Yesterday we drove about 5 miles up an old mining road to the Nellie E. Saloon (named after the original mining claim and also known as the Desert Bar). The Saloon in only open during the winter and only on weekends from noon to sunset. We had heard that it was a "must visit" but had no real idea what to expect. We arrived there about noon, which was a good idea because by the time we left a little after 1:30 the parking lot was full and people were still pouring in.

We have no idea where they could possibly park because there weren't that many spots left when we pulled out.

Some avoided the parking issue and simply arrived by helicopter or ATV.

The Saloon is a hodge-podge of indoor and outdoor spaces and it is all solar powered.

A live band started playing about 1:00 and that's when the place really started filling up. They must have a massive battery bank to power all the electrical equipment (including the band's amplifiers and electric instruments).

To get food you line up at the kitchen counter on the lower level. These characters in front of us are pretty typical for the Saloon and for the region in general. We like the bald spot showing through the back of the ball cap. 

We bought pulled-pork nachos and there was enough food for a crowd.

Most people were drinking mixed drinks but we opted for beer from there very limited selection (Coors, Bud and Miller).

There are old cars and trucks scattered everywhere and in the picture above the new foundation suggests expansion plans.

There is also a solid steel church (that is only about 4 or 5 feet deep) and they say "there are no services held in the church and all religions are welcome." Apparently one purpose for it is to host events such as weddings.

We must have found this place quirky enough be be of interest to us because we took a lot more pictures than we have at any other place we have visited this winter.

By the way, every single image we have posted on this blog this winter has been taken with our cell phones. We have yet to pull out and charge up our digital camera because there is simply no need.