Lake Tahoe North
LAKE TAHOE NORTH
Lake Tahoe is worth a trip, especially if you’ve never been. The lake’s deep blue waters coupled with the mountains and pine trees is a truly breathtaking site. If you’re looking for a specific attraction to visit, consider visiting Zephyr Cove. This mile-long lakeside community gives visitors a chance to soak up the sun and dip their toes into the cool water. Zephyr Cove Resort offers two-hour science cruises of the river if you want to soak up the area’s natural beauty.
Genoa Bar & Saloon
GENOA
Genoa is a charming small, historic town (the first settlement in Nevada) that we immediately fell for. Stroll the downtown to see Victorian buildings and pop in and out of shops. Perhaps the city’s biggest claim to fame is that it’s home to the oldest bar in Nevada. Established in 1853, The Genoa Bar & Saloon features a classic wood bar, a gold dust mirror – ask the bartender to shine a flashlight on the mirror so you can see why it’s called that – and allegedly, actress Raquel Welch’s bra hangs from a post. A few colorful shops include The Dancing Deer, where you can find jewelry and gifts. We also popped into Chocolate Shoppe by Sweet Images for a chocolate-covered strawberry and saw some vibrant artwork at The Genoa Gallery. We stayed at the charming White House Inn. The home is over 100 years old and features plenty of colorful, unique rooms. We slept in the spacious and free-standing Carriage House that featured a plush king size bed, a generously sized shower and a bench outside. What we loved the most was seeing horses nearby in a fenced area.
The Pink House
Right next door was The Pink House. The aptly titled restaurant is housed in a building that was constructed in 1855 and features plenty of hearty American cuisine. We enjoyed baked brie with bread, a pizza topped with house pomodoro, shredded mozzarella and sliced salami and a decadent ice cream sandwich on the outdoor patio in the crisp mountain air and watched as the cars drove by on the main drag into town.
The Pink House
MINDEN
Located just outside of Genoa is Minden. Before or after you leave Genoa, consider stopping by the North River Fork Ranch Trailhead. The area is simply gorgeous. The Carson River runs alongside this riparian preserve and features stunning Sierra Nevada mountain scenery and blue skies that stretch on for miles. If you’ve got the time, enjoy a 4 mile out-and-back trail along the river. Minden is also home to another stunning attraction, the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park.
Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park
Take in expansive skies along with gorgeous mountain scenery at this ranch that was owned by the founder of Minden, Heinrich Friedrich Dangberg. Best of all? Visiting the ranch is free. We enjoyed stepping inside historic buildings at this ranch, one of the first in the state. We saw a laundry room along with a kitchen outfitted with replicas of products from the early 1900s. The park is open seven days a week from sunrise to sundown. Tours of the 15-room home are guided and must be scheduled in advance.
Virginia City
VIRGINIA CITY
We wrapped up our visit by paying a visit to historic Virginia City. Stroll along C Street and walk beside an array of Victorian buildings with creaky wood planks underneath your feet. To kick off our journey, we took a ride on the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad. We sat outside in the historic train car as a narrator informed us about the area’s history as a mining town. Virginia City was known for its robust silver mine. The scenery was gorgeous, and we even passed through a carved out mine. Next up, we toured the Mackay Manor. The Victoria mansion was home to John Mackay, one of four Silver Kings. The tour kicked off inside the office of the mine where a safe was housed. Next up was a dining room followed by bedrooms upstairs. Each room was filled with period-era furnishings. It was considered luxurious for its time and featured the city’s first flush toilet. One bedroom even featured an assortment of somewhat creepy historic dolls – lending an eerie feel to a home that may be haunted. Next up, we paid a visit to St. Mary’s in the Mountains. This is the oldest operating Catholic church in the state of Nevada that features soaring ceilings along with stunning stained glass. For lunch, we opted for a burrito from Bonanza Land and Cattle Co. Snag a seat on the outdoor patio that features views of the rolling mountains off in the distance.
Virginia City
For dinner, we headed to the Red Dog Saloon for a glass of cider and a slice of pizza. The saloon is very well known for its live music performances that have been happening since 1965. On our last morning in Virgina City, we checked out the historic Fourth Ward School Museum. This four-story building stands tall and is one of the most striking buildings you’ll see when you head into town. Walk on the wood floors and literally feel the history underneath your feet. It was opened in 1876 and designed to accommodate 1,000 students. Most notably, the public school in the Second Empire architecture style and is one of the last buildings still standing in this style. We checked out exhibits about the history of Virginia City, the mining that was so important to the town’s economy, a printer’s room and a replica of a classroom that came complete with wood desks. Accessible via C Street, the Tahoe House Hotel is a former boarding home that’s been transformed into a 16-room boutique hotel. We stayed in Mark Twain’s Study. The room featured a brick wall behind the bed, a stand-alone sink, a wooden desk a queen size bed, a leather-bound copy of one of Twain’s books and French doors that opened up to a balcony overlooking the town’s main drag – our favorite feature. Twain supposedly rented a room here when he was working in Virginia City as a newspaper editor.
Carson City
CARSON CITY
Carson City is Nevada’s capitol city. We enjoyed strolling downtown and checking out the various shops and restaurants. We were pleasantly surprised by the great food we devoured at Sumi Sushi – a cheeky nod to the owner, who is a lawyer. We enjoyed the Pretty Lady roll that featured spicy tuna, cucumber and avocado inside and seared tuna with yummy sauce and sesame oil, green onions and sesame seeds. The roll tasted fresh and was seasoned just right. For dinner one night, we headed to Nashville Social Club. The dual restaurant and live music venue proved to be a lively place on a Friday night. We kicked off our meal with Chargrilled Corn Ribs served with Alabama white sauce and enjoyed a Peach Pecan salad made with mixed greens, goat cheese, charred peaches, basil and sweet spicy pecans dressed with peach Dijon dressing and topped with salmon as our main dish.
Carson City
After our meal, we headed to the venue in the restaurant where we enjoyed live music from a bluegrass band. Another attraction we loved? The Nevada State Capitol Building is almost entirely decked out in marble and includes a museum about the history of Nevada. We also enjoyed a free live concert as part of the Levitt AMP Concert Series just outside of the Brewery Arts Center. The center is inside of the oldest operating commercial building in the state and used to be home to a brewery. It currently houses an art gallery featuring rotating exhibits. On our last morning here, we spent time soaking in pools filled with naturally heated groundwater at Carson Hot Springs. Between the water, warm sunshine and mountains in the distance, it was a heavenly way to pass the time in the morning.
