Nevada Magazine Announces 2013 Best of Nevada Winners

Nevada Magazine has released the results of its 2013 Best of Nevada readers' survey. The survey spans 16 categories and includes golf courses, museums, restaurants, and state parks.

In most cases, winners are divided into three subcategories: North, South, and Rural. The top vote-getter was Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno, which took honors in the North category for Casino, Hotel, Nightclub (EDGE), and Wedding Venue.

“We are excited about the enthusiasm our readers have for the State of Nevada,” said Janet Geary, publisher of Nevada Magazine. Many businesses and attractions leveraged social media to campaign for their categories. “The power of social networking is evident with surveys such as our annual Best of Nevada,” added Geary.

Carson City's Casino Fandango was a multiple-category winner as well for Buffet (Rum Jungle Buffet) and Casino. Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum in Reno received recognition in the Museum and (best) Place to Take the Kids categories. Reno's Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe again garnered top honors in the Ski Resort category, which is not divided into subcategories.

Photo: Cindy Joyce

In food categories, Toucan Charlie’s Buffet & Grille (Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno) and Carnival World Buffet (Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas) were the other Buffet winners. Cactus Creek Prime Steakhouse (Bonanza Casino in Reno), Mon Ami Gabi (Paris Las Vegas), and The Star Hotel in Elko won in the Restaurant category.

A complete Best of Nevada 2013 list is published in the current July/August 2013 issue of Nevada Magazine, on newsstands now, and on nevadamagazine.com.

Also in the current issue are stories about backcountry lakes, rural Nevada campgrounds, wildlife sanctuaries, the monarch butterfly, and a History story about the state's innovative Mobile Museum that traveled around Nevada in the 1950s and '60s.

What Are Your Nevada Bests?

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 these categories and more in Nevada Magazine's 2013 Best of Nevada survey now through Friday, April 19.

Not only is it a great opportunity to support your favorite attractions and businesses, one lucky voter will win a Reno travel package, including two nights accommodations at Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno, dinner at Roxy, show tickets at Eldorado Showroom, plus a round of golf at Wildcreek Golf Course in Sparks (all prize packages are for two people). Vote now at NevadaMagazine.com!

See past Best of Nevada winners here.

In Nevada Magazine's March/April 2013 issue

Photo by Skip Reeves
State Route 722

Nevada Magazine's current issue features two centennial celebrations — the Lincoln Highway in Nevada and the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, about 40 miles southwest of Las Vegas. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Highway, and you can still drive on original sections of it in the Silver State. Also, towns along U.S. Highway 50 will be celebrating the centennial during select dates in June.

The Pioneer Saloon, the subject of this issue's History story, was built by Clark County commissioner George Fayle in 1913, when the mill town was enjoying its boom years. One hundred years later, the Pioneer Saloon is still standing…and still serving. It contains a Memorial Room in honor of actress Carole Lombard, who died in 1942 as a result of a plane crash on nearby Mount Potosi. Her husband, actor Clark Gable, spent time at the saloon while awaiting news of Lombard's fate. 

The issue also features Nevada’s array of professional and collegiate sporting events that promise to keep residents and tourists entertained without breaking the bank — whether you’re root-root-rooting for the home team at a Las Vegas 51s or Reno Aces Triple-A baseball game, hitting the hardwood with the Reno Bighorns basketball team, or annoying everyone in earshot with your vuvuzela at a Las Vegas Legends soccer match. The story also covers hockey, bowling, collegiate sports, golf, and motorsports.

Also in the issue are stories about prospecting for gold and other minerals in Nevada, Thunder Mountain Indian Monument in Imlay, Las Vegas Distillery, Boyz II Men's new headliner show at The Mirage, and a Q&A with Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority President and CEO Chris Baum about Reno's new slogan, "All Seasons—1,000 Reasons."

Nevada Magazine is offering a free trial version of the digital edition of its current March/April 2013 issue, available here.

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.

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.

Vote in Nevada Magazine’s Best of Nevada readers’ poll

Nevada Magazine’s annual Best of Nevada readers’ poll is now available online at nevadamagazine.com. The 14th annual poll allows readers to weigh in on categories ranging from Best Casino, Restaurant, and Show to Best Place to Take the Kids.

Results will be published in the July/August 2011 issue and on nevadamagazine.com in mid-June. “We encourage everyone to go to our website and vote for their favorites, in Las Vegas, Reno, and our small towns and rural areas,” says Publisher Janet Geary.

To vote, visit the nevadamagazine.com homepage and click on the Best of Nevada 2011 link. You do not need to fill out all the categories to submit your survey. However, two lucky voters who complete their ballots will win a complimentary Nevada-themed book package and first-season “Bonanza” DVD set. Voting ends on Friday, April 15.

The 2008 through 2010 Best of Nevada winners can be viewed at nevadamagazine.com.

