Minden, Nevada – Silver City RV Resort, June 16-22

We’ve settled in well here in Minden—actually we’re in the Carson Valley, just south of Carson City, although the address for our RV resort is Minden. The weather has been stellar, albeit quite windy, especially in the afternoons. Daily temperatures have been in the mid- to high 80s, with bright blue skies and few clouds. Wish the trees in the park were a bit larger to offer more shade, but we’ll take what we can get.

We didn’t do much Monday the 16^th—just lazed around the camper, spending the day relaxing. (Of course, Monday’s the day I write and publish the blog, so it’s good we don’t have much going those days.)

The evenings are quite cool here in the high desert, dipping to the low 40s at night. Good for sleeping, though. And, with cloudless skies we see an abundance of stars. Beautiful!

The black truck had service on Tuesday: oil/filter/lube, transmission fluid/filter, fuel filter, tire rotation, and an all systems check. She’s good to go for another 5,000 miles, Lord willing. For a 2002 vehicle, she’s got only 52,774 miles on her; for a diesel dually, that’s pretty good.

That afternoon Hollee and Anastasia came over, bringing dinner with them from T’s, a Mexican restaurant in Incline Village. It’s one of their favorite bistros, and offers fare a bit different from the usual South-of-the-Border items. Good stuff! While we were eating, we had the only real rain we’ve seen since before we left Texas on May 1. It was over within 10 minutes, but it was good to have even that little bit, as it’s so dry here.

Wednesday was our turn to drive over the mountain to Incline Village. We stopped along the way at Sand Harbor for some photo ops.

Sand Harbor is located just 3 miles south of Incline Village, along the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe. This Nevada State Park offers 55 acres of sandy beaches, rocky coves, shady forested areas, and not the least, panoramic lake views. The park’s visitor center and gift shop were open, offering informative displays with self-guided tours, as well as regional touristy information. Adjacent to the visitor center is a concession stand offering snacks and drinks to enjoy on its large and shady deck.

Visitors Center to the right, and
the concession stand with deck is to the left.

Although the air temperature wasn’t quite reaching 70 degrees, folks were swarming the beach to enjoy the sun, sand and surf. I’m quite sure the water wasn’t quite warm enough for swimming, but that didn’t deter the folks from getting in and getting wet!

For the cultured set, during July and August, the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival offers the Bard’s best plays set against the beautiful and awe-inspiring backdrop of Lake Tahoe. Cool, eh?

Thought I’d share just a bit of info on Lake Tahoe, which we found to be quite interesting:

·         Lake Tahoe’s maximum depth is 1,645 feet (10^th deepest in the world), enough to cover the Empire State Building and float the Queen Mary on top!
·         Its average depth is only about 1,000 feet
·         The maximum length of the lake is 22 miles; the maximum width is 12 miles
·         The surface area is 191 square miles
·         The average surface elevation is 6,225 feet above sea level
·         The volume of water in Lake Tahoe averages 39 trillion gallons of water, or enough to drown all of America, from sea to shining sea, in a 1” puddle!

All that and beauty, too! Wow!

Baby Anastasia goes to “baby school” on Wednesday afternoons, from 1 to 3. Here, babies and toddlers learn to interact with one another, as well as receive lessons on life, such as it is at their young ages. School is taught by Loreen, an early childhood development counsellor, but I think it’s a school more for moms and dads than it is for babies. Every class has a new topic; this day it was on how to get your child to do chores at an early age. Nutrition is taught, too. In the nursery room where we were, there were interest-inspiring toys in bright colors aimed at gaining the baby’s attention. There was a ball pit, tether ball (of sorts), large and brightly patterned pads, as well as padded cubes and shapes for climbing. Class was small this day, with only little Charlotte and little Nash attending with Anastasia. (They are just a bit older than Anastasia.)

Anastasia and Hollee at baby school

Anastasia and Nash with the tether ball

Later, while Anastasia went home to nap, Dick and I drove down the west side of the lake about 5 miles to Kings Beach, which is actually in California. Here again, folks were enjoying the beach, sun and surf; there were a lot more water craft here than at Sand Harbor. It was still beautiful, and a good day to be out.

