This trip I took to Virginia City was wonderful, the only thing I didn't like was the drive up the…read moremountain. Really whiny and my husband was driving too fast. I told my husband I'm not coming back here because of that road to Virginia City, he would have to go by himself.

Ghost Tour Of Historic Virginia City!…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ghost-town-virginia-city?select=v3ji0q4CHjh10hiTCgrKew&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w SITREP In the time of Gold & Silver mining, there is many a tale of tragedy as this prospecting community was growing, and within this Ghost Town there are many voices of the past who still clamor to have their stories told - yea, a warning - to the living.... THE SETUP Since some of us can't get enough stories about Pioneering tragedies, and traipsing across trails like the Donner Pass, why not go further up into Nevada Silver Country and just get the crap scared out of us, right? So a couple weeks back a bunch of us gathered in Virginia City - aka "Ghost Town" - and went to the Washoe Saloon, where some brave souls pledged to help us get to the bottom of these sordid tales of woe from yesteryear. STREETS, HOTELS, COURTS, OPERA HOUSES & SALOONS We trooped all Ghost Town and I dare say we had some close encounters of the spirit-kind. Our tour guides had some fancy-schmancy electromagetic detectors to indicate when spirits were nearby and I'd be lying if I didn't admit some wacky stuff happened while we went from one building to another. In one hotel - the aptly named "Ghost Hotel" - we learned the story of Rose, and such a sad plaintiff tale of her forlorn love. The one room pays a tribute to her memory. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ghost-town-virginia-city?select=Kh0qVAdHSpTJo-AEo5SJNQ&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w CONFESSION Okay. I admit I was a bit mean when we were all gathered, closely clustered together in a dark alley - and those meters were going off - and suddenly I was inspired to lift up a nearby dumpster lid and *slammed it down* with much THUNDEROUS NOISE! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ghost-town-virginia-city?select=aS5hY36Gv4tasRGOURkx9g&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w And maybe I enjoyed just a bit too much all the people screaming. Heheheheh... THE LOWDOWN Whether you believe or not, the tour is tons o' fun!

We've done the Thunderbird Lodge tour a few times now and it is always an amazing experience…read more The stories vary by the guides, but we always learn something new (this most recent time we learned about the Disney & Hemingway connection) and everyone we've brought with us, has been amazed this treasure exists. It's SO beautiful and such a cool experience! The tour begins (and ends) at the Lake Tahoe Visitor Center in Incline Village. On the bus ride to the Thunderbird Lodge, a recording plays explaining some of the history. Then you're met at the lodge and get more history, stories and a tour, which includes the Lodge, the tunnels, the boat house and grounds. We've done the tour twice this summer, at the end of July and again last Friday (Sept 12), with different visiting family members. Everyone was seriously impressed, especially as many of us grew up in the area &/or have lived here for years and were unaware this gem existed. Check out this great article on the Thunderbird Lodge https://www.carsonnow.org/09/12/2018/nevada-lore-series-captain-and-the-bizarre-history-of-thunderbird-lodge-at-tahoe

What an amazing piece of history! Thanks to George Whittell, Jr., much of the Eastern Shore of Lake…read moreTahoe has been preserved. This beautifully preserved historic landmark is a must see! Don't miss the tunnels!

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.

This beautiful building houses the office of several primary government officials in Nevada. On the…read morefirst floor at one end is the Governor's office and at the other end is the Secretary of State. In that reception area is a very old bank vault door that used to hold some of the states treasures. The receptionist will give you a brief history of it. Upstairs, is the Lt. Governor and Treasurer along with a room of Nevada history. I found this building to be interesting and educational. On the walls are portraits of past Governors. Budget about 30 minutes to visit and the best news is that it's free. Also street parking is free for 2 hours.

Very cute idea! We were able to purchase a lock at the wizard flower store and write our name on it.read more

When your town is named Lovelock, you might as well have love locks. Yes, it is named this after…read moreWelsh settler George Lovelock (1824-1907) bought the rights here in 1866. This park is located immediately behind the Pershing County Courthouse and yes, the park is chock full of love locks. If you're not familiar with the phenomenon, lovers will write their names on the lock and then lock it, throwing away the key to signify their undying love for each other. There are bridges in Paris and New York and many other cities that are perhaps a bit better known for it. I did not have a lock today. I wonder if I could write "Bruce K." and "Yelp" on a lock? Ha! [Review 17734 overall - 75 in Nevada - 1255 of 2022.]

This was such a fun event. I wish I had taken more pictures. Everybody was dressed up and looked…read moreamazing! The mansion was beyond beautiful and each room featured a cocktail from four different bars. They were all delicious and perfectly crafted, it was so hard to choose a favorite. Our night ended with a little crafting where we got to decorate our own candle holder. I hope there's another event like this one. 10/10!!

