Damkier's Travels: Carson City & Virginia City

Historic Nevada State Capitol Building

Carson City, Nevada is the capitol of Nevada and is now much closer to Reno after the construction of Interstate 580. I watched this freeway be carved out of the mountains over nearly a decade, and it has cut the travel time considerably to both Carson City and South Lake Tahoe. The historic capitol building is the main attraction in town, nestled in the garden, but Nevada is one of only three states where the legislature conducts business in a different building. The larger and newer buildings are conveniently next door.

Pub Across from the Capitol Building

Being Nevada, there are several casinos directly across the street from the state capitol. I cannot imagine any other place in the world where you can gamble on dice and elected officials so close to one another! Unfortunately, being the Monday after a holiday weekend, most of the buildings and museums were closed, but it is always nice to wander around the capitol grounds and neighboring streets speculating on where the next deal will be made.

Downtown Virginia City

Fortunately, the historic town of Virginia City, Nevada had a bit more life. This Old West town is perched high up in the hills near a still active Comstock Mine. Virginia City has all the trappings of a western town - saloons, gun fights, real casinos, and lots of shops selling everything. They try and keep things as authentic as possible with wooden sidewalks and boomtown architecture, so I honor their spirit by showing them in black & white.

Alley with Various Shops

Thunderstorms again invaded in the mid afternoon hours, as is tradition. This was a perfect opportunity to escape into a coffee shop for a fresh roasted espresso and a nice rest. It was really a treat to experience a good old fashioned mountain thunderstorm like those I enjoyed in Arizona. The smell of a fresh desert and thunder claps bouncing off the walls and hills is a welcome treat.

Graffiti on Rock with Reno in the Background

Carson City and Virginia City are on a rough loop from Reno, now about 30 minutes from each other and a great road trip out of Reno. The roads in and out of Virginia City are windy and full of steep switchbacks, but it makes for a fun drive. There are several lookouts on the roads which give a panoramic view of the Reno area, including the ominous warning of a cancelled baseball game. Please enjoy the rest of my pictures below.