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1,100-mile Road Trip in a 2021 Tesla Model Y
Long-Range, Dual Motor, Full Self Driving (Supervised)
using Tesla Superchargers and Sparks Nugget Resort free charging.
Orange County, CA, to Reno, NV, Round Trip via Hwy. 395.
Wednesday, August 6, through Sunday, August 10, 2025
Report and Photos by: Carl Morrison, Carl@TeslaTouring.com
https://teslatouring.com/carl/HotAugustNights2025
Click On Any Photo On This Page For a Larger And Clearer Full SIze Image.
Left, Yours Truly free photo booth at MAG Reno
Auction. Center, Our smiling Model Y in Sparks. Right, Downtown
Reno Thursday night Cruise.
Table of Contents
(Click any item in the Table below, or proceed down the page to read all sections.)
I. Planning the 1,100-mile Tesla round trip Orange County, CA, Reno, NV
II. Supercharging and scenery along Hwy. 395 Southern California to Sparks, Nevada.
III. Hot August Nights classic car show cruises, show-and-shines, and auction.
IV. Statistics on using Tesla Superchargers for the 1,164 trip along Hwy. 395 round trip Orange County, California, to Reno, Nevada.
I. Planning the 1,100-mile Tesla round trip Orange County, CA, Reno, NV
I like to use A Better Route Planner to plan the entire trip (very good details) and Tesla's onboard computer for charge-to-charge navigation.
ABRP's 3
suggestions with total driving time on the alternative route in grey.
You enter the model of vehicle you are driving and the percent you want
left in the battery when you get to the next Supercharger and it
calculates charging stops with charging times. Unfortunately, in
the table on the left showing the first two chargint stops, it
calculates driving time based on the time you are composing the route
(5:29 pm) so disregard those times.
ABRP also provided a table (above) of the entire trip to Reno as well
as the map. It gives the Supercharger stops (Red T) State of
Charge upon arrival (I had said 20%); Depart State of Charge (to get to
the next Supercharger - I always charge more than suggested in case of
a side trip on the way) ; The Cost of charging at their percentage
suggestion; Charge duration plus some minutes to find the Supercharger
if off route, and plugging in, etc.; Miles to the next Supercharger;
and Driving Time to that next Supercharger (which I disregard since it
is based on the time I set up the route).
The bottom line of the table will help you answer
questions. My most often asked question is, "How long does it
take to charge?" And you can answer that from the table:
"Less than 10 minutes per stop or 53 minutes of charging time for the
487 miles." Of course, I always charge longer since it takes me
longer to eat and/or use a nearby restroom!
When a charging session is complete, I can press the
right scroll button and VERBALLY say, "Navigate to the Tesla
Supercharger in Lone Pine, California." Which eliminates a lot of
one-finger typing on the screen! It will calculate when I will
get there and what the state of charge will be when I get there.
As it turned out, it cost $63.61for the 486 miles to
get there rather than the $47 in the ABRP table. The discrepancy from the $47 might
be for driving above the speed limit, mountainous driving, different
price per KWh that ABRP's prediction, etc..
II. Supercharging and scenery along Hwy. 395 Southern California to Sparks, Nevada.
(All images with a gold border can be clicked for a larger copy.)
Hwy 395 looks like this north of Hesperia to Inyokern, our first charging stop.
Tesla Supercharger at Inyokern, California, was lightly used on this Wednesday morning.
Inyokern Tesla Supercharger with restrooms, left, and Classic Burgers within walking distance.
On the same lot as the Tesla Superchargers are these Rivian Superchargers.
This Rivian technician was informative about the chargers being changed
to accommodate other new vehicles which use the Tesla (NACS)
connection.
Hwy. 395 between Inyokern and Lone Pine, California
The
Tesla screen shows the topography with Owens Lake, our car (red
arrowhead) and the information on the left shows our next charging
stop, Lone Pine, where it is 87° and we will have 33% charge left; and
in lower box, the miles to the supercharger, 29, and driving time, 25
min. The Lone Pine supercharger (red circle at the top) shows
that there are currently 14 chargers available.
One unusual thing about Tesla's Hwy. 395 map in this area - it does not
account for new alignment in the highway, thus, the U-Turn note on the
screen. Notice by the car (red arrowhead) our blue route is NOT
on 395. We are on the new alignment, but the navacomputer does not
know about that so it wants us to get on the old alignment which
actually is not accessible.
