I would recommend Virginia City for people who have never been there mostly for its cultural significance. Plan to spend the day if leaving from Lake Tahoe. The main street looks like it was pulled out of the old west. There are lots of shops to explore, saloons, some adequate dining, olde time portrait studios, and a mine ride. There is also a train ride on a steam engine. Keep in mind that it is a tourist attraction.

We left our condo and drove towards Reno, Nevada through the hills. The scenery was beautiful until we hit the desert area at which time it had a beauty all its own. We saw mining areas which we had read about only in books. As we arrived in Virginia City, we were transported back into mining times which were so realistic that only the modern dress and automobiles made us realize it was the 21st century. Virginia City is a restored town from back in the 1670's. They have used as much as the original wooden sidewalks and furniture as they can. It was easy to imagine how it would feel to be back in those times. The stores, bars, etc have original furnishings from those times. The town is a history buff and shopper's delight. They also offer mining tours which we didn't choose to go on, and so I am not sure how realistic they are. If they are anything like the town, they are very realistic. It was one of the highlights of our trip.