There’s a big adventure out on the west coast just waiting to be had. (Image: GETTY)
I turned my back on the Las Vegas strip and instead ventured north for the first part of my whistle-stop, five-day tour, heading to Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
If you dropped New York’s Empire State Building into the water, it wouldn’t break the surface, so it’s safe to say you won’t touch the bottom if you take a dip.
Lake Tahoe is 76 miles round, 12 miles wide and 22 miles long, and it never freezes, not even when the ground is white with snow.
It’s not great for a Christmas paddle, but the warm summers make it a hot spot for water sports.
After plastering on the factor 50, I hopped aboard a kayak on Sand Harbor Beach and began my paddle to Thunderbird Lodge, located on the east shore.
The iconic property belonged to George Whittell Jr., one of the richest men in California in the roaring 20s. With his enormous inheritance he created this luxury lakeside home, complete with hidden doorways, an underground tunnel and a room for Bill the lion cub, one of his favourite companions.
As you paddle across, the views towards the snow-capped mountains are breathtaking.
Horseback riding is also an exciting lakeside pastime, and even though I was a complete novice, I relished the chance to trot through the trees.
Feast your eyes on incredible gourmet food at Reno Food Truck Friday. (Image: GETTY)
Waved off by the cowboys at Zephyr Cove Stables ($ 50 per hour at zephyrcovestable.com), my trusty steed Silver took me up through the forest for a bird’s-eye view over the water.
At about 2,000 metres above sea level, it’s a long way down.
The next part of my adventure through Nevada took me to Reno, an hour by car from Lake Tahoe. Known as “the biggest little city in the world”, it used to be a magnet for gamblers who lived too far from the big lights of Vegas.
These days, there’s plenty of other reasons to head here – not least whizzing down the Truckee River (which runs right through town) in a blow-up raft, holding on for dear life through the raging rapids!
But if you do fancy a flutter, check into the Eldorado hotel, which has a whole floor full of slot machines and tables dealing the decks for blackjack, poker, craps and roulette.
Nevada is also a place with an interesting history, as I found the next day on a trip to the nearby Carson Valley, a flat expanse of land east of Lake Tahoe.
Nevada’s oldest settlement, Genoa, was founded by the Mormons in 1851, but has another interesting claim to fame – it holds the record for the longest and most expensive telegraph cable in American history.
It’s only two blocks wide, but the town has a staggering 10 monuments to celebrate its heroes.
Join Tahoe Adventure Company on a kayak trip across Lake Tahoe. One hour costs $ 20. (Image: GETTY)
I took a peek inside the state’s oldest drinking den, Genoa Bar and Saloon, which was a hotspot for travellers and locals alike.
The ‘no horses’ sign is a more recent addition, reminding visitors of the cowboys that passed through its doors.
But if you really want a taste of the wild west, head to Virginia City, just 40 minutes from Genoa, a well-preserved mining boomtown that sprang up with the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode – the first major silver deposit discovery in the US.
Nearly all of this legendary mining town’s buildings are original and as I walked along the wood-clad sidewalks, I felt like I’d stepped onto the set of TV show Westworld.
Only 1,000 people live in Virginia City and most have embraced its history by wearing their cowboy boots and hats and pistols on their hips.
The Bucket of Blood Saloon is the hub of the town, a bar that gained its gory name one night when a bad brawl saw staff tip buckets of blood into the street.
I visited during the annual Taste of the Comstock, an event that blends food tasting and restaurant tours with Comstock-era history and demonstrations – the perfect end to my tour of this surprising state.
Enjoy the Wild West experience in Virginia City. (Image: GETTY)
1 Join Tahoe Adventure Company on a kayak trip across Lake Tahoe. One hour costs $ 20 (tahoe adventure company.com).
2 Recharge in the hot tub and treat yourself to a facial or massage in The Lodge at Edgewood Spa, right on Lake Tahoe (edgewoodtahoe.com).
3 Get a front-row seat for Magic Fusion at The Loft Theatre in Heavenly Village, a magic and comedy show, for $ 31, plus taxes (thelofttahoe.com).
4 Pay a visit to Bently Heritage Distillery in Minden. Their soon-to-open cocktail bar has stunning views of the Carson Valley (bentlyheritage.com).
5 Conquer the world’s tallest climbing wall at Reno’s Whitney Peak Hotel and fill up on scrumptious food at its restaurant, Roundabout Grill (whitneypeakhotel.com).
(Image: GETTY)
6 Book champagne seats for acrobatic show Cirque Paris at Reno’s Eldorado Showroom. Tickets cost from $ 29.95.
7 Feast your eyes on incredible gourmet food at Reno Food Truck Friday. It’s located in Idlewild Park each Friday from May to September with more than 30 trucks full of take-out grub.
8 Enjoy a self-guided river rafting experience on the Truckee River from $ 69 per person (truckeeriverrafting.com).
9 Stop by for lunch at the historic Pink House in Genoa. The cheese and charcuterie boards are delicious! See thepinkhousegenoa.com.
10 Enjoy the Wild West experience in Virginia City.
A Comstock Heritage Adventure ticket costs $ 13.25 (visitvirginiacitynv.com).
Enjoy a self-guided river rafting experience on the Truckee River from $ 69 per person. (Image: GETTY)
Way to go
Netflights.com (020 7001 4377) offers return fares from London Heathrow to Las Vegas for £679pp, in September 2018.
Kirsten stayed at Montbleu Hotel, Lake Tahoe (montbleuresort.com), Eldorado, Reno (eldoradoreno.com) and Border House at Crystal Bay Casino ( crystalbaycasino.com/borderhouse/).
For inspiration, visit travelnevada.com.
