Nevada man turned roadside junk into desert home now visited as free attraction

Just off Interstate 80 near Imlay, Nevada, a five-acre roadside attraction showcases an unusual collection of concrete structures and sculptures made from discarded bottles, car parts and scrap metal. What looks like a giant artwork made from discarded objects began as the personal project of Frank Van Zant, better known as Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder. According to Travel Nevada, Van Zant started building Thunder Mountain Monument in 1969, using materials such as old bottles, scrap metal and car parts to create a home and a tribute to Native American history. Over the following decades, the site grew into a five-acre collection of handmade structures that visitors can explore for free during daylight hours.How a roadside stop became a lifelong projectVan Zant's journey to Nevada was not originally a plan to build a desert monument.