Monday, November 5, 2012

Fire and Ice: Nevada Magazine Has it All

The 2010 Wild Horse Ice Fishing Derby at Wild Horse Reservoir was well attended.
Nevada Magazine’s November/December 2012 issue is now available on newsstands throughout Nevada. In it are a feature that delves into the logistics of fighting wildland fires in the state, as well as a story on ice fishing, among others that prep travelers for the holiday and winter seasons.

Also highlighted in the issue are the Lyon County Museum, Las Vegas and Reno coffeehouses, holiday events, Nevada-made gift ideas, a history story about the brutal winter of 1889-90, and a Q&A with Secretary of State Ross Miller, a trained MMA fighter who won a professional bout in August.

Photo: Juniper Images
The other feature story in the issue is titled, "Silver State on the Silver Screen." Learn anecdotes from classic Nevada films such as "The Misfits" and "The Professionals," but also discover where travelers can go to capture a piece of movie history. For instance, there is a time capsule in Rachel, outside of the town's Little A'le'Inn restaurant, left by the cast and crew of "Independence Day."

The magazine is currently offering a number of great holiday gifts, such as the 2013 Nevada Historical Calendar and 75th-Anniversary Edition subscription combo. Find out more at nevadamagazine.com, or by calling 775-687-0603.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Nevada Magazine Wins ‘General Excellence’ Award

This is the third year out of four that Nevada Magazine has won First Place in the General Excellence category from the Nevada Press Association.
Nevada Magazine, the official travel publication for the state of Nevada, raked in the awards at the annual Nevada Press Association’s 2012 “Better Business Contest,” once again earning first place in General Excellence for magazines.

“We are so proud of the magazine and the hardworking team at Nevada Magazine,” Claudia Vecchio, director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs (NDTCA), of which Nevada Magazine is a part. “They pour their hearts into each story, each photo and the layout of every page to ensure that readers get only the best representation of our beautiful state.”

The magazine is published bimonthly and in 2011 celebrated its 75th anniversary, publishing a special edition chronicling the last seven and a half decades of life and news in Nevada. This is the third year out of the last four that the Nevada Press Association has recognized the magazine with its top magazine award.

The judge’s comments include: “This was a fun magazine to read. Good writing, beautiful photography, and interesting mix of copy. It’s unusual to find a state tourism publication that is this well done. Fits its niche perfectly.”

“Awards are always welcome, but they are especially meaningful coming from our peers, our fellow journalists throughout the state we call home,” Publisher Janet Geary said. Nevada Magazine’s 2012 awards from the Nevada Press Association include:
  • First Place, General Excellence
  • First Place, General Excellence in Advertising
  • First Place, Best Page Designer: Tony deRonnebeck
  • First Place, Best Multicolor Ad: Carrie Roussel and Sean Nebeker
  • First Place, Best In-House Promotion: Carrie Roussel & Sean Nebeker
  • First Place, Best Regular Department: Wide Open
  • Best Multiple Photo Essay: Great Nevada Picture Hunt (photo contest)
  • Second Place, Best Local Column: Matthew B. Brown
  • Third Place, Best Large-Space Ad: Carrie Roussel and Sean Nebeker
  • Third Place, Best Page Designer: Sean Nebeker
  • Third Place, Best In-House Promotion: Carrie Roussel and Sean Nebeker
In other awards news, Nevada Magazine associate editor Charlie Johnston received an Award of Merit in the Culture Feature category in the 32nd annual International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA) awards competition. Johnston's "Cultural Guardians" story from the July/August 2011 issue earned him the honor.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Reno Man Wins Nevada Magazine’s 2012 Photo Contest

Kristoffer Glenn Pfalmer (left) poses with Nevada Magazine Editor Matthew B. Brown on August 27 in Carson City. Pfalmer had large prints made of his three photos that earned accolades in the magazine's 2012 photo contest.
Kristoffer Glenn Pfalmer, a guardsman navigator for the Nevada Air National Guard in Reno, is the Grand Prize winner of Nevada Magazine’s 35th annual Great Nevada Picture Hunt photo contest — the feature story in the publication’s September/October 2012 issue.

The winning image, titled “Ranges Blue," was captured from a Las Vegas-bound commercial jet about 100 miles northwest of the city looking east into Nevada. The picture shows dozens of Nevada's mountain ranges shrouded in a beautiful blue haze (see below). "I used the color casting as an artistic element," Pfalmer says.

In addition to the Grand Prize, Pfalmer won the Events category with his black-and-white "Thunderbirds" photo and was runner-up in the Photo Illustration category with his "Strega" image. Both images are of planes that participated in the 2011 National Championship Air Races and Air Show (now the TravelNevada.com Reno Air Races, which occur annually in September).

