A Holiday Tour

by Doresa Banning

The winter holidays are around the bend and preparing for them will soon be on everyone's minds. One not-always-beloved tradition, however, is the holiday shopping trip. But in the communities east of Lake Tahoe—Carson City, Virginia City and Genoa—a shopping trip can be a true celebration of the season. Ride the Santa Train in Carson City, watch an evening Christmas parade in Virginia City or browse at Genoa's Christmas Faire. Here's a town-by-town tour of holiday shops and events, beginning in Genoa, just over the hill from South Lake Tahoe.

Genoa

Winter holiday celebrations begin in this historic town the day after Thanksgiving, when The Dake House Antiques Emporium captures the spirit of a Victorian Christmas. The 2242 Main Street home, built in the 1870s, is beautifully embellished with ribbons, lights, wreaths and Christmas trees, each room showcasing a different Victorian style. The costumed staff offers hot cider and cookies. The home, open daily between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., remains decorated until December 24.

The entire town celebrates with Christmas in Genoa on December 4. Beginning at 5:00 p.m., the event features a tree lighting, caroling, a visit from Old Saint Nick and refreshments.

An ideal place to pick up a gift or two is the Genoa Christmas Faire, December 10 and 11. Along with a host of locally created arts and crafts for sale, the weekend includes food and music.

Cowboy, western and country music takes center stage the following weekend on December 17, when David John and the Comstock Cowboys perform. This Christmas in the Sierra concert takes place at both 5:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Genoa, Nevada's first white settlement, was formed in 1851 as a log cabin trading post. Today, it retains that feel with its country store and other quaint shops ideal for finding gifts.

The Dancing Deer, sister store of The Buffalo Trading Post in South Lake, is jampacked with merchandise—from stunning jewelry and home décor accessories to framed art and sculpture. The store carries Minnetonka moccasins and sandals, Carlucci leather purses and the artful clothes and accessories of Mary Frances, designer for Shania Twain and Sheryl Crow. Looking for the unusual? How about Indian flutes, steak brands, collectible teapots and ceramic motorcycle-riding pigs?

"The owner loves to shop," says Debbie Ferreira, the store manager. "So we get new stuff on almost a daily basis. There's something here for everybody."

Fine wine and anything related can be found at Tahoe Ridge Winery and Marketplace. Along with numerous wines, including the extremely popular late harvest Old Vine Zinfandel, it carries decanting funnels, wine caddies, wine-tasting music and gourmet foods. They include Roasted Pineapple and Habanero Dip, Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert Sauce and Dip, Apricot Ginger Oven and Grill Sauce and Hot Pepper Raspberry Preserves. For the holidays, the owners will stock CDs of holiday music, plates with winter and holiday scenes and lots of gift baskets.

The Crafters Attic, located on the floor above the Genoa Country Store, displays handmade goods from local crafters. One room is dedicated solely to interesting Christmas items, such as seesawing snowmen, Looney Toons holiday vests and water-colored holiday cards.

The Davis Gallery of Fine Art showcases the work of about ten plein air painters—landscapes, portraits and figurative art. Also available are hand-carved, gilded frames, late 19th through early 20th century Arts and Crafts Period reproductions—designed and made by Genoa-based Craftsman Frame Co.

Stop by Sugarplum Bakery and Treats for an espresso drink, some baked goods and/or lunch. The chefs are always changing the goodies, but you can expect the likes of Oatmeal Sour Cherry Truffle Cookies, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Caramel Cream Puffs and Ham and Cheese Scones.

Carson City

It's about a 15-minute drive on highways 206 and 395 north to historic downtown Carson City and its well-known "antiques row" and nearby boutique shops. Turn west onto West Telegraph Street into Telegraph Square, where you'll find a cluster of stores.

Gallery and Gifts for the Senses sells a host of handmade items, from beeswax candles and brie bakers to hemp lotion and porcelain lamps. Owner Camilla Olsen makes soaps using ingredients like goat's milk, raw silk and honey that come in numerous fragrances—Shea and Cocoa, Vegan Lemon-Basil and Frankincense, Myrrh and Oak Moss. Other interesting products are KamaSutra Honeysuckle Edible Powder, chocolate body paints and Strawberry and Champagne Oil of Love. The shop also houses a gallery, where the works of Fred Boyce among other artists are displayed.

Next door at La-Tea-Da Tea Shoppe, you'll be greeted by Fritz, the resident red dachshund. For anything to do with tea, this shop is an excellent resource. Teas range from Earl Grey to African Autumn. Lapsang Souchong is in great demand. You'll also find drip catchers, tea cozies, English china and even teacup chandeliers there.

"I go out looking for unique things," says owner Rosemary Nebesky.

Beauty and the Beads sells more than 400 colors of seed beads in numerous varieties, including ethnic, crystal, mineral and even Swarovski crystal. Also available are African trade beads, vintage beads from the '30s and '40s and one-of-a-kind handblown glass beads. Beaded curtains, scarves and jewelry are found there, too.

"We try to have more ready-made goods created by local artists during holiday time," says Dione Delaney, the store manager. Also on-site, Delaney teaches various techniques such as peyote stitch, loom work and basic jewelry making, by appointment on Sundays and Mondays.

Around the corner, inside the Main Street Atrium, you'll find three shops in one: Tea 4-2, Razzel Dazzel Hats and Things and Cherokee Scents Candle Co.

"It's like a little mini-mall in here," says Carol Bevers, owner of Tea 4-2. Razzel Dazzel sells Red Hat Society and Ladies in Waiting merchandise, everything from tops to magnets.

