I can’t count how many times I’ve gone through the intersection.
The road I take to work, which connects both sides of the city, goes right through it. There’s a right turn, toward some houses, the road straight ahead, back into town…and a left turn, that goes up and around into the hills and out of sight.
I’ve always wanted to take that left turn. Every time I’d go past it I’d stare at the little bend of the road disappearing over the hill and wonder where it went, what was on the other side of the hump. But then I’d keep driving, and I’d forget about that errant little path on the edge of town.
But as I drove past the left turn into the hills yesterday afternoon, with my day clear and no one where in particular to be, I found myself turning my steering wheel, lifting the lever on my dash to signal a turn…and taking a left.
What I ended finding were some beautiful areas down by the Carson River, and a hill with a perfect view of the whole city! I think in life we end up taking to many of the same paths, doing the same things. Take a different turn every once in a while…you never know where it might lead you!
Here’s some pics from my adventure!
Little bumblebee in some brush by the Carson River
View of the Carson River
The River heading back towards town
Little bridge over the river
Another view of the river, accessible from a dirt path at the Carson River Park
Went back and climbed up a rocky hill to see the sun set behind the majestic Sierra Nevada’s
Remember…take a new path every once in a while! You never know what you might find if you take the right turn! There are treasures all around, just waiting to be found.
Well, if we don’t get a white Christmas, we here in Carson City at least got a very white Thanksgiving! The snow really came down yesterday, dumping enough to make the valley floor look like some mountain town in Wyoming. It was an amazing sight, so I headed out to spend some time with the family and to get some valuable experience driving in the snow! As someone who grew up (and learned to drive) in the very sunny south part of California, it was definitely a unique and enjoyable experience. And with the reports of more snow in our future, I’m sure it won’t be the last time I drive in snow!
My parents’ 1953 CJ3B Willey’s (nicknamed “Pappy”) stretching his legs in the fresh snow!
Snowed enough while we were out that it started accumulating a bit!
My mom braving the weather to get some video of Pappy playing in the snow!
Okay, so maybe I got a little excited last week with the dusting of snow over the mountain-tops. This week, the weather outdid itself and dropped some snow right down on Carson City itself! Of course, knowing the rapid burn time of snow on the valley floor, I lept out of bed and dashed out the door to grab a few pics of the snow!
View out my window when I woke up:
Fresh snow right outside my apartment!
Some pictures around town:
Decided to head to the edge of town to get a look at more snow!
Do you wanna build a snowman? Cause I do! And I did! Had a ton of fun making this little guy. Nice and quiet out there, and felt like a kid again. And I think he’s pretty cute if I do say so myself!
Winter is here and I’m loving it! Now time for some hot chocolate with marshmallows!
It’s beginning to look (at least a little bit) like Christmas!
Yeah, yeah, quiet down all you Thanksgiving people. I know we still got Turkey Day ahead of us. But like it not, Christmas is less than two months away! And it looks like the weather knows it as well, because guess what we finally got here in Carson City! That’s right, snow!
Anyone who’s watched the news lately is well aware of the water situation on the west coast, so the bright, white flakes of snow drifting down from the sky were a welcome relief. And for someone whose spent the last two years in the flat, humid plains of Texas, seeing snow was an especially exciting sight.
Full confession, when I first realize it was snowing I definitely starting bouncing up and down like a little kid. Most of my coworkers were born and raised in this area, so of course they were all looking at me like I was crazy.
Just the tops of the mountains capped with snow
Jon Snow taking in the view!
Was driving down the road toward the mountains when I cam across the beautiful open field! Had to stop and take some pictures of course!
Closer view of the mountains. Looks like the tops were pretty covered!
Enjoying the view!
New desktop background? 😛
Posing for the camera
Another beautiful field! If you can believe it, on the opposite side of the road are houses! Imagine waking up to this every morning!
Wider shot of the mountains
Taking a second to be artsy farsty. 😛
I know I say this a lot but I really do feel blessed to be living up here. All these shots were but a fifteen minute drive from my apartment. No crowds or traffic or anything, just down the road!
On a side note, from the weather report it looks like we might be getting snow again next week! Might be posting some more snow shots in the coming days!