Photo: Kristoffer Glenn Pfalmer
The additional categories of Nevada Magazine's 2012 photo contest are: City Limits, Wide Open, Nature, People, and Then & Now. Overton resident Jay Wanta won the City Limits category with his vibrant nighttime image of the Las Vegas Strip; Neil Lockhart of Reno won Wide Open with a beaming black-and-white image of North Lake Tahoe; Las Vegas' Jose Witt took top honors in Nature with a photo of a golden-colored bobcat; Oregon photographer Larry Turner won the People category with his soulful image of grey-bearded Beatty resident Fred Reed; Mauricio Reyes-Gomez of Las Vegas won Photo Illustration with his Valentine's Day-themed photo of his balloon-wielding girlfriend at Bonnie Springs; and Beatty's Mark Holloway swept the Then & Now category, in which photographers snap a modern photo from the same place a historical photo was taken a number of years ago.

To view the winning images and runners-up, pick up the latest issue at national bookstores and where magazines are sold in Nevada, or visit nevadamagazine.com. Look for information in a future 2013 issue covering rules of submission for the 2013 photo contest, or check back regularly at nevadamagazine.com.

Also in the September/October 2012 issue

Photo: Rob Petersen
The remainder of the current issue honors Nevada’s centennial ranches — ranching families that have survived for 100-plus years. Lake Tahoe photographer Rachid Dahnoun captures this traditional lifestyle wonderfully in a photo gallery feature.

Also highlighted are scenic autumn drives and hikes, Reno's MidTown District, volunteer efforts at Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Fallon's Tractors & Truffles event, Pahrump Valley Winery's Grape Stomp, a Q&A with St. Louis Rams running back and Las Vegas native Steven Jackson, and a history story titled “Nevada's Lost City,” which includes excerpts from a new Arcadia Publishing book of the same name.

2013 Nevada Historical Calendar Now Available


The 2013 Nevada Historical Calendar, produced by Nevada Magazine, is now available for pre-order. For 40 years, Nevada residents and enthusiasts have enjoyed the award-winning wall calendar full of black-and-white photographs from years gone by. It also makes for a great holiday gift.

A snowy 1930s scene of downtown Reno is featured on the cover (above). The 2013 calendar features many more images from Nevada’s past, including John Wayne in Carson City during the 1976 filming of "The Shootist," a 1920s Fourth of July celebration in Ely, a 1953 photo of downtown Henderson (classic cars included), and a 1933 image of Dini's Lucky Club in Yerington.

Each calendar is $14 plus $4 shipping and handling. To order, visit nevadamagazine.com, or call 775-687-0603.

NEVADA STATE EMPLOYEE SPECIAL

Nevada state employees can get the 2013 Nevada Historical Calendar for $11 by e-mailing pati@nevadamagazine.com or calling 775-687-0633.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Cave Lake Nominated a Top State Park in America

Cave Lake State Park. Image courtesy of Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Take Me Fishing fans select their favorite places to boat and fish during Nature’s Waterpark Showdown.

Fans of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation’s Take Me Fishing campaign took to Facebook this summer to participate in Nature’s Waterpark Showdown. Each fan was invited to help determine the top eight natural “waterparks,” or state parks, for boating and fishing in America. They could also enter for a chance to win the grand prize: a vacation to a state park for a family of four. Twenty-four pre-determined watering holes were put to the test and, after eight weeks of voting, the fans have spoken.

Nevada’s Cave Lake State Park made the cut and was voted one of the top eight state parks in America by Take Me Fishing Facebook fans based on fishing, boating, and family fun.

The winning parks include:
• Blue Spring State Park, Florida
Cave Lake State Park, Nevada
• El Dorado State Park, Kansas
• Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee
• Itasca State Park, Minnesota
• Lake Murray State Park, Oklahoma
• Presque Isle State Park, Pennsylvania
• Wellington State Park, New Hampshire

Cave Lake State Park is a year-round park that offers outstanding recreational opportunities. It features a 32-acre reservoir and provides excellent trout fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, camping, and picnicking The 4,500-acre park is at an elevation of 7,300 feet in the Schell Creek Range adjacent to the Humboldt National Forest. Winter activities include ice-skating, ice-fishing, and cross-country skiing. The park is eight miles south of Ely on U.S. 93, turning onto Success Summit road (State Route 486) and continuing east for seven miles.

“We regularly stock Cave Lake with rainbow trout in addition to the native brown trout available, which provides excellent opportunity for anglers,” says Nevada Department of Wildlife fisheries biologist Chris Crookshanks. “Fishing is excellent from the shore, as well as from boats, and crawdadding is also permitted.”

To view the Nature’s Waterpark Showdown winners, visit the Take Me Fishing Facebook page. The parks showcased in the campaign are just a fraction of the many outdoor recreation spots available throughout the nation. For more information, visit TakeMeFishing.org.

For information on more parks in Nevada's Pony Express Territory, go here.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Virginia City’s Fourth Ward School

Historic school opens new Comstock Archives and Research Center.

