Round Robin Challenge: Ye Olde Watering Hole

"Three diseases without shame: Love, Itch and Thirst."

-Irish Saying

The temperature outside has been hot lately, really hot! LOL. But one thing certainly made it all a little easier to handle, and that was having a nice ice filled drink. My favorite thirst quencher, the past couple weeks, has been a tall Italian soda with just a splash of melon syrup. :) I have already shared with you that my favorite little watering hole is Caffe Strada in Berkeley, so how about I tell you about my favoite place in Nevada to wet my whistle, the famous, "Bucket of Blood Saloon," located in historic, Virginia City, Nevada.

Last autumn, Alan and I took a late anniversary trip to Reno, Nevada. There was a ton of things to see and photograph along the way. From the gorgeous autumn leaves, to the neon lights of Reno, it was a treat for an amateur photographer's soul. Well, you know what a history buff I am, so how could I possibly come all the up to Nevada, and not venture up into the hills to Virginia City, to take a walk back in time? So, on our second day in Nevada, up into the hills we went. :)

Virginia City, is a quaint little "Old West" town located about 40 miles or so from downtown Reno. If you were ever a fan of the television series,Bonanza, you might recall that the, "Bucket of Blood Saloon," was a favorite hang-out for the Cartwright boys. LOL. How many times did one of those, ruggedly, handsome Cartwrights get into a bar room brawl, and end up fighting it out in the streets? LOL. Well today, The Bucket of Blood, isn't quite so rugged, but it is still filled with some fantastic memorabilia. During the month of September, there are staged gunfights in the streets right outside the saloon. So while you grab something to quench your thirst, you can see a little bit of what it might have been like to have lived back in the days of the Comstock boom. And on a clear day, if you look out the back window of The Bucket of Blood, you can see clear across Nevada, or at least, that's how it seems. :) How much fun is that? Below are a few pictures of what you will see in this unique watering hole. Enjoy!

If you look over the edge of the back stairway, you will seem like you have truly stepped back in time...

A gold mining sluice, probably used for mining both silver and gold during the Comstock rush.

The "old west" meets the "new west" with the invention of the coin operated slot machine. :) They even had one called, "The Mermaid." LOL.

This is the edge of the awesome, hand carved original wooden bar. All around it are quaint antiques from the 1800's. There is so much to look at, it's hard to know where to start!

In the corner was one of the Comstock Boys, playing the banjo. It was the perfect sound to add to the already visually stunning atmosphere!

As you walk down the back stairs to the observation area, you will see some clear warnings about the dangers of living in the old west. One of them is...YIKES...baby rattlers! But if you just peek inside, you will see that what has really been captured are not baby snakes...but in fact are baby rattles. LOL.

One of my favorite sights of this lovely old saloon, were the antique lighting fixtures. The ceiling had about 50 or so hanging lights of different colors, styles and eras. This one happened to be my favorite. The colors were so appealing to the eyes. :)

So there you have it! This was more then just a place to stop along the way, to stop an quench a thirst. It was a place of history and it had an ambiance one doesn't find everyday. But you see, that is what was so cool about this challenge, and all the challenges for that matter, the chance to show the unusual in the common. To look beyond the obvious, and bring out the experience. Photography, is a wonderful way to step out of the linear view of things. Even if you favorite place to grab a beverage is Starbuck's, I bet there are plenty of things that make the one you go to special. Thanks goes to Maryanne, author of the journal, "Inside The Gilded Cage," for choosing this subject for us.

So there you have it! This was more then just a place to stop along the way, to stop an quench a thirst. It was a place of history and it had an ambiance one doesn't find everyday. But you see, that is what was so cool about this challenge, and all the challenges for that matter, the chance to show the unusual in the common. To look beyond the obvious, and bring out the experience. Photography, is a wonderful way to step out of the linear view of things. Even if you favorite place to grab a beverage is Starbuck's, I bet there are plenty of things that make the one you go to special. Thanks Maryanne, for choosing this subject for us.

Be sure to visit the rest of the Round Robin Participants. :) You can get the linking list from the official Round Robin blog, or you can simply click the links below! :)

Round Robin Participants

Maryanne... Inside the Gilded Cage POSTED!

Karen... Outpost Mavarin POSTED!

Carly... Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly POSTED!

Pamela... My Photos

Suzanne... New Suzanne R's Life POSTED!

Julie... Julie's Web Journal POSTED!

Valorie... Retrospect USA

Tammy... The Daily Warrior POSTED!

Tess... First Digital Photos POSTED!

Janet... Fond of Photography POSTED!

-OndineMonet
The Bucket Of Blood Saloon
Virginia City, Nevada
October 28, 2005
Afternoon