Spend a night in each to soak up the charm, following our suggested itinerary below.
For anyone looking to strike it rich, Vegas is a newcomer in the Nevada stakes – Virginia City was churning out millions way back in the 1860s thanks to the Comstock Lode, the first major silver deposit found in the United States. Discovered in 1859, the lode turned this overlooked chunk of western Nevada into a magnet for miners, and turned Virginia City from a no-horse town into a boozy, brawling, brotheling town almost overnight. By 1878 it was all but over, as the seams dried up. Today Virginia City is remarkably well preserved and manages to stay just the right side of kitsch.
What to do
Although it’s basically a one-street town, it’s still worth taking the Trolley Tour to get your bearings and learn a bit of local lore. Did you know, for example, that Mark Twain's writing career took off here? Next take a look at the Way It Was Museum, a fun historical romp through the town’s history, before heading underground to explore the reason for Virginia City’s existence in an old mine. The Chollar and Best & Belcher mines run tours, the latter housed in the Ponderosa Saloon – make like a true nineteenth-century prospector by following up your subterranean trip with a drink at the bar. For information on these activities and more, go to the local tourism website. Once the sun goes down it’s spirits of a different sort to be (possibly) encountered on a Bats in the Belfry ghost tour . Virginia City has many supernatural stories associated with its silver-rush heyday and the tour includes stops at several of the town’s most historic buildings.
Where to stay
If the ghost tour hasn’t put you off and you feel like spending the night in an authentic (and reputedly haunted) saloon, try the Silver Queen on the main street, where almost every room comes with its own spook. Or a mile south of town is the Gold Hill Hotel & Saloon, claiming to be Nevada’s oldest hotel and with original features to support its claim.
Where to eat and drink
With so many visitors to be catered to, you won’t have any trouble finding filling (if not exactly haute-cuisine) food here. For daytime snacks (pastries, sandwiches) and coffee, Virginia City Baked Goods on C Street hits the spot, while a block or two north, the Red Dog Saloon offers top quality French-influenced cooking on a working farm (hence the name).
The best jumping off point for your Wild West weekend is Reno, with an airport that connects with many other US destinations and plenty of car rental companies to get you on your way. A great option for extending your trip is to head west for the short drive to Tahoe where you can enjoy the views and activities the lake has to offer.
Clifton Wilkinson traveled to the Wild West with support from Travel Nevada. Lonely Planet contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.
