Exploring Genoa Nevada

The other day we were looking for something to do to get us all out of the house. We decided to spend the day exploring the town of Genoa, Nevada. It's one of our favorite places around here, but we've always gone down there to visit specific places or attend specific events. This time we just wanted to explore. 

We started off at the town park to let the kids burn some energy. It's not a huge park, but the kids like it. See THIS POST for more about this little hidden gem.

 After the park we wandered down some of the little side streets in town enjoying the beautiful old buildings and the sunshine. We found ourselves back on Main Street by the Courthouse Museum (which isn't open this time of year) and decided to wander up Main to visit all the little shops. Petersunn's Guns and Antiques had so many fun treasures, but wasn't really a kid-friendly place. I spent the whole time worrying about what priceless thing the kids were going to break so we didn't stick around very long. Petersunn's did have a free box exchange though so that was fun to look through. There's another Book Exchange Box right across the street from here too, see THIS POST for more about that.

 Every little shop that we stopped in had something neat to offer. The Italian pastries at the Sierra Chef looked amazing! The decor at Home was so cute (and they gave the kids free cupcakes)! The beef jerky at the Trimmer Outpost was yummy! We stopped at a couple more antique shops in town and they are chock full of some really neat treasures. One of them you have to go around back and ring for the owner to let you in. I have never seen a building more jam packed with stuff before! It was not kid-friendly but was sure interesting!
There are so many more shops in the town that are worth checking out, some of which we didn't have time to visit this time around.

Another fun stop worth your time is Mormon Station State Park. Get a stamp in your State Parks Passport and step back in time all in one stop. :) See THIS POST for more info. This place is kid-friendly and budget friendly, so you don't have any excuses. :)

My youngest and I have walked the Genoa Vista/California Trail on the South end of Genoa, but the rest of the family had not had the chance yet, so we all hit the trial together. We brought the kids' bikes and they had a blast! It worked really well for us to park at the Post Office and then walk across the street to the trial. It also allowed us to head next door to the Post Office and check out another antique store. :)

Our last stop on our way north back towards Carson City was the historic Genoa Cemetery. I honestly can't really explain why we find old cemeteries to be so captivating, but they are! The workmanship on the headstones and monuments is really impressive. The names are interesting. Cemeteries are just fun! (We're weird, I know.)

Among the graves here you will find one for the local legend "Snowshoe" Thompson. You can learn more about him in the museum at Mormon Station State Park, or just google him. His story is fascinating!