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Ski Season Highlights

The King ‘lives’ at Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe
Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe, high in the Sierra slopes of Northern Nevada, celebrates Elvis Presley’s birthday with Elvis Day. This all-day party, Jan. 7, has become an annual extravaganza of sideburns, bell-bottoms and echoes of “Thank you, thank you very much.”

Visit www.skirose.com for more information on Elvis Day, a day when staff and skiers alike pay homage to the King of Rock.

Cruise to the mountain on Lake Tahoe paddlewheel boats
Sierra Nevada skiers can leave the car at the hotel with Lake Tahoe Cruises luxury shuttle service. The service kicks off Jan. 17 and includes luxury transportation to either Squaw Valley USA or Northstar-at-Tahoe, an all-day lift ticket and an après ski party on the return trip back to South Lake Tahoe. The après ski cruises offer two and a half hours of live music, dancing, drinks and dinner.
Zephyr Cove Resort has teamed up with Lake Tahoe Cruises to feature a “Shuttle, Ski, Stay and Save” package for $312 per person. The winter package includes three nights in a lakeside cabin at the historic Zephyr Cove Resort, paddlewheel boat shuttle service and a lift ticket to Northstar-at-Tahoe, breakfast, a bonus lift ticket for Sierra-at-Tahoe and a snowmobile tour at Zephyr Cove Snowmobiling Center.
For more information about Lake Tahoe Cruises or Zephyr Cove Resort and its winter specials, visit www.laketahoecruises.com or www.zephyrcove.com.

Diamond Peak skiers make ‘Last Tracks’ at sunset
Food, wine, freshly groomed snow, the sun setting over the lake. This is a recipe for the ultimate end to a day of skiing, and it’s available during “Last Tracks” at Diamond Peak Ski Resort on the north shore of Lake Tahoe Feb. 11, 18 and 25 and every Saturday through March. Last Tracks is a special event at Diamond Peak, a small resort near the shores of Lake Tahoe that boasts some of the most spectacular lake views around.
Tickets are $25, and reservations are recommended because Last Tracks frequently sells out. The price includes a ski lift ride to Snowflake Lodge, appetizers and wine tasting, and then skiers and snowboarders ride down freshly groomed trails at sunset. For more information, visit www.diamondpeak.com.

Northern Nevada hotels ready for ski season with special package rates
Ski season is in full swing in Northern Nevada, and area hotels are offering special packages that make a weekend getaway affordable and convenient.
The Carson Valley Inn (www.cvinn.com) in Minden, just outside of the capital Carson City, has put together two ski packages starting at $95 per person that include two nights’ stay and a lift ticket to Kirkwood Mountain Resort.
Staying and skiing at Lake Tahoe is easy with the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino’s package, which includes a one-night stay, two lift tickets to a selection of Sierra ski resorts and coffee vouchers, all starting at $240. The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe (www.laketahoehyatt.com) is on the north shore of Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, just minutes from Diamond Peak Ski Resort and Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe.
Also on the north shore is the Cal-Neva Resort, Spa and Casino (www.calnevaresort.com), which offers a “supreme package” for $599 per person. The package includes three nights in an Executive Level Lakeview Room, breakfast, dinner, a one-hour massage, and two passes for skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating or sleigh rides.
The South Shore of Lake Tahoe is also heating up for winter, and The Ridge Tahoe is offering ski and spa packages throughout the ski season. The 11-acre, full-amenity resort includes a fully equipped health spa, an eight-passenger private gondola to Heavenly Ski Resort’s ski lifts, an on-site ski shop, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and shuttle service to the South Shore casinos. Packages start at $169 per person. Call 800-344-1600 for details or visit www.ridgetahoeresort.com

