Going to start today with a big breakfast and off to Hoover Dam.
The Sphere says “Good Morning” π
Side point.. The rental car is a sporty Mazda with lots of AI driving settings. I really like the adaptive cruise control; however, if you get behind a slow drive you will stay at that speed until you get away from them. Back to the regular schedule ramblings…
The first view you get of the Hoover Dam is fantastic. I wish I had a dashcam to show you, but maybe this will encourage you to visit on your own.
On to some pictures…
The highway that was built over the dam is crazy.
Mike O’CallaghanβPat Tillman Memorial Bridge
Here are some pictures from Nevada and then Arizona.
Nevada
Right in the middle of both states
Panoramic Picture
Arizona
I only took the 30 minute Power House tour. Which shows you one of the by-pass pipes they used to divert the Colorado River back in the 1930s so they could build the dam on dry land.
Then we went up a few levels to the power house.
The other tour takes you deeper, sees more tunnels and lasts about 90 minutes and you get to wear a hard hat. If I visit again it gives me something to do.
Time to head back and get some lunch and rest my feet. The next thing I have planned is a Big Bus Tour with a visit to the Neon Sign Museum. That’s at 8 PM.
I’m currently sitting in my room, listening to a thunderstorm rolling by.
I really enjoy a rain storm, but when I’m inside and don’t have to get out in it. π Sadly the rain just teased me. Everything stayed north and moved fast. The news did mention that a few areas got it with some flash flooding and showed some videos that citizens sent in to the news showing streets flowing like a fast moving river. EMS even had to rescue someone that got swept away in a storm drain. Lucky for that person they were able to be rescued in time.
I couldn’t sit still anymore so I headed out to shop, well look at shops. This is crazy… Between, underneath or beyond, I’m not sure, The Venetian and The Palazzo, there is this HUGE shopping area with various restaurants and retail shops. They made it look like a Venetian City. You can even ride a gondola along a canal.
So many ways to be entertained in Vegas.
And finally the final tour of the trip off to see the old signs of Vegas. Learn more here.
There is a lot of history in these signs and what is the current Las Vegas Strip is the new part of Vegas some of the oldest casinos are in the downtown area, such as El Cortez Hotel and Golden Nugget.
Now off to the welcome to Vegas sign to end the tour and my trip.
I had a good thinking in the hot springs this morning and decided I could work up the courage to cross the mountains again. Highway 207 isn’t really that bad, I was in a rental car, and taking those curves at the 45 mph speed limited seemed a bit fast to me. Gladly, I’m an early bird so I didn’t have too many people behind me. I did make up for the slow curves, when given a nice straightaway.
Lake Tahoe and Brunch
I spend my morning between breakfast and the soak in the hot springs, surveying eateries in South Lake Tahoe that would give me a view of the lake. Amazingly, there aren’t that many that show up on a Google search. Parking also is a big problem. The large hotels on the California side all have parking garages, just like Hotel/Casinos do on the Nevada side. This doesn’t allow for much parking spaces. This influenced my choice of dinning to only 2 places, Riva Grill on the Lake (has the best view of the lake), Artemis Lakefront Cafe (decent view of the lake, but set back from Riva Grill) and Empanash (no view of the lake). I went for Artemis, because I wanted to try some Greek food. I got there around 10:30 AM so they were still on their breakfast menu, so I channeled my inner hobbit again and had second breakfast.
Enough about the food, here are some pictures from the beach. Most of the beach is private property and only accessible if you are staying at the resort there, but there is a marina and you can walk out on the pier.
If I’m judging my location correctly, one of those mountains over there is the one I climbed up in yesterday’s post. It’s the one above Emerald Bay.
To the top of a mountain
After doing some shopping at the souvenir store were I bought a Lake Tahoe T-shirt and magnet. (These items are a must when I visit a place.) I decided to visit the sister resort, which is a sky resort, to David Wally’s. So back up route 207 with a left turn to keep going up past lots of different resorts and sky locations. This gave me a really good view of the valley below, which I wish I could have taken while driving; however, I was driving and taking photos would have been a bad idea. I’m going to have to save up for a GoPro or Insta360 camera for my next adventure in the mountains. Enjoy the view looking down at the wetlands. Enjoy the bonus squirrel cameo.
Drinks and Saloons
I returned to Genoa, Nevada to have a drink at the oldest saloon in the State of Nevada. I had what was in essence, a Kentucky Mule, which they called a Six Shooter. It wasn’t bad, the choice of ginger beer dominates this drink and at least that tasted good. What I should have ordered was a Bloody Mary; even if I don’t like the drink, they make the mix themselves and I over heard the bartenders discussing their current supply from when they made up the mix the other day. So if you are in Genoa, stop at the Genoa Bar and Saloon, bend down to open the door and enjoy an adult beverage or too. If you are lucky the food truck will also be open and you can get a burger and fries.
