I was introduced to a couple of fascinating historical landmarks in Nevada last weekend, not too far from Tahoe.
Built in 1864, the Kirkwood Inn is one of the oldest original stage stations and Inns still operating from the early days of the post Gold Rush era. It apparently was an old roadhouse along the old Amador Wagon Road, which sits amidst the mountains at close to 8,000 feet. We arrived on a Harley for lunch.
Inside, they tried to reserve as much of the original wooden beams, walls and decor as they could. Food is tres American, diner style, but served in a rustic, charming log cabin setting, with picnic tables outside for those wanting to soak up a bit of mountain air and sunshine.
My favorite historical fact is about builder Zack Kirkwood, who is fondly remembered for frequently entertaining his guests with tales of how he had beat the tax collector of each county by moving his herds from one county to the other depending on which county tax man appeared.
We then discovered Genoa Bar, established in 1853, known to be Nevada’s oldest ‘thirst parlor.’ Equally as rustic, this bar sits in a small town setting rather than by mountains and not much else. It’s very ‘saloon’ style, with a pool table, an old jukebox, and animals, trinkets and memoires lining every inch of wall space.
Genoa itself is known to be an old ghost town and its website is hilarious with background music you can only listen to for a moment or two before its time to ‘switch to another channel’ — either that or get up and dance a jig. (cowboy hat and all)
It has had several names since 1884, but is now known as the “Old Genoa Bar” – No Horses Allowed. I guess this is one of the reasons why I moved west.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