What’s Happening

Carson City named among Top 10 Western Towns
True West Magazine named Carson City, Nevada’s capital, as the No. 3 top Western town for its history and heritage, efforts to preserve and maintain its heritage and success in attracting tourists.
Carson City’s historic attractions include the Kit Carson Trail, which features a 2.5-mile route through one of the West’s largest Victorian home districts, the Nevada State Museum that is housed in the former U.S. Mint, the Brewery Arts Center that was constructed in 1864 as the Tahoe Beer Company and the federal courthouse that was later the Nevada State Library and now houses the Nevada Commission on Tourism. Other landmarks include the Governor’s Mansion and the Orion Clemens Home, owned by Mark Twain’s brother.
“Carson City is a town of the past, present and future,” said Bob Boze Bell, True West Magazine’s executive editor. “It stays up with the times as the state capital. Yet it’s done a remarkable job of maintaining its Old West history and charm.”
The city has been applauded for spearheading the reconstruction of the original Virginia & Truckee (V&T) Railway, which was once the richest short line in history and will again link the capital to the historic mining town of Virginia City.
The January/February issue of True West features the top 10 western towns and hit the newsstands in December. For more information about Carson City’s historical sites and tours, visit www.visitcarsoncity.com.
New York comedy act takes stage in Fallon
Chicago City Limits, New York’s longest-running comedy ensemble, will perform Feb. 10 at Barkley Theatre at the Oats Park Arts Center in Fallon, a Northern Nevada city about 60 miles east of Reno. The group has performed at Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian and the Super Bowl, as well as on “The Today Show.” The comedy and improv show, “Taking Liberties,” draws its inspiration from today’s news headlines, pop culture and the world at large. Tickets are $20, and the show is not recommended for children.
Fallon is a quickly growing city with fine dining, affordable accommodations and now world-class entertainment. Visitors can experience authentic family-style Basque dining, taste the renowned “Hearts O’ Gold” cantaloupes that grow only in the Fallon area, explore a working farm at Lattin Farms and catch a show at the historic Oats Park Arts Center, a 1914 school designed by prominent architect Frederic DeLongchamps and renovated into a cultural and arts center.
Chicago City Limits takes the stage Feb. 10 and will host a free workshop on theatrical improvisation on Thursday, Feb. 9. To RSVP for the workshop or to buy tickets to the show, call 775-423-1440. For more information on what to do and see while visiting Fallon, visit www.fallonchamber.com.
‘Orphan’ cars on display at National Automobile Museum
The National Automobile Museum in downtown Reno is featuring “Orphan Cars: Detours from Destiny,” highlighting unusual, innovative, daring or one-of-a-kind designs that are not likely to be seen outside the museum. Among the collection is a 1939 American Bantam Station Wagon, a 1959 Fiat Jolly Open Tourer and a 1957 BMW Isetta 300 Two-Seater Bubble Car.
Aside from its “Orphan Car” exhibit, which closes April 26, the museum features more than 200 cars from 1892 to present and is considered to have one of the finest horseless carriage collections in the world. For information about the museum, visit www.automuseum.org or call 775-333-9300.

