"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:Tj1Xc.231128$eM2.77617@attbi_s51...
Where is Genoa in relation to Minden? Between there and Stead, hopefully!

Just FYI, from Streets & Trips (any map planning software, including
Mappoint or Mapquest will get you something similar):

Time to Reno/Stead from:
Truckee -- 52 minutes
Carson City -- 56 minutes
Minden -- 75 minutes
Genoa -- 77 minutes

The times are approximate, of course. From Truckee, most of the driving is
on I-80 and is very easy (and may be quicker than calculated). From the
other places, the driving is almost entirely on 395.

Personally, if convenience was the priority, I'd go ahead and pay the bucks
to stay in Reno. If you're more interested in saving money, I'd take a look
at the other options and decide what had the most interesting stuff (to me)
nearby so that I could do some sightseeing while I was there. If you want
to minimize your drive time and costs at the same time, Truckee clearly wins
out.

For that matter, you could probably land and park at Truckee, and then stay
overnight in Verdi. Lodging will probably cost about the same, and you'd be
only about a half hour from Reno/Stead.

Of course, when comparing costs, you have to take into account the expense
of renting a car. Whether you stay in Reno and take the "free" shuttle, or
you stay somewhere else and rent a car, you're paying for transportation.
If cost is the highest priority, maybe going where a free car has been
offered to you is the right choice.

I like the old buildings right in downtown Carson City, but it's true you
could just drive there from the Minden/Genoa area to look at them...you
don't actually need to stay there. The rest of the city does sort of seem
like one big strip mall.

Pete