The Wild West in Virginia City

The sun was shining from a clear blue sky as we packed up the car and drove down to the lake. It was absolutely wonderful. Blue water, sandy beach, and 30 degrees. You can rent pedal boats and canoes for about 10 dollars an hour. There were little restaurants lining the lake. However, to get onto the most sought-after beach, you had to buy a day pass. We arrived early enough in the morning, before the inspectors showed up, so we didn’t have to pay anything. We rented a canoe and set our course towards the beaches further down the lake. Even several meters out, we could still see the bottom. Along the way, we had a few steering issues. We both wanted to control the rhythm, which turned into a full-on water battle until the last person standing. All the while, you’re under the watchful eye of the police, who patrol the area to ensure everyone follows the rules. Everyone has to wear life jackets, you can only paddle in designated areas, and no one is allowed to drink alcohol. Finding a hotel room at a reasonable price was impossible due to graduation weekend. Plus, many Americans drive all the way up to Lake Tahoe every weekend, which is a super popular spot. So, we decided to head further north to Virginia City. The drive through the mountains was beautiful. It felt like we were rolling into an old Western movie as we entered the town. The sidewalks were made of wood, the saloons or bars had swinging doors, and little local theaters mimicked old legends. The whole town buzzed with atmosphere, and we instantly fell for this little mountain town. We stayed at one of the most Western-style hotels, the Silver Queen Hotel, which had a saloon with those famous swinging doors, and the decor was very much in the renowned Western style. It’s also one of the cheapest hotels in town; we paid around 45 dollars, which is a steal for a Saturday. The hotel rooms reeked of the past. This also meant there was no air conditioning, so the cozy little Western-style rooms turned into small ovens at night. Before we had to sleep in our little oven, we went out to soak up the vibe of our Western town. We started by climbing up the very steep roads to get a better view of the town surrounded by mountains. The view was spectacular! We had dinner with a lovely view from the restaurant’s terrace. Of course, we had to try the town's selection of bars – and there were plenty of them. We started at a bar that was a bit outside the traditional Virginia City style, where many bikers hung out. Inside, it was decorated with bras that women had given as a tribute to the decor. Later in the evening, we struck up a conversation with a real Native American. He was from one of the larger tribes in the area. His name was Walking Elk, and he was incredibly polite and eager to share about his people. He gifted us a map of all the tribes that once existed in the USA and where they were located. We wanted to buy him a beer as a thank you, but that was seen as an insult since a gesture doesn’t need to be rewarded, especially not with alcohol. Another so-called Native American joined our conversation. He claimed to be half Native and half white and had plenty of opinions he wanted to air. He spent a long time repeating, “Why did you take my land, I don’t understand?” But he couldn’t escape the fact that he had one foot in both camps, so he could ask himself the same question. His Native name was Wounded Owl, and he shared the story behind it. He had been very sick as a baby, and his mother had to stay up at night to care for him. She became ill from it and passed away. We ended the evening at a completely different bar, where slot machines from Las Vegas and Reno had also made their way in. I played a bit and got lucky. So when we left with a little extra cash in our pockets, and without tipping, we got a couple of not-so-friendly words thrown our way as we departed. “Thank you, don’t forget your purse, see you…” Virginia City is definitely worth a visit. It’s so different from the USA we’ve seen so far.