![The?Thunder Mountain Monument?is a series ofoutsider art?sculptures and architectural forms which were assembled by Frank Van Zant starting in 1969 upon his arrival in?Imlay, Nevada; it is located on a shoulder of?I-80. A WWII veteran from Oklahoma, Frank Van Zant had served with the?7th Armoured Division,[1]?fighting in several campaigns, and been badly burned in a tank battle outside ofLeipzig, Germany.[2]?A self-identified?Creek Indian,[3]he took the?Native American?name Rolling Mountain Thunder after experiencing an?epiphany, and took on the twin but related tasks of both building shelters from the presumed coming apocalypse, and making a?de facto?spiritual haven for spiritual seekers of the?hippie?era. (There is no Thunder Mountain in the vicinity.)The site contains three stone and cement buildings and over 200 cement sculptures variously depicting Native Americans and their protective spirits, massacres, and purported injustices. Thunder Mountain Monument (or Park) is replete with found objects (such as, but not limited to, car hoods, dolls' heads, typewriters, and gas pumps), many of which are incorporated into the buildings themselves; one framework forms a large handle so the Great Spirit could take the building away after Thunder's death.He was long subjected to harassment by the local townspeople, and his site was partially destroyed by arson in 1983, the same year he was named Nevada's Artist of the Year; a heavy cigarette smoker, Rolling Mountain Thunder committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in 1989. His uniquely wrought environment was neglected and subject to vandalism until it was declared a Nevada State Historic Site in the 1990s; it is now under the care of his grown children under the aegis of a State of Nevada Historic Site Restoration Project, and is partially open to the public for self-guided tours.[4]Frank Van Zant has been the subject of two short documentaries.[5] Wikipedia](https://images.trvl-media.com/place/6053763/47a95973-a5b1-4b92-92ff-98f511d0bbd0.jpg?impolicy=resizecrop&rw=1920&ra=fit&ch=480)
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Surestay Hotel by Best Western Lovelock
Surestay Hotel by Best Western LovelockLovelock
8.0 out of 10, Very Good, (830 reviews)
- Convenient lodging in Lovelock with on-site dining and business-friendly amenities.
The price is $90
$100 total
includes taxes & fees
Feb 15 - Feb 16
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
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Forget the Vegas glitz – Lovelock offers small-town Nevada charm with a quirky twist. At Lovers Lock Plaza, couples secure padlocks to a never-ending chain, creating a peculiar monument to romance in the desert. The stately Pershing County Courthouse presides over a downtown that hasn't rushed to modernize. Marzen House Museum reveals tales of pioneers who found this valley worth stopping for. When the neon dims, Rye Patch State Recreation Area beckons with fishing and boating against a backdrop of stark desert beauty. The Lovelock Speedway draws weekend warriors and spectators who appreciate motorsports without pretension. This is Nevada at its most authentic – where entertainment comes without the choreographed polish of the Strip.
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Surestay Hotel by Best Western Lovelock
10/10 Excellent
Royal Inn
10/10 Excellent