For decades. all the water from Owens Lake is taken to LA and now the dry lake bed is a dust problem.
Former industry on the edge of Owens Lake.
Original beach of Owens Lake.
The Tesla Supercharger in Lone Pine is behind the Museum of Western Film History on the west side of the street.
The superchargers are in an L shaped arrangement on the lot. This is the south side of the lot.
This
is the west side of the supercharger lot with the Alabama Hills (brown)
beyond the trees and Sierra Mountains (grey) with Mount Whitney in there
somewhere. This supercharger was lightly used as well. I
use the A/C command "Keep" while we walk to lunch to keep the
temperature the same as when we were driving.
You
can go online to learn about a Tesla Supercharger. The images
above are from the Lone Pine Tesla Supercharger information at
Tesla.com. One detail I just learned, with other EVs
being able to use the Tesla Supercharging network, I wondered if they
would have to pay more and the image above says "yes", 40% more.
To see what the other links to the Lone Pine supercharger are, go to https://www.tesla.com/en_EU/findus/location/supercharger/lonepinecasupercharger
My
copilot, Fast Freddie, being trained by the McDonalds manager on how to
use the kiosk to order his lunch. After this, she said, "You now
qualify to work here!" While you are away from the car as it is
charging, on the Tesla App you can still see through the car's live
cameras.
Lone Pine to Bishop is only 58 miles, but the next leg after Bishop is
134 miles to the state line supercharger in Nevada. So the ABRP
suggests stopping at Bishop to have a full battery for the next
leg. We had enouch charge to have skipped Bishop, but we wanted
to stop for a restroom break..
At the Bishop Tesla Supercharger, across the street is this nonassuming store,Crearee, for a quick bite and restroom stop.
Interior and outside dining area at Crearee with smiling cashier.
Off from Bishop to the CA/NV border and the Gardnerville, NV Tesla Supercharger
By entering the next Tesla Supercharger as your next destination on the
Tesla screen, within a few miles of that supercharger, it will start
"conditioning the battery for quicker charging."
Gardnerville Tesla Supercharger is many miles south of Gardnerville at
the state line. Past the Chevron in front of the chargers are the
restrooms and store with many fishing-related items for Topaz Lake
behind the store.
On the Tesla App, while charging, you can keep track of the charging progress plus view through the car's camera.
At Carson City, I-580 has been completed to bypass Carson City downtown and continue into Reno.
At this point we cross Hwy. 50, a transcontinental pre-Interstate
highway which I drove the entire route, 3,073 miles, with friend Paul
Clifford, in a 1956 Chevy. We stopped at my hometown, Hayden,
Indiana, on that trip. My report on that trip is at http://moknowsphotos.com/USA/
III. Hot August Nights classic car show cruises, show-and-shines, and auction.
Hot August Nights own description:
Hot
August Nights is considered the country’s premier nostalgic classic car
event drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators and 6,000 registered
car participants annually to 12 venues across the Reno-Tahoe region.
Celebrating America’s love affair with classic cars and rock ‘n roll,
this event is a dream for car buffs and includes Show-n-Shines,
cruises, competitions, auctions, drag races, a swap meet, parts and
accessories vendor area, and free live entertainment nightly.
We like to stay at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, NV, for Hot August Nights festivities.
View
from our 17th floor window of I-80 and Victoria Avenue beyond the trees
where a cruise takes place each night with In-N-Out Burgers at the
right end.
View of the adjoining parking structure with Tesla Domestic Chargers on
the same floor as the enclosed bridge from parking to our tower.
View south, across the Union Pacific RR yards. Tall, white Sierra
Resort on the right and downtown Reno behind the Nugget tower on the
right.
One of 4 Tesla destination chargers on the wall in the Nugget garage
where we also charge. This Honda would take an adapter to charge
here.
After our arrival about 5:30 pm on Wednesday, we walk down Victoria
Ave. to an In-N-Out meal, past an historic locomotive and railroad
station. On the way back to the Nugget, an open cruise is taking
place for local un-registered cars as well as registered cars with blue
registration numbers inside their right windshield.
Some of the more unusual vehicles in the cruise.
This 1955 Chevrolet limo must have served a lodge in the past. It appears every year.
Thursday morning we have breakfast at a nearby Denny's. With the
early sun on our Tesla, the crazy-eyes shade and headlight make it look
like a cock-eyed grin on the car.
