Carson City is Nevada's state capital, a small city tucked against the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada about 30 miles south of Reno. It has the feel of a western town that grew up without quite meaning to — wide streets, low buildings, big sky, and the mountains always in view.
The city started as a way station on the road to the Comstock Lode, and the old downtown still has that frontier-era character. The Nevada State Capitol building anchors the centre, and the surrounding blocks are walkable and pleasant. The Nevada State Railroad Museum and the Nevada State Museum (housed in the old U.S. Mint) are both worth a stop.
Carson City is a good base for day trips to Lake Tahoe, Virginia City, and the desert hot springs scattered through the surrounding valleys. The climate is high-desert dry, with warm summers and cold winters.