View along Jack's Valley Road, Genoa, NV
What does one do when it is cold and dreary in Sonoma County and summer is almost over? Add to that a certificate for a week at any available resort that is only good until mid-August and the only answer is “get out of Dodge.” First decision is do I go alone or is there a common spirit who will slip away with me. Great friends are always there to step in and my long time friend, Barbara, signed up in a minute.
The Two Barbara Junes in Carson City
But where to go is another question – it has to be warm and it has to be available on short notice. Out comes the Interval International catalog and all the places that I would like to go. Banff is not available – Savannah is an expensive plane trip – Hawaii is out of the question. How about Lake Tahoe? No, nothing is available there but then there is Genoa, Nevada – just east of Heavenly Valley and at the foot of Kingsbury Grade. Located on the site of Walley’s Hot Springs is the Dave Walley Resort. I am familiar with its existence because Dave Walleys is a sister resort to Hanalei Bay Resort at Princeville on Kauai where I have vacationed frequently. Problems with management companies and lack of funds have plagued these resorts for the last few years. I knew that it would be available. Fortunately, Barbara loves Genoa and was happy to spend a week in this beautiful sp
Our Building at Dave Walley's Resort
We arrived on Saturday with our only expectations being a roof over our heads, a bed to sleep and good company. We pulled in within seconds of each other (the other Barbara had been hiking in the Yosemite) to a remote cluster of buildings with very few cars in the parking lot. The check-in staff is friendly, gives great advice on where to get dine and helpful in many ways. Our room is nicely appointed and could be any major timeshare suite. The view is fantastic. If I were in a complaining mood (as it appears many are from the internet sites and listening to others around the resort), I could find fault with the lack of shampoo, soaps, salt & pepper, etc. There is dishwasher soap and paper towels which have been greatly appreciated by us. A quick trip to Gardnerville Rite-Aid remedied any deficiencies in the room and we are set for a great time.
The town of Genoa is about the size of Bodega in Sonoma County. There is the oldest saloon in the State of Nevada and it looks it. There is a very entertaining and informative museum on the history of Genoa and the Pony Express which came through town. Did you know that the Pony Express only existed for 18 months? All those Western movies made it seem like it was around forever. Mormans settled here to provide a provisioning stop for travelers between Utah and California.
This has been a great few days of relaxation. We saw a flock of white faced ibis, walked the street of Genoa visiting the shops and museum, ate at Red’s Old 395 (which was the best brisket I have ever had!) and checked out the area golf courses. Yesterday was golf for me, bird watching for Barbara and massages and hot springs for both of us. What a terrific start to a vacation.
This is what vacations are all about.
My Wine Country Village 