Burning through Carson City
Cheap gas and the lively ghost of the Silver Boom.
Home Depot
921 Jacks Valley Rd - 775-267-3434
Med Direct Urgent Care
961 Mica Dr # A - 775-267-6394
Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center
775 Fleischmann Way - 775-882-1361 / 775-445-8000
If you are coming to Black Rock City from SoCal, (welcome to civilization!) chances are you are riding on US Highway 395. As you come into Gardnerville and Minden, there are three things to point out.
1. Cheap fuel. Gasoline is cheaper here than in Reno. If you can top off and make it to BRC, do so. Your wallet will thank you. Hit the Eagle Station or the AM/PM. If you see an Arco sign for gas, the prices will be lower than at any of the other large fuel chains, and there are several Arco stations at AM/PM mini-marts along the way.
2. At Buckeye Road, turn right and immediately turn right again into the parking lot. What awaits you? Thrift store goodies! Run entirely by volunteers, purchases benefit the local hospice, and we all know what great work hospices do. (If you continue down Buckeye Road, down about 2 miles you will find Bently Biofuels--the only place in Northern Nevada serving 100% Biodiesel.)
3. Wasabi's Sushi. Yeah, sure, you're wondering... sushi in Minden??? How good could it really be? This Burner eats there at least twice a month and you'll be impressed. The mussels are a favorite, along with the Lily roll and the red snapper. Turn onto Lucerne and it's in the new buildings on your right. All you can eat for around $20. Closed on Mondays.
Now heading into Carson City, we'll only highlight stops along the main road on your way up to Reno. One major thing to keep in mind. Carson City's sales tax rate is a flat 7% whereas in Reno and Sparks it's 7.0375%. If you are a cheapskate or just watching your pennies, get your goods in Carson. It really does make a difference.
At Mica Drive, turn right for an urgent care center. It's up on the hill to the right.
At Jacks Valley Road find Home Depot, Ross, Target and Port of Subs.
At Topsy Lane: Super Wal-Mart with fuel, Del Taco, King China Buffet, credit union, Jiffy Lube, In-N-Out Burger, Cold Stone Creamery, Mexican and Chinese resturants, Panda Express, and an optometrist are among the highlights.
At Clear Creek Road is Costco for your big box warehouse shopping fix. 775-881-2518.
At Clearview Drive, on your right is Albertsons with US Bank inside. AM/PM with decent fuel prices. Careful with large vehicles. It can be really tricky. Next door is Wendy's and Taco Hell (opps! Taco Bell.) There is a HUGE empty parking lot across the street if you need to crash for a few hours.
As you continue north, you'll find a plethora of car dealerships. Past the dealerships, on your right is Lowe's at Fairview Drive.
Just past the US Forest Service on your left, you'll see a Shell Station, Batteries Plus and wait!! Hold onto your seats folks!! The absolute best gasoline prices in Northern Nevada! Fuel in Carson City is generally at least 15-20 cents cheaper than in Reno because of the different county tax structures. Gas & Save is an independently owned station.
As you make your way through downtown Carson City, across from the Nevada State Legislature, Comma Coffee on the left makes a great cup and the decor will inspire your theme camp. Wireless Internet is available.
Further up the street The Cigar Bar is the best place to smoke the fat ones. Enjoy some very fine cognac and jazz. Next door is a fabulous consignment shop.
Hotels and motels litter the road along with about 20 gas stations.
Past William Street on the left side of the road, The Bike Smith has a full shop of the normal stuff. They have a small selection of used bikes that came in on trades. They're doing what they can but aren't going out of their way to support Burners. Bummer as we could make a huge difference on his bottom line. Oh well. Give them a call and see if they can set you up at 775-883-3210. Open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM, closed on Sundays.
At Long Street, on the right is a huge thrift store, Friends In Service Helping (FISH). No prices on anything, but it's cheap, cheap, cheap.
Got a hankerin' for some decent Chinese food but can't decide? Try the Hunan Garden (Chinese & Sushi buffet). Great food, great service and cheap. You can get out of there under 10 bucks per person and be well satisfied with their huge selection of yumminess. And we mean HUGE selection.
Did you pass the Gas & Save without stopping and now realize you need fuel? Don't worry. The Gas & Save has a sister station at Hot Springs Road across from Safeway. It's called the Eagle Station. When you leave, you have to head south one block and make a U-turn. If you can't make a U-turn, you'll have to go around the block.
Great Indian food awaits across the street at India Curry. Rumor has it they have fabulous curry.
