"Bittersweet Story."…read more Right off the interstate, you can check out the history of this former town. There's not a lot to see, but the History Trail is mildly interesting, and also not too long. There's a rough little parking area right at the history trailhead. The trail is paved, and only slightly steep. It will probably take you 30 minutes round trip. I found the trail mildly interesting, but honestly, probably not worth repeating. There's a bathroom right at the parking area, but besides that, there are no facilities.

To experience 61 years of history in one hour, we stopped alongside Interstate 80, between Reno and…read moreTruckee, to explore the old Boca town site. From 1866 until 1927, the hard-working people of Boca labored on the railroad, milled local timber, harvested clear mountain ice, and brewed their famous Boca beer. Walking an easy quarter-mile long trail with interpretative signage, we saw the old school house flag pole rusted and bent by time. On our way to the hilltop cemetery, we found flattened cans, bedsprings, square-headed nails, broken whisky bottles and chips of porcelain littering the entire area. Boca, meaning "mouth" in Spanish, was originally established in 1866 as a Central Pacific Railroad construction camp, at the confluence of the Little Truckee and Truckee rivers. To process nearby timber for railroad ties, telegraph poles, and snow sheds, a lumber mill was set up in Boca in 1868. When the millpond froze in the winter of 1869, the Boca ice harvesting industry was born. Large blocks of clear ice, cut from the pond were used to air condition the deep Comstock mines and refrigerate railroad box cars full of fresh California produce heading east. We wandered around the crumbling foundation of one former ice storage house still standing alongside the railroad tracks. Boca ice was also used for the low temperature fermentation of lager beer, the town's greatest claim to fame. In 1876, Boca Brewery started a lager revolution on the west coast with its release of the first true California-made lager. The brewery was lost to fire in 1893, over-harvesting closed the saw mill in 1908, and modern refrigeration technology ended the ice industry. In 1927, the town of Boca was permanently dismantled. Our visit to the old Boca town site to experience its industrious 61-year history was an accessible stop and great value, costing us only one hour of our time. Directions: Take I-80 to Hirschdale exit, 6 miles east of Truckee. Follow the sign toward the Boca/Stampede Recreation Area. Go north 0.3 miles and turn right on the road immediately after the railroad tracks. The trail begins next to the restrooms.

The Balanced Rocking Stone is a 17 ton granite boulder that overlooks the town of Truckee. Some…read morecall it an irrelevant roadside attraction, a non notable geological anomaly, a boring local landmark, a incurious curiosity... whatever. Thus making this an irrelevant review. Supposedly in the past, the Washoe Native Americans took interest in it... some say revered it. In the 1860s, a museum was built next to it by the "prominent" citizen, CF McGlashan. That is long gone and what is next to it now is the Truckee Veterans Memorial Building and parking lot. The boulder no longer rocks as legend had it. There is a gazebo built on top of it and a steel staircase to the top. From the top, you can view parts of the town below and the mountain range in the distance. The view is nice. But it didn't take my breath away. Actually I had to hold my breath... beware the top of the boulder and gazebo is filled with bird poo and is not consistently maintained. Watch where you step. The landmark can be viewed in less than 10 minutes. But if you enjoy history and local folklore, it's worth checking out at least once if you have the time and inclination to do so. Sorry folks, my pics aren't very good. I don't have a full on view of the rock boulder.