We decided to stay around home on Thursday, reading and relaxing. Dick changed the air filter in the truck, and we did ride our bicycles around the park. Again, the weather has been very cooperative, with no rain—however as I said earlier, it is very windy in the afternoons.

Here’s a bit of TV trivia… Remember the TV show Bonanza? It was the second longest running western series (behind Gunsmoke) lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, from September 1959 to January 1973. The opening scene of the Cartwrights riding through a meadow, was originally shot in the San Jacinto Mountains of California for the first season, but was moved to Incline Village, Nevada for subsequent episodes. The Cartwrights "lived" on a 600,000+acre ranch called the Ponderosa, located on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe.

The Ponderosa Ranch as shown on the opening
scenes of Bonanza. In this image, the real north is to
the left, and east is at the top.

The Ponderosa as it would have actually
appeared on a map.  

Although a fictional family and ranch, the TV show was so popular that the ranch was recreated in Incline Village in 1967, and remained a tourist attraction until its sale in September 2004. 

“The idea for the theme park came about in 1965. Bill and Joyce Anderson owned a small horse ranch, which is located in about the same area as the fictional Ponderosa on the burning map (opening scene of Bonanza). According to the Andersons, tourists would regularly show up at their gates asking where the Ponderosa was. Smelling opportunity, the Andersons contacted NBC and Bonanza creator-producer David Dortort. They proposed turning their small ranch into a theme park. NBC, Dortort, and the cast saw the tie-in as a "bonanza" for everyone. All parties being of one accord, the cast agreed to promos being shot at the ranch site and the Virginia City set - including the nearby Silver Dollar Saloon - for financial consideration. The ads greatly stimulated revenue for the park.

The park opened to the public in 1967, complete with a scale replica of the Cartwright ranch house and barn similar to the ones seen on television. A replica of Virginia City was later added. The original plan was to open the set to tourists once filming had wrapped. However, shuttling cast and crew up to Incline Village on a weekly basis became cost-prohibitive. Thus, only 15 episodes of Bonanza were shot there…

Parking for visitors was at the highway level; only official vehicles, such as the park's Conestoga wagons, were allowed at the top of the ridge, where the park was located. Depending on the time of day, a park visit could include breakfast. Lunch, including a "Hoss Burger", could also be purchased. Estimates are that more than three million of these were sold during the park's existence…

A visit to the park consisted of visitors riding up on the wagon, being "robbed" by "outlaws", and then disembarking at the main house. The main attraction was the ranch's version of Virginia City, which was miles from the real Virginia City but immediately adjacent to the rear of the house set (on the show, the ranch was about a two-hour ride on horseback from Virginia City)…

The ranch and park remained a popular seasonal attraction for decades after the network run of  Bonanza ended, having outlived most of the series' original cast. Business remained strong into the late 1990s. The land was purchased by billionaire software entrepreneur David Duffield in 2004. In September 2004 he closed the Ponderosa "indefinitely".  Google Map imaging indicates that as of January 14, 2011 all of the original structures were still standing.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponderosa_Ranch

This was a good segue to Friday, when we took a little trip up the road about 30 minutes to Virginia City, Nevada. Virginia City wasn’t what we were expecting, as our only frames of reference were the scenes from Bonanza.

Virginia City, the first truly industrial city in the West, began in the late 1850s when gold was found at the head of Six-Mile Canyon in 1859. Through a series of events the original miners, Pat McLaughlin and Peter O’Reilly, lost their claim to it, so a fellow miner (Henry T.P. Comstock) reclaimed it as his—thus the name Comstock Lode. Another miner, James Finney, nicknamed “Old Virginny” from his birthplace, is reported to have named the town during a drunken celebration. He dropped a bottle of whiskey on the ground, christening the newly-founded tent-and-dugout town on the slopes of Mt. Davidson “Old Virginny Town,” in honor of himself. No ego there!