And now you're almost out of Carson City. At College Parkway on your left is Albertsons. They have a huge selection of alcohol and one of the best parking lots around. Fuel is also available and is also on the cheap, cheap side.
New to Carson City are two hotel chains: Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn. Book online or call.
But wait! There's one more major important place: the brand spanking new Carson-Tahoe Medical Center. Turn left at Arrowhead Drive for any emergency medical care needs.
Thanks for stopping in Carson City, Nevada's state capital and gateway to Lake Tahoe.
Bently Biofuels
1350 Buckeye Road, Minden - 775-783-0160 - Open 8am-5pm, Mon-Fri - map
The only place in the region producing and serving 100% biodiesel (B100), as well as B99.9. GM Carlo Luri asks that you please call or email him ASAP to coordinate your arrival. The station is on Buckeye Road, 2 miles east of US-395.
Bently Biofuels will also be servicing the Burning Man Organization this year, and will be delivering very early in the event, prepaid 5 gallon totes for participants, and 300+ gallon totes for theme camps. But you MUST contact Carlo ASAP for further info and coordination.
Wal-Mart Super Center
3770 Us Highway 395 S - 775-267-2158 - map
Costco Wholesale
700 Old Clear Creek Rd - 775-881-2518 - map
G Albertsons / Save Mart
3620 N Carson St - 775-841-4402 / 775-841-4430 - map
Like all of the Albertson’s / Save Mart (same store, soon to be Save Mart), this store is about as burner-friendly a place as they come, stocking up on the items we want. They are also going green for this year’s burn and hopefully beyond...
LOTS AND LOTS of water — 2.5 and 5 gallon jugs ! They will be carrying 35 and 55-gallong barrels, with spigots and pumps. Other specialty products will be located inside the store, including dry ice, tiki torches, medium sized propane tanks, small disposable propane tanks and stoves, bicycle tubes and lighting, large brim hats, vegetarian and vegan sandwich fillers (such as tofurky, tofudogs, and boca burgers), energy, granola, and Odwalla bars, Gatorade, energy and protein powders, reusable cups and other kitchenware and storage containers, and coolers.
Sharing in the Greening Man theme, they are also carrying Cool Neon el-wire ready-kits, Crank flashlights, solar lanterns, solar chargers, rechargeable batteries, bio toilets, bio bags, biodegradable kitchenware, hemp rope, and 7th Generation bathroom-wares. And lots of different kinds of beer in cans !
Lastly, like most Albertson / Save Marts in town, they will also be operating a DRIVE-THRU RECYCLING CENTER in the parking lot for this year’s event! A free, multi-community project to promote recycling, this hopefully multi-year initiative is designed for your convenience, with no strings attached — just please have your recyclables clean as possible, and NO garbage dumping. Bicycles, plastics (HDPE 1,2,4&5), plastic bags, glass, all metals (aluminum, tin, lead, steel, etc), paper, cardboard, and rechargeable batteries are all welcome. All proceeds raised from this recycling initiative will be donated to support environmental initiatives and education through the Gerlach High School. The recycling center will be open 24/7 throughout the event until September 5. No worries, they are set up for maximum capacity!
Wasabi's Sushi and Asian Bistro
1799 Ironwood Dr - 775-783-3210 - map
Hunan Garden
1480 N Carson St - 775-883-5888 - map
India Curry
2329 North Carson Street - 775-887-9600 - map
Comma Coffee
312 S Carson St - 775-883-2662 - map
Comma Coffee
312 S Carson St - 775-883-2662 - map
Med Direct Urgent Care
961 Mica Dr # A - 775-267-6394 - map
M Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center
775 Fleischmann Way - 775-882-1361 / 775-445-8000 - map
Home Depot
921 Jacks Valley Rd - 775-267-3434 - map
The Bike Smith
900 N Carson St - 775-883-3210 - map
Holiday Inn Express
4055 N. Carson Street - (775) 283-4055 / (775) 841-4055 - map
Hampton Inn & Suites
10 Hospitality Way - (775) 885-8800 - map
G Albertsons / Save Mart
3620 N Carson St - 775-841-4402 / 775-841-4430 - map
Cooperating in the 2007 Drive-Thru Recycling Initiative. Read more here. This supermarket goes out of their way for burners!
Need more info?
Try: Reno News and Review, Reno Gazette-Journal, Reno Magazine, National Traffic and Road Closure Information, PlayReno, NevadaNet, goTahoe.com, tahoe.com. 
