Genoa: Lake Tahoe

The small town of Genoa is Nevada's first recorded permanent settlement. It is named after its sister city of Genoa, Italy but is pronounced gen-OH-a rather than gen-OA. This picturesque little place is tucked into the foothills of the Tahoe range about 6 miles south of Carson City. It's widely known for the Candy Dance, a crafts, food, sweets and dancing celebration held each September, and for its statue of Snowshoe Thompson. Thompson is famous for his cross country skiing skills as he delivered the mail over the mountains between Placerville, Calif., Genoa and Virginia City, Nev. during the winters of 1868 to 1872. He is considered to be the father of California skiing. Genoa is also home to several restaurants, a few artists' shops, parks, a renowned hot springs resort, some charming bed and breakfasts and the oldest bar in Nevada, complete with its original spiderwebs. © NileGuide