About fifteen minutes outside of Carson City, nestled against the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, resides Nevada’s first settlement, Genoa. Established in 1850 by Mormon pioneers in what would eventually become the Nevada Territory, Genoa was home to Nevada’s first newspaper, hotel, and court. The Genoa Bar, billed as “Nevada’s Oldest Thirst Parlor”, was frequented by such famous men as Mark Twain, Teddy Roosevelt, and Johnny Cash.
Artist depiction of Genoa in 1850
Much of the town was destroyed by a fire in 1910, but many historic buildings survive and are now part of the Genoa Historic Distric, also known as Mormon Station.
This week I headed to the historic settlement to visit the beautiful little town and to learn more about the history of the proud state of Nevada.
This is a reproduction of the original fort at Mormon Station, rebuilt in 1947 after the fire of 1910
Beautiful grassy area just inside the fort
Examples of wagons used by the pioneers in 1850
Another park and wooded area sits adjacent to Mormon Station
Standing in downtown Genoa looking toward the historic courthouse
Took some time to visit the Genoa museum, located in the renovated Genoa Courthouse. Below is the original recorder’s room, filled with authentic 19th century artifacts from the Genoa’s historic era
Exhibit dedicated to the Washoe Indians, who populated Carson Valley and much of Nevada prior to the western settlers.
Exhibit on the original town Blacksmith, including a variety of tools and forges used in the day.
The original jail cells used in the court. Apparently, when the courthouse was being renovated, a hole was found above the left jail cell. An inmate had attempted to escape by tunneling out through the roof, only to be failed by a ten inch plate of steel.
The renovated courtroom on the second floor of the courthouse. This room was easily my favorite, with its antique wooden floors creaking beneath your feet and the wide open room, really letting you imagine being part of courtroom proceedings in 1850.
Monument to Snowshoe Thompson, one of Genoa’s more incredible residents. Mail delivery in the area was made difficult due to the large amounts of snowfall. During these heavy winters, Snowshow, or John Albert Thomson, would strap on ten-foot skies and carry 60-70 pound bags of mail over the snow from Placerville to Genoa, and sometimes even Virginia City. Thompson never accepted payment for his deliveries, and even assisted in several snow rescues of stranded travelers. A large statue is dedicated to him in the town square, as is this exhibit.
Statue of Snowshoe Thompson
Downstairs parlor of the courthouse. Lots of fascinating artifacts in this room.
Large antique china collection in the parlor
Another really cool artifact in the museum: a bell originally cast in Sheffield, England. The story of the bell is a bit sad; the bell was shipped all the way from England to San Francisco, then brought over the mountains to the town where a group of settlers were intending to use it for their new church. However, the year the bell arrived also happened to be the year that James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill, launching the Gold Rush of 1849. Most of the able-bodied men left the town, and the Church was never built. However, when the courthouse became a temporary school, it was decided that the bell would be moved to the courthouse. It is traditionally rung on Independence Day.
Kitchen in the upstairs area of the Courthouse
Outside view of the Courthouse
The historic Genoa hotel
Dirt lane behind the Courthouse and Hotel
Looking towards downtown. Sunlight gets lost super quick here due to the mountains.
Monument to Snowshoe Thompson in the center of town.
Lots of antique buildings line the streets of Genoa
The Genoa Bar! Nevada’s oldest thirst parlor, visited by the likes of Mark Twain, Johnny Cash, and Teddy Roosevelt. This place is AWESOME. Old, antique bar and bar stools and the whole place just feels like a time capsule, definitely a fun place to visit. Didn’t have time to get a drink, unfortunately, but I will definitely be back soon!
Genoa is easily one the coolest places I’ve visited. So few historic towns are so well preserved, and in such a beautiful location. I had the good fortune to be visiting on an off-season day, so the town was quiet and serene. There’s so much history, and places to discover in this town, and most of the historic buildings are situated close together, making it easily to simply park your car and walk around and enjoy the town. Conveniently located just seven miles out of Minden and about fifteen minutes out of Carson City, this little gem of a town is a wonderful and easy place to visit. I will most definitely be going back soon.
There’s a scene early in the Fellowship of the Ring where Bilbo turns to Gandalf and says, “I want to see mountains, again, mountains!”
Living in the vast, flat state of Texas for the last two years I definitely felt the same way. At least a good two thirds of my childhood were spent in the mountains back in the west, either up north, or near the coast, or in the desert (the other third was spent sleeping, going to school, and doing homework).
