Nevada's Living Ghost Towns 7 Day Package
Begins in Reno - Ends in Las Vegas
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Price Per person double occupancy
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| For groups of 20 or more Request a quote or call 800-322-0788 for more information. |
Price Includes: 6 nights' lodging, 5 evening meals, 6 breakfasts, 2 luncheons, deluxe motorcoach and driver, professional tour director, park entrance fees, all admission fees, baggage handling, airport transfers
Airport transfers are included only when airfare is purchased from Pilgrim Tours. Taxi service is available for those purchasing their airfare elsewhere.
Deposit Required: $300 per person will reserve your place. A $100 service fee will be charged for cancellation at any time in addition to our normal payment and cancellation policy.
Day 1: Arrival
Welcome to the biggest little city in the world, Reno, Nevada! Arriving passengers will be met by your professional tour director and transported to the hotel to freshen up before the festivities begin. Our scenic dinner cruise on beautiful Lake Tahoe will give us an opportunity to get acquainted and enjoy the splendid Sierra Nevada mountains. Overnight: Minden (D)
Day 2: Virginia City, Carson City
Virginia City was the home of the famed Comstock Lode, whose riches helped finance the Union victory during the 1860's, and coincidentally accelerated the statehood process! Today it is a thriving community proud to share its heritage with visitors yearning to experience that gold rush era. Mark Twain began his illustrious career here as a newspaper reporter for the Territorial Enterprise. We'll end our day of exploring this fascinating town with a ride on the historic steam train to nearby Gold Hill. Overnight: Minden. (D)
Day 3: Nevada State Railroad Museum
Today's ghostly activities include a very special horse-drawn tour of historic Carson City neighborhoods, a guided walking tour of the "Kit Carson Trail" and visits to various historic homes hosted by "spirits of the past". We'll also visit the Nevada State Railroad Museum, considered one of the finest regional railroad museums in the country. We'll see five steam locomotives and several restored coaches and freight cars here. Rounding out the day will be the Nevada State Museum & Mint, locateded in the former US Mint building (1870-1895). At dusk we'll visit the cemetery (of course!) to hear what the residents there have to say. Overnight: Minden. (B)
Day 4: Historic Genoa/Yerington
Step into the past in Nevada's oldest town. Situated at the base of the Sierra Nevadas, Genoa has welcomed travelers since 1851. We'll pay a visit to the replica trading post which supplied California-bound pioneers and prospectors, and explore the picturesque town filled with its quaint buildings and homes - and the oldest saloon in the state! Next we'll tour Yerington's excellent community museum of pioneer history. The Paiute holy man Wovoka, is buried nearby and a visit to his gravesite could produce another ghostly appearance! Overnight: Hawthorne. (B, D)
Day 5: Berlin and Belmont Ghost Towns
Our ghostly wanderings continue as we visit Berlin, the 1895 silver boom town which is being maintained in a state of "arrested decay" by the Nevada Division of State Parks. Our ranger-led tour will include the impressive wooden mill, old assay office, blacksmith shop and several miner's homes. Belmont is one of Nevada's oldest and largest living ghost towns where picturesque ruins mingle with inhabited homes and one business: the saloon. The rocky terrain is enhanced by pinyon pine, cedar and sage as we travel on to our overnight in Tonopah. Once one of the largest cities in the state, Tonopah offers a significant number of historic structures, including the Mizpah Hotel, site of our evening repast. Overnight: Tonopah. (B, D)
Day 6: Rhyolite Ghost Town
The agenda for today includes a couple of "living" ghost towns and one whose meteoric rise was matched by its complete and speedy collapse. Goldfield was once Nevada's largest community - and extremely wealthy. The four-story Goldfield Hotel, now undergoing a restoration, was once the most luxurious hotel between Kansas City and San Francisco. Our local expert will fill us in on the town's ghostly past. Beatty is today the gateway to Death Valley but it was originally an important shipping terminal for nearby mining camps. Perhaps the most photogenic of Nevada's many ghost towns, Rhyolite was the sixth largest city in the state just six short years after its founding in 1904. It's boom was short-lived and today consists entirely of crumbling ruins. We'll examine the remains and view the famous "bottle house" - built by a miner of 50,000 beer and whiskey bottles - before ending our day in Armagosa Springs. (D)
Day 7: Pahrump Valley Wine Tour
Our ghostly adventure draws to a close with a visit to Nevada's only winery, situated in the scenic Pahrump Valley northwest of Las Vegas. We'll celebrate new-found friends and our unique journey with a wine-tasting and gourmet meal in the elegant winery dining room overlooking the vineyards. Afternoon departures from MacCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. (B,L)