Before leaving Genoa, I visited a few shops that were closed the last time I was here. Bought some desert and local Nevada honey.
I’m going to end tonight at the David Wally’s Saloon and take one final soak in the hot springs before calling it a night. I need to be in Reno by 8 AM to return the rental car, so I’ll have to leave here by 7 AM just to be safe. Until the next adventure, I hope you enjoyed my rambling. Stay safe, stay happy.
Welcome to the next installment of my travel blog for June 2024. As the title says, we will be exploring the Carson Range today and tomorrow, or at least we will be staying on the Carson Range side east of Lake Tahoe. I’m planning on exploring Lake Tahoe on Thursday and Friday, so keep coming back. On to today’s adventure..
Sunrise… well and attempt
First, I want you the reader to know that I almost needed a blood transfusion after trying to get these pictures. I should have realized that being so near a wetland the mosquitos would be a force to be reconned with.
I’m thinking this video shows dragon flies feasting on the mosquitos.
Now on to the sunrise photos.
A morning walk to Genoa
Genoa is 1.5 miles north of David Walley’s Resort, where I’m staying. Along the way wild life was encountered both on the journey there and back.
Enjoy some lizards, bees, and birds. The bunny rabbit and squirrel were too fast for me to get a clear picture of them.
Genoa, Nevada
Genoa is the oldest permanent settlement in Nevada. It was founded in 1851; however, Nevada didn’t exist then, it was part of the Utah Territories. The original settlers were part of the Mormon Church and the settlement was originally called Mormon Station. You can learn more here at the official Nevada Historical Website.
The Pink HouseLillian Virgin FinneganOldest Saloon in Nevada
You are probably thinking “why is there a statue of a woman holding a tray of candy?” Well, there is a story behind this statue. Back in 1919 the town wanted to install electric streetlights but didn’t have the funds. Lillian suggested the town hold a Candy Dance. Citizen danced and purchased candy from the local candymakers, and the funds raised went to purchasing and installing the streetlights. The city liked her idea and vola “let there be light”; however, there always is a however when it comes to city budgets. Who was going to pay the monthly electric bill for the lights? Well, candy will. If a Candy Dance worked once why not make it a yearly event, and the city did just that. The tradition lives on to this day. The city has expanded it to include an Arts and Craft Fair and the money goes into the Genoa City budget. Sometimes it pays to live in a small town.
Before heading back, I channeled my inner hobbit and went for 2nd breakfast at the Genoa Country Store. I enjoyed an egg sandwich with sausage on an English Muffin. Now being recharged, I headed back to the resort.
Coyote?
Onward to a Museum… after a short break
Honestly, I need another rest after walking there and back again; round trip was 3 miles or a 5K race. I did contemplate running the track tomorrow, but I’ve ruled against it. The weekend after I get back I’ve got a 5K. Too much of a good thing can turn out bad, hey, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. Back to the history lesson.
This museum is only open from 11 AM to 3 PM and is located in busy city building. The center room and the downstairs is the museum while the rooms on the side and front are for city business. The cost is $5 and I feel that is a reasonable fee. On the main floor the walls have murals. As you enter the wall on the left tells the history of the Mustang and Nevada’s push to create a safe place for wild horse herds to roam. I didn’t even know there are herds of wild horses, but 10 states have reserved areas for them. You can learn more here at the Herd Managment website.
Sheep, I want to now talk about sheepherding. Why? because I can… or it’s actually related to the history of Nevada. Sheep herding in Nevada began in the 1880s, when Basque families from Spain and France immigrated to the Western United States for better job opportunities. They supplied the gold and silver miners with mutton and wool. This was a solitary life for the herder who could only count on his dogs and the 100’s of sheep he was managing. You can learn a bit more here at the National Park Systems Website. What little is known about these men comes from the carvings they left on the Aspen trees in the area.
Now let’s take a moment to talk about the first peoples, the indigenous tribes of the Lake Tahoe area. They called themselves WΓ‘βΕ‘iw, or Washoe in English. I’m just going to copy directly from the tribes website, “The four directions of WΓ‘βΕ‘iw territory was occupied by different bands of the WΓ‘βΕ‘iw that made up the whole of the tribe. Although one tribe, each band was unique in its own area of occupation with subtle differences in cultural diversity and language patterns.” To get the full history I recommend following the link to the Washoe Tribe Website and downloading the PDF writen by the tribe telling their history. To quickly summarize, European settlers moved in for the gold and silver and destroyed the tribe’s way of life. The WΓ‘βΕ‘iw were always an adaptable people and they managed to survive and keep their traditions if not their way of life. At the museum there is a room dedicated to this tribe which was famous for its weaved baskets.
