The trip across the desert is a long single lane one minute 70 miles and the next 25. After 500 miles you have a numb bum. I could not find the Buddha but did find the Prospector motel --gambling 24/7, big TV, shower and down the road from oil change

This is the first real town that you come to since you leave Reno

This is what most of road looks like.

 There is a perpetual smoky look to the sky. The temperature went from 97 to 76 and the road went on and on.  This was a tiring day but much of the scenery was very interesting. 

The brown smoke at the bottom of the cloud appears to be a small lightning fire