Virginia City–The Way It Was

Over labor day, we had planned to go to Tahoe and take paddle wheel tour on the lake, and do some other fun things. 

We headed out, and when we got there, we noticed it was less busy than normal, and the fires near Yosemite had made for a smoky forecast for the Tahoe valley. 

The boat company we were heading too, called me and told me they were cancelling the outing we were signed up for, as we were the ONLY ones that had booked. 

Darn!!  Now we had no plans!  So we started thinking, and realized that we had talked before about going to Virginia City, had never been, and my only memory of going there was when I was a kid.  It was only an additional hour away, so back in the car and off we went!

The drive from Carson City into the mountains was beautiful and rises up to almost 7000 feet in elevation, past places called “Robbers Roost” and “Dead Man’s Point” where deliveries of silver were often robbed.

 

 

 

 

Back in the day, Virginia City was the first major place in the United States where Silver was discovered, and soon became the “richest city in America” in the 1860’s and a total of about 400 million dollars in Silver (that’s $400 million in those days, in our day, it would be billions!) was mined over the 20 years that Virginia City thrived.

Mark Twain wrote his first books as Mark Twain when he was living in Virginia City. 

Now, Virginia City is mostly a tourist destination (trap) and you can take mine tours, train rides, stagecoach rides, see museums, and many many other things.

It wasn’t too crowded, especially being a holiday weekend, and we had a great time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took a steam engine train ride, and as it went through several tunnels, it was HOT!  The steam had nowhere to go, and it was like a sauna, as one of the tunnels was pretty long…..we were sitting behind the engine and we also got rained down on with soot – Jacob got some in his eyes as I snapped this pic in the dark tunnel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steam Train–Virginia City

 

We opted for the stagecoach ride – a bit pricey, but we were told it was like nothing we’ve ever done before.  It’s the ONLY place in the United States (probably due to safety regulations) that you ride in an actual stagecoach going the full galloping speed that would have been the travelling speed, which was around 25 mph…and bumpy!!  It’s a short ride, but definitely fun!  We wanted to go again!

 

 

Hannah was laughing at how much Mama was laughing and bouncing around!

 

Yep-this is us inside this one: (photo didn’t scan very well)

After living like a miner, we headed back towards Tahoe, and still had time to stop off quick at a beach and do some paddle boating and swimming.

 

 

 

Our alternate plans turned out great and we had a great time!

Smooth Sailing

Time for some smooth sailing down the Sacramento river.  Mom and Dad came with us and it was fun!

 

 

 

 

 

Where the two rivers meet…One of four places in the world where the line is so visible and never changes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer of Fun

So the kids and I were sitting around one day, with just a month until my new job which would prevent me from doing fun things during the week, and we decided to make a trip to Great America, otherwise and always known to me as “Marriott’s” Great America.  The kids had never been there, and I used to go there many many times during summers when I was a teenager.  It was time to pass the experience onto my kids, plus we had two free tickets getting ready to expire.  Wasn’t going to let those go to waste!

Now, amusement parks seem to be bigger and funner and more exciting I think when you are a teenager, and when you haven’t gone there several times a week (Six Flags for us).

Let’s just say that we were all impressed!  Now that Cedar Fair bought Great America, it’s been upgraded and it’s going strong!  Marriott’s Great America was GREAT.. and the Marriott corporation did a great job with their first amusement park when it opened for the bicentennial in 1976.  After a while, they sold it and the city tried running it, unsuccessfully, then another buyer came along and tried to run it, unsuccessfully, then Paramount came along and tried to run it…unsuccessfully – rides always breaking down, dirty park, etc…then finally a few years ago Cedar Fair who also owns Cedar Point and now Knott’s Berry Farm came along and turned it around…finally!

It brought back GREAT memories, and some of the rides are still there that I went on as a teenager.  We had a great time!  And would definitely like to go back!  Those of you who back back in the day, do you remember the little shop by the Whizzer (now gone) where you could get a cold mug of A&W Rootbeer for 5 cents?  That was awesome!  (Trivia:  Alice and Willard Marriott invented A&W Rootbeer)

 

The icon of Great America is the two story merry-go-round right when you enter, along with the reflection pond.

 

 

 

 

This little ditty didn’t look like much and we only went on it because it was a short line, but wow, it surprised us!  It was very FUN  spinning around as it glides back and forth on a small track, and you sit facing out.

 

 

 

 

 

These old time cars are still there!  I think I rode in number 37 when I was little! 

 

 

 

 

 

Several owners ago, they took out the Sky Whirl and put in this instead:  A small grassy area that nobody uses because there is no shade.

NOW:

 

And what it used to look like:

 

 

 

And here is a great shot of Willard’s Whizzer (one of the simplest but best coasters – long gone now) with the Sky Whirl in the background:

 

RIP Williard’s Whizzer:

 

 

Orlean’s Orbit – yep…rode that one over and over and over and over when I was a teenager.  Another deceptively looking ride. You think would be boring, as it spins around, but then it goes vertical.  No seat belts, no harnesses, no restraints…just good ole centrifugal force that keeps you in your seats.

 

 

 

 

Fiddler’s Fling (now renamed) that we went on over and over and over as kids, while my parents watched.  Yep, I sat out too, as I watched Jacob and Hannah go on it.

 

 

 

 

 

The newest ride which was completed this year is GoldStriker, the tallest and fastest wooden coaster around.  Wow, does it run SMOOTH and FFFAASSSTTTT!  We couldn’t even catch our breath the entire run!  Clocking in at 55 mph, that’s pretty fast for a wooden coaster.  Lines were short and we went on it several times. It was definitely our favorite!

 

We had a GREAT time at "(Marriott’s) Great America and it was fun introducing my kids to one of my favorite amusement parks when I was a teenager.