One last thing before we move on to more modern times.
As a fan of archeology and digging things up to learn more about the past, the statement here saddens me. I realize this happened before archeology became a solid science, but I wonder what history we could have learned if an archeologist had been called in to excavate the area. From what I understand about the Indigenous tribes of the area they didn’t do much with stone, because it was heavy, and they moved around frequently. Why did they take the time to carve this stone statue? We will never know. Which gives me the chance to stand on a soap box and preach for a moment. It is a federal crime to dig up, remove or relocate artifacts found in public parks and native tribal lands. If you happen upon something, record the gps location, take pictures don’t touch anything, and then report what you found to the state or federal government agency. If you want fame, I’m sure you will get more credit for reporting and letting the professionals do their job than making a TikTok or Instagram post about it. I’m now getting off my soap box. Let’s continue to more modern times.
Let’s look at some medical equipment and telephone equipment…
Isn’t that old water fountain cool? And check out all those phones? f
Wow, it’s taken me 2 hours to type, edit and upload all of this content. Time does fly when you are having fun. I’m having to remind myself to enjoy the collection of content as much as writing about it. That’s all for today, tomorrow there will be blue chicken eggs for breakfast and I’ve decided to drive to Virginia City myself and skip the guided tour. I honestly didn’t want to be trapped for 5 hours. Virginia City is only 45 minutes away and I can visit or skip the museums along the way. So until tomorrow, have a great day, enjoy a pizza. I had one for lunch.
It’s June 10, 2024 and I’m up very early for my flights to Genoa, Nevada. Genoa is located on the east side of the mountains that encircle Lake Tahoe. I have no set plans other than to hike some easy trails, tour the lake, and visit some historical sites; hopefully along the way I can take some good pictures and share my experience.
Traveling Day
I made it to Austin and now I’m waiting for my connecting flight. Since it’s early in the morning I also just paid $13 for $5 breakfast tacos, but I’m no longer hungry. Not going to talk about prices at airports where people are trapped and have no choice when all the prices are fixed.
Something I found interesting is the gate I arrived at is the gate I’m leaving through. Maybe that will improve my odds at winning the lottery this week. π€ͺ
What to do while waiting
The main thing I’m doing or did do was listen to some podcasts. My listening choices are mostly historical or about Christianity. Here are the episodes I listened to I do recommend them if you like learning things.
I’m getting ready to board the next plane to Reno with a stop to load / unload in Las Vegas. Does that count so I can say I’ve been to Vegas? Because honestly I can’t think of a reason to go to Vegas unless it’s to see a musician’s show. Oh well.
A plane, not the plane I’m on. π€ͺ
So the picture of the plane is the flight before mine. It would be cool to have the super power of being in two locations at once but sadly I don’t have that power or do I? π
Made it to Vegas baby… Not getting off the plane though
Next stop is Reno..
At the time I’m writing / typing this I’m glad I was able to take a few naps on the plan flights. I’m thinking the 2 hour time change is going to catch up with me eventually, but until then Go Hard or Go Home!
So I arrived in Reno and before you can even leave the airport you find these machines.
And no I didn’t give them a try. I have terrible luck; plus, I’m holding all my luck up to win the Mega Millions Lottery. One day my numbers will hit, I will probably have been dead for 50 years, but still they will hit. Hehe
The rental process was a breeze with Enterprise, I did all the paperwork the day before and all they did was verify my credit card and I was given the key fab to a 2023 Mustang Convertible. (Pictures tomorrow or maybe Wednesday) I want one now. The Android Auto synced with my phone without a single issue and I was able to use Google Maps via my phone linked to the Android Auto to navigate. It even started to play the Spotify playlist I was listening to on the airplane. Sometimes technology can be cool, when it works.
So, here is the view from my room, in Genoa, Nevada. I’m on the east side of the mountains that encircle Lake Tahoe.
I drove through the small town of Genoa, at a very, very, very slow speed. This was not by choice, the speed limit was only 25 mph. It’s 1.5 miles from where I’m staying and there is a path that walks along the river in the picture above that I’m thinking of walking tomorrow and getting the history of this little town. So that is Tuesday morning planned. There is a van / train tour to Virginia City that interests me, but its $90 and I’m debating if I like trains enough. FYI, I do like trains, go back and check out these previous trips. So it’s highly probable there will be a train trip, if I can schedule it.
And with that, I’m going to end the post. But one last things, wow groceries in this town are expensive compared to home. A package of 10 slices of cheese costs me $2.60 in Texas and is $3.90 here. Until tomorrow.
Carl's Blog 
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