Carson City, thankfully, has plenty of tall, beautiful mountains, most of which belong to the Sierra Nevada mountain range. I’ve been dying to get out and explore some of the trails in the area, and last week I got the chance when my folks headed out to do some exploring. I hopped in Jon Snow and went into the hills!
Meeting up with the folks
Topping off before heading out
Driving up into the hills!!
Looking back out toward Carson City
Beautiful valley in between the mountains. If you can believe it, there’s ranch down in that valley that’s for sale! Imagine owning your own private meadow!
View of Carson City (out towards the left) and the Minden/Gardnerville area (far right)
Unfortunately, a large swath of the dirt road had washed out and crumbled away, and we were forced to turn back around just a few miles from the summit
Jon Snow enjoying his time in the mountains
Posing with Moby (my parent’s big white jeep JK on the right)
While we were at the bottom of the hill we found an Immigrant Trail marker! Many of the trails in the area were once used by people moving out west in the 1800’s, and these markers can be found all along the trails, usually with some story or info on what happened in the area or info on the trail itself. Very cool find!!
Sunset over Carson City. So pretty up here!
Also, some photos from their site Wayalife.com that my parents were willing to share! They’re amazing photographers and everything I know about photography I learned from them! And am still learning!
I’ve always been a history kinda guy. I’m not saying that I tore through my high school history textbooks like they were the hunger games, but I’ve always loved learning the stories about the people and places that came before us. I’ve always loved going to old ghost towns and trying to imagine what life was like 100 years ago in that exact spot, or looking at old coins and wondering about all the different people whose hands that small circle of metal passed through. History has so much to tell us about ourselves, and who we may become. I’ve always been a fan of a good story (who isn’t?) and to me, all history is, is a bunch of really good stories.
Which is part of the reason I was so excited to move to Carson City, the capital of Nevada. Just from driving through the town I could tell that it was an area steeped in history, with cute, remarkably well preserved old building lining the streets, and the sort of city planning that could only have occurred before the invention of cookie-cutter condos. I knew that the old city was an old book full of mystery and intrigue, sitting at the back of the library, just waiting to be opened.
After getting settled in, and taking care of few small chores like getting a job and a place to stay, I went for a walk downtown, to try and get to know my new home. It was time to open that dusty tome known as Carson City.
First up, the Nevada State Senate Building
A Beautiful, working clock that greets visitors as they approach the building
The Nevada State Capitol Building
The Carson City Farmer’s Market, held Saturday mornings during the summer and fall. Glad I went for my walk on a Saturday! TONS of delicious and fresh fruits and vegetables. Kind of like an adult candy shop, really. Definitely gotta be careful, you might end up taking home way more than you can possibly eat!
Some of the flowers around the area. The downtown area features some very beautiful areas, with lots of trees and flowers like these dotting the landscape. Walking around this part of the town is definitely a treat.
Looking down the street near where the Farmer’s market is held. What a cute sidewalk, with the shops and the tall trees shading the walkway!
Pretty much right in the heart of downtown is the Firkin and Fox, formerly the St. Charles Hotel. Definitely going to be visiting and writing more on this place. Lots of history here!
Another historic building now houses the Tahoe Brewery! I hear the have delicious…might have to make a detour there soon!
Needless to say, I had a great time exploring this historic and beautiful town. Stay tuned for part two of this OhVenture, as I delve deeper into the history and the development of Nevada’s State Capitol.
The clouds rolled in, the skies darkened, the winds picked up and then…the first drops of Fall fell from the sky. But then, just as soon as it started it stopped, and the silver cracks appeared between the clouds, letting in bright rays of sunshine.
There are few things more beautiful than that period right after a rain, where everything is glistening and the air smells fresh. Fortunately the rains began to let up just as I was finishing my shift at work, so I raced home, changed, and then took my 97′ Jeep Cherokee (nicknamed Jon Snow) out for his first taste of dirt.
There are tons of trails and public land just outside Carson City, so I took some easy dirt roads up and around the Prison Hill area, admiring the scenery and letting Jon Snow rumble contentedly across the damp dirt. It was a beautiful evening, and definitely a treat getting out of the town for a while.
Here’s some pics from my evening out, hope you enjoy!
