Soda Springs

Before I hit Reno, I decided to hit the slopes and try out some new skis and boots. To get “off-the-grid”, I hit California’s longest running ski resort (1937): Soda Springs. It only has two lifts, and there was a total of four other skiers at the resort on that Thursday. It was spectacular having the mountain all to myself with beautiful scenery, perfectly groomed slopes, and no crowds.

Reno

I then went from the peaceful serenity of snow and pine trees to the flashing lights and casino crowds of the “biggest little city in the world” – Reno. Of all the hotel choices in Reno, I recommend the Silver Legacy / El Dorado or the Grand Sierra. If you want to be near other casinos and/or the Truckee River walk, then go for the Silver Legacy. If you want to be away from downtown Reno chaos, then hit the upscale Grand Sierra.

Virginia City

Virginia City (pop. 6200) is a true bucket-list old West silver mining town that is like driving into a Western movie set. You can easily spend the afternoon on the wooden sidewalks checking out the authentic saloons (with names like Bucket of Blood and Red Dog), some of which have live music at night. I had an awesome reuben sandwich (their specialty) at The Palace. With all the history here, it’s no surprise that the town is supposedly haunted, and in particular, the Silver Queen Hotel. Many of the hotels, saloons and shops have been open since the 1870’s, so who knows how many ghosts linger…

Western Nevada Desert Towns

It was dark I left Virgina City and drove to Dayton, which rivals Genoa as the oldest town in Nevada. I stopped at a great coffee place called Larry’s Gourmet – make sure not to miss it.

Spicer Ranch Trails

If you’re into mountain biking, Spicer Ranch (off Highway 95) is worth stopping to explore the trails. The Dynamite and Southpond Mountain trails have scenic desert vista points for pics and are a fun workout!

The Final Stretch to Vegas

When I was driving south on 95, I noticed the map display in my car said I was 25 minutes from the front door of Ceasar’s in Las Vegas. Yet I was in the middle of nowhere, no signs of life as far as the eye could see. This map must be wrong, I thought. There is no possible way I’ll be in the middle of swarms of people and flashing lights in under a half hour. This gives you an idea of what an oasis Vegas is in the middle of nowhere. The map was right, and I ended up pulling into Caesars in 25 minutes flat.

Las Vegas

There are probably a hundred websites on everything to do Las Vegas, and I’m not going to try to do any of them justice here (!). I’ve been to Vegas a few times, and some things I’ve enjoyed on previous trips are the Fremont Street Experience (definitely do the zip-lining at night with the crowd and three rock band stages zooming by underneath), the nearby Mob Museum, the Nascar Driving Experience and the Stratosphere Thrill Rides.

On this trip I hit the “new” Strip and stayed at the resort I would recommend for all first timers to Vegas – Caesars. It’s centrally located, has great selection of table and slots, a huge sports book, and an attached indoor mall with an awesome “animatronic” dragon show called “Fall of Atlantis”. This mall even has a “sky” that changes with time. The entire resort is like a Disneyland for adults. Other resorts I would recommend would be the Aria, the Bellagio (with its famous fountain show) and, if on a budget, the Luxor (which has easy self parking).

Sloan Canyon Conservation Area

On they way out of Vegas, I topped off the trip with a mountain bike ride in the Sloan Canyon Conservation Area, which has some fun desert trails with views of Vegas.