Day 2

Railroad train ride Carson City-Virginia City “Sisters in History”

8 am big breakfast Katie’s Country Kitchen in Carson Valley Inn
full and hearty – to our preference

9:15 am arrive Carson City’s Eastgate Depot train station
A 25 minute drive from Minden to Carson City on high speed roads through the desert countryside – so unlike the valley we’ve just left. Arriving 45 minutes early at the newly constructed depot on a barren hillside outside of Carson City, we find a crowd already here, scattered between the tracks and the small depot. Re-enactors dressed in 1800’s regalia greet and add authenticity. Pre-ordered tickets are picked up and the rail themed gift shop perused before we hear the whistle and rush outside to catch a photo of the chugging, smoking train pulling three passenger cars up the hill. Right out of an old western! Excitement palpable now. People appear in railroading caps and train t-shirts. Kids are jumping up and down with anticipation! The conductor punches our tickets as we step up to the platform. Inside, vintage is apparent and very comfortable.

The 24-mile round trip excursion operates weekends through October from Carson City to Virginia City, providing travelers with Old West history and lore, dining and shopping. These weekend iron horses feature a 1916 Baldwin Consolidation 2-8-0 or a 1914 Baldwin-Built Mikado 2-8-2 steam engine, each leading three 1914 Pullman cars.

10 am ride Virginia & Truckee Railroad from Carson City to Virginia City “Sisters in History”
Inside the Pullman car there are mounted photos of V&T rail history. A costumed re-enactor accompanies us on the trip selling water and train memorabilia. The train slowly crosses the tortured landscape, curving around the hills, passing through tunnels and blasting a warning before each crossing. We see evidence of past mining activity, the Comstock property, huge mounds of mine tailings, sparse vegetation, an old miner’s graveyard, and a vast desolate landscape that is hauntingly beautiful.

11:30 am arrive Virginia City and explore
Although many visitors walk, we take the free shuttle into Virginia City, one of the best-preserved mining towns. 6 minutes later we are on Main Street and make our way to the Visitor’s Center to talk with Diamond Jim, the go-to guy for an excellent overview of Virginia City. He is not there but a very competent guide advises us how us to make the most of our time before the train returns. Of many choices we decide on a underground mine tour, the Virginia City trolley tour (which is towed by a tractor), live music at a couple of bars (including Squeek Steele on the piano – who played her way into “88” Guinness Book  of World Records), quick chili bowl lunch and gambling one dollar at a one cent per pull one-armed bandit machine. Many re-enactors in town – sheriff, cowboys, fancy ladies- gun toting hombres – all in good fun. Interesting are the authentic architecture, museums, St Mary’s Church, public buildings, and creaky wooden sidewalks that dip and sway. A beautiful sunny day and everyone is loving it. Built on the side of a hill you get the best long desert views from the highest streets. Worth the effort.

3 pm depart Virginia City by train
The skies have changed from sunny to overcast giving a different look to the landscape we saw on the way in. New details that had previously gone unnoticed are now able to be taken in. Open windows provide cool breezes through the rail car for the ride back to Carson City. We arrive at 4:20 pm and start the return trip to Minden.

   52 miles

6 pm BBQ dinner at SoaringNV
Return to hotel for brief “feet up”, then hustle up to Minden-Tahoe Airport for a fundraising barbecue: Youth Scholarship Fund, Bently Burgers on the menu. Entering the valley yesterday we passed some very content cattle foraging on knee high grasses – Bently beef. Bently has 50,000 acres of ranch land in Nevada and California on which they raise Certified Natural and Hormone free beef that is Dry Aged for 3 weeks. We look forward to this sampling! The BBQ is held on the deck and the grounds of SoaringNV – currently hosting the 18 meter Nationals Competition. Carson Valley is one of the world’s premier locations for flying sail-planes (gliders). Thermals created by the mountains and prevailing weather patterns create spectacular flight conditions. Pilots from all over the world travel here to enjoy. We share our dinner with two pilots from up-state New York who tell us about their adventures. Bently Burgers + good companionship + new friends + excellent home made desserts = great combination.

8 pm wander down to Gardnerville for Carson Valley Days events
We hear there is dancing in the streets, welcome hugs, parties in the park as people who grew up here come back each year for a reunion in Gardnerville. We find 32 acre Lampe Park where a party is in progress, a baseball game has just finished, a carnival with games, rides, bright lights is thumping with energy…yes, it is happening! Decide to follow up on a tip… authentic Basque foods…JT Basque Restaurant and Bar. YES!

overnight Carson Valley Inn
The moon is up so we leave the drapes open and fall asleep to moonlight.

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