Located along the Donner Pass Road near the Donner Summit Historical Society, this marker points…read moreout some of the history of the area as travelers came and went, passing through here prior to the superhighway being built. Since then, the roadway is mostly used for local traffic and access to the ski resorts. "Before the coming of the hotels and ski areas, the only Summit industry was the railroad. There had been a few dairies, two ice houses, sheep and some lumbering, even a still on the hill, but the railroad was key to the Summit." "After the Summit Hotel burned along with a few hundred feet of snow sheds in 1892, there were few accommodations for travelers from Colfax to Donner Lake. That didn't much matter because most people, traveling over the Summit, came by train and were headed elsewhere. With the coming of the automobile, people wanted to travel and they wanted to travel freely. Hotels began springing up along popular routes." "Oscar Jones saw what was coming and took advantage. In 1924 he bought the land for the Soda Springs Hotel for $5,000. On December 10, 1927 the hotel opened to the public (top picture). Oscar's brother, Herstle, opened the Rainbow Tavern (Lodge) at the same time (and he would later open Nyack Lodge). With a railroad stop at Soda Springs, the popularization of skiing and the coming of ski resorts (Beacon Hill, Clair Tappaan, Lake Mary/Signal Hill) Highway 40 would be packed with fun seekers and the Soda Springs Hotel would do a good business. The railroad was no longer the chief Summit industry." "The coming of I-80 in 1960 took traffic away. People could go faster and farther. There was less need for Summit lodging." If you do decide to explore, be careful crossing the railroad tracks as there are more than one track so look both ways. [Review 17671 overall - 462 in California - 1192 of 2022.]

To write a complete review I must start 50 years ago. when I first became a fan of Truckee…read more Downtown Truckee was a quiet mix of rundown buildings with a few cool shops and awkward restaurants, think Viginia City without the mining. Hippies and the first wave of Subaru Wagons ruled the streets and alley ways of Downtown. The working-class people that worked around the north & west shores of Lake Tahoe mostly lived in Truckee or Kings Beach. Over the years Truckee grew and so did the tourism. Along came the rejuvenation and fancier shopping, eating, traffic, parking and gas prices that should make you blush. As Truckee took on a new persona of a Tahoe-esque destination. The housing got expensive and so did everything else. In 1993 Truckee incorporated and became a city. Along with this shiny new title this ushered in ways to support a city government. The Truckee Police and other city services were all in place by 2001. By 2005 the beginning of the question "now that we can attract tourists, how can we extract the most out of them?" Yes, paid parking, parking enforcement, traffic reduction, parallel parking, new taxes and fees. Today it is Sierra Nevada Mountain charm with unique shops, nice hotels and B & B inns, wine bars, expensive restaurants, art galleries, and 4 season recreation & adventure. Truckee is a short distance from Lake Tahoe and Donner Lake, and serves as a gateway to the growing areas like Northstar and Squaw Valley (don't come for me, that IS the name}. Downtown Truckee has charm and allure. The railroad museum is cool if you can figure out the hours. The Original Squeeze Inn has always been the draw for me and my family for more than 50 years, Thank You Shila and Crew. Oh, and the people that own the Sock Parlour are a horrible example of what the typical vibe is supposed to be in Historic Downtown Truckee.

Our group had an excellent experience touring the property. Just a heads up for less than mobile…read morefolks, there are some very steep steps involved in touring this historic property. Our tour was conducted by Halen, who was incredibly knowledgeable about not only the mansion, but the history of the area. The price for a tour is very reasonable. Just be sure to wave hello to the girls on the second floor...you'll understand when you take the tour.

We always visit the Mackey Mansion in Virginia City near Halloween in the fall. We love this annual…read morefriends-family tradition! Instead of our usual tours, this year we did the haunted house. It was short, but it was great fun. The whole experience was interactive, and everyone had an amazing time!

We have been on a quest to visit all the state capitol buildings. This Nevada one was our 28th. I…read morealways enjoy the history of the area and the structure itself. This building was more museum like and less active use than others we have been to. They had several other buildings on the grounds where the assembly, senate, and state supreme court are actively working. The governor's office was still in the original main building. They had some nice museum displays that we walked through on our self guided tour. We came on a weekday and were able to walk through most every area of the building. The original rooms for the assembly, senate, and supreme court were preserved to be as they may have been in their early days of use. There was a lot of wood accents throughout the foyer area on the staircases and trim. The outside grounds had some monuments and statues to see, and a lot of lush green trees around the building. We could not get a photo of the exterior of the building with the dome due to the heavy tree cover. There was a scale model in the museum that shows what the structure looks like so we got an idea of the size and configuration. If in town, I'd recommend making this stop to experience the heart of US history.