In Nevada Magazine’s March/April 2011 issue

Nevada Magazine’s March/April issue — the Pony Express Territory Special Edition — is now available on newsstands throughout Nevada. In it are features on “The Loneliest Road in America” (U.S. Highway 50) and a roundup of central Nevada towns. Also highlighted are central Nevada’s parks and recreation areas, off-the-beaten-path destinations, noteworthy events, and a history story about Kennecott Copper Corporation, which was headquartered in McGill for many years.

As part of its 75th anniversary, the magazine is highlighting Nevada’s six “Territories” in 2011, customizing each of the year’s six issues to honor Las Vegas Territory, Reno-Tahoe Territory, Pony Express Territory, Indian Territory, Cowboy Country, and Nevada Silver Trails. The May/June 2011 issue will cover Northern Nevada’s Cowboy Country.

March/April 2011 cover image by Mike Sevon.

2011 Photo Contest

For complete Great Nevada Picture Hunt submission rules, click here.

Nevada Magazine announces 2010 Best of Nevada winners

Nevada Magazine’s July/August 2010 issue is available on newsstands throughout Nevada. In the edition, the winners of the 13th Annual Best of Nevada readers’ survey are revealed. From Brewery to Wedding Venue, the anticipated annual listing includes 17 categories.

Readers can also explore some of the Silver State’s unique, fragile environments via a feature on Nevada’s lakes and the environmental challenges facing them and a story about Nevada’s nine National Wildlife Refuges. Desert NWR in southern Nevada and Sheldon NWR in northwestern Nevada are covered extensively.

A story about Nevada tour companies (the cover image, also shown below, features a helicopter view of Hoover Dam) helps travelers plan their next Nevada adventure, and after a day of Nevada sightseeing, nothing hits the spot quite like southern-style soul food, the topic of this issue’s Cravings story.

A piece on St. Thomas tells the interesting history of a town that was once submerged by rising Lake Mead. The ghost town is now above water due to prolonged drought in southern Nevada. The Events Spotlight takes readers to the counter-culture festival in the Black Rock Desert, Burning Man, and the People feature spotlights Madeleine Pickens and her nonprofit, Saving America’s Mustangs.

Finally, the magazine’s Tour Around Nevada continues in the historic town of Ely. On July 17, Nevada Magazine will attend Nevada Northern Railway’s celebration of Engine No. 40’s 100th birthday. Visitors to the Ely event can pick up free magazines and other Nevada information, and Nevada Magazine staff will present a plaque and framed story to the town.

Writers’ Contest Deadline is Approaching

In addition to its popular Great Nevada Picture Hunt photo contest, Nevada Magazine is holding its first Writers’ Contest in 2010. Submissions — writers are required to keep their stories at 1,500 words or less — must be received by Monday, August 2 at 5 p.m. (PST). The first-place winner will be published in the November/December 2010 issue.

See contest details at nevadamagazine.com. Refer questions to Editor Matthew B. Brown at editor@nevadamagazine.com or 775-687-0602.

July/August 2010 cover image photo by Matthew B. Brown

Vote in Nevada Magazine’s Best of Nevada 2010 readers’ poll

Nevada Magazine’s annual Best of Nevada readers’ poll is now available online at NevadaMagazine.com. The 13th annual poll allows readers to weigh in on categories ranging from Best Casino, Hotel, and Restaurant to Best Place to Take Kids.

Results will be published in the July/August 2010 issue and on NevadaMagazine.com in late June. “We encourage everyone to go to our Web site and vote for their favorites, including in our small towns and rural areas,” says Publisher Janet Geary.

To vote, visit the NevadaMagazine.com homepage and click on the Best of Nevada 2010 logo, or just click here to get started. The categories are divided into three parts: Northern, Southern, and Rural Nevada. You do not need to fill out all the categories to submit your survey. However, two lucky voters out of those who complete their ballots will win complimentary two-night stays at Eldorado in Reno or The Venetian/The Palazzo in Las Vegas. Voting ends on Thursday, April 15.

The 2008 and 2009 Best of Nevada winners can be viewed at NevadaMagazine.com.

In Nevada Magazine’s March/April 2010 issue

Nevada Magazine’s March/April 2010 issue hits newsstands in late February. In it are features on the 75th anniversary of Nevada’s state parks and the Pony Express sesquicentennial—150 years ago riders saddled up to deliver mail via the historic trail, crossing Nevada between Sacramento and Missouri.

Also highlighted are the newly reopened V&T Railroad route (connecting Virginia City and Carson City) and other places to ride the short line, Basque eateries, six ways to splurge in Las Vegas, Barry Manilow’s new show at Paris Las Vegas, Genoa’s first Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival, and the magazine’s Tour Around Nevada continues in Lovelock.

To vote in Nevada Magazine’s Tour Around Nevada, click here.

Writers’ Contest

Click here for more details.

Valley of Fire State Park cover photo by James Phelps