STORY & PHOTOS BY ADAM ROBERTSON

Virginia City is one of the most historic places in Nevada—a bastion of the Old West in a modern age, residence of Mark Twain, resting place of the Suicide Table, location of the Comstock Lode, and home to the Fourth Ward School.

The school, opened in 1877 and operated until 1936, recently opened the Comstock Archive and Research Center—a collection of documents, maps, books, and memorabilia all pertaining to the Fourth Ward School and the history of the Comstock. Operation of the Archive and Research Center will work very much like similar collections.

“[The center will work like] the state Historical Societies, the library archives,” says Cindy Southerland, director of the Archive and Research Center, “where you come in, if you need help doing research [someone is there to help].”

Shelves of books containing documents and records of the
Comstock are available to researchers.
As you enter the school, you immediately head down a staircase, the old planks worn and warped from nearly 60 years of traffic by students and faculty. At the bottom, you turn into a classroom that was once the school’s home economics room. It still holds vestiges of its former life: a work station with a sink, stone slab, and plenty of workspace.

Across from it lies an old gas stove with two ranges and a glass-front, two-rack oven. By the entrance is a wall of wooden lockers, with notes scrawled by students long-since graduated. Though it wasn’t allowed at the time, after the school closed in 1936, many students returned to write their names or messages in the school and, in some places, these notes are carefully cleaned and painted around in order to preserve them.

In the middle of the room sits a long table filled with documents from the school’s heyday: diplomas, pictures, and newspaper clippings of sports teams and class photos, plus a copy of the rules to be followed by students and teachers—these are the start of the archives. The remainder of the documents are stored in a connecting room containing a vault—named the Purple Monkey for an anonymous donor who helped fund it—and a nearby storage room.

Documents of the Fourth Ward School laid out as an exhibit for
museum and archive visitors.
Originally, the plan was to have the archives focus solely on documents and records related to the Fourth Ward School. However, after some consideration, it was decided to expand the idea.

“We quickly realized that, up on the Comstock, we needed a place where people could come and find more information on more topics than just the Fourth Ward School,” Southerland says. “So we really expanded our mission statement; we expanded our collections. People can come in here now and start researching bonds, the mills, the railroad, and all the schools in the Comstock Historic District, including Gold Hill, Silver City, and Dayton.”

Over time, the collection has been organized into a database—part of which is to be made available to the public via computer. People will also be able to request help in doing research on documents and genealogy. The general public will not be allowed into the vault, however, and the full archive will only be available by appointment.

For more information about the Fourth Ward School museum, the Archive and Research Center, or to make a donation to the school, visit fourthwardschool.org.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Morelli House Receives National Recognition

Junior League of Las Vegas headquarters named to National Register of Historic Places.


Junior League of Las Vegas announced recently that its headquarters, the Morelli House, former home of revered Sands Hotel Orchestra Leader Antonio Morelli and his wife Helen, located at 861 East Bridger Avenue, has been recently listed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places, named by The National Register, the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. This esteemed honor, conferred by the U.S. Park Service, is part of a national program that supports public and private efforts to identify and protect America’s historic resources.

National designation was granted on two criteria: Antonio Morelli’s contributions to the Las Vegas community and the structure’s mid-century modern architecture. Prior to this national recognition, the Morelli House was listed on the Nevada State Register of Historic Places in 2001 and on the City of Las Vegas Historic Property Register in 2007.

A classic, mid-century modern home, the Morelli house was built in 1959 by Antonio and Helen Morelli at its original location of 52 Country Club Drive within the former Desert Inn Estates. In 2001, after being subject to demolition to make way for Wynn Resorts, the Junior League relocated the architecturally impressive home to its current location in the downtown Las Vegas historic district. Final restoration was completed in 2009.

In addition to its architectural significance, the house represents Antonio Morelli’s years of achievement and importance in Las Vegas entertainment history as the conductor of the Sands Copa Room Orchestra for nearly 20 years. Antonio considered the building of his home to be one of the greatest challenges of his life.

It was a place where legendary gatherings took place, where a variety of local Strip headliners — including members of the famed Rat Pack, professional musicians, and prominent locals — enjoyed the hospitality of the Morelli’s. Antonio is also credited for producing pop concerts and religious pageants for Las Vegas locals where lavish, star-studded performances were provided free to the public.

Read more about the Morelli House in this Nevada Magazine article, which was published n the March/April 2009 issue.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Indigenous Peoples Week Celebrates Indigenous Tourism

By Ron Mader/Planeta.com 

Photo: Charlie Johnston






Planeta.com, Nutti Sámi Siida, Guurrbi Tours, TIME Unlimited, and Nevada Magazine co-host Indigenous Peoples Week, August 6-12, the second annual celebration of social media storytelling about indigenous peoples and tourism around the world.

This online "unconference" is free, and everyone's invited. The objective is two-fold: to raise awareness of indigenous tourism options around the world and improve digital literacy skills among indigenous tourism providers themselves.

