A Travel Tattler Takes on Reno-Tahoe Territory
Some destinations are best understood through their scenery. Others reveal themselves through the people who live there. For travel writer, author and radio host Michael Patrick Shiels, Reno-Tahoe Territory offered plenty of both.
Reno-Tahoe Territory recently welcomed Shiels and his radio producer, Tony Cuthbert, for a journey connecting cities, mountain communities, historic towns and wide-open landscapes across the region. Along the way, Shiels shared the experience with listeners of his syndicated Michigan radio program while gathering stories for several travel features.
His travels highlighted the range of experiences found across the Territory—from Reno’s restaurants and entertainment to the alpine setting of Lake Tahoe, the history and hospitality of Carson Valley and the character of Nevada’s capital city.
Characters and history from Genoa to Carson City
In his Lansing State Journal column, Shiels approached Reno-Tahoe Territory through the candid and colorful personalities he encountered along the way.
The journey included a stop in Genoa, Nevada’s oldest permanent settlement, where the historic Genoa Bar set the stage for a trip filled with stories and characters. From there, Shiels continued to Carson City, Virginia City, Lake Tahoe and Reno, finding plenty of people willing to share an opinion, a recommendation or a piece of local history.
Carson City provided one of the trip’s strongest member connections. Shiels and Cuthbert stayed at Reno Tahoe Territory member The Federal Hotel, which became part of both his broader Territory story and a dedicated Go World Travel Magazine feature on Nevada’s capital.
That Carson City story moves from The Federal Hotel into downtown restaurants, the Nevada State Capitol, Battle Born Hall and the Kit Carson Trail, capturing a capital city where history, dining and entertainment are easily connected on foot.
Tahoe takes the spotlight
A second Go World Travel feature followed Shiels from Reno into the mountains for a taste of Lake Tahoe’s dining, recreation and entertainment.
Along the way, several Reno Tahoe Territory members became part of the story.
Shiels attended a Jerry Seinfeld performance at Tahoe Blue Event Center, the Stateline sports and entertainment venue that brings concerts, professional hockey and other events to Tahoe’s South Shore.
From aboard the M.S. Dixie II, he also took in a waterfront view of member Edgewood Tahoe, home of the nationally televised American Century Championship. His story explores the energy surrounding the tournament and specifically notes member properties Bally’s Lake Tahoe and Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe among the South Shore partners involved in the event.
The feature continues through Tahoe restaurants and mountain scenery before descending into Reno, demonstrating just how quickly a trip through the Territory can shift from an alpine lake and championship golf to an urban dining and entertainment scene.
From the lake to downtown Reno
In Reno, Shiels explored restaurants, public art and downtown attractions before stopping near the J Resort‘s Glow Plaza, where vintage neon signs and large-scale art add another layer to the city’s personality.
The Reno portion of his travels rounded out a trip that repeatedly shifted in character without requiring travelers to venture far—from historic Genoa and Nevada’s capital to Lake Tahoe, Virginia City and the energy of Reno.
Taking Reno-Tahoe Territory to the airwaves
Shiels and Cuthbert didn’t just write about the trip. They also broadcast from Reno-Tahoe Territory, introducing Michigan listeners to the region while they were here.
On air, Shiels invited listeners to explore RenoTahoe.com and described a destination encompassing Reno/Sparks, Carson City, Carson Valley, Virginia City, North Lake Tahoe and South Lake Tahoe. His broadcast captured the variety at the heart of the Territory: mountain peaks and rolling meadows, frontier towns and urban experiences, history, recreation and plenty of discoveries in between.
Across print, digital and radio coverage, the trip demonstrated something that’s easy to understand once you start exploring: the scenery may change dramatically from one community to the next, but the journey keeps unfolding.
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