Carson City
The capital of Nevada rests between the mighty Sierra and beautiful, expansive rolling desert hills. It is historic and perfect for outdoor activities, where you can play some of the area's best golf courses, hike scenic trails, or visit the local museums and great restaurants. Just a few miles south of Carson City is the historic town of Genoa, Nevada's first recorded permanent settlement. It's 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 ancient spiderwebs.