Our circle of conversation includes indigenous and non-indigenous peoples around the world. Complete details are available online at Planeta Wiki.

Be Engaged: How to Participate

Learn social media by using it — blogs, Delicious, Facebook, Flickr, Foodspotting, Foursquare, Google+, Linkedin, Pinterest, Slideshare, Twitter, YouTube, and Wikipedia — to learn and share info about indigenous culture.
  1. Delicious: Follow the Indigenous Peoples Week Stack, and suggest a link.
  2. Facebook: Introduce yourself or ask a question on the event page.
  3. Flickr: Create an account, and upload a few photos of your work. There are a
    number of relevant groups. One of our favorites is the World Crafts Group, and another is the World Parks Group.
  4. Foodspotting: Please share photos of indigenous foods available for visitors.
  5. Slideshare: Favorite the overview presentation, and seek out or create a new presentation about indigenous culture.
  6. Twitter: Tweet about indigenous culture, and please tweet about the event. Use the hashtag #ipw2012.
  7. YouTube: Videos, please! Record your own video, and introduce yourself and your interest in indigenous tourism. You can also curate a playlist to document indigenous culture and traditional knowledge. Example here.
  8. Wikipedia: Read or edit information about indigenous culture.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Nevada Magazine announces 2012 Best of Nevada winners

Nevada Magazine’s July/August 2012 edition, which reveals the winners of the publication’s 15th annual Best of Nevada readers’ survey, is on newsstands now. From Brewery to Wedding Venue, the annual listing includes 18 categories. In most cases, the categories are divided into North, South, and Rural Nevada, giving tourists plenty of statewide vacation ideas.

Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno is a five-category winner, voted Best Casino, Hotel, Nightclub, Spa, and Wedding Venue in Northern Nevada. David Walley’s Resort Hot Springs & Spa won two categories: Best Spa and Wedding Venue in Rural Nevada. The Best of Nevada food-and-drink categories (Brewery, Buffet, and Restaurant) are covered extensively in the magazine’s “Cravings” department, highlighted by Reno’s Cactus Creek Prime Steakhouse, which won Best Restaurant in Northern Nevada for the third year in a row.

Red Rock Casino Resort Spa is the only two-category winner in the Southern Nevada discipline, earning Best Casino and Spa honors. Tropicana Laughlin won Best Restaurant and Wedding Venue in Rural Nevada. The recently opened Mob Museum won Southern Nevada’s Best Museum category in its first year of eligibility, and Tonopah’s Central Nevada Museum won the Rural Museum category for the third consecutive year.

A complete list of winners can be found at nevadamagazine.com. To see past Best of Nevada winners, click here.

July/August 2012 issue
Best of Nevada winners Nevada Northern Railway in Ely (Best Place to Take the Kids; Rural) and Valley of Fire State Park (Best State Park; South) also were honored with the distinction of being named one of the state’s six treasures in a recent Nevada Commission on Tourism campaign called Discover Your Nevada. Like Best of Nevada, the treasures—one from each of the state’s six “territories”—were determined by public vote.

Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park (Minden), Goldwell Open Air Museum (near Rhyolite), Nevada Northern Railway (Ely), Pyramid Lake (Indian Reservation), The Star Bar & Dining Room (Elko), and Valley of Fire State Park are the six treasures and the subjects of the July/August issue’s cover story, which also discusses how Governor Brian Sandoval and Lieutenant Governor Brian K. Krolicki have taken active roles in promoting intrastate travel.

Also in the July/August issue are stories about renovations at Las Vegas’ original resort—Golden Gate Hotel & Casino—sister bed and breakfasts in Alamo, a cozy B&B in Kingston, and a history story about the July 18, 1912 flood that wiped the northwestern Nevada mining town of Mazuma off the map.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Northern Nevada freeway nears completion

Looking southwest toward the Galena Creek Bridge, a centerpiece of the soon-to-open U.S. Highway 395/Interstate 580 freeway extension.
BY ADAM ROBERTSON

Anyone driving between Reno and Carson City has seen it—a new stretch of concrete and asphalt winding through the hills north and west of Washoe and Pleasant Valleys; and soon, they will finally be allowed to drive on it.

On Saturday, July 28, the Nevada Department of Transportation will host an event during which walkers, runners, and bicyclists will be allowed to travel the 8.5 miles of the U.S. Highway 395/Interstate 580 freeway extension running from State Route 431 (Mount Rose Highway), in Reno, to the Bowers Mansion Interchange in Washoe Valley. This will be the first and only time pedestrians and cyclists are allowed on the new freeway after it officially opens to traffic in late July or early August.

The event will kick off with a fun run in the northbound lanes at 7 a.m., and music and vendors will line the route. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the southbound lanes will be opened to vehicles. NDOT is working with the Governor’s office to schedule a ribbon-cutting event.   

