A Senior Citizen's Guide to Elko

BY JIM BECKER

When senior citizens discover Elko, population 34,000, you quickly see why this truly is the “Great American West.” Elko, located in northeastern Nevada, was crowned the title “The Best Small Town in America” in an issue of Time Magazine.

Elko had its birth in 1868 during the building of the transcontinental railroad. Legend has it that a rail superintendent fond of animals added an “o” to Elk to give the town its name. The city of Elko sits at an elevation of 5,060 feet.

This high desert community on Interstate 80 experiences four mild annual seasons. Fall is spectacular, heralding in warm days and cool evenings. Winter months bring average high temperatures between 37-43 degrees with lows averaging between 25-31 degrees.

Spring months bring warmer temperatures accompanied by cool nights. During the warm summer months the average high falls between 80-90 degrees. After this past winter season, senior citizens will enjoy Elko.

SENIORS ENJOY UNSPOILED WEST

The city was founded as a stop on the transcontinental railroad. In 1869, it became the seat of the newly created Elko County and soon became an important center of commerce for surrounding mines and ranches. Elko is probably best known as the headquarters for the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

Elko County abounds in beauty. The raw majesty of Elko County’s Ruby Mountains and the rugged canyon streams will let you discover the unspoiled drama of the West.

Elko’s scenic landscape and recreational opportunities are matched by its excellent quality of life. Health care services are the best in the region, education is highly prized, and job growth is consistently positive.

The diverse economy includes gold mining and cattle ranching, and the newer thriving tourism and service industries. The arts and culture scene also finds plenty of supporters in Elko. The Cowboy Poetry Gathering draws the finest examples of the art from throughout the West and as far away as Ireland and Australia.

THE RUBIES: THE CROWN JEWEL

The highlight of visiting Elko comes with the opportunity to explore some of the wildest and most beautiful country in the entire state.

The crown jewel of Nevada is the Ruby Mountains. The Rubies bear over 40 year-round streams and host more than a dozen mountain tarns in a mountain range that has been nicknamed “The Nevada Alps” and “The Sierra Nevada of the Great Basin.”

For horse lovers, The J.M. Capriola Saddle Company is based in downtown Elko, and is one of the oldest saddle-making companies in America. You will find many fun things to see and do in and around Elko.

Today, Elko is living on gold, supported by the massive Getchell Mine, the largest gold producing operation in the United States. Set your sights on Elko the on your next trip to Nevada.

Sales for Second Nevada Sesquicentennial Medallions Begin Soon

Wells Fargo Announced as Commemorative Medallion Sponsor

Orders for the second of four commemorative medallions marking Nevada’s 150th birthday begin Monday, February 10 through the Nevada Legislative Gift Shop (LGS). Wells Fargo has been announced as the official sponsor of the commemorative medallions.

“I am thrilled to welcome Wells Fargo as the newest sponsor of our celebration; Nevada and Wells Fargo have an incredible and unique shared history,” says Lt. Governor and Nevada 150 Commission Chairman Brian Krolicki. “The design of the second medallion, depicting a miner, truly captures the history and impact mining has had on or state.”

Each one-ounce collector’s medallion is made from pure Nevada silver from the Coeur Mine in Rochester on the historic Coin Press No. 1 at the Nevada State Museum. Depicting a Nevada miner on the front side and the Nevada Sesquicentennial logo on the back side, the silver medallion is available to the public at $100.50 each. The copper medallions have the same design as the silver medallions and are available for purchase at $15 each.

Beginning February 10, orders for the sesquicentennial medallions can be made through the Legislative Gift Shop website or in person at the LGS, located at 401 South Carson Street in Carson City.

Sales of the commemorative medallions help fund the Nevada 150 events and year-long celebration. Throughout the year, four different medallions will be released at different dates for purchase.

For more information about Nevada 150, visit nevada150.org.

Two New Nevada Hotels Announce Opening Dates

Opening in May 2014, the Whitney Peak Hotel, Reno’s only non-gaming and non-smoking hotel, is targeted to active-lifestyle guests who want to take advantage of the area’s local culture, geography, and natural resources. The hotel is only 30 minutes from the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains, providing guests easy access to a wide range of outdoor activities.

