By Mel Shields, Sacramento Bee

How about planning a special holiday trip on an old-fashioned train? Ely, Nev., the home of the Nevada Northern Railway Museum, offers excursions every weekend on a steam train and even gives you the opportunity to operate one.

Eastern Nevada is an undiscovered joy, especially in the fall. It is a land of ranches and communities the interstate has passed by. Elko is its most populous city, but Ely is one of its most historic, having been built along the Pony Express route and the Central Overland Trail. It’s the seat of White Pine County and close to Great Basin National Park. It’s the location of the historic Hotel Nevada, built in 1929, where it is still possible to stay and dine.

The town itself is packed with outdoor sculptures and murals. It’s a bustling little city of slightly more than 4,000 people. It is also the birthplace of Pat Nixon, the late first lady.

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