Modern Hotel with Historical Flair

Though Carson Valley's Historian Inn was built in 2000, its two-story, red brick storefront evokes classic, small-town Americana. In a nod to its western setting, much of the hotel was built using natural materials sourced from the Sierra Nevada. The interior reflects the area's historical roots with western artwork, artifacts, and old photographs decorating the walls. Staying at the inn puts you fewer than 15 minutes from prime skiing destinations. 

Even as Historian Inn pays tribute to the past, its new ownership initiated a room-by-room renovation and the hotel displays plenty of contemporary flair in design elements such as custom-made furniture. Cotton sheets top the beds in guest rooms, which come with a number of modern technologies including flat-screen TVs, iPod docks, and robot bellhops.

A complimentary continental breakfast is served every morning, and you can enjoy afternoon tastings that showcase the bistro-style cuisine from the onsite Market Café made with fresh ingredients. The market also stocks healthy olive oils and assorted gifts such as logo caps and water bottles. This Getaway also includes appetizers for two at Buona Sera Ristorante and Bar. While listening to live jazz at this elegant spot, you can snack on Italian small plates such as fried calamari and dungeness crab cakes in a basil chardonnay aioli.

Nevada’s Carson Valley: Historical Sites near Skiing and Lake Tahoe

During the gold rush, miners made their way through the Carson Valley—located just east of Lake Tahoe—as they ventured toward camps farther west. Today, Lake Tahoe is a four-season vacation spot, and in the winter it's a popular ski destination. Heavenly Mountain Resort has 29 chairlifts lead to 97 different trails. Take the Heavenly Mountain gondola to the resort’s Adventure Peak, where you can admire views of the lake from 9,136 feet above sea level.

Tahoe is North America’s largest alpine lake, and with its size you can get a good view from practically anywhere, especially from the innumerable trails winding around the water. Another spectacular scenic vista draws visitors to Emerald Bay State Park, which is accessible year-round. High above this bay, you can see waterfalls cascading down granite bluffs.

Back in the Carson Valley, Gardnerville and the neighboring towns of Minden and Genoa have a wealth of late 19th- and early 20th-century buildings lining their streets. A driving and walking tour outlined by the Carson Valley Visitors Authority highlights some notable sites, including an old wooden firehouse built in 1929 and a cemetery filled with the graves of pioneers such as Snowshoe Thompson.

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