Nevada
Escape to Nevada’s oldest town: A Silver State spot worthy of the silver screen
Genoa, the Silver State’s first town — older than Nevada itself — is a cozy relic steeped in history that may as well double as a Hallmark movie set this time of year.
Just 30 minutes from South Lake Tahoe, Genoa is a place where visitors can escape from the hustle and bustle, trading crowds for peaceful snow fall on the nearby Sierra Nevada mountain range as Main Street comes alive with a twinkle of sparkling lights and a slight winter chill.
Historic doesn’t mean dated here, however. The tiny town (population 786) has a robust dining scene, offering gourmet fare unexpected in a village made up mostly of restored Victorian buildings and cattle ranches.
Daytime activities
On Main Street, a collection of mid-1800s storefronts house a collection of mom-and-pop establishments, including boutique shops and homey restaurants.
Here, you can start with breakfast at Flutter & Buzz Café. Open at 8 a.m. daily, it’s the perfect first stop off for an anti-inflammatory cardamom and cinnamon latte or a flavorful mimosa. The menu specializes in fresh breakfast and lunch fare and pastries baked in-house. There is an obvious affinity for local honey — hence the name — which appears as a main ingredient in several beverages and plates.
Once you’re fueled, you can begin Christmas shopping. The tree-lined streets boast adorable gift shops including Dancing Deer and Antiques Plus, which is so stuffed you’ll have to squeeze in and out of it.

When weather allows, consider getting into the great outdoors. The silent serenity of Genoa is inescapable as you walk the 2-mile path along River Fork Ranch Preserve, an 800-acre natural preserve and cattle ranch less than 2 miles from the center of town. The trail is dirt, so when it is wet, it can get fairly muddy, but on a dry day, the views of the snow-capped mountains can’t be beat.
Of course, snowshoeing is always an option (although the area isn’t exactly robust with tour operators, so you’ll need to pack your own snowshoes). When snow is falling in the Sierra Nevada foothills, both the Genoa Loop Trail and Sierra Canyon Trail make excellent destinations.
Nearby Mormon Station State Historic Park is an adorable place to stroll and let little kids get their wiggles out. There are restored covered wagons, lush lawns and an artifacts museum at the historic site that marks the town’s modest beginnings as a trading post founded by Mormon pioneers in 1851, before being renamed Genoa (after the Italian city) in 1855.

For lunch, the square offers several options, including the casual Foothill Market serving chili cheese dogs and turkey club sandwiches at the counter. There’s also beer and wine on the menu, and it’s a good stop for edible souvenirs — everything from local goods such as Tahoe Toffee to specialty items shipped in from around the world. During the holiday season, the market even offers curated gift baskets that take the guesswork out of your holiday shopping.
Another worthy lunch option is The Pink House, which enjoys a modern pop of neon lights in an 1855-built home painted in a delicate hue that inspired the name. A smattering of pink Christmas trees decorate the lawn, which hosts live-music events year-round.
For after-lunch drinks, take a stroll across the street to the Genoa Bar & Saloon — the oldest bar in Nevada — where the walls are covered with dusty old bras slung over antlers and other relics of the past, plus cocktails that allow you to catch a buzz for about $20 (drinks are $5-$12 each).

At night
We’ve saved the best for last: dinner. Behind The Pink House, Daniel’s is a fine dining restaurant with a robust menu that pairs rustic French cuisine with Old Nevada hospitality. Its drool-worthy dishes include grilled duck breast topped with foie gras ($44) and scallops over a bed of wild rice risotto ($48).
Before or after your meal, stop into The Ice House, a standalone bar adjacent to the main dining room. Its name comes from its original purpose as a place to store ice before refrigeration. While much of the building has been redone, the large-stone walls are original. With less than 20 guests allowed in Daniel’s at any given time, it’s an intimate setting open only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The menu boasts more than 20 craft cocktails, 10 tap handles and more than 100 bottles of wine.
On select evenings, Main Street businesses host specialty evening activities for locals and visitors, sometimes staying open late to do so.

When you’re ready to tuck in for the night, the White House Inn, a remodeled mid-1800s home featuring modern amenities in a historic setting, is a great pick. The property’s original carriage house is now the inn’s best room, outfitted with a king-size bed and walk-in shower.
Another option is David Walley’s Resort, offering both overnight accommodations and day passes to one of Nevada’s best outputs — natural hot springs. The rustic lodge houses five hot springs once enjoyed by the pioneers and set among the Sierra Nevada mountains, as well as a restaurant, the 1862 Restaurant & Saloon Bar.