The new freeway uses nine bridges to span the canyons through the hills, including the Galena Creek Bridge, the longest concrete cathedral arch bridge in the world. At 300 feet above the canyon floor, it was the most perilous part of the project, as high winds presented myriad challenges to construction crews.

Composed of three interlocking decks, the NDOT-designed bridge is built to the latest standards and specifications. Built with an eye for aesthetics, the new freeway is meant to blend with the natural landscape and not be an eyesore for Pleasant Valley residents. Steps have also been taken to return the land to its natural state after construction.

More information about the extension project can be found on NDOT’s website freewayextension.com.

Photos by Charlie Johnston

Nevada Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Scott Magruder points to Pleasant Valley, between Reno and Carson City, during a June 20 tour.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Nevada ‘treasures’ unveiled

Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park, in Reno-Tahoe Territory, is one of Nevada's "six treasures," according to voting results in the Nevada Commission on Tourism's Discover Your Nevada campaign.
After several rounds of voting and months of friendly competition, six unique locations in Nevada have been identified as Nevada’s Treasures, Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki announced today.

“The Discover Your Nevada campaign has been incredibly well received, and the Nevadans who have visited the TravelNevada.com website have served to unleash a renewed interest in the wonderful tourism opportunities available throughout Nevada — ranging from the well-established venues to some of our state’s truly unknown treasures,” Krolicki, chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, said. "The governor and I are delighted to participate in this marvelous campaign, and are gearing up to hit the road shortly to revisit some of our favorite places as well as to discover treasures that have somehow eluded us during our many years of traveling this great state."

The Nevada Treasures competition was part of NCOT’s Discover Your Nevada campaign, a three-month endeavor to encourage in-state travel and to educate Nevadans about some lesser-known corners of their state.

Goldwell Open Air Museum.
Photo: Shane Kruitbosch



The nomination period kicked off on March 1, and NCOT received 587 nominations in the state’s six tourism territories: Reno-Tahoe, Cowboy Country, Pony Express, Nevada Silver Trails, Las Vegas, and Indian Territory. Several rounds of voting narrowed the competition until the final two in each category were announced April 30.

“It was so interesting to see the variety of nominations, from natural wonders like Cathedral Gorge State Park to world-famous sights like the Las Vegas Strip,” Claudia Vecchio, director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, said. “Even more interesting and thrilling was to see the local residents and business owners reach out to their communities to rally support. The volley of marketing on the local level grew with each round of voting, and residents jumped on board to support their favorite venue.”

The final round of voting closed at 5 p.m. on May 4. The winning treasures are:

Cowboy Country: The Star Bar & Restaurant in Elko
Indian Territory: Pyramid Lake (Indian Reservation)
Las Vegas Territory: Valley of Fire State Park near Overton
Nevada Silver Trails: Goldwell Open Air Museum in Rhyolite
Pony Express Territory: Nevada Northern Railway in Ely
Reno-Tahoe Territory: Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park in Minden

For more information about the Discover Your Nevada campaign, visit DiscoverYourNevada.com.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Nevada Rides Motorcycle Guide now available

The 2012 Nevada Rides Motorcycle Guide—a pocket-sized publication produced by Nevada Magazine that caters to motorcyclists and highlights the many scenic roads available to navigate in the Silver State—is now available. You can view the e-edition here.

E-mail carrie@nevadamagazine.com, or call 775-687-0610, to reserve your hard copy. Or, you can pick one up at the following locations:

A Cowboy’s Dream, Alamo
Best Western Hi-Desert Inn, Tonopah
Carson City CVB
Elko CVA
Eureka Opera House
Freedom Cycle, Reno
Freedom Cycle, Las Vegas
Longstreet Inn, Amargosa Valley
Mizpah Hotel, Tonopah
Pyramid Lake Visitors Center
Town of Pahrump offices
Wells Chamber of Commerce
Wildflower Village B&B and Art Gallery, Reno
Windmill Ridge, Alamo
Winnemucca CVA

Throughout these territories:
Nevada Silver Trails
Pony Express Territory

And at the following events:
Run-A-Mucca in Winnemucca: May 25-27, 2012
Street Vibrations Spring Rally in Sparks: June 1-3, 2012
Octane Fest in Fallon: June 7-10, 2012
Elko Motorcycle Jamboree in Elko: June 15-17, 2012
AMA’s International Women & Motorcycling Conference in Carson City: July 26-29, 2012
Street Vibrations Fall Rally in Reno: September 19-23, 2012

Monday, April 30, 2012

Final round underway for Nevada Treasures contest

Valley of Fire State Park in Southern Nevada is a finalist in the Las Vegas Territory. Photo: Matthew B. Brown
Historic sites, natural wonders still in the running; vote through May 4

A handful of Nevada attractions and businesses are vying to be named Nevada Treasures in an online social media contest that began in March as part of the Nevada Commission on Tourism’s Discover Your Nevada campaign. Finalists in six categories were announced today by the Nevada Commission on Tourism; the public has until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 4 to cast online votes at discoveryournevada.com.

