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.

This marker is located along the road that leads from Carson City to Virginia City. It's on a…read moresomewhat steep hill and there is a train crossing. It's on the east side of the road. The marker reads, "Gold Hill's first fire company was organized as Silver Hook & Ladd on Novemeber 18, 1863. It disbanded and re-organized as Liberty Hose Co. No.1 on August 19 1864, purchasing its first hose carriage from Folsom & Hiller of San Francisco in October of 1864 for $400. The company occupied a 16 by 25 foot town owned building, later moving to Sol Weil's building on Main St. In 1868, the company purchased a Hunneman hand-pumped fire engine from San Francisco's Howard Engine Co. No.3, re-organizing as an engine company, but retaining the hose company. In 1869 Liberty built its own 28 by 60 foot firehouse on this site, with a bell tower and second floor rooms for the foreman and one or two others. In 1873, the company sold the Hunneman hand engine and purchased a new Button hand, adding a structure on the north side for maintaining and storing hose in 1874. Liberty sold its hand engine in 1910, keeping a four-wheel hose carriage and two-wheel cart in service. Liberty Engine and Hose No.1 disbanded in 1938. A WPA project repaired and painted the firehouse that year, but the combination of heavy snows and schools desk stored on the second floor collapsed the old firehouse in the winter of 1952." All that remains is this stone monument where the roof tower has been mounted. There is not much space here for parking but if the road is quiet, you can pull to the side. [Review 17698 overall - 44 in Nevada - 1219 of 2022.]

Along the side of Geiger Grade Road as it descends from Virginia City to Reno (if you're headed the…read moreother way, it would be ascending), this red stone and concrete marker points out some of the history of the area. The marker reads, "North of this marker, a station was established in 1860 on Geiger and Tilton's new toll road from Truckee Meadows, ** Fine springs, terminus of several wood roads, and a population of teamsters, stock and sheep men were found at Lousetown. Nevada's most unique name. The area included the first Virginia City railroad surveys, first ice project, and race track with trap shooting and picnic grounds. The first telegraph line to Reno and the largest toll station in the area in the area were in the vacinity [sic] of this marker." The road is wide enough here that you can stop and pull over to see the sight and also appreciate the view from here. [Review 17707 overall - 52 in Nevada - 1228 of 2022.]

Visiting the Reno Arch is an absolute must!!! No ifs, ands, or buts!!!…read more This place is located in downtown Reno and is the iconic landmark. Visitors from near and far set time aside to make a quick visit and takes the very obligated selfie. I personally enjoy coming here at night because the sign looks so much more beautiful with it's bright lights and sparkly-ness in full effect. 5/5 stars. I will religiously continue to make a visit at each and every trip to Reno. While selfies are a lot easier to control how your photos end up, I lowkey get kicks and giggles from the uncertainty of things when you trouble someone to take photos for you. Life's too short- sometimes you just need to laugh+cringe at the photo where your hair is flying in all directions, when you are captured with the most awkward poses and the most hideous angles. LOLz.

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.

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.

