State Seal of Nevada Courtesy of State of Nevada

Welcome to western Nevada. It is my pleasure as Lieutenant Governor of the State of Nevada to extend my invitation to explore our area's rich history and beautiful high desert scenery.

The Carson City-Reno-Virginia City area has much to offer: the site of the state's first gold and silver boom, the state and territorial capitol, grand views of the Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada, and historic properties that have become legendary in regional and national history. In addition, world-renowned Lake Tahoe is just 20 minutes away!

Carson City, one of the first settlements in Nevada, is the home of the state capitol. It is also a U.S. City of Trees, especially apparent in our large historic district just west of the capitol. Reno is a thriving urban center and is home to the University of Nevada, whose college campus is one of the more historically-intact and memorable places in the American West. The celebrated American architect, Frederic DeLongchamps, designed several university buildings, as well as others in the Reno area. Virginia City, "one of the greatest mining camps in the world," was the site of the Comstock Lode discovery in 1859, and is a National Historic Landmark. By the mid-1870s, over 20,000 people lived in Virginia City and the surrounding communities dedicated to hard-rock mining. Today, Virginia City is a living "ghost town" with its historic downtown largely untouched by modern influences.

The region hosts many exciting annual events. If you're in here in March, join the gastronomically adventurous at Virginia City's Mountain Oyster Cookoff. In June, Carson City hosts the annual Carson City Rendezvous in Mills Park, complete with Civil War re-enactments and camps of mountain men; the Annual Reno Basque Festival, celebrating the large Basque population's heritage through eating, dancing, and traditional Basque contests, also takes place in June. Reno presents ArtTown, a multitude of cultural and art-related events, throughout the month of July. Virginia City holds its world-famous camel races in September; the Great Reno Balloon Race and Reno Air Show are also held in September. Finally, come join all Nevadans in Carson City on the last Saturday in October for Nevada Day, our annual celebration of Nevada's statehood designation in 1864.

If you love sunny days, cool nights, mountain scenery, and a real sense of history, western Nevada is for you. I invite you to browse though our virtual tour, and then come visit us in person.

Respectfully,

Lieutenant Governor Lorraine T. Hunt
2003

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