 with the help of George Gonzales.

Time and tide have lessened the volume and pitch, but the sound is nonetheless still distinctive – and a hidden gem of the San Fran scene. Hertz locations in central San Francisco include Ellis Street and Beach Street, with San Francisco International Airport (SFO) 22 minutes away, in just over a 13-mile drive. Chevrolets and Fords are popular cars to rent here.

Stop 7: Griffith Observatory Tesla Coil

2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027

The Griffith Observatory Tesla Coil is an iconic, historic exhibit that demonstrates high-voltage electrical principles by producing dramatic, lightning-like, and noisy arcs of electricity. Dr Frederick Finch Strong donated most of the components of his working Tesla coil to the city.

To this day it remains one of the most popular displays at the remarkable Griffith Observatory, with 85 million people visiting since its opening in 1935. Nikola Tesla originally conceived the coil to test his theories about electricity and how it travels – today, tinkerers and other science enthusiasts gather to watch its hourly demonstrations at this West Coast travel itinerary staple. The closest Hertz location is Glendale - South Brand Boulevard, with Peugeots being in demand here.

Stop 8: The Echo Park Time Travel Mart

1714 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026

The Echo Park Time Travel Mart is a parody, tongue-in-cheek supermarket offering an eclectic selection of time travel-themed goods like dinosaur eggs and instant emotions. ‘Whenever you are, we're already then’ – that’s the slogan of this chrono-centric store which sells trinkets from time periods in the past, present and future.

The Time Travel Mart forms part of a national non-profit organisation with a chain of unique stores, with the proceeds going towards child literacy programmes. By shopping here, you’re not only helping the kids, but can pick up some neat merchandise too – the Michael Jordan Pogs alone are worth the trip. The nearest Hertz location is the Westin Bonaventure, with Chevrolets proving popular here.

Stop 9: McDonald’s Museum

1398 North East Street, San Bernardino, CA 92405

The McDonald’s Museum is where the first restaurant in the global chain was founded in 1940, which has since been transformed into the first original McDonald’s museum. It celebrates all things fast-foody – not surprising given its status as the place where it all began.

There’s a huge collection of merchandise, including decades’ worth of Happy Meal toys displayed in glass cases. Another highlight of the guided tour is the original 1940s menus being displayed – alongside its more recognisable options, the original branch used to offer barbecued beef and hot tamales. The Hertz San Bernardino - Camino Real is the closest rental spot, with Chevrolets being a frequently rented vehicle here.

Stop 9: McDonald’s Museum

1398 North East Street, San Bernardino, CA 92405

The McDonald’s Museum is where the first restaurant in the global chain was founded in 1940, which has since been transformed into the first original McDonald’s museum. It celebrates all things fast-foody – not surprising given its status as the place where it all began.

There’s a huge collection of merchandise, including decades’ worth of Happy Meal toys displayed in glass cases. Another highlight of the guided tour is the original 1940s menus being displayed – alongside its more recognisable options, the original branch used to offer barbecued beef and hot tamales. The Hertz San Bernardino - Camino Real is the closest rental spot, with Chevrolets being a frequently rented vehicle here.

Stop 10: Atomic Survival Town

Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

Atomic Survival Town is a secret underground Nevada Test Site tour of a secret city, complete with kitchens, laundries, storerooms, and an underground lake – built for the purpose of surviving an atomic blast. They set off 14 nuclear test explosions here in 1955 – a guided tour can now take you around these sites of devastation. It later became known as “Survival Town” and “Doom Town”.

As you pass through Nevada, you’ll find many roads leading to Las Vegas, but persist, and you’ll be rewarded with a walk around an area once used as an atomic testing site both above and below ground. Cameras are not permitted, and the lifting of rocks from the site is strictly prohibited – so no ‘souvenirs’. The nearest Hertz is the Neighborhood Location at North Rancho Drive. Nissans are well liked here.

Stop 11: International Car Forest of the Last Church

1111 East, Crystal Ave, Goldfield, NV 89013

The International Car Forest of the Last Church is an unusual roadside attraction filled with used cars in the Mojave Desert. It came about when two artists joined forces to sow their imaginative seed into the grounds of Goldfield – in the form of more than 40 dishevelled cars in various states of wreckage. With some half-buried in the ground and others stacked like toys, this surreal symbol was dubbed a ‘forest’ by its creators and attributed to a force more powerful than organised religion. The closest Hertz spot is Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), where you can rent a truck – ideal for the desert environment.

Stop 12: Clown Motel

521 Main Street, Tonopah, NV 89049

Clown Motel is a world-famous clown-themed haunted motel in Tonopah, Nevada – known as "America’s Scariest Motel." If you’ve ever fancied spending the night somewhere surrounded by clowns, then it’s just the place for you. From the moment you’re greeted in reception by a life-size clown-like mannequin, you know it’s going to be an unusual stay.

The rooms are bedecked in all manner of candy-stripe decorations and bizarre knick-knacks – but none of this seems to keep the customers away. It’s developed a cult appeal, even spawning a film in 2023 titled Curse of the Clown Motel. The nearest Hertz is Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), being just over 200 miles away.

Finish point: Stop 13: The Republic of Molossia

226 Mary Lane, Dayton, NV 89403

The Republic of Molossia is a famous, self-proclaimed micronation on an 11.3-acre desert plot near Dayton, Nevada. End your trip with a skirt around the edges of Yosemite, saving the best until last at this wonderfully bizarre end to the journey. It’s unusual because the “ruler”, aka actual landowner/President Kevin Baugh, considers this an actual nation – even though it’s not officially recognised.

He “founded” it in 1977, purchasing the land, with help along the way from childhood friend James Spielman. Interesting fact: The Republic of Molossia is officially at war with East Germany, a tongue-in-cheek fictional conflict declared in 1983. They claim it’s still ongoing – even though East Germany no longer officially exists.

Kevin offers guided tours of every corner of his nation, including Government House (his home) and the rest of Baughton (the capital city, and his garden). Other land purchased in the name of Molossia includes the Desert Homestead Province in California, a small patch of the Pacific Ocean, and Vesperia, 50,000 square miles on Venus. It takes roughly 45 minutes to drive to the Hertz Reno - Vassar Street, which is around 30 miles away. Fords are in high demand here.

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