The road wound through the mountains and into mining country. We saw mine tailings and collapsed entrances everywhere. The terrain had been pretty much stripped of trees, so mostly we saw scrub brush and sage. Despite the lack of trees, it was a beautiful drive.
Virginia City has a unique personality. I had visited the area as a teen, and it didn't seem to have changed much. The main street through town is still very steep and narrow.
The sidewalk is partly concrete and partly a raised wooden walkway, much like you would see in an old western. We saw and talked to people from all over the world. I must have heard at least ten different languages this afternoon. Some of the people we talked to were actually part of the ambiance of the place. One old fella, he calls himself "Stinky", makes his living selling carrots for the tourists to feed to his donkey, Bernadette.
We took a tour of the Best & Belcher mine. Our tour guide took our group about 400 feet back into the mountain, describing the conditions the miners worked under. Most miners in those days didn't live to see their 30th birthday. One of the more interesting facts about this particular mine, is that it has made more money from the tours than it ever made as a working mine.
We gambled a little after dinner and I managed to double my money at the Silver Legacy Casino. I'm a very low-stakes gambler, so that probably doesn't mean a whole lot to some folks, but the fact that I came out ahead means that I might gamble more.
Tomorrow we are going to hang out in downtown Reno and check out the Biggest Little City Wing Fest. It's all about the chicken wings. This should be fun.
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