We had reservations for a full week at Carson RV Resort. No beautiful views at our site which faces the back of a Costco, but we are surrounded by foothill mountains. We are in a safe and convenient park to use as a home base as we explore Carson City. And the giant building helped protect us from the constant winds.
This is our second visit to Carson City. Years ago, we took a family trip to visit Doug’s sister, Bev and her family. We remember the great times we had exploring the area. For me, that was my first glance at the majestic mountains of the West – the beautiful Sierra Nevadas and their rolling foothills. Before that trip, the furthest west I had been was Gettysburg, PA. I remember coming out of the airport and taking a deep breath – my first breath of the clean light air. And now we have time to check out even more of this city.
We drove a short distance into the heart of the city and visited the Nevada State Museum and Mint. The displays were impressive. The exhibit about the old silver mining industry was a twisting trek through realistic mines. The displays were as diverse as Nevada – including the Nevada State fossil, the ichthyosaur and some ice age megafauna. We saw antique slot machines and incredible samples of the many minerals in this state’ s soil. We watched the old Coin Press in operation which goes back to 1870 and is the official US Branch Mint.
We couldn’t resist a day on Lake Tahoe. We staked our chairs on Sand Harbor State Park beach. We picked a Monday morning thinking we could avoid the crowds of the weekend but the narrow beach was filled with families enjoying the cool sparkling clean water, bright sun and a mild breeze. We watched paddle boards, kayaks and tubes and everyone on them was having a great time. We enjoyed just sitting on the sand in our chairs, watching their fun and marveling at the crystal clean water, giant trees and sheer cliffs. Mark Twain described Lake Tahoe as “the fairest picture the whole earth affords” and we agree.
We went back into the city center one day to enjoy a Thai lunch at The Basil – a popular restaurant and the main street. We wandered this pretty city with lots of benches, flowers and official buildings. We made sure to do a tour of the State Capitol building with its shiny silver dome and beautiful marble, wood and mural on top of the walls in the newer Capitol building that replaced the first one. We like to see the pride that goes into these State buildings. We gave Carson City a high rating – there are lots of benches, clean streets, no parking charges and plenty of convenient parking lots with a vibrant main street to walk down.
Carson City proved to be a great stop for us – giving us time for laundry, shopping and learning about the great beautiful State of Nevada. Then we had a one-night stay in Red Bluff, bringing us into California.