After our whirlwind twenty-four hours in San Francisco we still had another two days left on our quick getaway to the West Coast, so we decided to take a 225 mile side trip to Genoa, Nevada. Genoa is home to the Genoa Bar and Saloon, Nevada’s oldest continuously operating bar. The little town of Genoa is slim on lodging options, so we used South Lake Tahoe, California as our base camp. While sightseeing around picturesque Lake Tahoe we stumbled upon Steamers Bar & Grill. Steamers is a great bar where everyone visiting Lake Tahoe must go. The food (e.g. poke bowl) was delicious, the bar is extensive particularly their huge selection of bourbons and whiskeys, and Dory behind the bar was a gem. The owner, Heather (who didn’t even look old enough to drink), also stopped by to say hello. As it was lunchtime the locals started to come in and they were as just gracious and warm as Dory. We could have camped out there all day but we needed to head off to continue our quest in Nevada.
Genoa is located a thirty minute hair raising twisting and turning drive down the mountain from Lake Tahoe. The Genoa Bar and Saloon dates back to 1853, eleven years before Nevada even became a state. The Genoa, which would be our 32nd state’s oldest bar, is a neat old tavern complete with: an original 1853 bar top; loads of cool wall hangings including an original Jesse James wanted poster; and great stories like how Raquel Welch’s bra came to adorn it. We have been debating whether the Genoa bar is our favorite of the 32 state’s oldest bars that we have visited. What is no debate is that it is clearly in our top three.
In addition to the awesome dive bar atmosphere, there was lovely Laura behind the bar. She filled us in on the bar’s amazing history while pouring us delicious blondes made over in Carson City by the Shoe Tree Brewing Company. We loved our time with Laura and being able to soak in the Genoa’s coolness. There are way too many of the bar’s stories to recount here, so please take a close look at the Genoa’s history that’s included in the picture section below.
On the way back to Oakland to catch our plane home we stopped in Placerville, California for a cold one. Placerville is known as Hangtown. By clicking on this link you can lean how it got that infamous moniker. On the town’s Main Street you’ll find the Liar’s Bench, another great dive on our West Coast getaway. The bartenders at the Liar’s Bench were attentive and a joy. We also got to know some of their wonderful customers while sipping on a cocktail or two. The Liar’s Bench was a great surprise and a super end to a memorable trip. Until next time dear readers…find yourself an old tavern and don’t forget to tip the bartender!
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