<– Day 36 – Apr. 24th: ‘Tire’d of Reno | OVERVIEW | Day 38 – Apr. 26th: Finding Virginia City –>
The entrance to the Nevada State Museum in Carson City
Well, it had to happen. After five weeks of mostly great weather, the temperatures dropped and the rain arrived. So, rather than drive to and walk through historic Virginia City, we decided to drive south from Reno and visit the Nevada State Museum, then head to our motel to do some eWillys updates.
Today we drove south from Reno to Carson City, Nevada.
On our way to Carson City this morning we passed this unexpected mural tribute on the side of a building to Alice Ramsey:
A mural dedicated to Alice Ramsey, who in 1909 became the first woman to drive across the United States. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/womens-history/alice-ramseys-historic-cross-country-drive-29114570/?no-ist
The Nevada State Museum was a surprising amount of fun. There was lots of Nevada history told in interesting ways, such as a rebuilt ghost ‘town’, a working Carson City coin stamp (there used to be a US Mint in Carson City) , and an underground mine in the building’s basement that was great to explore. Much of the museum of dark, so we didn’t take many photos.
Entering the mine in the basement of the museum.
Along some of the walls were a variety of exhibits showing how mines operated.
This area demonstrated that sometimes the timbers would fail. Good thing I’m there to hold them up!
This is a huge bullion scale, the type necessary for the Carson City mint.
This assayer’s scale is similar to one I have from 1895, a leftover of the family’s smelting history. We also have a neat portable one that fits in your pocket. It’s got the counter weights as well.
This overloaded stage coach was a neat photo:
Naturally, my wife found an explosive . . .
We both really enjoyed this museum. We left the museum and decided to head to the motel; it was not the best motel experience, but that happens sometimes.
Hopefully the weather will improve for our visit to Virginia City on Saturday.
<– Day 36 – Apr. 24th: ‘Tire’d of Reno | OVERVIEW | Day 38 – Apr. 26th: Finding Virginia City –>
I like museums that are walk through dioramas. One of my favorites is the first Division Museum in Illinois which puts the collection in context with from WW1 through Vietnam or perhaps later. You start by walking into a WW1 trench. For D-Day you watch landing footage in an lst and then the end opens where the screen is and you walk onto the beach!
-Merlin
Had to check to see if we still had our assayers scale or if it was moved to Carson City. There was much more light in that “mine” than in my grandfathers. I got claustrophobic the last time I went in there as an adult. That really looks like a neat museum. Hope the weather is good today in Virginia City. It will make up for missing Sutter Creek.
Merlin, thanks for the tip. That looks to be just off highway 80. We’ll likely be going that way next year.
Here’s the link in case anyone is interested: http://www.firstdivisionmuseum.org
Mom, did I go inside the mine? I remember being near the edge of it. Didn’t we take the jeep up there? though we missed Sutter Creek, we did see a model of it at the El Dorado County museum 🙂
I dont remember you going inside. I went in with my dad, but had to see the daylight from the entrance. Couldnt go any further. It was just after that trip to the Palisade your dad and his dad went and brought the ore car down the hill in the Jeep. Still dont know how they lifted that thing into the Jeep.