"The Silver State"

Welcome to Nevada

Nevada/California border on I-80
September 2, 2007

For better or worse, there will always be one word that is associated with the state of Nevada: gambling. Without it, the Silver State looses its identity and would be just a large state filled with deserts and possibly secret government facilities researching aliens. It seems that hardly any public space in Nevada is missing a slot machine, from grocery stores to the airport. But setting aside the vice aspect for a minute, Nevada does boast a wide range of geography and temperatures, from snow around Lake Tahoe to boiling heat around Las Vegas. It seems people like these extremes, as the majority of the state's population is centered around both locations.

This picture turned out to be a disappointment. For this trip, my parents decided it would be fun if they tagged along. That wasn't a problem, but their presence seemed to add a little bit of pressure in the car as we approached the border. We were also approaching the border along I-80 in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which made driving difficult. Dad was behind the wheel, and I was in the passenger seat in case the sign was located overhead. There were numerous twists and turns along the way, so I was fairly sure were going to miss it. I almost did, as I appeared around a bend, and there was no safe place to stop for a picture. So I was lucky to get the blurry photo I have above, but I hope to retake this picture eventually.

Welcome to Carson City

September 2, 2007

Poor Carson City. In a state known for gambling hot-spots like Las Vegas and Reno, the capital sits along Lake Tahoe overlooked by Nevada's more famous cities. It isn't exactly small at over 50,000 residents, but with no access to an interstate, it certainly felt isolated as I was visiting. The town is centered along the aptly-named Carson Street, which runs north/south through the entire town. I enjoyed the stretch nearest the capitol, which resembled a town from a Spaghetti western, with rustic-looking façades and architecture. They did a good job of keeping major chain stores and fast food restaurants out of the downtown, which helped maintain the Old West feeling.

Much like the town it is located in, the Nevada capitol is rather small. What you can see between the trees is pretty much all you need to see, as there was only a little bit extending on each side of the main part of the building. I'm all in favor of landscaping on the capitol grounds, but I get irked when the foliage is so dense you cannot see the entire building. The sidewalk seemed to do a good enough job clearing a path, but I needed to stand in the middle of Carson Street for an adequate angle. There was an impressive statue of the city's namesake, Kit Carson, located on the plaza connecting the capitol to the newly-constructed legislative building, which is the current home of the Nevada legislature.

Miscellaneous Nevada Symbols

State Route Sign

License Plate

Seal

Quarter