Explore Carson Valley — Lake Tahoe’s Eastern Neighbor
Located in the Eastern Sierras, Carson Valley is just a 30-minute drive from Lake Tahoe. That said, while many visitors flock to the popular lakeshore, most folks entirely overlook this historic and scenic slice of western Nevada. So if you want to slow down, enjoy the scenery, and learn a little bit about the rich Basque culture and ranching history of the area, give Carson Valley a try, before, after, or even during your next Lake Tahoe visit.
Sheepherders, Wild Horses and More
The best place get a good overview of the area is in Gardnerville, at the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center (www.facebook.com/douglascountyhistoricalsociety). As an added bonus, you can also get maps and information about local attractions at the visitor center (visitcarsonvalley.org), which is located on the second floor of the museum. Housed in the 1915 former high school, the museum features accessible parking, a level back entrance and elevator access to the second floor.
Exhibits include a mock-up of a typical Basque sheepherder camp, complete with the tools of the trade and the ever present sheep dog. Other installations highlight the wild mustangs found in the area, Kit Carson — the valley’s namesake — and the native Washoe tribe. Top it off with a stroll down a Main Street of yesteryear, complete with an old time barbershop, mercantile and dress shop, and you’ll come away with a real appreciation for the history of the area.
For another taste of history, as well as a substantial meal, head on down the street to the J.T. Basque Bar & Dining Room (jtbasquenv.com). There’s accessible parking on the right side of the building — which was moved from Virginia City in 1896 — and ramp access up to the front door. Over the years this classic Victorian building has served as a bar, a hotel and a dining room; and in keeping with tradition, today it offers up the same family-style meals that were once a staple of the local sheepherders and farm hands. Be sure and bring your appetite though, as a typical lunch or dinner includes an entrée with all you can eat soup, salad, stew, beans, French fries, and even a bottle of red wine. And if you have room for it, ice cream is available for dessert.
Nevada’s Oldest Settlement
Located about 15 minutes northwest of Gardnerville, Genoa is well worth a stop while you’re in the area. Founded in 1865, this former county seat was Nevada’s first permanent settlement. Today, visitors can get a taste of the past at the Courthouse Museum, which is conveniently located on Main Street. There’s level access to the front door of the museum from the parking area, and ramp access to the second floor. Although the outside ramp is doable for power wheelchairs, most manual wheelchair-users will need a bit assistance because of the pitch.
Exhibits include a 1910 school room, a sizable collection of Washoe baskets, and a room that honors Snowshoe Thompson, a Norwegian who delivered the winter mail in the Sierras. Add in the beautifully restored second-floor courtroom and the depressingly austere county jail, and you’ll get a well rounded overview of this wild west town.
And what wild west town would be complete without a bar? As luck would have it, the oldest bar in Nevada — the Genoa Bar (https://www.facebook.com/GenoaBar) — is located just down the street. There’s one step up to the bar, but there’s plenty of seating outside to enjoy an adult beverage or two.
If you can manage the step, don’t miss Raquel Welch’s bra, which hangs from the deer antlers next to an autographed photo of her. According to local lore, the actress visited the bar in the 1960s and inquired about the bras hanging from the ceiling. The bartender explained that it was a tradition for famous patrons to leave them, and then asked Welch if she would add to the collection. She agreed, but only on the condition that all the other bras were removed. And the rest, as they say, is history.