We were in Lake Tahoe for the weekend and decided to visit the State Capitol on a rainy day. We…read morehad been to several other State Capitol buildings and had even toured several of them. Admission here is free and there was not really a tour so we wandered around on our own. The hallways have large portraits of prior Governors. The office of the current Governor and the Secretary of State are also located on the first floor. The second floor has the Supreme Court and the Assembly, as well as a very informative museum about the history of Nevada. It is not a very large building so you can get through it all in about thirty minutes.

I was born in Grass Valley, California, so Reno has been part of my life for as long as I can…read moreremember. As a kid, driving into town felt like arriving somewhere magical. Back then, the casino doors were wide open. You could hear the constant soundtrack of coins pouring out of slot machines before you even stepped inside. Maybe it's nostalgia talking, but there was just something about Reno in the late '70s and '80s that felt electric. I've got more memories in this town than I probably should admit. When I was 17, I somehow wandered into a casino, got free drinks, and not one person asked for an ID. Different times... or maybe I just had the world's worst fake mustache. Either way, I survived, and apparently so did the casino. My first marriage happened in Reno. I've played golf here, stayed in a penthouse overlooking the river and the casinos, wandered downtown with family, and now I've brought my son here to make a few memories of his own. Every visit seems to add another chapter. Of course, you can't come to Reno without stopping at the famous arch. It's iconic. During the day it's cool. At night? That's when it really comes alive. The lights, the energy, the people it just feels like Reno. Now, I'll admit I'm an old-school guy. I remember when casinos practically begged you to come inside. You'd get steak and eggs for $1.99, and somehow it was actually good. Drinks were free, people were winning enough coins to need a bucket, and every slot machine sounded like it was celebrating somebody. These days you slide your money into a machine, blink twice, and somehow you've just made a generous donation to the casino's remodeling fund. The funny thing is, Reno has changed, but in some ways it's gotten even better. These days I come for the food just as much as the lights. Yelp has introduced me to little hole-in-the-wall restaurants that looked like they'd fail a beauty contest but absolutely crushed it in the kitchen. One place had us wondering if we took a wrong turn... until the food showed up and suddenly we were planning our next visit before we'd finished the meal. Fancy casino restaurant? Fantastic. Tiny local diner with faded paint? Also fantastic. Reno's food scene doesn't care what the building looks like it just shows up and delivers. So yes, stop and grab your picture under the Reno Arch. It's part of the experience. Then put the phone away, wander around downtown, enjoy the lights, take in the river, and most importantly... go eat somewhere the locals recommend. The house may always win, but if you come for the scenery, the memories, and especially the food... you'll leave feeling like you beat the odds. Five stars. Some things change. Thankfully, Reno still knows how to make a trip worth remembering.

This was the third day of Hot August Nights in the Reno/Sparks area. We cruised down Virginia St…read more which took us under the Iconic Reno Arch. This event is great for both Reno/Sparks communities.

Carson City and the Carson River that goes through the city are named after Kit Carson who explored…read morethe area and found a new route across the Sierras with John C. Fremont. Also referred to as the "Daniel Boone of the West," Christopher Houston Carson was a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime through biographies and news articles, and exaggerated versions of his exploits that were the subject of dime novels. I know all of that from visiting his home and museum in Taos NM https://www.yelp.com/biz/kit-carson-home-and-museum-taos?hrid=PkZ27jVvIExwkVMgK7tySA. The statue shows Carson on horseback. It also includes maps of Nevada showing his various travels through the state. The marker below reads, "It was in the winter of 1843 - 1844 when Kit Carson, along with the John C. Fremont expedition worked his way south from Pyramid Lake looking for an easy route across the Sierra Nevada. Carson, depicted here, tracking his way through the mountains east of this location, was considered one of the best mountain men of the day. His name is still synonymous with the wide-open spaces and lore of the American west, an image we still cherish as part of our freedom and heritage. It is the spirit and love of the West that we honor with this statue." [Review 17691 overall - 37 in Nevada - 1212 of 2022.]