In no more than an hour from downtown Reno you can access the Alpine terrain of one of America’s jewels, Lake Tahoe, where bears, Bald Eagles, Osprey, Bobcat and Mountain Lions abound. To the north is Pyramid Lake and the Paiute Indian Reservation, home to one of the largest rookeries in North America for the American White Pelican and one of the most spectacular desert lakes you will ever see. To the east lies the high desert and the mountains of the Stillwater Range and the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge. There huge numbers of migratory birds visit the refuge and its complex of marshes each year.

Closer to home is the Virginia Highlands where wild horses run free and a visit to Virginia City is a step back in time. The Sierra stretches to the south and provides habitat for an array of species that enjoy an environment created by the mountains meeting the desert. You will find there a portfolio of lakes, streams and rivers where fish swim in abundance as the bears, Bald Eagles and Blue Herons who feed off of them can attest. Philip DeManczuk - www.demanczuk.com