Virginia City sprang up as a boomtown on top of the Comstock Lode, the first major silver deposit discovered in the U.S., in 1858. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comstock_Lode) At its peak, Virginia City had a population of over 15,000 residents (some reports the population as 30,000) and was called the richest city in America. During the 20 years following the Comstock success about $400 million in gold and silver was taken out of the ground. In 1898 when the Comstock Lode ran out, the city’s population declined sharply. Today there are about 550 residents. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_City,_Nevada)

At the peak of its glory, Virginia City was a boisterous town with something going on 24/7, both above and below ground. There were visiting celebrities, Shakespearean plays, opium dens, newspapers, competing fire companies, fraternal organizations, at least 5 police precincts, a thriving red-light district, and the first Miner’s Union in the U.S. The International Hotel was 6 stories high, boasting the West’s first elevator, called a “rising room.” With an elevation of more than 6,000 feet, runaway wagons were a daily occurrence on the steep streets of Virginia City, thus earning the nickname “Slippery Gulch” for its often muddy, precipitous main street. And often, during the busiest time of day, it would take almost 30 minutes to cross the street!

Virginia City's main street at the turn of the century

Between 1859 and 1875, Virginia City experienced 5 serious fires. The biggest was the “Great Fire of 1875” which caused $12 million in damage, destroying over 2,000 buildings; within a year the city was totally rebuilt, better than before. The majority of the National Historic Landmark historic district area was then built. As an aside, Virginia City is the largest federally designated Historical District in America, and is now officially maintained in nearly original condition.

Virginia City is home to several buildings and artifacts that remain from the time it was a boom town in the 1800s. Among them are the Bucket of Blood Saloon, the Silver Dollar Saloon, the Suicide Table and Piper’s Opera House. Occasionally a gunfight is acted out in the middle of town. (Of more contemporary interest is The Red Dog Saloon--originally the 1875 Comstock House--that gave many San Francisco rock musicians, including Janis Joplin, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Charlatans, the Grateful Dead, and others, their start during the summer of 1965. Happenings at the Red Dog, including a house light show, gave support to the beginning of West Coast hippie culture.)

It's easy to figure how this saloon got its name:
every morning when the floors would be mopped
the mopped water would be full of blood. 

Delta Saloon, home of the famous "suicide table."

The "suicide table" with the actual worn felt to the right
and left of the abacus, at the bottom of the table.

Interesting, huh...

Piper’s Opera House began as Maguire’s Opera House in 1863, when San Francisco theater impresario Thomas Maguire built the establishment on D Street between Union and Taylor. Maguire did well for a couple years, booking top talent from around the country. Maguire fell on hard times in 1866-67 and began selling the opera house to John Piper in installments. In March 1867, Piper paid Maguire $2,500 and took over sole ownership of the establishment. Piper came to Virginia City with the first rush of prospectors in 1860. However, he didn’t earn his pay with pick and shovel but with a whiskey bottle. The mines were in full production, and the economy was booming. Piper had been in business for 8 1/2 years and was doing well when disaster struck. On the morning of October 26, a fire broke out at Crazy Kate’s lodge and by evening, 33 blocks of Virginia City were in smoking ruins. The fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes and several hundred commercial buildings, including Piper’s Opera House. Though down, Piper was not out, and he continued to put on shows at the Odd Fellows Hall, National Guard Hall, and other facilities until he raised enough money to construct a new building.

Piper built the second opera house at the rear of his saloon at the corner of B and Union streets. The building was under construction for more than two years and opened on January 28, 1878. During the next five years, Piper presented a variety of entertainment from Shakespeare to burlesque acts. On March 13, 1883, Piper’s Opera House again went down in flames, this time in an early morning fire. A Delta Saloon employee noticed the flames and awakened Piper, who was living in an apartment at the opera house. An alarm sounded, but by the time firemen arrived, the opera house was fully engulfed. Firemen managed to save the surrounding buildings, but the opera house was lost. The origin of the fire was never proven, but suspicion pointed to an unattended cigar. Piper was not only out of business, but homeless.

Through the aid of a generous community, Piper got back on his feet and built a third opera house with lumber from some of the older mine buildings and whatever other materials he could acquire. This is the building − opened with a grand ball on March 6, 1885 − that stands today at B and Union streets. The stage is 32 feet deep and 50 feet wide and raked−slanted downward from the rear to afford better viewing for the audience. It was lighted by gas until 1900 when Virginia City was wired for electricity.

Another tidbit of information is that Virginia City could be considered the “birthplace” of Mark Twain. It was here in February 1863 that Samuel Clemens, then a reporter on the local Territorial Enterprise newspaper, first used his famous pen name. In his book, entitled Roughing It (published 1872) Clemons relates his experiences of life in the Wild West during the years 1861 to 1867, including a “practical joke” mugging by friends.

One of the things we liked about Virginia City was that the historical significance of the town was kept intact. As you can see from the following photos there’s a lot of Virginia City to see, but be prepared to walk. Some of the most interesting things require a walk up the hills or down the hills. Main street is about the only flat street in town. The sidewalks are all wooden planks in keeping with history, but the streets have all been paved.

Presbyterian Church, founded in 1862, built in 1866 at a cost of $12,000
 and dedicated in 1867.

Plaques to memorialize Chinatown (one of the
largest in the Wild West) and the International
Hotel.

The Pioneer Episcopal Church

St. Mary's Catholic Church

The sanctuary of St. Mary's Church

Stained glass windows in St. Mary's church were
made in Winona, Minnesota and transported
to Virginia City for installation.

Fourth Ward School: the authentically restored and preserved 1876
Victorian-style school. the last school of its type standing in the U.S.
The school could accommodate over 1,000 students, and it
boasted state-of-the-art heating, ventilation, and sanitation systems,
as well as water piped to all floors. It closed its doors when
 the last students graduated in 1936.

The "Way It Was Museum" (a definite must-see) takes you back in time to show how things, that mattered in life, worked for Virginia City. As you step into the museum you will see the works of milling and mining, costumed mannequins, mineral collections, a fully-equipped blacksmith shop, rare photographs and information on the Sutro tunnel mule train. It brings the entire experience to life.

The Way It Was Museum

Example of square set timbers

How square set timbers were used in reinforcing the mines. An interesting fact is that most of
Virginia City sits above these structures.

The cage

Although mining companies prided themselves on safety, mines were dangerous places. It was a rare week without a funeral procession for someone killed underground. The worst incident occurred on April 7, 1869 when fire broke out at the 800-foot level of one of the mines. Perhaps more than 40 miners died that day, but the exact number is undetermined because many bodies were never recovered. Contributing to a low life expectancy among the miners, were the extreme temperatures in the mines caused by natural hot springs. The miners would snowshoe to work and then descend into the high temperatures of the mines below, where they were able to work for only about 15 minutes before needing to take a break.

We highly recommend a trip to Virginia City, to understand and experience life in the old west.

We really needed a day to recover from Virginia City, but Saturday required us to be in Incline Village to help Hollee move into her new office located in our son-in-law David’s Pilates studio. So, while I fed little Anastasia her lunch, Hollee and Dick moved bookshelves, a file cabinet and chair to our truck, and then into the studio. Dick put together her desk and bookshelves, and put up window treatments on her office door. (I supervised!) We provided dinner that night: rotisserie chicken on a huge salad. No cooking for anyone!

Sunday was a special day for us: Dick installed a new high-pressure shower head in our shower! Magnifico! Wow, what a difference! We were still searching out churches in the area, and have settled on one near our park called LifePoint Church. We’re looking forward to attending after we return from San Jose where we’re heading later this week for a few days—without the trailer—to see our son Scot and his family.

Hope this finds you well, and hope you found our blog this week interesting. There’s lots to see in this land of ours!

Blessings,

RJ and Gail