We came for the free event last week sponsored by Nevada Arts For All. Our 3 yo got to create…read moreseveral Christmas themed art projects, got a free Christmas themed book, and told Santa what he wanted for Christmas. We had a great time watching our boy learn to create, without spending much money. I really love this organization and location and encourage parents to check out their offerings. Truly a blessing to our community.

Can you imagine meandering the roads back in the Wild West days of yore? How did the Comstock Lode…read moreStart? It all started with a golden nugget. Today Silver City is a ghost town of its former glory days. Wandering down the hill from Virginia City is Gold Hill. Just down the road a piece from Gold Hill you will find Silver City. The first golden nugget was discovered at Devil's Gate in 1850 just a little north of Silver City. Devil's Gate is the border between Storey County and Lyon County. It is a natural landmark through a narrow gorge. Devil's Gate became a infamous as a hideout for disreputable men or highwaymen. It was an unsavory area and many were robbed so few came through unarmed. Thousands passed through this narrow gorge as it was the only way through the area to the notable Comstock mines. Despite the reputation of the Devil's Gate a boomtown cropped up and became known as Silver City. The City has the notoriety of having one of the first stamp mills in the state of Nevada. In it's heyday it boasted of 4 hotels, boarding houses, saloons, brothels, parlor houses, stables, corrals, freighting center for Gold Hill and Virginia City, and over 1,200 people. Silver City was an important link between the mines of Virginia City and Gold Hill and the processing mills in Dayton. The mines were less productive than Gold Hill or Virginia City.. The town thrived until the V & T (Virginia and Truckee) railroad was completed in 1869 and the town was no longer needed to be a freight center. Today there are remnants of it's former days and there are a handful of historic buildings and structures such as the a cemetery, U.S. Post Office, the Hardwicke House built in 1862, a former ice house and B & B, a mostly intact mining facility etc. Nevada State Route 342 and 341 loop together running through the communities of Silver City, Gold Hill, Virginia City and Carson City. It is a historic road that dates back to the the Comstock lode era. This highway serves as the main road for both Gold Hill and Silver City but has 15% grades and hairpin curves.

Cool little town you drive through on your way to Virginia City. I love the old buildings but wish…read morethere was more of an effort to save them. Silver City is a near ghost town and a small residential community in Lyon County, Nevada, USA, near the Lyon/Carson border. Settled in 1859, the population in 1861 was about 1,200, but began declining after the Virginia and Truckee Railroad was completed in 1869. Construction workers left the area, taking their business with them.The population as of the 2000 census was 170.

Driving to the Patagonia outlet we caught the Old Arch…read more Naturally had to get a shot of it.

My dad brought me to Reno for his bowling tournament once when I was very young but I still…read moreremember old arch and have fond memories of the trip. Since I have been an adult, I have visited Reno dozens of times and have lots of photos with the new arch, but on my last visit, I made a special trip to find this one and it brought back memories. The area is much less busy so it's easy to park and get out and take some photographs. I even recreated (ok, attempted to recreate) the photo from my childhood. I'm glad they didn't take it down when the new one was put up and I hope they never do.

Virginia Street Bridge is historic to Reno. Since its remodel, it's added more beauty to the…read moreriverwalk district. Check-out some history: https://renohistorical.org/items/show/22 https://www.newtoreno.com/virginia-street-bridge-replacement-reno.htm https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Street_Bridge

Built in 1905, the current Virginia Street Bridge is the FIFTH in a series of bridges that have…read morebeen built here in downtown Reno. It was built in 2016 and is a single arch bridge with suspension cables. There is a historical marker here that gives some info. It reads, "First settlement in this area was a toll station & bridge constructed on this site in 1859-60 by E.W. Fuller. It was later known as Lake's Crossing after Myron C. Lake purchased this property in 1863. Lake's land gift to the new overland railroad assured a station and settlement. Charles Crocker of the Central Pacific sold the first town lots May 9, 1868, naming the town Reno after his friend, a Union general, Jesse L. Reno, killed in the Civil War." The bridge is located next to the county courthouse. Rumor has it that newly divorced women would walk out of the courthouse and onto the bridge, where they would throw their old wedding ring into the river. And yes, some rings have been recovered from the river. In case you weren't aware, Reno is known as the "Divorce Capital of the World." [Review 17718 overall - 62 in Nevada - 1239 of 2022.]

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.]

"The BATTLE BORN Memorial will be a sanctuary where our heroes' stories can be shared and…read moreremembered. Etched for eternity, the monument will bear the name of every fallen warrior from our state as an everlasting memorial to their service and sacrifice,"....."Nevada will never forget the sacrifice of our servicemen and women and their families. I know this memorial will serve as a lasting tribute to those who defend our nation and dedicate their lives in the name of freedom and country." -Former Governor Brian Sandoval. The Memorial is somewhat tucked into the back of the grounds of the State Capitol, but is well worth the walk and honor of admiring such a stunning tribute to Nevada solders who gave their life for us. Looking up, you'll see their names displayed by conflict and within the context of this quiet, compact and rustic plaza. It only takes a few minutes to take a look, and like me I hope you'll come back.