Halfway between Reno and Carson City sits a cabin-like shop where families have been pulling off the highway for decades to load up on handmade sweets. A towering gold miner statue watches over the hillside, and inside waits a counter stocked with fudge, taffy, brittle, ice cream, and yes, malts scooped the old-fashioned way.
Kids press their faces to the candy cases while parents fill bags they promised they would not fill. Some folks have been coming since childhood, then bring their own children back years later.
What keeps drawing them back to this stretch of old Highway 395 is worth the detour off the main road. Keep reading to find out where this candy stop hides, what makes it special, and how to plan your own visit.
A Sweet Stop on Old Highway 395
You will find the Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory at 611 US-395 in New Washoe City, Nevada, sitting a little off the beaten path in Washoe Valley. It rests roughly halfway between Reno and Carson City, close enough to Virginia City that many travelers make it a natural stop…