|
Destination
Virginia City --via Reno
By Tracy Cameron
I live in northern California
and in order to get to Virginia City,
Nevada I have to
pass through Reno,
and what a fun trip it can be. I love
to travel with my two children and see the world anew through their
eyes.
Boomtown located just seven miles west of Reno
on Interstate 80 at Boomtown Exit #4 is the first major Reno
casino you see when you are coming from California.
It is built to resemble an old western town. Not only is there a hotel
but they
also have a family fun center which
includes a 3D motion theater, a covered wagon ferris
wheel, a unique
rodeo rider, an antique carousel, and
miniature golf. There is a choice between the buffet or the cantina. My
kids
enjoyed the entire experience.
We
stayed at the Reno Hilton while we were in the area. The
Reno Hilton is a full service resort with ten restaurants, 200,000
square feet
of meeting and convention space, an outdoor golf driving range and an
indoor
golf simulator. They also have a seasonal outdoor pool, family fun
center with
a ceramic studio, shuffle board shop, miniature golf course, bowling,
two
thrill rides, and go kart tracks. The pool and bowling are always a
success
with my children. We once spent an entire weekend there for a family
reunion
and there was something for everyone.
Circus Circus
Hotel Casino,
located in downtown Reno,
has a Midway with over 30 carnival games as well as free daily circus
performances, which makes this a great choice for families with young
children.
There are several options for dining, and you don’t even have
to leave the
premises during your stay. Again this is a favorite destination for my
children
and myself.
If you are a car buff, The
National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection), located in Reno,
has more
than 200 antique, vintage, classic and special-interest automobiles, as
well as
cars of the stars, and
you can spend a
long time looking at all of them. It includes four authentic street
scenes,
representing each quarter of the 20th century,
with facades, autos
and artifacts from each era. My kids enjoyed a 1965 VW Beetle owned by
Harrod
Blank, an artist, entitled “Oh My God”. It has
objects glued all over it. My
kids immediately started the game “punch
buggy” or “slug bug” (depending on what
region of the United States
you are from), where the object of the game is to spot VW Bugs. The
museum is
also an ideal place for souvenir shopping.
Truckee River Kayak Park at Wingfield
in downtown Reno
is a whitewater park and kayak slalom racing course. The park is free,
open to
the public, has pedestrian bridges to city streets, an amphitheater for
concerts, open grass areas for picnics, food vendors, and events such
as the
River Festival are held there. Kayaker Jay Kincaid, a
three-time U.S. Point Series
Champion and 2003 World record-holding freestyle champion lives in Reno
and trains at this
park. No activities were going on while we were at the park, but we
plan to go
back again sometime soon.
Virginia
City brings thoughts of the 1870’s Comstock Lode silver
rush, the wild west, saloons, and one room school houses. I recently
had a
chance to visit this town again with my children and my mom and was not disappointed.
Much of the old
charm of the town has been maintained.
We
spent part of a day in Virginia City.
Walking downtown Virginia City
yields all
sorts of delights. I remember taking a trip with my parents many years
ago and
how much fun it was to wander around downtown. If you want to see more,
the
Silver Line Express offers a 20 minute narrated trolley ride, which
includes
major points of interest such as mines, mansions, museums, railroad and
cemeteries, as well as the historical, financial, and cultural
background. The
trolley boards at the Delta Saloon parking lot located on C Street,
in downtown Virginia City.
It is a “do not miss” experience.
The
Fourth
Ward School,
a Victorian four-story school, was built in 1876, operated until 1936,
and once
housed 1000 students. An 1870’s classroom is available to
tour. Three
generations reminisced about our
schooling while sitting at the desks. Although it was a much larger
school due
to the silver mines, this classroom also immediately reminded me of
reading the
Little House on the Prairie books with the one room classrooms.
The
Way It Was Museum has a collection of Comstock mining
artifacts, photos, maps, lithographs, working models, costumes, and
cutaways of
mines and mills. My mom saw a Victorian pickle caster than my Grandma
gave her.
Mark Twain worked
as a reporter at the local newspaper and
Mark Twain’s Bookstore contains memorabilia and rare books. I
grew up in Grass
Valley, California,
another mining town where Mark Twain also spent some time. On our way back to our car,
we stopped in a
candy store and watched salt water taffy being made. Of course, we had
to buy
some.
We left saying we would
have to visit Virginia City
again soon and spend more time.
Boomtown
1-80 Exit 4
Reno,
NV 89439
1(800)648-3790
http://www.boomtownreno.com
Circus
Circus Hotel Casino
500 North Sierra Street
Reno,
Nevada 89503
1(800)648-5010
http://www.circusreno.com
Fourth
Ward School Museum
P.O.
Box 4/537
South C Street
Virginia City,
NV 89440
(775)847-0975
http://www.fourthwardschool.org
National
Automobile Museum
10 S. Lake St.
Reno,
NV 89501-1558
(775)333-9300
http://www.automuseum.org
Reno
Hilton
2500 E. 2nd Street
Reno,
NV 89595
1(800)648-5080/
(775)789-2000
http://www.renohilton.com
Truckee
River Kayak Park at
Wingfield
http://www.RenoRiverFestival.com
Virginia
City Convention
and Tourism Authority
Box 920
Virginia City,
NV
89440
1(800)718-SLVR/
(775)847-7500
mailto:vccta@reno.quik.com
Tracy
Cameron ©2007
|