It’s that time of year… the time of year we put on our cozy pajamas, curl up with a warm beverage by the fire, and binge watch all of our favorite Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies. I’m the girl that has been known to start watching them before Halloween, and there’s no shame in my game. Christmas is my thing!
While I love getting whisked away in a small town Christmas daydream for two hours at a time, I really love the idea of getting physically whisked away to one of those settings. You know… the little mountain town covered in snow where you can take a sleigh ride, hear carolers, and take in all of the dazzling lights. According to Lifetime, they’ve found a special place that checks all of those boxes – Carson City, Nevada. They’ve used Nevada’s capital city as the setting for a couple of their movies- “Feliz NaviDAD” and “Once Upon a Main Street.”
In addition to just walking their cute downtown and pretending you’re a star in your own Christmas movie, there’s a few other fun activities I suggest if you visit Carson City for Christmas.
The Polar Express Train Ride
The V&T Railway offers visitors the opportunity to take a ride on the historic steam train that carries you along a scenic route as it chugs through tunnels and mining towns. From May-October, the tour takes you from Carson City to Virginia City. The history buffs will love this, as the excursion is narrated and full of fun historical facts.
Each November and December though, the experience takes on a magical transformation and turns into the Polar Express. Instead of binge watching Christmas movies in your jammies, you can wear them on a ride to the North Pole while you’re listening to a reading of the Christmas classic. Rumor has it that Santa himself visits each evening, and may even bring a little gift along for you.
Winter Adventure Activities Near Carson City
Of course I love the idea of taking in all of the Christmas festivities, but I’m also always up for some winter adventure. A Florida girl always appreciates the opportunity to experience the two big things she can’t have at home – snow and mountains. And Carson City checks both of those boxes as well.
There’s plenty of ways to experience both in Carson City. Maybe you’ll want to trade your flip flops for snowshoes and hike through a winter wonderland at Vicee Canyon or Lower Ash Canyon. If you’re up for some skiing and snowboarding, you’ll also be pleasantly surprised to find out that Lake Tahoe is just 20 miles away. In about 30 minutes, you can be slopeside at one of the best skiing and snowboarding spots in the United States. As a birder, I also can’t leave out the hike to Chickadee Ridge where you can feed new feathered friends from the palm of your hand. If you make the short trek to Lake Tahoe, you’ll want to include this on your itinerary too.
Hot Springs
With all of the winter activities, you’ll welcome a visit to soak those tired bones in some healing mineral waters. To me, this is the perfect finale on an awesome getaway. Carson Hot Springs offers some of the purest water in the world, and this natural water comes from 35,000 feet below the Earth’s surface. You’ll find the therapeutic experience to be quite relaxing, yet invigorating.
While you’re there at Carson Hot Springs, you may also want to check out the award winning beer at Shoe Tree Brewing, which is located right there onsite. Try a craft beer (or two) and toast to your awesome Christmas getaway.
More Fun in Nevada’s Capital City
While snowy adventures, Christmas vibes, and soaking in the springs all sound like a perfect winter weekend to me, there’s so much more awaiting in Nevada’s Capital City.
A few other things you may choose to add to your Carson City itinerary could include:
Casinos
No matter if you’re more into slots or table games, there’s ample gaming options for you in Carson City. It’s also only a 25 minute drive to Reno, so you can take a short drive there to diversify your gaming fun even more.
The Kit Carson Trail
This is a 2.5 mile walk through historic downtown Carson City and includes close to 50 landmarks. You can even use your smartphone to take a self-guided audio tour.
Star Parties
No, I’m not referring to crazy ragers with the Kardashians. This is something way better. Once a month, the Jack C. Davis Observatory hosts star parties. The observatory is also open to the public most Saturday nights for night sky observation. If your trip aligns with a chance to be a part of this, I would definitely encourage you to check it out. In a state known for their dark skies, this is a cool opportunity to learn about astronomy from the pros.
One Way to Save Money on Your Nevada Vacation
Carson City is the perfect Christmas getaway in itself. As a bonus, it happens to be centrally located so you can also visit other iconic locations like Lake Tahoe, Virginia City, and Reno… but at a fraction of the price. These are super easy day trips, and you’ll find great (and often cheaper) lodging options in Carson City.
If I have to leave you with one piece of advice, I would encourage you to make Carson City your home base. You’ll usually be able to save money on your hotel accommodations, and everything is very drivable. In about half an hour, you can get to all of the other cool spots you may want to visit. And if you save a few bucks, that’s not a bad thing, right? You can then justify doing a little Christmas shopping while you’re there too!
Listen to the Outdoor Adventure Series Podcast to get even more great tips about visiting Carson City, Nevada!
