Tidbits from Virginia City...

1) There's a store in Virgina City. (Duh! The place is riddled with stores!) It sells belts, and hats, and very expensive leather coats. (No, it isn't Leather Works. Everything there is $20 or less...). They had the most gorgeous opera capes. I came so close to buying one. Who cares if they were nearly $200! They were floor length velvet with lace, and they had a deep hood! I wanted one so bad. In fact, even in flats, it would fit me. But, I couldn't justify buying one. Especially since I owned a velvet caplet, and a cotton opera cape. Oh well!I couldn't justify it. After all, I've only worn my caplet once, at the World-Con I bought it at. My opera cape, I got cheap (It was originally a Christmas gift, but kept it for myself), and I wear it for formal events... That, and it's part of my 'Potion Mistress' costume :-)And, they had a duster! I so want a duster! I came so close to stealing my father's denim duster. Only reason why I haven't spirited it away is because it's about two inches too short for me... But, there are these wonderful things called a seamstress... [weg] I may have to steal it some time...2) The Tri-tip at the Virginia City BBQ and Jerky company (name is from memory. Is only BBQ restaurant on main street.) is some of the best I've eaten... ever!3) Chollar Mine Tour - Do not take if you're are afraid of enclosed spaces, the dark, or the possibilty of hundreds of pound of dirt and timber falling in on you. And, it's possible that you'll be attacked by spiders, too...Basically, the tour is an hour or so, and they throw a lot of statistics at you. Still, if you can be a good ways into a tunnel that is slowly collapsing (In places, robi_travels and I were literally bent in half to get through the tunnel! A wet tunnel, even! There is no moisture above ground in VA City, but in the mines, it's wet!), and can miss the cobwebs on the walls, and don't mind the minute or so of total darkness... It was a pretty cool tour.But, in the future, I'll send 'newbies' on the Ponderosa Mine Tour... At least then, I can sit in a bar and drink while they wonder at the lightisa miner in the 1800's would have... (The tour is in the back of one of the saloons on the main street)4) I adore Baby Disney and Baby Looney Tunes. Why do I tell you this? Because, a wood worker's shop on the main street had a piece that was all of the major Looney Tune characters as babies. And, it wasn't outrageously expensive! Yay! (Yes, I bought it...)Yay! Especially since I can only find Baby Disney or Baby Looney Tunes as baby wear... [pout] Don't the marketing departments know what they're missing! They're just so cute! [squeal!]5) I finally bought myself a piece of 'Bucket of Blood' clothing. I don't know why, but that Saloon has a soft place in my heart... The piece I bought is a zip-up oatmeal coloured cardigan with "Bucket of Blood Saloon Virginia City, Nevada" and a pair of roses in pink on the lapel. I think it is awesome!And, yes, the icon on this post is from a picture I took of the Bucket of Blood sign...6) I so believe that the Gold Hill Hotel is haunted. I've stayed in two different rooms, neither of which are known to be really haunted, and I'm almost 100% positive that they were both haunted. My most recent experience, in the Grey House [Which is an awesome 'room'... Two bedrooms, two bath, a living room (with a comfortable futon, if needed), full dining room, a wonderful kitchen, and it has a washer and dryer set-up!], happened in the bathroom ithildyn and I shared in her bedroom. I personally had the toilet cover raised (Ith and I have an unconscious habit of lowering the toilet seat. We had a cat who loved to play in the water of the toilet, so we got into the habit of closing off the toilet seat, in case he drowned...)... So, when I went into the bathroom, and found the toilet seat raised, I explained why I always lowered the seat. Don't know if it helped (That bathroom was off of Ith's bedroom... I had the futon in the living room)...7) Trucks start traveling through Gold Hill at about 7 or 8 am... I was woken up at that time each morning. Since I was in the living room, I had no 'cushion' from the sound... see next point as to why...8) FYI: There are 800+ miles of mine tunnels under Virginia City and Gold Hill... (Yes, I am serious about this number... got it from "The Way It Was" Museum. A must for first time visitors to VA City...)Because of this, there is always minor settling of the tunnels... This causes all houses and structures to not be 'perfect'. You will find lots of gaps between doors and door frames...9) Lake Tahoe is as beautiful as ever. Even though I littered into the lake... I was taking pictures, and made the mistake of putting my 'fruity rum drink' down beside me... A sway of the boat, and the cup, with half my lovely alcoholic drink, slid off the boat, and into the lake [pout]. But, even with that, it was an awesome experience! (And, it says something when the bartender rings up everyone's tab at the end of the trip... "You owe me a dollar, you owe me six dollars, you owe me a dollar, and you three owe me forty-nine bucks..." Can you guess which was me, Ith, and Robi? I think you can [beam])10) There is an awesome potter in Gold Hill. Argenta Earth & Fire Co.. The store was literally next door to our room in the hotel. Awesome pottery at amazing prices! I felt like I was in a potter's shop in Carmel-By-The-Sea, but I could actually afford to touch the items. (The item I bought? I was pretty sure would cost me $100+ in Carmel... I got it for less... Muchos pretty!)11) Fourth Ward School - Very cool... And, you can buy an antique school desk! I would've, but didn't have room in the car this time. I will next time though, damn it! I want one of those desks! And, it's an awesome building..12) The Virgina City Catholic Church - Awesome gothic ceilings, wonderful building, nice wine cellar!I have more, but I can't remember!Oh yes! Pictures! Taken by moi and ithildyn...Source