'When the land gives to you, you take it. And then make the most of it. If you don't, someone else will. The land has a lot to give, and you can't take enough. Until you do.'
John Mackay, a famous mining mogul from Ireland, made some huge money near Virginia City, Nevada, by claiming land pieces that were known to carry huge deposits of silver and other precious metals. His words of wisdom, call them unfounded or blatantly pretentious, still give us something to dwell over.
Virginia City, ever since the development of Big Bonanza unfolded, hasn't been the same. But this statement might be deemed factually half correct by many, just because Virginia City, as we know it today, didn't even exist before Mackay and his partners founded it as a mining settlement.
So, it's clear that the roots of Virginia City are deep-down stuck in the world of hard-work of mining business where risking one's life every waking second is required to get the best stuff out of earth's innards. That rugged feel of outward-ness and crass nature has been kept alive by Virginia City through careful preservation. Today, it stands, partially desolated, if you would like that word used, amidst the desert of Nevada, proud of what many people call the last Old West and Slow West town in America.
It's a huge burden to carry, no doubt. The legacy of western ways of life is something that Americans have forever cherished since the frontier days, meaning that this appeal of Virginia City is going to register automatically with everyone who is American at heart. And that is where the true, untapped potential of Virginia City to be a tourism hub lies.
We can only hope that it will one day be able to return to those heydays of silver lodes and mining dollars, but till then, the least we can do is let our readers know what it holds in store for them.
Budget Hotels and Motels in Virginia City
The tough task here is not to find cheap hotels, but to find any sort of a hotel!
Virginia City is a small town with population barely pushing 1,000. This means that it has access to almost no facilities that tourists usually expect their destinations to have.
In a way, this defines the slow life of the west in a very peculiar manner. Life at the frontier was as hard as you could care to imagine, and there's nothing wrong in experiencing just that for a short duration of your stay. If anything, it will only lead to you being able to experience the nature of life here in a very intimate and detailed manner, the sort that is becoming exceedingly rare in the world of tourism where everything is turning more and more formulaic and generic.
Among cheap hotels that you can choose in and around Virginia City, two options stand out head and shoulders above the rest. These are Motel 8 Nevada and Starburst Inn Virginia City. These are quite a definition of American highway motels, fully-fledged with highway diners where truckers stop by. It would be strange for some tourists to notice jukeboxes dashing out music or waitresses brimming cups and mugs with coffee, but that's the real charm of the Old West!
Luxury Hotels in Virginia City
As we noted earlier, finding hotels in Virginia City is in itself a big ask. So, furthermore, any hopes of finding world class luxury resorts here just get extinguished in a jiffy. But still, trying is the only option we have, and that is exactly what we did to unearth a hidden gem of a hotel.
Silverland Inn & Suites is the closest that tourists can come to finding luxury Virginia hotels. While this is not exactly a luxury establishment in the strictest sense of the word, in comparison with other modest alternatives, this indeed appears to offer a world full of luxuries and pleasures to its patrons.
Independent and Boutique Hotels in Virginia City
Again, a good deal of disappointment awaits tourists who were hoping to find and book some truly amazing independent and/or boutique hotels in Virginia City. Much of it is owed to the same problem: lack of tourist culture.
Since Virginia City poses as a tough town where boardwalks and corner salons still rule, it would anyway have been quite imperious to ask for a Fairmont Suite or something of that sort.
There are, however, a few holiday rentals available but they are all privately operated and are available only sporadically throughout the year. Depending upon them would be much akin to shooting your trip plans straight into the knee. So, our advice to travelers and tourists who wish to visit Virginia City soon enough would be to take it slow and easy. Rather than staying in Virginia City itself, tourists can choose to make a nearby city (Reno, at about 20 km, is a great option) their mainstay for the trip. That would make it easier to find good accommodation without sacrificing on some amazing sights and activities that Virginia City has to offer!
Hotels Near Virginia City Airport
At the risk of being repetitive, we again have to put it out there on record that it's much too impossible to find a suitable hotel nearby the nearest airport (Reno).
Of course, you can find good Virginia hotels that are close to Reno (comparatively), but that would still be a bit of a stretch.
Getting Around in Virginia City
There is no getting around in Virginia City if you don't have your own car. It is a huge hassle to rent a car out here, and the best option is to just travel to Virginia City with your own vehicle.
That way, you will be able to roam around the city (which itself isn't that big), all the while never having to go out looking for a car rental service provider in a town where rules are different and life is stranger than fiction!