Upon completion (rendering at left), Whitney Peak will also feature Cargo, a live concert venue featuring indie rock, pop, and alternative artists; BaseCamp, a 7,000-square-foot indoor boulder park featuring the world’s tallest exterior climbing wall; and a restaurant serving fresh, locally inspired cuisine, craft beers, local wines, and unique cocktails.

Also, renowned nightlife and hospitality leader sbe announced that the highly anticipated SLS Las Vegas hotel will open its doors on Labor Day weekend this year (rendering below). As the first property to open on the Las Vegas Strip in several years, SLS Las Vegas is bringing new life to the city.

SLS Las Vegas is the first Las Vegas hotel by sbe and will feature an imaginative mix of the most innovative nightlife, dining, and entertainment experiences under one roof. Notable brands opening at SLS Las Vegas include a reinvention of the popular L.A. nightspot, The Sayers Club, and dynamic restaurant concepts including The Bazaar by José Andrés, Katsuya, Cleo, 800 Degrees, Umami Burger and The Griddle Café, with more to be announced.

James Lee Reeves is Nevada Proud

You would be hard pressed to find anyone more passionate about Nevada than Virginia City musician James Lee Reeves. All you have to do is search his name on iTunes, and you'll discover his 2012 album, "I'll Take Nevada," which contains seven can't-get-'em-out-of-your-head country songs about the Silver State. You can also purchase his single, "Shiny Side Up (Dirty Down)," an anthem for Nevada's mass motorcycle culture that shows up in droves at such annual events as Reno's Street Vibrations.

Reeves is a Nevadan through and through. Before he settled into his handmade log home in the Virginia City Highlands, he made a name for himself 25 years ago on the Las Vegas Strip. "I lived in Mount Charleston for four years, and then I moved to Vegas because I worked there as an entertainer/comedian," says Reeves, who performed as Milo Tremley from 1988-94. Tremley's hilarious redneck ensemble would have made Larry the Cable Guy envious.

Luckily for Nevadans and Nevada lovers, Reeves continues to write Nevada songs. Before 2013 came to a close, he wrote "Battle Born, Nevada Proud," an homage to Nevada's sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) year of 2014. He also recorded "Nevada Magazine," which salutes the official state publication's nearly 80 years of service.

The third new song is a Nevada-ized version of Hank Snow's Classic "I've Been Everywhere," made famous of course by Johnny Cash. Reeves' version, based on a 2010 Editor's Note by Nevada Magazine's Matthew B. Brown, is titled, "We've Been Everywhere (in Nevada)."

You can hear all three new songs below.

"Battle Born, Nevada Proud" Or click here


"Nevada Magazine" Or click here


"We've Been Everywhere (in Nevada)" Or click here

Nevada Magazine Continues Sesquicentennial Celebration

January 1936

Nevada Magazine’s January/February 2014 issue, featuring the Carson City Capitol building on the cover, is now available on newsstands throughout Nevada. This publication marks the 78th anniversary of Nevada Magazine, which debuted as Nevada Highways and Parks in January 1936. See all 78 years of cover images here.

Featured in the current edition are a statewide Nevada Day photo gallery, as well as Part III of author and historian Ron Soodalter's eight-part series on the history of the Silver State. Soodalter explains how bombastic journalists such as Mark Twain, the rise of the railroads, and the birth of Nevada’s university system all merged to make Nevada prosperous in its early years of statehood. The issue is also the third of eight Sesquicentennial Special Editions that Nevada Magazine will produce through November/December 2014.

January/February 2014
Photo: Matthew B. Brown

The magazine is encouraging Nevadans and Nevada lovers to share what they love about the Silver State. Send an e-mail to editor@nevadamagazine.com (preferred); write a letter to: Editor, 401 N. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701; or call 775-687-0602; and tell us why the Silver State is special to you. Submissions — due by September 2, 2014 — will be for possible publication in a “150 Things We Love About Nevada” special November/December 2014 edition.

Also featured in the January/February 2014 issue is a cover story about the icons of Nevada, including the Capitol, bighorn sheep, Hoover Dam, the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign, and more.

The Southern Nevada riverside town of Laughlin, the historic Techatticup Mine in Eldorado Canyon, a number of influential black leaders from Nevada’s past and present (to celebrate Black History Month), and the ghost town of Metropolis are also highlighted in the pages of the current issue.

Nevada Magazine Covers Mining's Past & Present

An overview of Coeur Rochester, Inc.'s Nevada mine, northeast of Lovelock.

