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Liquid Dining Adventures at Genoa Bar  Sometimes I just have to write up a "dining adventure" that involves no food. Last October Don and I came upon a few mighty curious saloons while traveling through Nevada. This was the oldest one, in the small town of Genoa. It claims to be Nevada's Oldest Thirst Parlor, built in 1853.  It was 4:00 in the afternoon, so I actually went for Diet Coke, but there were a few folks having beer and cocktails at the bar already. Tall Doors  One of the doors was propped open which didn't seem like a good thing since it was pretty darn chilly on October 30. The bar had no heat, except for a wood stove that gets used in the winter. There were a few regulars seated at the far end of the bar who were eager to tell us some of the saloon history. One gentleman pointed out the door knob, way down below the glass on the door. Evidently there were problems in the past with eager patrons coming on horseback...who didn't bother to get off their horses before entering. Lowering the door knob helped put a stop to that. The Mirror  The impressive mirror behind the bar was originally imported to San Francisco from Glasgow, Scotland, then transported by covered wagon to Genoa. Dan, the bartender used a flashlight to point out the shimmering diamond dust used in the mirror. Dust & Grime  Besides diamond dust, there was a good amount real dust coating just about everything attached to the wall or ceiling. The windows were literally caked with so much grime you couldn't see through the glass at the top.  My buddy Vic, seated next to me did the most talking. He was very excited to tell me about some of the curious visitors who stopped by the saloon long ago, like Mark Twain and Clark Gable. But there was one famous guest only a few decades ago who came and left her bra behind. A Safe Full of Bras  Evidently Raquel Welch was in the area (filming a movie perhaps) and noted all the bras that were displayed in the saloon. She actually offered to join in the tradition of leaving her bra on the wall, only if all the others were taken down so hers could be displayed alone. The lace and satin goodies of past ladies were removed and packed into an old safe, which I was invited to peer into. Raquel's Bra Raquel's leopard print bra still dangles from an antler beside a framed photo of the actress. The thing looks like a shredded dust rag and I don't think Raquel would be pleased. She should have stored it in the safe! My Diet Coke did not permit me to participate in this tradition. On to Virginia City!
We hit the jackpot in the old mining town of Virginia City, which had more than it's share of great old saloons. The Silver Queen probably was the quirkiest of the 3 we visited. It was also our hotel... which was another story. Cobwebs at the Silver Queen Hotel Saloon  This place looked dustier than the Genoa Bar, but really the cobwebs were left over from Halloween the night before. The children of Virginia City don't go trick or treating to houses, they walk up and down the boardwalks and collect candy from the local shops, bars and restaurants. Too bad we didn't come a day earlier to witness that curious custom! Catfish Carl  Carl was providing our musical entertainment at the Silver Queen. He was eager to pose for a photo and I applauded and tipped his abilities to play guitar and keyboard at once. He gave me a free CD and took a break to tell me some hotel history and gossip. The Silver Dollar Lady I had already noticed this fine piece of art, made with 3,261 silver dollars.  But Carl gave me the inside scoop on the couple who owned the bar at one time and created this 15 foot beauty. Evidently the image of the woman in silver is the wife. She ended up killing herself when she found out the husband was cheating on her. Carl shook his head as if he'd known the couple...and maybe he did. "She should have just killed him." Mississippi, the bartender  Our bartender was quite the character. Mississippi is her real name, but she goes by Sippy. She is barely in this photo on the far left, wearing her black cowboy hat which was sprouting devil horns. You can't see the giant shimmering silver skeleton on her sweatshirt, but you can almost make out the appliqued flowers that were sewn onto her painter's pants! She seemed a bit hurried and gruff, but softened after a phone call. She had just gotten a request from a young woman who wanted her help in setting up a wedding proposal to her boyfriend. The Chapel  "She knows he'll say yes!" Sippy explained with a sly smile. "Because she said she's always been the one who didn't want to get married before." Sippy said the couple would later have their wedding in the hotel chapel. I wandered off to have a peek at the chapel. It looked a little creepier than this photo, but it was good enough for Captain and Tennille's wedding in 1975, so who am I to talk? Bucket of Blood Saloon  Our second saloon in Virginia City had the worst name, but the best view. The name has something to do with a bar brawl and the quote of the poor guy who had to mop up the mess afterwards. The view is at the back of the 138 year old saloon. The large picture window, which may not be that old, has a pretty ideal view of mountains and some pretty sweet church steeples! Self Serve Popcorn!  Plus the place had free popcorn, which I love even more than beer. This gave Don and me something to do while we gazed at the curious collection of Victorian pickle canisters behind the bar. We also kept an eye on the lovey dovey couple wasting the best table near the picture window. Finally they left. Window Seat  Sitting close enough to the window we didn't have to look at the witch and spider cutouts which were ruining my view from afar. (Again, bars are decorated for trick or treaters around here!) The old photographs on the wall depicting scenes from mining days were just as entertaining as the view. I was sorry we couldn't stay for sunset, it would have been beautiful! Bonus Feature  I'm not a big fan of slot machines, but I found these in the attached room. I was pretty thrilled because they took real coins and you got to pull down on the handle like the good old days. I didn't win anything, but I was pretty thrilled that I got to use a little muscle to get those fruits spinning around! Old Washoe Club  It was dark by the time we reached our final saloon. This saloon got the prize for most interesting bartender and an awesome staircase! Stopping Inside  We met John, the bartender outside the saloon as we were strolling down the wooden boardwalk. "Pretty lonely in there." He laughed as he pointed towards his empty bar. We weren't planning on another stop, but he invited us to check out some of the curious features that have been shown on TV shows like Ghost Hunters and Ripley's Believe It or Not. Exploring  We wandered back and peeked in the crypt where back in the mining days, bodies were stored during winter months when they couldn't be buried in frozen ground. Then we studied the staircase which is the longest spiral staircase without a supporting pole. In the 1870's, this stairway lead to the Millionaires Club where the elite, like Mark Twain and Thomas Edison could get away from the rowdier citizens in town. A Pleasant Chat  We ended up sitting down for a beer and glass of wine and having an incredibly nice conversation with John. He told us more history of the town, but mostly we talked about everything from our childhoods to moving as adults. Bartenders are supposed to be good conversationalists, but it really did feel like we were visiting with an interesting and intelligent friend. And just when we were about to head out, a large ghost tour came in to finish up the evening and we were glad to leave John with a bar full of customers. Good-Bye Land of Saloons  We headed out of Nevada on Highway 50, the loneliest highway in America.
Hope to return and visit about 100 more of these oddball and often haunted little gems!
1 Comment
12/19/2013 12:38:14 am
Very cool discoveries and I love all the celebrities, especially Raquel. WOW! Leave a Reply. |
The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
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