Michael Buble serenades Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day
Michael Buble, an internationally celebrated jazz and swing vocalist, makes his Las Vegas debut at the Las Vegas Hilton Feb. 10-12 and 14. Buble has toured the planet eight times since his 2003 debut album and plays for sell-out crowds around the world. His hit “Home” spent 26 weeks at No. 1 on the contemporary jazz chart.
Tickets start at $75 and are available online at www.lvhilton.com or by calling 800-222-5361.
Annual gay and lesbian winter festival returns to Lake Tahoe
Nearly 1,500 people flocked to Lake Tahoe last winter for the inaugural Ascent – the Winter Party, and the party is back on Feb. 26 through March 5, at Harveys Lake Tahoe.
The festival brings together the best Sierra skiing and nightlife for eight days of winter parties. The entertainment schedule includes comedians Kathy Griffin and Ant, on-mountain “drag” races, “A Night With Oscar” Academy Awards party and après ski parties into the night.
Visit www.ascentlaketahoe.com for details and schedule updates, as well as tickets and special room rates. Harveys Lake Tahoe is offering special rates for Ascent guests starting at $69 per night.
Nevada history comes alive at Boomtown History Conference Series
Nevada’s vivid and fascinating past comes to life Feb. 3-5 at the first in the Boomtown History Conference Series in Amargosa Valley, about 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas near the California-Nevada border. From mining booms to sonic booms, Nevada has played an integral part in American history and the conference series celebrates this rich history. The conference program will include live re-enactments, presentations by award-winning scholars and visits to the sites where it all took place.
The Boomtown History Conference will be held at Longstreet’s Hotel and Casino in Amargosa Valley. For information and registration, visit www.nvboomtown.death-valley.us.
Titanic exhibit extended through January
The Tropicana Resort & Casino in Las Vegas is extending its exhibit “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” which includes a massive piece of the fated ship’s hull, through January. More than 100,000 visitors have toured the 25,000 square foot exhibit that showcases hundreds of artifacts from the wreckage, each piece telling a portion of the tragic voyage.
Tickets to the exhibit range from $9.95 to $16.95 and special group rates are available. For more information on the exhibit or to buy tickets, call 702-739-2411 or visit www.tropicanalv.com.
‘Home’ defined in Reno art exhibit
Nationally celebrated photographer Peter Goin displays his collection, “Home Means Nevada,” at Art Source Gallery on historic Virginia Street in Reno through January. Goin, a professor of arts and photography at the University of Nevada, Reno, has received two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships and been nominated for an Emmy for Best Experimental Video Award. His photographs have appeared in more than 50 museums nationally and internationally, and he now brings his depictions of life in Nevada home to Reno.
Art Source will host a reception Saturday, Jan. 7, at 5 p.m. to meet the artist and view his collection. Call 775-828-3525 for more information.

Nevada’s Colorful Past

Comstock History Center opens in Virginia City
The discovery of the Comstock Lode in Northern Nevada helped spur the famed Gold Rush and thrust the West into a new era of growth. The mining history that shaped Nevada’s past now has a promising future at the Comstock History Center, built on the original Virginia & Truckee (V&T) rail yard site at Union and E streets in Virginia City.
The new center is home to the V&T Railroad’s steam engine No. 18, the “Dayton,” which is one of only two surviving engines built at the Central Pacific shops in Sacramento. The center also includes room for traveling exhibits and will host a Smithsonian Institution exhibit called “Between Fences” that examines the roles of fences in American history.
For more information on the Comstock History Center and the ongoing efforts to restore the V&T Railway, visit www.viriginiacity-nv.org.

Rare Native American basket on display at ‘Behind the Scenes’ museum tour
The Nevada State Museum recently acquired a rare Washoe Indian basket woven by Tootsie Dick, one of only three Washoe weavers. The basket is the only one of its kind in the museum, a valuable addition to its renowned Washoe basketry collection, which is part of a monthly “Behind the Scenes” tour at the museum. The Washoe tribe is one of Nevada’s three major Indian tribes.
Monthly Behind the Scenes tours allow visitors an up-close look at some of the museum’s hidden treasures, including original coin dies from the U.S. Mint that was housed in what is now the Nevada State Museum. The tours have been selling out since the Tootsie Dick basket was added, and because it is not yet on permanent display, the tours are the only way to see the rare Native American basket.
Upcoming tours will be held at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 27 and Feb. 24. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 18. For more information, visit www.nevadaculture.org.

Nevada mining town added to State Register of Historic Places
The Southern Nevada town of Goldfield, which straddles Highway 95 about 180 miles northwest of Las Vegas, has been added to the State Register of Historic Places.
In 1906, the mining community was the largest gold producer in the nation, second largest in the world, and in 1907, it became the state’s largest city with 20,000 residents. The boomtown gained national attention when it hosted the famous 1906 boxing match between “Baby” Joe Gans and Oscar Nelson, and the Goldfield Hotel, now closed, was one of the most luxurious hotels between Kansas City and San Francisco. A flash flood in 1913 began the slow decline of the town, and a fire 10 years later destroyed much of the commercial area. Now only about 300 residents call Goldfield home, but its legacy remains strong.
Already listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Goldfield Historic District now gains the state designation as officially historic. For more information on Goldfield, as well as other historic mining towns along Highway 95, visit www.nevadasilvertrails.com.