Heading out onto the dirtLooking out toward TahoeRainbow!!!Clouds parting after the rainJohn Snow posing in front of the RainbowJust around the (Carson) River BendJohn Snow next to the Carson RiverDriving into the sunsetThis time with the clouds in the backPrison Hill Staging areaWatching the peak of the sunset from on top Prison Hill
Although Nevada is officially known as “the Silver State”, and probably would even not be a state if it weren’t for the discovery of silver in the 1800’s, Nevada also produced a substantial amount of gold. The entire state is littered with dozens of old ghost towns, remnants of the the great mining boom that transformed the Territory into the nation’s 36th state. One of those small, lesser known towns was Pine Grove.
Gold was discovered in the area 1866, and by the 1870’s the town had become a bustling community of over 600 people, five saloons, three hotels, a wells fargo agent, two doctor’s offices, and a barber shop. Pine Grove’s two principle mines, the Wilson Mine and the Wheeler mine, proved to be very profitable and by 1893 would produce over $8 million in gold bullion. The town would continue to be occupied until the early 1930’s.
Fortunately, Pine Grove is located only about 30 miles outside of Carson City. So, with a destination and a thirst for some history, I grabbed my camera and headed out into the west.
Here’s what the once quite profitable mining town looks like today:
Anyone who’s taken a high school history class can tell you that these days, history textbooks are huge. Encyclopedia Britannica huge. And expensive, sometimes costing over $100. But for all those thin pages covered in thick, dense, small-scripted words, there are a lot of things history books tend to leave out. Things like the Japanese internment camps, CIA experiments on unsuspecting citizens, and of course the United States involvement with Native Americans. Much of their history or culture is never taught in modern public schools, except for things like the infamous trail tears. The legacy of American’s original inhabitants, however, is a very important and very interesting part of history, and that’s why this week I headed out to the Steward Indian School located in Carson City, Nevada.
Boys in the harness shopFirst graduating class in 1901Stewart Indian School sewing class
The school, named for Nevada’s first senator William M. Stewart, opened on December 17th, 1890, with 37 students, three teachers, and a capacity for 100 students. The focus of the school during its early years was to assimilate the Native American children into American culture, with vocational classes such as farming, ranching, and mechanics, for boys, and for girls, classes such as nursing, baking, cooking, sewing, and laundry. In fact, the students with their newfound skills became responsible for many of the school’s basic needs. Unfortunately, many students during Stewart’s nascent years suffered as a result of the policies of assimilation; students were not allowed to speak their native language or practice their native culture.
The school grew quickly in size, as Native American children from all over the west were forced to attend the state’s only off-reservation boarding school (and the only federal school created by state legislation). By 1919, the Stewart Indian School had grown from 37 to over 400 students comprised of dozens of different tribes, including the Nevada-based Washoe and Paiute, as well as Hopi, Apache, Pima, Mohave, Walapai, Ute, and Pipago.
1919 also saw the appointment of Frederick Snyder as the school’s superintendent, who would become one of the most important and influential of the Indian School’s leaders. Between 1922 and the beginning of WWII, Snyder oversaw the construction of a majority of Stewart’s facilities, making use of natural colored stone quarried from along the Carson River. Much of the masonry and construction of the school’s buildings was completed by apprentice students using Hopi techniques, giving the school a historic and uniquely authentic look. Snyder’s efforts and direction saw the school transform into a densely wooded and finely crafted installation, rivaling in beauty and architectural prowess many American schools. The Stewart Indian School would eventually grow to contain 83 buildings on109 acres of land and a 10,000 gallon water tower.
The 1960’s saw yet another transformation with shift away from assimilation and toward academics. By this time, however, the school was entering its final years, and would finally close after almost 100 years in 1980, due to budget cuts and earthquake safety concerns about the many of the schools structures.
Today, the Stewart Indian School is owned by the state of Nevada, and is part of an Indian community established on the school’s former grounds by the Washoe Indian tribe. Most of the original structures remain standing and in fact are currently in use by the state for various offices and training facilities. Looking at the historic buildings, the attention and skill of the masons is clear, and many of the buildings contain bricks stamped with dates going as far back as the early 1920’s, marking their completion.
Some photographs of the school as it looks today:
The Stewart Indian School is a beautiful, historically significant gem hidden in plain view, and definitely worth a visit. Unfortunately, access to the school is limited due to its continued use by law enforcement and State of Nevada. After spending a little over an hour photographing some of school’s buildings, I was asked to leave by a facility official who stated that official permission was needed to be on school grounds.
Still was a great adventure, and I’m glad I was able to visit, if only for a little while, this historic area. Stay tuned for next week’s Oh-Venture!
