2006 - Reno, Nevada
R & R 2006
Tours


Relive the Comstock Era - A Day in Virginia City

Virginia City once concealed treasures of great wealth that held the attention of the world for half a century pouring over $400,000,000.00 in silver and gold into the economy of our expanding nation. Little has changed in Virginia City since the booming days of 100 years ago. Let your Red Carpet guide reveal how this boomtown came to be the richest settlement between Denver and San Francisco and learn how the grubby prospectors became instant millionaires who built mansions and financed the Civil War.

At the peak of its glory, Virginia City was a boisterous town. There was gold in every hill and millions of dollars were being made. The spirits of these Comstock pioneers still inhabit the places they built, and romance still thrives in this wondrous place in the shadow of Sun Mountain. Learn of Mark Twain and his stint as a reporter for the Territorial Enterprise, and how his writing career began here.

Throughout the day, your knowledgeable Red Carpet guide will share with you the many stories and legends of Virginia City. You can stroll through the stately mansions, through an underground mine and walk through the many lively saloons. Your group will have some time to themselves to browse through the unique silver shops, ice cream parlors, western wear stores and museums & churches that will make you feel as if you have stepped back in time.

Tour includes: Deluxe Motor Coach transportation, Virginia City Mine tour or Entrance into "The Way it Was"Museum, bottled water, all taxes and gratuities. Lunch on your own in Virginia City.
(approx. 5 hours)
$35.00 per person

The Biggest Little City in the World Tour

Welcome to Reno – the biggest little city in the world. Reno is home to some of the countries most fascinating history and the one of the best recreational areas, offering the best of the great outdoors right at your fingertips. Let your Red Carpet guide share with you the rich history of Reno and why over 5 million people a year visit our unique area. Your tour will start off by strolling down the beautiful Truckee River, Lake Tahoe’s only outlet along the Raymond I. Smith River Walk. Art Galleries, restaurants, museums and the river run right through the center of Downtown Reno.

Our next stop will be the University of Nevada at Reno and over to the exciting Rancho San Rafael Park. The beautifully maintained park is home to the Wilbur D. May Museum, Arboretum & botanical garden. The Wilbur D. May Museum contains countless artifacts collected by its namesake, Wilbur D. May, a local rancher, world traveler and philanthropist, during his travels all over the world. The 12-acre arboretum features five different gardens including Wetlands and a spectacular rose garden. The gallery in the museum is a unique collection of his over 40 trips around the world including priceless pottery, primitive African artwork and Eskimo scrimshaws and Egyptian and Greek icons.

To close our "Biggest Little City in the World Tour" is the incredible Harrah’s Collection of Automobiles. Located just a few blocks from downtown once you step inside you will walk down the streets of the past – it’s cars, sights, sounds and places are yours to explore. Through these streets you will discover a century of automobiles that include James Dean’s 49’ Mercury Coupe, the ’38 Phantom Corsair and the 1910 Rolls-Royce “Silver Ghost” – more then 200 unique, vintage, classic and special interest automobiles are the perfect way to relive the glory days!

Tour includes: Deluxe Motor Coach transportation, admission to the Auto and Wilbur May museum, snacks and bottled water on board coach, all taxes and gratuities.
(approx. 4 1/2 hours)
$37.00 per person

Paddle wheeler & Lunch Cruise on Lake Tahoe

There is no better way to enjoy the amazing clear blue water of Lake Tahoe and the snow capped Sierra Nevada Mountains then on the water itself. From the decks of Lake Tahoe’s favorite Paddle wheeler you will cruise along Tahoe’s south shore to the famed Emerald Bay. Emerald Bay is one of the most spectacular places in the world and one of the most photographed! On the cruise your Red Carpet guide will be sure to fill you in on the history of Lake Tahoe and how it was formed, who were the first inhabitants and how it became to be the bustling tourist area that it is today. Along with the cruise is the narrated tour “The Sunken Treasures of Lake Tahoe,” follow along as you watch the Lake’s underwater canyons and beautiful colorful formations through the glass window on the bottom of the boat. To top off the cruise a delicious lunch will be served!

Tour includes: Deluxe Motor Coach, Cruise admission, Lunch aboard Paddle Wheeler, all taxes and gratuities.
(approx. 5 hours)
$62.00 per person

A VISIT TO TRUCKEE AND SQUAW VALLEY USA

After a quick scenic drive along the Truckee River, you will enter historic downtown Truckee, "Gateway to the Sierra" - Past and Present. Just as many early pioneers followed the Emigrant Trail through Truckee, visitors today make their way to the natural beauty of the Truckee-Donner area, high in the Sierra Nevada. Your informed tour director will talk about the history of the Donner Party, the railroad, logging and ice-harvesting along the way and make a stop at the Emigrant Trail museum which chronicles the history of the Donner Party.

Next we will head over or should I say "Up" to Squaw Valley USA, Home of the 1960 Winter Olympics. You will be welcomed by the colorful Olympic Rings and the original eternal flame. We will head up to High Camp for some of the most incredible views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierras the area affords. Getting to High Camp is half the fun - a scenic tram ride to High Camp adds a bit of excitement to the day. Once at High Camp you can relax as you take in the view, go through the Olympic Museum or take a short walk through the wildflowers.

Tour includes: Deluxe Motor Coach, Truckee walking tour map, Emigrant Trail Museum, round trip ticket on the Squaw Valley Tram , bottled water and snacks, all taxes and gratuities.
(approx. 7 hours)
$52.00 per person

Tour of the Thunderbird Lodge

The Thunderbird Lodge and the Whittel Estate grace Lake Tahoe's East Shore. The Thunderbird Lodge has a unique history. San Francisco multi-millionaire George Whittel Jr. built this estate in the 1930s amidst more than 10,000 acres along the Tahoe shoreline. Intended as a summer retreat where he could entertain the likes of Howard Hughes and the Shah of Iran on a grand scale, Whittel's castle, built in the style of a medieval French chateau, eventually became a hideaway for an aging, reclusive man. Whittel was a bit of an eccentric and kept lions, tigers and elephants on the grounds, surrounded the perimeter with searchlights and loudspeakers to warn off trespassers. Among many other intriguing areas of the estate, you will see a dungeon that Whittel built under one of his guesthouses, and a secret tunnel to the boathouse and to the card house. When he died in 1969, much of his fortune went to animal-rights groups.

Tour includes: Private chartered transportation, entrance to the Thunderbird Lodge, private tour, driver and guide gratutities.
(approx. 4 hours)
(Tours limited to 20 people)
$62.00 per person


Last Modified: Tuesday, 13-Dec-2005 21:36:54 EST