“This contest was designed to be a fun way to get people talking about Nevada’s most unique treasures,” says Claudia Vecchio, director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. “We’ve seen people really get behind their favorites, courting online votes and creating a buzz about these treasures. While we’re very interested to see which treasures eventually win, the real value of the contest has been in the remarkable conversations that have been generated. People are talking about what’s available throughout the state.”

People nominated all types of things as Nevada Treasures, from historic sites and natural wonders, but also a photography symposium, restaurants, wineries, and even people.

The contest is wrapping up, with two finalists in each of six categories (which happen to be the six tourism "territories" of Nevada):

Cowboy Country: Shooting the West — an annual photography symposium in Winnemucca — and the Star Hotel and Restaurant in Elko;

Indian Territory: The Lost City Museum in Overton and Pyramid Lake in Northern Nevada;

Las Vegas Territory: The Colorado River and Valley of Fire State Park;

Nevada Silver Trails: Goldwell Open Air Museum — an open air sculpture park near Beatty — and Sanders Family Winery in Pahrump;

Ely's Nevada Northern Railway is a finalist in the Pony Express Territory. Photo: Matthew B. Brown
Pony Express Territory: Churchill Vineyards in Fallon and the Nevada Northern Railway in Ely; and

Reno-Tahoe Territory: Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park in Minden and Thunderbird Lodge National Historic Site on the east shore of Lake Tahoe.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Nevada Magazine announces 2012 Photo Contest


For more than three decades, Nevada Magazine’s Great Nevada Picture Hunt photo contest has been a favorite among photographers and readers. The Grand Prize winner of this year’s contest will receive a $250 gift certificate courtesy of Gordon’s Photo Service based in Carson City and Reno (which is redeemable online as well).

The seven categories this year are City Limits (urban), Wide Open (rural/scenic), Nature (wildlife), People (human interest), Photo Illustration (includes HDR images), Events (including shows), and Then & Now, in which photographers provide a high-resolution history photo and take a modern photo from the exact same location. All winners and runners-up will be published in the September/October 2012 issue and receive frame-ready certificates.

The 2012 Great Nevada Picture Hunt is open to all photographers. Send up to eight submissions via e-mail to tony@nevadamagazine.com by 5 p.m. (PDT) on Friday, June 29, 2012. To mail your images, call 775-687-0606 for instructions. To view past photo contest winners, or for more contest details, visit nevadamagazine.com.

In Nevada Magazine’s May/June 2012 issue

Photo: Nancy Good
Nevada Magazine’s May/June 2012 issue will be available on statewide and national newsstands starting May 1. It features Nevada’s iconic neon signs and stories about traveling with your dog(s). Also highlighted are The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas and the delicate natural formations of mysterious Little Finland, located south of Mesquite.

The Cravings department includes stories on historic Café at Adele’s in Carson City and downtown Reno’s new stylish eatery, Campo. The History section delves into the fascinating story of Carson City’s 150-year-old Nevada State Prison. Finally, in a Q&A with Tony Hsieh, the Zappos.com billionaire talks about moving his company to downtown Las Vegas in 2013.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Lake Tahoe Winter Games Exploratory Committee Organized

Thirty countries, their respective flags displayed on the Tower of Nations, competed in the 1960 Olympic Winter Games at Squaw Valley — the last time the Reno-Lake Tahoe region hosted the Games. Photo: Robert M. Reid
Nevada and California Leaders Unveil Joint Effort to Explore Bid for Olympic Winter Games in the Lake Tahoe Region

Fifty-two years after the Olympic flame was first ignited in the Tahoe region, California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom and Nevada Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki announced recently the formation of the Lake Tahoe Winter Games Exploratory Committee, a new joint California-Nevada initiative, building on the existing efforts, dedicated to developing an Olympic Bid for the 2022 Winter Games.

The new committee, LTWGEC, is an entity created by the leadership of two separate organizations that were set up to explore a potential bid for the Tahoe Region. The two organizations — the Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition and the California Winter Games Committee, joined by the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee — will now be committing significant resources to the LTWGEC.

"The timing is right for Californians and Nevadans to come together and seriously explore bringing the Olympic Winter Games to the Tahoe region," Krolicki says. "Our new committee is the evolution of years of work by many people, and if the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) decides to bid on the 2022 Winter Games, we will be ready to showcase the Tahoe region's scenic majesty and winter games capabilities."

The LTWGEC will be tasked with creating a group of business, civic, and political leaders who will work to thoroughly explore the benefits and impacts of hosting the Olympic Games in the Lake Tahoe Region. According to Krolicki and Newsom, the new group's leadership will be announced soon — including a robust environmental leadership team.

"Lake Tahoe's physical beauty is our greatest asset and our greatest responsibility," Newsom says. "We can't do this without the environment being front of mind for us."

