I drove into Nevada from the north, leaving Twin Falls, ID and traveling a highway dotted only by sagebrush and an occasional miniscule town. I reached Wells, NV, early enough in the afternoon that it made sense to keep driving, so I checked my notes and headed for Nevada’s claim to non-desert: the Ruby Mountains.

After an odd response from an upscale ranch in the area (“We really only take guests we already know, or who know someone we already know…”) I stumbled across the Pine Lodge and Hotel Lamoille. Here hospitality was abundant, both from Pine Lodge, the restaurant, and Hotel Lamoille, a three room lodging establishment. And it was located just an easy twenty minute drive down State Route 227, south of Elko.

Formerly one business and now owned by two separate owners, the two sit side by side and make a convenient and comfortable stop for visitors to the strikingly scenic area. And with the soothing greenery of Lamoille and the hideaway ambiance of a very small town, it’s a good place to escape from the standard casino-studded cities along Interstate 80.

Under gray skies, I pulled into the driveway of Hotel Lamoille, a small structure with a western façade hiding a basic house in back, converted to hold three guest rooms. There was no response when I knocked on the front door, but a quick call to the hotel’s posted phone number brought a quick response. I was soon checked into Room 3, tucked around the back of the building. Cows grazed in a pasture behind the building and a field to the side stood ready for visits by local deer.

More a suite than just a room, I had a living room with couch and DirectTV, a bedroom with a quaint antique dresser and very comfortable bed and a private, newly-remodeled bath – all for a reasonable fee. Freshly painted and immaculately clean, it defied the somewhat funky image of the building from the outside. As an added plus, Pine Lodge was just next door, offering easy access to a hot meal. After a day on the road nibbling on snacks, I was ready for some real food.

Pine Lodge is housed in a cabin-style building with an interior resembling an old hunting lodge. Tables fill a room with an impressive stone fireplace, while booths line the back wall, each offering a large window view of a wildlife diorama, complete with aspens branches, brush and an assortment of taxidermy guests who would clearly not be stealing any bites of my dinner.

The restaurant offers a wide variety of steak and seafood entrees, but I chose an off-the-menu option of pasta with tomato and basil, served with a green salad and warm French bread. Entrees all come with a potato choice and vegetables – more than I needed. It was no surprise that I turned down dessert.

I slept well and, as promised, morning arrived with deer just outside. I startled a young buck by opening my door too quickly, but he soon returned to continue his morning munching on the nearby foliage. A light rain during the night had left the air crystal clear.

As for my own morning meal, I was graciously treated to breakfast by Marsha, Mike’s wife and co-owner of the Hotel Lamoille, at the other local eatery – there are just two in town and only one serves breakfast. The Bitter End Tavern – formerly, and still called, O’Carroll’s by locals - was clearly the center of town activity, with most customers sitting around the bar exchanging local tidbits of news. Marsha and I took a table and shared an omelette while she gave me printed historical and geological material on the area. Like Mike, she was a good ambassador for the area. I left breakfast ready to explore.

I made a couple stops before leaving the town of Lamoille. The first was to photograph the Little Church of the Crossroads, a century-old Presbyterian church at the end of the main street. Built in 1905, the impressive prairie style structure stood out amidst the more subdued buildings in town, resting against the area’s dramatic mountain backdrop.

A second stop took me inside The Gallery, an antique store and framing company owned and run by Marsha and Mike, my hosts from Hotel Lamoille. The fascinating shop held an eclectic assortment of refinished furniture, antique dolls, weathered western gear, old-fashioned prints, patchwork quilts and kitchen goods. A few minutes in front of Mike’s wood stove warmed my hands before I said my goodbyes and headed for the hills – literally.

Nestled in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the draw of the Ruby Mountains – known locally as “The Rubies” – is reason alone to visit Lamoille. The 13.5 mile drive into Lamoille Canyon offers up close views of granite cliffs, glacial formations, lush green vistas and stunning mountain peaks, all of which defy the standard notions of Nevada scenery.

I hit the Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway under almost mystical conditions. Fall foliage painted the lush, green landscape with splashes of bright yellow and gold, yet the twenty-three degree temperature I found as I climbed in altitude sent soft, white snowflakes down from the skies. Winds whipped through the canyon with frenzied force and I had to work a little to keep the car firmly on the road.

Easy access to the hiking makes Lamoille Canyon a popular destination for mountain enthusiasts. Hikes vary in length from the relatively easy round trip jaunt of around 3.5 miles to Island Lake, to journeying along the entire 42 mile Ruby Crest Trail. Regardless of the length and duration, any hike in the Ruby Mountains leads to breathtaking scenery.

Nevada doesn’t get much in the way of praise for scenic travel, creating a stereotyped image of the state as one vast, flat desert. Thankfully, my visit to Lamoille changed that image for me. When I think of mountain vistas in the future, I’ll still think of Taos, NM and Jackson Hole, WY, of Eureka Springs, AR and Gatlinburg, TN. But I’ll also think of Lamoille, NV. It’s just proof that there’s always something new to learn on the road.