Pimps, whores, liars, and 1/4 Neagroes [sic]! Yep, believe it or not, that is what was officially…read morewritten on the state's witness list for an inmate held in the jail here on April 8, 1922. Wow, times have changed, and for the better. See: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dayton-historic-firehouse-and-jail-dayton?select=r0HaCLrbEd4UHFC0gBq0Ag&utm_campaign=www_photo_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct). So, I went here Saturday, June 1, 2019 during the 18th Annual Oodles of Noodles Festival and Pasta Cook-Off in Old Town Dayton. The site is run by the Historical Society of Dayton Valley and is only open during events like this, or by appointment, so I needed to go here at this time if I wanted to see it. I first had gone to the fire department tent to ask where it was. The nice employee there led me to it, about a quarter of a block away. Outside of this historic landmark, there is a rock marker with a plaque on it which gives a little of the history of the building. The building itself is from circa 1861 and has no electricity or running water. They used gas lanterns to light it back in the day and a coal or wood-burning heater to heat it (see here: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dayton-historic-firehouse-and-jail-dayton?select=QtEoYJq92efzQtGo_Upnow&utm_campaign=www_photo_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) ). It is two rooms. The front is a garage where a 1900's motorized firetruck is, on a concrete floor; and the back was converted to a jail after the Lyon County Courthouse in Dayton down the street burned down. They had no place to put it, so they brought it here. The fire engine is named "Granny", and i think they did run it in Parades, like the Nevada Day Parade, when it ran. Now they have one or two other old fire engines they use. There was a sign not to sit in the seat, as it was fragile, although Mabel, the docent from the historical society, let a small child sit there for pics. There is also a bell which people can ring, via a cord which goes up though a small hole to the roof. The chime of this bell is different, on purpose, from the one in the museum, so people would know when there was a fire. There were various items in the truck and displays around it, including old firemen's boots, helmets and equipment; glass bottles; an old fire extinguisher; a letter, and a historic freezer and refrigerator. Going in the back by the jail, on the wood floor, was scary for me. The planks creaked as I walked on them. I am heavy, so I thought my weight might collapse them, so I walked carefully. The jail itself is like a cage, with two cells connected, for up to two people in each one. There was very little room in each cell. They were maybe 6 feet long by 4 feet wide, with bunk beds and a small pot where you went to the bathroom. Mabel was so nice. She let me sit on the chair in the front to rest and talked to me when she wasn't helping the other visitors. She told me about the historical society, and you could tell she loved her job. She also was one of the people who wrote the guide they give out for visitors to the many historical sites in Dayton. As I went in the back room, Mabel said she would turn on the lights for me and she went out the side door, presumably to turn them on. A few minutes later, I asked why the lights weren't on, and she laughed. She said to get light in there, they open the door, lol! She then told me this building had no electricity! I was very happy to visit here, as Mabel made me feel very welcome, just as another historical society volunteer made me feel welcome at their museum the other day. I recommend going here when you get the chance.

We saw this on the map and decided to check it out. Im so happy we did. The historian who gave us a…read moretour was so kind. She was so knowledgeable and gave us one of the best tours we have had. She was in no hurry but answered every question. She was full of knowledge of everything to do with this place. And to know that this historical gem is still in existence was super amazing and that they are continuing the effort to keep it alive for many to see and learn like we did. We stayed longer than we thought we would. I hope to return again one day.They sell shirts and magnets which we purchased to help support this wonderful place that holds so much history. There is a fee to tour but well worth every cent.

Visiting the Sutro Tunnel is like stepping into the pages of Nevada's mining history. Originally…read moreenvisioned by the bold and inventive Adolph Sutro in the 1860s, the Sutro Tunnel Company wasn't just a business--it was a revolution in engineering. Designed to drain water from the notoriously flooded Comstock Lode mines, this 3.88-mile tunnel became one of the greatest mining infrastructure feats of the 19th century. The tunnel was said to be able to drain 4mm gallons of water a day in its prime! What makes the Sutro Tunnel so compelling isn't just its size or ambition, but the purpose behind it. At a time when mining disasters were common, this tunnel was a visionary solution to save lives, improve ventilation, and streamline ore transport. Adolph's drive led not only to the tunnel's creation but also to the birth of a vibrant town around it, complete with homes, a post office, a church, and even its own newspaper. Although the commercial impact of the tunnel was eventually limited--due to shifting mining priorities and falling silver yields--its legacy as a pioneering piece of mining infrastructure remains unshaken. It's a symbol of ingenuity, persistence, and community spirit. Fast forward to today: the site is being lovingly restored thanks to the efforts of the Friends of Sutro Tunnel and local volunteers. These modern-day stewards are breathing life back into the historic structures, including the machine shop, mule barn, and portal entrance. The first hundred feet of the tunnel have already been cleared, with plans to extend much further. I attended a fundraiser event put on by the Friends of Sutro Tunnel in which they had poker tournament in the tunnel itself! What you'll find when you visit isn't a tourist trap--it's a time capsule. The preserved buildings echo with history, and the guided experiences provide insight not just into mining, but into the people and dreams that shaped Nevada. With ongoing fundraising events and community gatherings, the site continues to give back--raising thousands for causes like childhood cancer and drawing people together over a shared love of history.

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.]