Read Krolicki's column, "Pursuing the Olympic Winter Games," here.

Read a related blog and watch a related video here.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Beans for Brains Knitting and Crochet Scholarship Program

Last year's winner Emma Coates,
wearing her crocheted cheeseburger dress.

Jimmy Beans Wool, a leading online retailer of yarn and fabric out of Reno, is now accepting applications for its annual Beans for Brains scholarship program for the 2012-2013 academic school year. 

Through the generous donations and efforts of Jimmy Beans Wool, The Yarn Group, Vogue Knitting Magazine, Tahki Stacy Charles, Classic Elite Yarns, Knitting Pure and Simple, Rowan, Red Heart Yarns, Universal Yarns, Lorna’s Laces, and Knitter’s Pride Needles, awards will be distributed to five outstanding students this year. Each award is worth $2,250.

Applicants must be a knitter or crocheter, submit a personal photo of themselves holding their original knitting/crochet design or a photo of a recent and completed knitting/crochet project and complete an application. The merit-based award is open to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who will be attending an accredited institution for the 2012-2013 school year. Applicants may be pursuing a degree in any field.

This is the third year that Jimmy Beans Wool has supported the pursuit of higher education through the Bean for Brains scholarship program, with almost 3,000 applicants last year. The goal of Beans for Brains is to help provide opportunities for higher education to people in the knitting and crochet community. "Paying for college is a major financial challenge for many people and every little bit helps," says Jimmy Beans Wool owner Laura Zander. “This is an investment in our industry and in our future.”

Interested students can review the scholarship requirements and download the scholarship application form here.

Completed applications are due by April 15, 2012 and must be submitted via email to scholarship@jimmybeanswool.com.

Winners will be notified beginning no later than June 1, 2012.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Discover Your Nevada Launches

Gov. Brian Sandoval and Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki. Photo by Bob Conrad
Governor Brian Sandoval, Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki, representatives of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, and local media came together at the Wilbur D. May Museum in Reno today to officially launch the new Discover Your Nevada campaign.

Sandoval said the program's main purpose is to encourage visitation within the state. "We're excited about the prospect of Nevadans discovering their own state," he said, after he announced that Krolicki and himself will do some discovering of their own. The governors will make three separate journeys together this spring: one to Gerlach and the Black Rock Desert area, a second to Fort Churchill State Park and the Dixie Valley area, and a final excursion down U.S. Highway 95 and across the Extraterrestrial Highway with a stop in the town of Rachel.

The Governor quipped in making a reference to the "Road to.." movies with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Details of those itineraries will be announced on the official Discover Your Nevada website, where Sandoval will maintain a blog. He also promised plenty of Tweets and fun.

The governors' travels are just the beginning of Discover Your Nevada. The campaign also incorporates public participation, in which you can nominate your favorite Nevada treasures online now through March 18. Voting begins March 19, and the treasures will ultimately be dwindled down to six (the number of tourism-designated territories in the state) and announced in early May.

"This is our chance to fall in love again with the State of Nevada," Krolicki said. "Stay-cation is the theme. Nevadans can put the family in the back of the car and hit the open road."

Both Sandoval and Krolicki praised Claudia Vecchio, Director of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, for spearheading the new program.

So what are you waiting for? Click here to nominate your favorite Nevada treasure.

Vote in our Best of Nevada, win a trip!

Do you have a favorite hotel, restaurant, show, or event in Nevada? How about a museum, ski resort, state park, or place to take the kids? You can cast your vote in those and more categories in Nevada Magazine's 2012 Best of Nevada survey now through April 15. Not only is it a great opportunity to support your favorite attractions and businesses, one lucky voter will win a travel package to Elko, including two nights accommodations for two at Red Lion Hotel & Casino, plus dinner at the Aspens Bar & Grill. Vote now at NevadaMagazine.com!

See past Best of Nevada winners here.

In Nevada Magazine's March/April issue

Valley of Fire State Park,
Photo by Adam Smith



Nevada Magazine's current issue features a Nevada road trip and the state's prevalent motorsports scene. Last fall, Seattle photographer and brand-strategist Adam Smith spent two weeks traveling the Silver State. His assignment was to bring back stories that illustrate the soul of Nevada. Readers can enjoy photographs and entries from Smith's travel journal, including a day spent at Glaser Ranch outside Elko, ATVing on Sand Mountain, and riding the V&T Railroad.

Starting with NASCAR Weekend, held March 9-11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nevada truly is a motorsports mecca. The story includes a Q&A with NASCAR standout Kyle Busch. Eight other speedways outside Las Vegas are covered, as well as three racing organizations — SCORE, SNORE, and BITD — that are instrumental to bringing some of the world's top off-road racing events to Nevada. For example, the Mint 400 comes to Las Vegas March 23-25, popular for tech inspection at Fremont Street as much as the racing.

