Prakash Bang might have missed the Grand Canyon, but his trip to Las Vegas was certainly fun—a visit to this State is about river cruises, horse rides, city tours on trams, museums and of course, gambling

What comes to your mind when you think of Nevada or Las Vegas? Beyond the razzmatazz of Las Vegas, I was surprised to find that the state of Nevada, USA, has so much more to offer to tourists. And, they need not be gamblers. Assuming you still have money on you after having visited the casinos, shows and enjoying gourmet cuisine in Las Vegas, I would suggest you become an explorer!

Before taking my flight further up north to Reno, I hired a car for a day and headed towards Hoover dam and Lake Mead. Just 30 miles away, I was on the dam in less than an hour. I made it a point to view the spectacular dam from the edge above and from the waters below too. Take your car, right across the dam and take a little walk back. That saves your parking fees, not to forget a good view of the dam from the other side.

I will avoid talking about this engineering marvel and the thousands of tones of steel and cement that went into its making. Suffice to say, the dam produces enough energy to sustain the state of California. Contrary to popular belief, Hoover dam doesn’t provide power to Las Vegas. A bridge is being constructed to cross the gorge. Thereafter, traffic will not be allowed to crossover using the dam wall. When that happens, security agencies would be a very happy lot.

Back a few miles for a detour to Lake Mead—the largest man-made lake and reservoir in the US. It is located over the Colorado river about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, covering both the states of Nevada and

Arizona. The water held in Lake Mead is released to communities in Southern California and Nevada, via aqueducts.

I strongly recommend a two-hour cruise on the Lake Mead; I was aboard Lake Princess, for which the ticket was $22. The view is simply outstanding. By evening, I was back to my hotel, the Hilton.

However, I missed doing the Grand Canyon. But I guess my business will bring me back to Las Vegas. That’s when I will thoroughly explore the Grand Canyon from both the rims. From up above in a helicopter and a picnic on the floor of the Canyon. Otherwise, do make it!

The next morning I was to join a group at the airport. We were guests of the Nevada Commission on tourism. We boarded a southwest flight to Reno, northern part of Nevada. In about 90 minutes we were on our bus that would take us to Carson City; the capital of Nevada. We had three days ahead of us. One each in Virginia City, Lake Tahoe and Reno. Like many towns in Nevada, Carson City was founded in the early boom days of mining. A centre of silver mining, it was the county seat of the former Ormsby County and was named after explorer Kit Carson. Following the discovery of gold and silver on the nearby Comstock Lode in 1859, Carson City became a thriving commercial centre. President Abraham Lincoln, recognising the importance of Nevada’s treasure to the Union’s civil war effort, signed the proclamation that ushered Nevada into statehood on October 31, 1864. Carson City was thus selected as the state capital.

Our first stop was at the Nevada Tourism office. I met Tim Maland, the director of Commission of Tourism and his wonderful team. Thanks to the position we enjoyed, we were able to walk through the Capitol Building and see at close quarters the governor’s office, various meeting rooms, treasury and the courts. For a walking tour, you only need to follow the blue lines clearly marked on the street. It will take you through the neighbourhood’s major sites and homes of famous people. Our guide, Joy Evans, elaborately dressed in period costume, had nice notes with her, which she read out at each stop. Interestingly, I heard many stories about spirits and haunted houses.

A quick lunch and we were on our way to Virginia City. It was a scenic route cutting through the mountains. The mining boom turned the city into the most important settlement between Denver and San Francisco. It turned grubby prospectors into instant millionaires who built mansions, imported furniture and fashions from Europe and the Orient. These folks then financed the civil war. They then went on to build empires around the world. San Francisco is one of them!

At the peak of its glory, Virginia City was a boisterous town. We checked in at the Ramada Hotel on the edge of a cliff. I was soon ready for the city tour in a tram that was being pulled by a tractor. The driver, I guess was the town’s most popular figure. Passers-by kept waving at him as we moved along. Everybody knew everybody. One of the many small town advantages.

Virginia City has many museums. The Mackay Mansion museum was built in 1860 as the headquarters of the Gould & Curry Mining Company Office and later purchased by John Mackay, one of the ‘Silver Kings’. It includes mining artefacts, original furnishings and Tiffany silver. The Nevada Gambling Museum features more than half-a-million dollars worth of gaming memorabilia, including over 100 antique slot machines, cheating devices, and gamblers’ weapons.

A trip to Virginia City won’t be complete unless you visit the Bucket of Blood Saloon. While sipping their house beer, we heard, on the piano, the gorgeous, 80-something, ‘Squeek’ as she is locally known. She has many CDs to her credit. We could sense why.

Couple of drinks later, we were on board Virginia and Truckee (V&T) Railroad. It was a 35-min train ride through the heart of the historic Comstock mining region. The trip was complete with an ambush. We dropped off for dinner at Gold Hill Mercantile where steaks are highly recommended. From here, we took the bus back to rest for the night.

Thirty miles from Virginia City, Lake Tahoe is at an elevation of 6229 feet. It is known for its blue and crystal clear water, and is surrounded by mountains which rise more than 4,000 feet above the shore. About one-third of the lake lies in Nevada, the rest in California. The water drains from Lake Tahoe through the Truckee river. Lake Tahoe is comfortable through the summer despite its proximity to the desert. Summer activities include hiking, white water rafting, beach picnics and other water activities. It was summer, so I could take one of the launch cruises. We crossed over to California and back. Back ashore, I took a horse-driven carriage ride through the streets of Lake Tahoe.  

Half of Lake Tahoe city is in Nevada and the other half in California. Since it’s legal to gamble in Nevada, the action was more on this side. Our dinner was on the 16th floor of Harrah’s—a sumptuous spread, that’s very popular with locals and tourists alike. Enjoy a fantastic view of the lake from here. Unless you have a reservation, waiting could be for as long as an hour.

We checked into Horizon hotel; nice place bang on the stateline. My room was facing one of the many golf courses in the area. No gambling for me. A good night’s sleep was necessary to catch the action at Reno the next morning.

It’s a very scenic drive up to Reno. You go up 4,000 feet on the Rose Mount Highway. Lake Tahoe is visible for miles. The drive is simply breathtaking. We were in Reno in about two hours (about 60 miles) with a few camera stops on the way. For the shopping enthusiast, there’s a large mall just on the outskirts of Reno city. A stop won’t disappoint you!

Reno, rightly branded the largest little city of the world, lives up to its expectations. You will find excellent hotels and casinos and the razzmatazz of Las Vegas. We were guests of Peppermill Resort. I got a suite in the Tuscany Tower that was very, very elaborately decorated. Even the 42-inch hi-definition TV was encased in decorative wooden frame.

That night, Reno was host to a very famous band—Brooks & Dunn. It was full house! We had a private box for ourselves. The singing and dancing went up till late in the night. Though I am not much of a music buff, I found myself tapping the floor. The next morning was my flight back to Las Vegas with an onward connection back home.

Of course I did Las Vegas the Vegas way. But that’s another story!

The writer is a marketing strategist by profession

Prakash Bang/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication