Thanks Governor Sandoval for a Great Tour

Earlier this week we visited Sacramento and the Capitol which marked #23 in our quest to visit all 50 state capitals.  On Friday, we drove from Lake Tahoe to Carson City to visit the Nevada State Capitol.  After driving over the mountains, we went from lush and green to more brown and desert-like.  Carson City is only about 60,000 people and has a nice small-town feel to it.

Nevada's Capitol is the second oldest west of the Mississippi River.  Built in 1871, the trees planted around the capitol grounds have grown so that it can be difficult to see the building from the street.  It cost about $170,000 when it was originally constructed.  In the early 1980s, the building was completely renovated due to structural deficiencies.  As part of this renovation, the entire roof was removed, and the dome and cupola were placed on the ground beside the building.  All of the interior features such as wainscoting, stairs, marble, etc., were removed and placed in storage.  The rest of the building was completely gutted, the walls were reinforced and the roof, dome, and cupola were reinstalled as was all of the interior ornamentation.  Today, the Capitol house executive offices including the Governor and Secretary of State.  The Legislature meets in a Legislative Building that was built next door.

When we went upstairs to the second floor to see the old Assembly chambers, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval was finishing up an interview, so we were able to meet him.  He was very gracious with his time and chatted with all of us, asked where we were from, and made recommendations of places to visit.  He even gave a brief impromptu tour of the old Assembly chambers and talked about its history.  The Governor also has coins that he gives out and both kids received one which they were very excited about.  I don’t know anything about his politics or if I would share any of his views, but he is very personable and proud of Nevada and it showed during our conversation.  Thanks for a great introduction to your state.