If You Go
Flutter & Buzz Café: Open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. daily, 2285 Main St., Genoa, (775) 215-0245; flutter-buzz-cafe.square.site
Dancing Deer: Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays, 2299 Main St., Genoa, (775) 782-5777; genoadancingdeer.com
Antiques Plus: Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, 2242 Main St., Genoa, (775) 782-4951
River Fork Ranch Preserve: Open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, 381 Genoa Lane, Minden, (775) 322-4990

Mormon Station State Historic Park: Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, 2295 Main St., Genoa, (775) 782-2590; parks.nv.gov/parks/mormon-station
Foothill Market: Open 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays, 2299 Main St., Genoa, (775) 392-0527; foothillmarket.com
The Pink House: Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 193 Genoa Lane, Genoa, (775) 392-4279; thepinkhousegenoa.com

Genoa Bar & Saloon: Open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 10 a.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays, 2282 Main St., Genoa, (775) 782-3870; travelnevada.com/bars/genoa-bar-saloon
Daniel’s: Open 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 2291 Main St., Genoa, (775) 392-1822; danielsgenoanv.com
White House Inn: 195 Genoa Lane, Genoa, (775) 870-7203; whitehouseinngenoanv.com
David Walley’s Resort: 2001 Foothill Road, Genoa, (775) 782-8155; holidayinnclub.com/explore-resorts/david-walleys-resort
Nevada
Second annual Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival celebrates Tahoe winter recreation at SnowFest
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – It’s time to “free your heels” and embrace Tahoe’s winter recreation at the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival on March 7. Whether you’re a seasoned pro at cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, or you’re trying to get your feet wet, Saturday’s event is teeming with nature, brews, and camaraderie.
Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is teaming up with Nevada Nordic, Tahoe Multisport, Alibi Ale Works, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation and other local partners in the wondrous Tahoe Meadows, providing attendees a chance to engage with outdoor recreation experts, check out free cross-country and snowshoe rentals, and more.
“We’re excited to see the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival enter its second year, building on last year’s strong community response. In collaboration with our local partners, this event is thoughtfully curated with residents in mind – offering free equipment for the day, expert instruction, locally crafted brews, and other experiences in a welcoming setting,” said Andy Chapman, President and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada. “It’s designed to make it easy for residents to get outside, try something new, and bring people together. Events like this reflect the spirit of North Lake Tahoe and what’s possible when our community comes together.”
Along with opportunities to test out free demos and rentals, there will be live music, beer tasting and races.
Tahoe Meadows is known for its gentle trails, and is a popular spot for snowshoeing due to its flat terrain. This event, located near Chickadee Ridge, will offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
This family-friendly event is on the second to last day of the 10-day SnowFest winter festival that’s been taking place in the North Lake Tahoe area. It starts bright and early at 9 a.m. and will close out at 2 p.m.
“Nevada Nordic is thrilled to be a part of SnowFest again this year,” said Meghan Pry, Nevada Nordic Board Member. “We love sharing our passion for cross-country skiing and watching our community grow. We are proud to keep winter recreation accessible by offering free access to our 20km trail network. This is the perfect opportunity for our community to gather together and free our heels!”
For more information about the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival or to check out the SnowFest schedule, visit tahoesnowfest.org.
Nevada
Earthquake swarm rattles central Nevada near Tonopah along newly identified fault
A swarm of earthquakes has been rattling a remote stretch of central Nevada near Tonopah, including a magnitude 4.0 quake that hit near Warm Springs Tuesday morning.
Seismologists said the activity is typical for Nevada, where clusters of earthquakes can flare up in a concentrated area. “This is a very Nevada-style earthquake sequence. We have these a lot where we just see an uptick in activity in a certain spot,” said Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Lab.
The latest magnitude 4.0 quake struck east of Tonopah near Warm Springs. The largest earthquake in the swarm so far has measured a 4.2.
What has stood out to researchers is the fault involved. Rowe said the earthquakes are occurring along a fault stretching along the southern edge of the Monitor and Antelope ranges — and that it was previously unknown to scientists. “We didn’t know this fault was there. It’s a new fault to us — not to the Earth, obviously — but it was previously unknown,” Rowe said.
For now, the earthquakes have remained moderate. Rowe said the lab would not deploy additional temporary sensors unless activity increases to around a magnitude 5 or greater.
Seismologists said they are continuing to watch the swarm closely as Nevada works to bring the ShakeAlert early warning system to the state. The program, already active in neighboring states, can send cellphone alerts seconds before shaking arrives. “For me, it’s a really high priority. That distance to the faults gives us enough time to warn people — and that can make a big difference in reducing injuries and damage,” Rowe said.
Seismologists encouraged anyone who feels shaking to report it through the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did You Feel It” system, saying even small quakes can help scientists better understand Nevada’s seismic activity.
Experts said the swarm is worth monitoring but is not cause for alarm. They noted that earthquakes like the 5.8 that hit near Yerington in December 2024 typically happen in Nevada about every eight to 10 years, and said they will continue monitoring the current activity closely.
Nevada
Kalshi Enforcement Action Belongs in Nevada Court, Judge Says
Nevada state court is the proper venue for reviewing whether KalshiEX LLC is improperly accepting sports wagers without a license, a federal district court said.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board showed that the state statutes under which it seeks relief don’t require interpreting federal law, Judge Miranda M. Du of the US District Court for the District of Nevada said in a Monday order. The board’s action is now remanded to the First Judicial District Court in Carson City, Nev., the order said.
The board in 2025 urged Kalshi, a financial services company, to get a gaming license, but the …
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