Ely Post Office Named to National Register of Historic Places
Standing as a tribute to the public works projects that saved many families from starvation in the Great Depression, the Ely Post Office was built in 1938 in the art deco style of that era. It is the ninth U.S. Post Office in Nevada to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ely is a small central Nevada town perhaps best known for its steam engine train that still tours through the mountains and giant murals that depict the city’s history. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation’s most important historic places. Naming the Ely Post Office to the register is testament to the city’s role in shaping the growth of Nevada and the western United States. For more information on Ely, visit www.whitepinechamber.com, and for a current list of Nevada properties listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, visit www.nevadaculture.org.

Did You Know?

Tonopah named No. 1 place to stargaze in America
Tonopah, an isolated central Nevada town on Highway 95 and named the No. 1 place to stargaze by USA Today, is one of the darkest areas in the country because of the lack of surrounding city lights. To help further this unique distinction, the Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT) awarded Tonopah $40,000 in grants to reprint stargazing guides and market the area as the top place to watch the night sky.
The grant was part of NCOT’s semi-annual Rural Grant Program that awards grants to rural Nevada communities to either market new or existing attractions or to help built new attractions. The current grant cycle was completed in December 2005 and totaled nearly $700,000. For information about NCOT’s Rural Grant Program, visit www.travelnevada.com, and to learn more about visiting Tonopah and seeing its sparkling night sky, visit www.tonopahnevada.com.
Sin City Brewing Co. opens doors on The Strip
It’s always happy hour in Las Vegas, and now a new brewery on The Strip makes it just a little happier. Sin City Brewing Co. has opened at The Shops in Desert Passage at the Aladdin Casino & Resort and will feature four distinct brews ranging from light to stout.
The brewery will also feature seasonal limited edition specialty beers and a retail shop with T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, glassware and more. It’s a convenient pit stop at Desert Passage, a 475,000-square-foot shopping complex on The Strip. For more information, visit www.sincitybeer.com.
Adventure Dome at Circus Circus named in nation’s top theme parks
Nevada may not be known for its theme parks, but one park in Las Vegas was recently named No. 11 in the nation’s top theme parks by Amusement Business magazine.
According to the magazine, Adventuredome at Circus Circus Las Vegas receives 4.5 million visitors a year, ranking just behind Universal Studios Hollywood and just ahead of Tampa’s Busch Gardens.
The five-acre, elevated indoor theme park features thrill rides for children and adults alike, including the Canyon Blaster, the world’s largest indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew rollercoaster. Besides the heart-thumping thrill rides, Adventuredome boasts miniature golf, midway games, free clown shows and indoor rock climbing.
For information about Adventuredome, visit www.adventuredome.com, and for information about room rates and availability at Circus Circus Las Vegas, visit www.circuscircus.com

V&T Railway steams past first phase of reconstruction
U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Nevada Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt will be among the government officials celebrating phase one of the V&T Railway reconstruction project Jan. 3 at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City.
The original 19.5-mile railway was once the richest short line in America, created to transport people and materials during the silver mining boom in Northern Nevada. The line was abandoned, however, after the mining industry declined. The reconstruction project, which is expected to total $36 million, is scheduled to be completed in December 2009 and will revive the railway as a tourism attraction in Northern Nevada.
For more information on the V&T Railway project, visit www.visitcarsoncity.com

It’s a full house at the World Series of Poker store at Harrah’s Laughlin
Harrah’s Laughlin Casino & Hotel recently opened a World Series of Poker Store, a one-stop shop for everything poker, including jackets, T-shirts, hats, chip sets, glassware and more.
The World Series of Poker makes the rounds in 2006 with four scheduled stops in Nevada. Thanks to the series, no-limit, high-stakes Texas Hold ‘Em is the newest trend in gaming, with televised matches, online competitions and friendly games among friends. Fans of the game can now look the part with World Series of Poker gear, available at Harrah’s Laughlin. For more information, visit www.harrahs.com, and to shop online, visit www.shopwsop.com

