Visitors to the historic Kit Carson Trail on Saturday should have no qualms about safely walking the streets. With ruffians and undesirables wandering about, members of the Nevada Gunfighters will be around protecting the hard-working folks of Carson City, Old-West style.
The 1860s will come alive Saturday in downtown Carson City with guided walking tours celebrating the city's Wild West past.
The 11Ú2-mile tour begins at the St. Charles Hotel, at Third and Carson streets. Tours depart every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The tour includes stops at the Brewery Arts Center, the Ferris Mansion, the St. Charles Hotel, the Rinckel Mansion and the Brougher-Bath House.
A Western town will be set up in and around the St. Charles Hotel, offering visitors the chance to have an Old Western photo taken before embarking on the tour.
The event, in its 12th year, is sponsored by the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Carson City Redevelopment Agency.
"Because the theme is Wild, Wild West, we are incorporating some of the more colorful characters in Carson City's past," said Candy Duncan, visitor's bureau executive director.
Along the way participants will meet Hank Monk, the stagecoach driver who took publisher Horace Greeley over the mountains to California.
"Monk was a salty character. He was known to give beer to his horses and drink the water when he got too drunk to tell them apart," Duncan said.
The tour also tells the story of Lucky Bill, a horse rustler who was caught and hanged - or so it was thought.
The tour utilizes more than 50 docents, characters and volunteers to bring the Old West to life, complete with music and staged gunfights. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for children 6 to 12. There's no cost for children 5 and younger.
The main purpose of the tour is to highlight the 21Ú2-mile Kit Carson Trail, where walkers follow a sidewalk route marked by a blue line and inlaid bronze medallions signifying special points of interest.
All of the money generated from Saturday's tour is used to fund the event the following year.
Annual themed walks include the Ghost Walk in late October and the Victorian Home Christmas Tour in early December.
• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.
If you go
What: "Wild Wild West Roots" historic walking tour
When: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday with tours leaving every half hour
Where: Tour begins at the St. Charles Hotel, Third and Carson streets
Price: $15 for adults and $10 for ages 6-12. Free for children 5 and younger. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau office, 1900 South Carson St., or at the event
Call: (800) NEVADA-1 or go to www.VisitCarsonCity.com for more information