Choco:)ate Factory and Bowers Mansion 33.4 miles/1315' climbing

Reno, NV, US

Route Overview

33 mi.

1,315 ft.

A bike ride that involves chocolate, a mansion and maybe even wild horses. You can visit the Chocolate Nugget, to indulge your sweet tooth, see the Mansion that Sandy Bowers built with his Comstock fortune, and ride through a neighborhood where wild horses are often spotted. Stop every now and then to take the vistas of the mountains around you.

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Route Details

# This is one of the favorite rides of the Procrastinating Pedalers of Reno Tahoe. 
**Check out our club on our website at [Pedalers.org](http://pedalers.org/).**
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The ride begins in southeast Reno at the @point[R C Willey Store parking lot](d,42.99), where there is plenty of space to leave your car. There is a Starbucks nearby, of course, with a restroom and your favorite drink to start the day. With 33.3 miles of riding and 1341'of climbing, the route should not be a problem for an intermediate rider.

***Caution:**
You will be going through a @point[roundabout](d,3473.72) on your way to Alt 395. Be careful merging into the left turn lane at Alt 395.*

While HWY 395 was in the past a busy road, the new @photo[freeway bypass](2244269) has reduced the traffic considerably. You will enjoy a nice wide shoulder while on Alt 395. You can see the interesting  bridges of the freeway on your right as you ride this section.

After meandering through the rural community of Pleasant Valley, you’ll begin the @slice[ascent of Washoe Hill](d,13358.86,15686.71). The summit, @photo[elevation 5,089 feet](2244270), is the longest climb of the day. After a hard earned descent you will reach the Chocolate Nugget Factory.

@poi[The Chocolate Nugget Factory](2698889), namesake of this ride, is a great place for rest and snacks and is also the home of the @photo[“Giant Prospector”](2244272) an 18’ foot fiberglass statue of a prospector whose original home was at the Claimstake Casino then the Nugget Casino in Reno. **Indulge your sweet tooth.** You earned it on the climb! Take a @photo[picture with the old cowboy](2244271) out front. There is also a restroom available here.

After leaving The Chocolate Nugget you will head toward @photo[Bowers Mansion](2244274).

***Caution:** There are a couple of cattleguards on this stretch.*

@poi[Bowers Mansion](2698890) is rich in Nevada history. It’s a great rest stop and if time permits, walk the grounds and visit the museum. There are restrooms available, to the right of the mansion in a separate building.
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## History of Bowers Mansion

Eilley Oram Bowers and her third husband, Sandy Bowers, built the mansion. Both owned Nevada mining claims situated next to one another and joined their claims and lives, marrying in 1859.  They struck it rich and set out to build a mansion grander than any other in the West. They chose a beautiful spot at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills, with running hot and cold springs, overlooking Washoe Lake.  The land was owned by Eilley, acquired at the time of the divorce from her second husband.  The home was built in 1863 at a cost of $300,000.  The mansion was lavishly furnished and quickly became the center of social outings for residents of the mining towns of Virginia City and Gold Hill.

The Bowers’ fortune dwindled when the mines played out.  Sandy died in 1868 of a lung condition while attempting to keep their business afloat.  Eilley tried to hang on to the mansion by turning it into a resort and spared no expense in an effort to make it into a premier destination, the “Carlsbad of Nevada.”  In 1876 Eilley lost everything and the mansion was sold at auction for $10,000.

The mansion had two other owners who operated it as a resort until it was sold to Washoe County in 1946. It’s now a county park and home to the Bowers Mansion Museum and a public pool.
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Leaving the mansion, the route returns on Alt 395 with a side trip into the @slice[Andrew Lane](d,37596.22,38264.82) area, where we often see wild horses. If you do not see the wild ones you will probably see some of the beautiful tame ones.

Take time to enjoy the @photo[beautiful vistas of the mountains](2244275) and the big sky along the route. You will be able to see Slide Mountain and Mount Rose.

On the return, use caution at the @point[Geiger Grade crossing](d,45000.5). Cross on the crosswalk to the multi-use sidewalk and go right to the mini-mart. From the mini-mart the route will take you to Western Skies, which is a little rough but affords another chance to see wild horses.

After the ride, you can have another cup of coffee and finish off the chocolate you bought earlier.

Choco:)ate Factory and Bowers Mansion 33.4 miles/1315' climbing

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