Tourism Tidbits
Nevada Passage 2006 route announced
The Nevada Passage, a made-for-television adventure competition that showcases adventure sports and destinations in Nevada, returns in 2006 with a new lineup of activities, including a non-televised competition open to the public.
The inaugural one-hour “The Nevada Passage” show began nationwide syndication in August 2005 and aired in 100 markets on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and UPN affiliates as well as 11 resort networks. The 2006 show is expected to reach 2 million viewers nationwide.
Among the 2006 Nevada Passage competitions are a “ranch hand rodeo,” railroad handcar races, mountain biking and a Jet Ski slalom race. The events will be staged in six Nevada towns, including Virginia City, about a half hour from Reno; the historic mining town of Austin, about four hours from Reno on Highway 50, “The Loneliest Road in America”; and Laughlin on the Colorado River in Southern Nevada.
The Nevada Passage kicks off May 6 and 7 with a public non-televised competition to get residents and visitors into the adventure spirit. The event will include mountain biking, railway handcar races, whitewater kayaking and all-terrain-vehicle sand drag races.
For more information about the Nevada Passage and to register for the open event, visit www.nevadapassage.com. For information about adventure sports in Nevada, visit www.travelnevada.com

Lovers Lock to be unveiled in February
Lovelock is a small town in Northern Nevada that has decided to have fun with its name and embrace an ancient Chinese tradition of “locking” one’s love by adding a lock to a chain and throwing away the key. Thousands of simple metal locks adorn chains throughout the mountains and at the Great Wall of China, and now the custom makes its debut in Nevada at the Lovers Lock Plaza in Lovelock. The plaza is outside the Pershing County Courthouse, one of only a few round courthouses in the nation, and visitors are invited to bring a lock to the plaza and symbolically anchor their love there.
A dedication event will be held Feb. 14 at the plaza, and visitors and residents alike are invited to attend and be among the first to lock their love in Lovelock. The Pershing County Chamber of Commerce and the Nevada Commission on Tourism are working together to launch this unique attraction in Lovelock. For information, visit www.pcchamber.com or www.travelnevada.com, where details will be updated as the event draws closer.

Las Vegas radio show invites you to share ‘Lunchtime with Ira’
“Lunchtime with Ira, Live from the Las Vegas Hilton” is the key to what’s happening in Las Vegas. Host Ira David Sternberg, a veteran of the broadcasting and public relations fields, interviews celebrities, entertainers, tourism authorities, writers and other newsmakers who help make Las Vegas the entertainment destination it is.
The show airs live from the Las Vegas Hilton at noon every Monday on 720 KDWN-AM, and is also streamed live online at www.kdwn.com. For more information about the Las Vegas Hilton, visit www.lvhilton.com

Travelers can find ‘Adventures on the Edge’ in northeastern Nevada
Adrenaline junkies and sightseers alike can find maps and keys to adventure in Northern Nevada with a newly updated brochure called “Adventures on the Edge.” The brochure includes information on everything from hiking and fishing to scenic drives and snowmobiling in and around Elko, a lively Western town that hosts the annual National Basque Festival and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the nation’s oldest cowboy poetry festival.
For a free copy of Adventures on the Edge, call the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority at 800-248-3556, and for more information on entertainment, dining and accommodations in Elko, visit www.exploreelko.com.
Nevada officials complete tourism ‘university’
The Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT) presented nine tourism and community leaders with certificates for completing its Nevada Tourism University (NTU) in December. NTU is a program created by NCOT to share its knowledge of travel trends, marketing techniques and tourism expertise with its partners in the travel industry.
NTU participants must attend a series of free one-day classes presented by NCOT managers, and those who complete the program are awarded a “degree in tourism” from NCOT. For information about the program or to register for upcoming classes, visit www.travelnevada.com.