Next we pick up our Media passes for admission to the swap meet and
auction in return for this report on TeslaTouring.com. Since
we've gone to this event for decades, we enjoy talking with the veteran
Hot August Nights office staff some of whom have been there since
the beginning in 1986.
Nest stop Swap Meet
The swap meet seems to move each year, so this year it was near the J Resort downtown.
This young artist shared a booth with Cruisin' News
Something for nearly everyone. Interesting to look at, but nothing to buy, for us.
The Peppermill Casino's outdoor show-n-shine.
Since drive ins brought food to your car on a tray for your window, and
drive in movies had speakers on posts beside your car this Pontiac had
some nostalgia from both places.
Since many show cars have their hoods up to show their engine,
sometimes license plates and grilles make the best photo as with this
Oldsmobile convertible.
Automotive Brightwork and Script is a photographic category of its own and hood ornaments in the shade make good photos.
Thursday evening is the downtown Cruise in Reno. This is the original Reno sign one block east of the current one.
We like to park near the original Reno sign and walk to the Virginia Avenue Truckee River bridge to view the parade.
The Virginia Avenue Truckee River bridge and river running through Reno. The casino on the right used to say, "Get Luky on the Truckee"
Watching the registered cars cruise by in the cool breeze on the Truckee River Bridge.
The slow-moving parade is too much for some.
Looking north at the Reno sign.
Looking south at the Reno sign.
From a parking garage nearby.
From Virginia Avenue street level with the sign.
Plugged back in at the Nugget, left, domestic chargers are much slower,
like a home charger showing 25 miles added per hour or 4 hours and 15
minutes to go to 80%. However, the next morning, right, we had
217 $0.25/kWh miles in the battery.
Friday morning we observed the show cars at the University
(The Sierra Resort is extensively remodeling and some cars ,usually shown there, were now at the University.)
This 1936 Buick, mostly original, caught my eye.
About a 1959 Caddilac
1941 Packard convertible would have looked better with the hood down,
but it might have been being judged when the hoods and trunks must be open.
1925 Dodge Brothers pickup
You would know the religion of the Dodge Brothers by looking at the emblem above the radiator.
Downtow Reno Show-n-Shine.
Next was downtown Reno for blocks and blocks of show cars on display plus cars on the side streets.
Who doesn't need a selfie in their sun hat under the Reno sign in August?
With fond memories of Paul Clifford RIP who got us all to do this trip originally.
I saw this Bugatti in the Reno curise and here it was at the show-n-shine for sale.
(Click any photo for a much larger copy.)
MAG (Market Auction Group) Auction at the Reno Convention Center.
When it gets hot, we head inside to the Auction in the convention
center. Always inside the door is this young lady from Champion
Chevrolet in Reno handing out goodie bags.
For the first time I was interested
in one of the Chevrolet Products, rather than just another pretty face,
the all-electric Equinox.
Sticker on the Equinox.
(Click this photo for a much larger copy.)
Plymouth brightwork honored the ship of the same name.
1938 Ford bug-eyed headlight. '57 Chevy bullet hood ornament.
Left, Proof that some parts were interchangeable with different brands. Right, Chrome City.
Fast Freddie checks for an overdrive transmission or not.
An interesting part of the auction hall is the vehicles that did not sell when they went across the block.
They have a sign saying what the highest bid was in case you'd like to make an offer and buy it.
Some sold vehicles are in that section of the convention center with the sold price on the "l" in "Sold" on the sign.
Some vehicles are placed in the auction area like this 1960 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe
Friday afternoon we drove across I-80 to Tahoe City and charged at the Tesla Supercharger there.
Just south a few steps from the Tahoe City Tesla Supercharger is the outlet from Lake Tahoe to the Truckee River.
Right behind the superchargers is an ice cream truck and a taco truck.
At the Tahoe Supercharger was a Cybertruck. Interior and charge port photos.
After a drive around Lake Tahoe, we returned down Hwy. 395 to Orange County, California.
Lake Tahoe sunrise near Homewood, California.
Left, "Lone Pine Supercharger Lounge" with charging Tesla in backbround.
Sierra Mountins west of Lone Pine with Mt. Whitney in there somewhere.
We passed this fellow and his mule walking in the desert near the
Inyokern, CA, Tesla Supercharger.
After charging, I tracked him
down and gave him some waters. You can learn about him at
3mules.com.
IV.
Statistics on using Tesla Superchargers for the 1,164 trip along Hwy. 395 round trip Orange County, California, to Reno, Nevada.