For the holidays, Tea 4-2 will carry black or green spice teas and Cherokee Scents will sell candles with festive flavors—Balsam Fir, Christmas Frost, Apple Cider and Holly Berry, for example.

Neighboring stores include Carson Cigar Company; Chateau Bliss, which features home décor items, including handdecorated vintage furniture and luxury bath goods; and Glass Creek Studio, an ideal spot for art glass, fused glass and custom glass-stained items, from dolphin mobiles to butterfly wind chimes.

Antique stores along Curry Street and between Fifth and Robinson Streets offer a wide variety of items. Hanifin's Arts and Antiques, for one, offers more than 9,000 square feet of European antiques and artwork from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Time your shopping trip to Carson City just right and you'll catch a holiday event, too. The Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights on December 1 includes the annual lighting of the capitol Christmas tree, caroling and an appearance by Santa Claus. On the following Sunday, December 4, the Carson Valley Museum holds its Holiday Open House, the annual fund-raiser. It begins with a Cookie Walk at 10:00 a.m., during which guests fill a can with cookies of their choice, for $12.50. A Victorian Tea ($25) follows at 1:00 p.m. Museum admission is free and all exhibits are open.

About eight 1800s-era Victorian homes decorated for the holidays are open to the public on December 11, during the Victorian Home Christmas Tour. The tour, 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., is self-guided, with visitors following a map to get from home to home. At each place they'll encounter helpful costumed docents. Tickets are available at the Nevada Commission on Tourism, the Greenhouse Garden Center and the Roberts House.

"It's early to get people going on their Christmas spirit and their shopping," said Dorothy Dolan, who runs the tour.

Jazz lovers won't want to miss "A Jazzy Christmas," held 8:00 p.m., December 13 at Comma Coffee, 312 South Carson Street. The Mile High Jazz Band, accompanying vocalist Sheryl Adams, will play two hours of jazz tunes interspersed with holiday music. The 16- to 19-member band specializes in music in the Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Woody Herman tradition. Admission is $5, free for those 18 and under.

The Santa Train is fun for the whole family. On December 17 and 18, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., visitors ride with Santa aboard historic Virginia and Truckee Railroad equipment for free. Catch the train at the Nevada State Railroad Museum.

Virginia City

Just up the hill from Carson City is Virginia City. Continue north on North Carson Street, then take U.S. Highway 50 east and turn off at State Route 342, which will take you to Virginia City. There, you'll experience the winter holidays as they were in the 1800s during the town's heyday.

During Christmas on the Comstock, the streets are decorated in a Victorian style. You'll walk the Old West-style boardwalks just as Mark Twain did, encountering strolling carolers dressed in 1800s garb—petticoats, tailcoats and the like. Many of the shops put on their best sales of the year.

A highlight of the season is the Christmas Parade of Lights on December 3. During the event the only illuminated lights are the vintage streetlights and the lanterns carried by costumed parade participants who make their way down C Street.

On December 17, the city holds a Gingerbread Social and Auction. Gingerbread creations of all shapes and sizes are judged and then auctioned to benefit a local Virginia City charity.

Once the richest and largest city in Nevada, Virginia City today boasts more than 50 unique shops, situated amidst Old West saloons and casinos. Many contain wares that reflect the city's history, such as American Indian goods, western clothing and minerals.

Forever Christmas is a must-see, as it's filled with all kinds of decorations for the season, including snowing and spiral trees, angel treetops, nativity scenes and unusual, hard-to-find ornaments. Where else will you find Santa dressed as a fur trapper?

You'll find all kinds of leather goods at Leather Works, including briefcases, duffel bags, jackets, purses, garment bags and even barbecue aprons. All merchandise costs $20 or less.

For Western-style apparel, there's Red Garter Western Wear, which sells the gamut from hats to boots, along with Victorian costumes and biker clothes.

Stone Age Quarry and the Comstock Rock Shop specialize in interesting stones, such as obsidian, celestite and silicon. They offer some stunning geology-related gifts—onyx chess sets, rose quartz crystals and mining-themed geodes.

A good bet for American Indian goods is Turquoise Kiva. Some of its wares are Navajo-carved horsehair pottery, fetish offerings, medicine plates, bolo ties, drums and turquoise jewelry.

Intriguing wood art, musical instruments, ships, animals, Disney characters and more—can be found at Rainbow Metal Art. Women love the roses while men like the Harleys, says co-owner and artist Dan Le.

For goodies for the pantry, you'll want to check out Country Cupboard Factory Store. Garlic jelly, apricot syrup and camper's chili are only a sampling of its many jellies, mustards, maple syrups, pies, dry mixes and more. You'd be hard pressed to find Camel Stew elsewhere.

At both Red's Old Fashioned Candies and Grandma's Fudge, you'll find treats for the sweet tooth, including brittles, chocolates, taffies and truffles. The cinnamon apples, Espresso Bark, Rocky Road fudge and chocolate-covered strawberries are particularly tempting. A favorite among children is Barrels-O-Candy, which is chock-full of sweets—modern-day treats like Jelly Bellies, and retro candy like Abba-Zabbas. Other fun ones are Rock Candy on a String, Gummi Cola Bottles and Nugget Bubble Gum.

The town is also replete with numerous gift shops, where you'll find everything from Lil' Sheriff badges to nature T-shirts.

Your tour of Nevada Christmas country over—your trunk stuffed with unique gifts and your stomach hopefully not stuffed with cookies—it's time to retrace your routes back to Tahoe, either heading south to Carson City via State Route 342 or north on State Route 341 to Highway 395 and the Mt. Rose Highway. You'll be guaranteed to sleep with visions of sugar plums and choruses of carols.