Also in the issue are a story about Old Middlegate Station and a proud slayer of its famous Monster Burger, how to prepare for and survive in Nevada's wilderness should a crisis occur, Carson Valley's own George Ferris Jr. who went on to invent the Ferris wheel, and a guide to the Strip's newest resort, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Learn more about the issue in the below video.



In our Events & Shows editions, we feature Nevada rodeos and The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, which opens in Las Vegas on March 10. Readers can access the Las Vegas Events & Shows and Nevada Events & Shows publications, both produced by Nevada Magazine, for free at NevadaMagazine.com.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Sports Fuel Northern Nevada Economics

On Wednesday, January 25, I attended a breakfast meeting on Sports Economics hosted by the Northern Nevada Development Authority. Held at the Governor's Mansion in Carson City, guests packed the "Nevada Room" to hear five speakers discuss the economic impact of their respective pursuits on the Northern Nevada community.

In order, the speakers were Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki and Jon Killoran, who discussed the Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition; Mike Samuels, who covered the Nevada Wolf Pack's eventual move to the Mountain West Conference; Michael Reynolds, who talked about the locally owned Reno Bighorns basketball team; John Kinkella, who gave an overview of Western Nevada College athletics; and, finally, Lisa Granahan, who gave a rundown of Ascent Douglas County.

Krolicki, Killoran, and the rest of RTWGC organization have been working hard to land a bid from the U.S. Olympic Committee to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Next summer (2013), the International Olympic Committee will call for bids from around the world. About a year after that (2014), the U.S. Olympic Committee will decide whether to bid at all, and, if it does, which city or region gets the bid. In July 2015, the International Olympic Committee will make the ultimate decision from a pool of cities and regions around the world.

In the video below, Krolicki elaborates on the timeline and the general excitement surrounding the possibility of the Reno-Lake Tahoe region hosting the '22 Winter Games.



For more information, including background on the 1960 Olympic Winter Games held at Squaw Valley, read this Nevada Magazine story titled "Then and If." Blogger Tiffany Brown does a great job of covering the RTWGC's marketing effort in this article. Finally, Killoran discusses more marketing logistics in this Reno-Tahoe American Marketing Association video.

Reynolds focused on the positives that a conference realignment will have on the University of Nevada, Reno. On July 1, 2012, the Nevada Wolf Pack will move from the Western Athletic Conference to the Mountain West Conference. Reynolds said the university is intent on "raising the bar" athletically, which will have a residual affect on the community and school. He added that the move will lead to building infrastructure and the creation of jobs.

The Reno Bighorns are a member of the NBA Development League, which was founded in 2001 with the goal of being the "minor league" of the NBA, similar to professional baseball's minor-league system. The Bighorns were founded in 2008 and are coming off a successful season, in which the team won the regular-season Western Conference championship and won a playoff series. A local ownership group recently purchased the franchise and have made that bond to the community a primary part of their marketing efforts.

Kinkella talked about how the intercollegiate athletics program was started at Western Nevada College in order to provide a model group to use as a positive example for the rest of the students. Mission accomplished: WNC is the only program in its conference to claim an Academic Team of the Year, which it's done seven times. This has led to successful scholarships and transfers for many athletes. The Wildcats baseball team has been to the NJCAA World Series twice in the past four years.

Granahan cited the successful local outdoor recreation and lifestyle industries, even in the recent economic downturn. Companies such as Aviso American Made, Bently Biofuels, and North Sails are leading this charge. The Ascent Douglas initiative is about targeting these types of industries, hopefully creating 700 jobs in Douglas County by 2022 — the same year we as a region will hopefully be hosting the Olympic Winter Games.—Matthew B. Brown, Nevada Magazine editor

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Nevada Magazine explores Las Vegas’ cultural side

Nevada Magazine’s January/February 2012 issue is available on newsstands throughout Nevada. Featured in the edition are multiple Southern Nevada museums, highlighted by the opening of The Mob Museum on February 14. Former Las Vegas defense attorney and mayor Oscar Goodman is one of four people interviewed who have strong connections to the new museum, which is housed in the city’s historic former federal building and post office on Stewart Avenue.

The new Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas at Springs Preserve leads off the issue’s other feature story (watch a video of Governor Sandoval's speech at the museum's November 12 opening below). Among the other museums covered are two additional state museums — the Lost City Museum in Overton and Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City — the National Atomic Testing Museum, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum, and the Neon Museum.

Also featured in the issue are the Mizpah Hotel, which recently reopened in Tonopah, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, The Gun Store in Las Vegas, Reno-Sparks bakeries, and Reno’s CommRow, home to the world’s tallest artificial climbing wall. The issue also debuts new “Visions” (spotlighting outstanding photography) and “Nature” departments.

To view the digital editions of Nevada Magazine's sister publications, Las Vegas Events & Shows or Nevada Events & Shows, click here. If readers missed any of the magazine’s special Territory issues of 2011, they can view them here.