February 25th, 2024 Part One - The Desert Bar

The Nellie E. Saloon, commonly known as the Desert Bar, was our main destination today.  We have not been there in well over 10 years and decided to take a drive out to see the changes, grab a bite to eat, and listen to some music.

A little history:

"Ken Coughlin, founder of this saloon, built the Desert Bar at the site of an old copper mining camp in 1975. Although all remnants of the original camp are gone, its spirit lives; its parking lot is located directly on the site where the mining camp once stood. At first, the saloon was a three-sided enclosed room, not much bigger than a small storage shed. Today, while maintaining its Old West character, Coughlin has expanded it substantially.

The inside of the saloon now boasts many vintage and one-of-a-kind features. Its windows are made out of old glass refrigerator doors, the bar stools are hand welded steel, and the ceiling is made of stamped tin. The saloon's electrical supply is solar power. It's cooled by a cooling tower that works like a swamp cooler without a fan. (By wetting the pads on top, cool air falls, creating a refreshing airflow.) The saloon also has horseshoe pits and a bridge to get from the parking lot to the saloon. A stage for live music is up from October through March (approximately) on Saturdays and Sundays, 12pm-6pm, depending on the weather.

Another novelty stands outside of the saloon -- what appears to be a "church" rises from the desert floor, reflecting sunlight from the well-aged patina of its copper roof. However, upon closer inspection one learns the church is more of a façade than an actual structure. There is no inside area. Constructed of solid steel with walls and ceilings made from stamped tin, plaques in the church bear the names of people who donated money to help build it, but no actual services are held here. It simply provides a picture perfect backdrop with "Old West" appeal."

(Although there are no church services, there have been many weddings performed here.)

To get there, we had to leave US-95 and travel 5 miles on a dirt road.  The scenery is spectacular but sadly, the pictures do not show it.

There are many mines in the area but only a few are active.  This is one of them:

This road must have been sliding down the mountain so it was shored up by rock walls:

The scenery continued:

We stopped at a kiosk along the road that gave some information on the road and area.  At the end of the Nellie Mine Road is the Desert Bar:

Yikees!

Here we are waiting for the ATVs and the dust to pass us:

We have arrived!  All those solar panels are powering the bar:

The entrance:

The beautiful church:

And the scenery - WOW!

We were amazed at how much it has changed.  It has almost doubled.  Many of the seating areas are now paved - they were dirt before.

There are now two grill restaurants and two bars.  (Plus they added another restroom.) The second grill and restrooms are on the left in this picture:

Notice all the seating:

The second grill:

Looking down on the original restrooms - the ladies is on the left and built into the hill; the men's is in the center (theirs is a little more "open"):

The ladies - the stalls were welded metal:

Check out the sinks and the view from the ladies room - WOW!:

Great band!  We sat for quite a while listening to their music - mostly 60's and 70's  😁:

So much yard art here and there (if you know me, you know I just LOVE yard art):

The owner's house - all powered by solar:

Horse shoe art:

What a great place!   While researching some of the history I came across this picture of the very first Nellie B Saloon:

The last time I was here - this was the Desert Bar - lots of changes:

Years ago, you could only get a hamburger (with ABSOLUTELY NO CHEESE - LOL!).  Beer and soda was the only beverages served.  Now, with the second grill, there are lots of choices.  We had a Cheesesteak (okay) and garlic fries (OMG - Were they good!).  They were pricey so I did not even inquire on the drinks - they now have a full bar menu too.

What a great time!  Heading back to Parker:

Our day did not finish so stay tuned for Part Two!