The Silver State.
- Joe
- 18 hours ago
- 6 min read
Hello again, dear friends and readers. Welcome to another long overdue update from my quest for 50 State Crapitols. Beating out my previous post's record of six months past due, I will now recount for you my trip to Carson City, Nevada from way back in March - EIGHT months ago. A new record! Again, my apologies.
Like many Americans, the only times I had previously visited Nevada were trips to Las Vegas. I've been to Sin City four times over the years - won a $1500 jackpot once, saw Cirque du Soleil, played some paintball, saw U2 at the $$$phere. But I'd never been anywhere else in Nevada. Obviously I had to get to Carson City eventually, so I found myself a cheap flight to Reno in the spring of '25 and was on my way.
Reno, of course, is a much smaller and dingier version of Vegas, so basically downtown Vegas, but without the street performers. After landing I picked up my Hyundai Elantra from some Turo rando and set off on the hour-ish drive through the arid high desert south to Carson City.
Winding through the final curve on Interstate 580, Carson City comes into view, and one finally spots the single silver-capped cupola of the capitol building. I had booked a motel just up the street from the capitol, as is standard practice here at Crapitols, so after checking in I simply ambled the few blocks south to make my attempt.
The Nevada State Capitol was constructed in a quick 13 months from April 1870 through May 1871. It's a very simple design, with few extravangances. And alas, no guided tour, so visitors are free to roam its two floors and consult the free brochure for guidance.
One notable feature of the first floor of the building is the 400 foot-long frieze painted along the top of the walls. Painted in 1917 by Reno artist A.V. Wiggins, it depicts the agricultural, mining, and ranching industries that built the early economy of the Silver State.
The building no longer houses the state legislature, which vacated in 1971 to move into a new building nearby on the capitol grounds, nor does it house the Supreme court any longer. The governor's office still occupies the south wing of the first floor of the building, however.
The old state assembly chambers occupy the north end of the first floor.
The former Senate chamber on the second floor houses Battle Born Hall. Nevada was admitted to the Union as the 36th state in 1864, near the end of the Civil War, hence the very cool nickname, the Battle Born State. The hall houses a museum exhibit about the history of the state.
The second floor originally sported an elliptical dome, because what's a capitol building without a dome. But the feature apparently created massive echoes throughout the building and was constantly colonized by bats, so renovations in 1977 removed the dome.
Just as I was completing my lap of the second floor I saw the sign for the men's room, but to my horror it was CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION! Perhaps my Crapitol quest had finally run out of luck.
Disaster had struck. I couldn't recall seeing any other restrooms on the first floor. Surely a public building can't be open to the public with no available public restrooms for the public, right? Was my trip doomed to failure?
I dashed back downstairs to retrace my steps through the first floor. To my great relief I discovered there was indeed another men's room available just outside the Governor's office that I hadn't noticed before. A very close call.
And what a restroom it was! Freshly renovated with state of the art fixtures and decor. I assume the upstairs bathroom was in the midst of getting the same makeover. That's gambling tax revenue well-spent. I completed the mission for Crapitol number 30!
After getting my passport stamped I departed the capitol grounds to explore more of the city. I grabbed some souvenir pennies at the Nevada State Museum and the Nevada Railway Museum. Then I went to relax at my motel for a bit before meeting up with an old friend from high school.
Several years back, when I first posted about this journey on Facebook, my old high school buddy Dan messaged me saying he lived in Carson City, and when I made my way out there I should look him up. Well after all these years on the Crapitol quest I finally found my way out there, so I drove out to his place in an outlying desert town. We had not seen each other in the 20 years since I left Iowa. In those two decades Dan got himself a law degree and a good gig working for the state courts of Nevada, and he got himself a wife and two lovely sons that I had the pleasure of meeting. I, on the other hand, grew a big beard for a decade and started a blog about pooping in historical buildings. We had a great time reminiscing about college parties in Iowa City, the fates and fortunes of old classmates, and when Simon chugged a bottle of gin before going into an Oasis show. Dan made chicken soup.
I had the entirety of the next day free to explore the nearby natural wonders, so I started my day with a short hike up to a lovely little waterfall just outside of town. Had the entire trail and waterfall all to myself. Plus I saw lots of cute quails scurrying along the side of the road. You don't see quail in Colorado.
After that I drove up Lake Tahoe, which exceeded all expectations of beauty. A truly remarkable place. You're in the arid desert valley of Carson City and just a quick drive up over the mountain ridge takes you to the most breathtakingly clear blue lake you'll ever see. Beyond gorgeous. Very chilly up there in late March, however.
I had decided to circumnavigate the entire lake, but with a quick stopover to Donner Memorial State Park in nearby Truckee, California. I spent much of my life living near Interstate 80 in Iowa, but had never made it far enough west to this infamous stretch through Donner Pass.
Named for the ill-fated pioneers of the Donner party, who were trapped here over the winter of 1846-1847, and were driven to cannibalism to survive in the harsh conditions. I had recently read The Indifferent Stars Above, a spectacular book recounting the tragic tale. The different families would exchange the bodies of their dead loved ones, so no family would have to eat their own. A plaque commemorating those lived and perished is fixed to a boulder where the Murphy family had built their cabin for the winter. God, I love history.
The rest of the Tahoe drive on the California side was even more stunning than the Nevada side. Incredible vistas, mountain town charm, and ultra-pricey real estate around every windy turn. Stopped for a souvenir penny or two along the way. Regrettably, I did not see the Corleone house from The Godfather Part II, but I did stumble upon a TJ Maxx in South Lake Tahoe where I found a nice sweater, so that was a small consolation.
After completing my loop of the lake, or lake loop if you prefer, I headed back down to the desert. I had to make one last detour to see historic Virginia City, the boom town that sprung up when the Comstock lode was discovered in1859.
The town was home to 25,000 residents in its 1870s heyday, but as of the 2020 census the population was 787. The main street is lined with all original 19th century buildings - old saloons, restaurants, hotels, chocolate shops, haberdashers, and souvenir stores. Had to stop for a quick beer at the Bucket of Blood.
After another evening of catching up with Dan over spaghetti, I decided I had to try my luck at some slots, because "when in Nevada..." Not just any slots, though, grocery store slots! Nevada is just weird like that - gambling in every conceivable location, legalized prostitution at the nearby Bunny Ranch, etc. Lost a quick $20 at Smith's.
But maybe the grocery store wasn't my lucky spot, so I moseyed back downtown towards the glittering neon lights of Cactus Jack's. And wouldn't you know it, I walked out of there $60 richer than when I entered.
That was all she wrote for my time in Carson City. The next morning I drove back to Reno to drop of my vehicle and fly home to Denver. 30 Crapitols down, 20 to go. Hope it's not another 20 years before seeing Dan again.
Stay tuned for the next installment....
