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| The wide open space of the Carson Valley |
After a big round of goodbye hugs and kisses we headed out from the Bay Area for our next destination, Genoa, Nevada. According to the GPS the drive time to Genoa would normally be around 3.5 hours. However, it was a Friday afternoon and traffic was heavy around Sacramento which added about two hours of car time.
Genoa is a small town (pop. 1,261) located about 20 miles east of South Lake Tahoe. Originally known as Mormon Station, Genoa has the distinction of being the oldest permanent settlement in Nevada. Although it’s close in proximity to South Lake Tahoe, it’s quite different. Genoa sits in what is known as the Carson Valley. Instead of being at a high elevation like Lake Tahoe, it is in a valley (hence the name Carson Valley). There is wide open space to the east and the Serria Mountains as a backdrop to the west. We spent four nights at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort. Anytime we can stay at a place with the words Hot Springs and Resort in the title, we’re happy.
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| Nevada's oldest settlement naturally had Nevada's oldest "Thirst Parlor" |
Carson Valley
I did a little research on David Walley. It turns out he and his wife Harriet opened what he called a “hot springs resort” in 1862. The “resort” was just a few cabins built around a small hot water spring. It’s now a 170 room hotel/timeshare that’s part of the IHG hotel chain. Owning a timeshare is not something we’d do, but they are typically pretty nice and can sometimes be booked at very good rates. We were very happy with the rate we got, especially for the summer season.
David Walley's Hot Springs Resort
In addition to Genoa, there were two other interesting nearby towns (Minden and Gardnerville) and Nevada's capital, Carson City is just a short 25-minute drive away. We had a great four days exploring the area, hiking a few of the trails……and plenty of time soaking in the hot springs.
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| Mormon Station State Historic Park in Genoa. The statue is of John "Snowshoe" Thompson who was an early pioneer in the Genoa area. He was a letter carrier who made sure the mail was delivered no matter what the weather! |
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| North River Fork Ranch Trail near Genoa |
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| Another shot from the North River Fork Ranch Trail near Genoa |
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| The Kings Canyon Waterfall Trail near Carson City. Because it was the "dry season" we weren't expecting any water to be flowing over the falls. It was a pleasant surprise! |
Genoa and the Carson Valley wasn’t on our radar screen. Beth has a way of finding amazing places to enjoy and explore. The Carson Valley area is certainly an area that is worth checking out.
