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!

The Tallac Historic Site is definitely one of the best places to go to when visiting South Lake…read moreTahoe. There's plenty of parking and a paved walkway, which is easily accessible when the site is open. This place is particularly nice in the offseason when the roads are closed. You park outside in a dirt parking lot right next to Camp Richardson. You then walk along the road until you come to the lakeside. Then you can walk around the lake and see all the historic buildings. If you get hungry, you can walk along the beach to the Grove which is usually open at Camp Richardson. This place is great to go to year-round, but particularly during the shoulder season.

Looking for access to Tahoe's shoreline without the crowds? Look no further than the Tallac…read moreHistoric Site. I discovered this place while taking my son to a day camp that was using this area as a homebase for the day. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect but I found a fairly expensive parking area, shaded picnic tables, and a flat dirt path that meandered along the shoreline of the lake, offering access to the water itself every couple hundred feet. Along the path, there were also placards detailing the history of the site and even some interesting remnants of former buildings that include you into what happened here in the past. This is a great place to learn some of Tahoe's history while enjoying its current beauty without the crowds of the larger public beaches. There's also a section of this area that is available for rent for private functions too, and you can enjoy the history and beauty during a private function with friends and family.

Great hike, the tunnels were so cool. I think the part people "miss" is they are walking over what…read moreis considered China Wall. If you are walking the tunnels you can't see this engineering feat from the trail. You need a side quest or to start from a lower vantage point to see the actual wall.

This place is super unique!!! No idea why they don't advertise this place more. There's a parking…read morelot on your left shortly before you hit the rainbow bridge. If the weather is nice, you'll see a bunch of climbers right here. From the lot, proceed uphill for a short distance and you'll see the petroglyphs on the rocks to your left. Proceed up these and you'll hit the tunnels! Go to the left for the best ones. I'd recommend going with someone as it can be a bit creepy in the darker areas and you never know what can happen. A flashlight or headlamp is a good idea but you're phone will suffice. There are openings every now and then so it's not like a cave or pitch dark. Tons of graffiti everywhere in a tunnel view which make for some awesome photos (reason 2 to have a partner or IG BF on hand). Enjoy!!

Charming little bridge with visitor center on one end and museum (by appointment) on the other.read more

Fanny Bridge is supposedly named for all the fannies seen from the road as people look from it…read moretoward the Lake Tahoe Dam. We stop by here nearly every time we pass through Tahoe City, so fairly often. We enjoy walking the loop over the dam and back around over the bridge while taking time to read signage describing local facts regarding things from fish to water levels. There is plenty of parking in the adjacent lot and you will also find clean bathrooms. This is also the location of the Gatekeeper's Museum. There is a nice woodsy area just past the museum through which you can walk toward the lake. And currently, with water levels so low, you will find an explosion of purple as lupine fields are in full bloom! So gorgeous and worth the visit!

We had out of town family in town last week and we made it back to the Donner (Railroad) Tunnels. I…read morelove the tunnels! It's SO beautiful. And as it was a railroad, it's level and easy, and as it's in the tunnels, you're mostly protected from the weather. Bring good trail walking shoes and a flashlight. (And park across from the Donner Ski Ranch.)

I've lived in Reno since 1979, and I've never been to the tunnels?! It was so fun! Incredible…read moreviews. No snow yet, making the tremendous rock formations visible. A lot of people, and dogs. A few bikers, of which, I was one. Everyone was friendly and courteous with their pups, and kids. Parking was easy in the lot by Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. If biking, I recommend a fat tire bike as the gravel is deep in random spots in the tunnels. Water trickles through in several spots. I recommend a head lamp in addition to your fully charged bike light, some tunnels are really dark, and long!

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.

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 had the best guide. Informative, a great storyteller and he made the whole experience enjoyable…read more Pretty rich history here. Imagine being so wealthy, Thomas Edison comes to set up your electricity and Alexander Bell comes to set up your phone service. This place definitely has a vibe. I'd love to come back for a night t

Awesome history found here and since we visited Fort Churchill on a previous visit and wondered…read morewhere the rest of the houses went this completed the story for us. They have a short video and it was only a $1 to take a look through the house. The Park Ranger was very knowledgable and gave us all the history and very sweet and showed us around and answered all our questions. The history of the place really is amazing. come check it out for sure if your in the area!

A piece of Nevada's pioneer history, this building and the ranch across the street is an awesome…read moreplace to visit, to learn its history, see the artifacts of a bygone era. (I am also writing a book about this building and the history surrounding it and the owners.)

A monument to pioneer families [Truckee CA]…read more A short walk on the paved trail from the visitor center led us to the pioneer monument. The monument stands on the spot where the Schallenberger, and later the Breen, cabin once stood. Dedicated and honoring all the emigrants (not just the Donner Party) who followed the Truckee River and crossed the Sierra on their way to the west (California). The emigrant family sits on top of a 22-foot pedestal and is facing westward toward Donner Pass. Completed on June 6th 1918 and marked California Historical Landmark #134. There are educational interpretive signs nearby worth the read. Interesting to see this monument standing at one of the most historic sites in emigrant history. During the winter of 1846-1847 we learned that nearly half of Donner Party died from cold and lack of food. They set up camp around this area and was trapped by snow during their journey, imagine trekking in prairie wagons pulled by oxen from Illinois. So sad for those who perished just because of this unfortunate decision they took as a shortcut... ahhh! so close yet so far. Review #3557

This memorial is to the ill fated Donner party who started too late and could not get across the…read moreSierra Nevada Mountains because of snow. Their story has been documented in a PBS show that I recommend you try to find. It is difficult to think how many survived given the harsh conditions and lack of food the party had. It's also sad to think of the deaths the families endured because of these conditons. This memorial is about 20 yards from the visitor center/museum. Walk around the backside and read the historical infomration on a plaque there, too. This is worth getting off the freeway to visit.