Nevada Magazine’s November/December 2013 issue, featuring former president Abraham Lincoln on the cover, is now available on newsstands throughout Nevada. In it are parallel feature stories: one about the logistics of modern mining in the state and a partner piece that focuses on Nevada's mining history and how the innovative and lucrative Comstock district propelled Nevada into statehood on October 31, 1864.

Lincoln was president during the Civil War, when Nevada become a state, earning it the "Battle Born" moniker. This is the second of eight Sesquicentennial Special Editions the magazine will produce through November/December 2014. The State of Nevada celebrates its 150th birthday in 2014.

Also highlighted in the issue are the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum and Visitor Center, Fort Churchill State Historic Park, Sand Springs Pony Express station, the Frank Sinatra Jr. kidnapping of 1963, a roundup of 2013 Nevada Books, and The LINQ, an open-air retail, dining, and entertainment district now under construction on the Las Vegas Strip.

The magazine is currently offering a number of great holiday gifts, including the Historical Nevada book, the 2014 Nevada Historical Calendar, and our special 75th-Anniversary Edition of 2011. Find out more at nevadamagazine.com, or by calling 775-687-0610.

Nevada Magazine Gets Into the Sesquicentennial Spirit

This old-time photo of the Nevada Magazine staff was taken in August 2013 at Priscilla Pennyworth's in Virginia City.

Release of Historical Nevada book and Historical Calendar coincides with Nevada Day weekend celebration.

Nevada Magazine staff will be selling the new Historical Nevada book and 2014 Nevada Historical Calendar on Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26 in Carson City during the Nevada Day festivities. Look for the booth at the Nevada State Museum in the main concourse on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be an additional booth on Saturday, during the Nevada Day Parade, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the Paul Laxalt State Building.

In honor of Nevada’s 150th birthday in 2014, Nevada Magazine has published a special book titled Historical Nevada: 150 Memorable Images in Celebration of the Silver State's Sesquicentennial. This 159-page publication is a great way for Nevadans and Nevada enthusiasts to celebrate the state's heritage. The cover shows the Virginia & Truckee Railroad as it was in 1876 Carson City.

Each book is $29.95 if purchased in person, and the magazine will accept Visa and MasterCard. If ordering online or via phone, the book is $29.95 plus a $6 shipping and handling fee. To order, visit nevadamagazine.com, or call 775-687-0610. Nevada state employees can get the Historical Nevada book for $25 by e-mailing carrie@nevadamagazine.com or calling 775-687-0610.

The 2014 Nevada Historical Calendar is also produced by Nevada Magazine. An 1876 scene of the Carson City Capitol appears on the cover. The 2014 calendar features many images from Nevada’s first decade of statehood, including a few from the early days of the Comstock, famous writer Mark Twain's cabin in Aurora, an 1860s photo of Austin, and an 1870s photo of Eureka.

Each calendar is $14 if purchased in person. If ordering online or via phone, each calendar is $14 plus a $4 shipping and handling fee. To order, visit nevadamagazine.com, or call 775-687-0610. Nevada state employees can get the 2014 Nevada Historical Calendar for $11 by e-mailing carrie@nevadamagazine.com or calling 775-687-0610. Purchasers can also bundle the book, calendar, and a Nevada Magazine subscription by taking advantage of various special offers available at nevadamagazine.com.

In addition, Nevada Magazine is hosting Nevada Photographers Day II, October 25-27. The magazine is inviting all photographers, statewide, to capture the Nevada Day spirit from our small towns to our big cities. Show and tell a memorable story that takes place in Nevada only during this 72-hour period. Submissions and detailed photo descriptions (names, place, time, etc.) are due to snebeker@nevadamagazine.com by Monday, November 11 at 5 p.m. For more information, visit nevadamagazine.com.

Reno Man Wins Nevada Magazine’s 2013 Photo Contest

Nevada residents sweep Grand Prize and 2nd through 4th Places.

"Light Glyphs," by Neil Lockhart

Neil Lockhart, owner of Neil Lockhart Photography based in Reno, is the Grand Prize winner of Nevada Magazine’s 36th annual Great Nevada Picture Hunt photo contest — the feature story in the publication’s September/October 2013 issue.

The winning image, titled “Light Glyphs," is an epic nighttime scene of Lagomarsino Canyon. One of the state’s most intriguing collections of petroglyphs, the site is located in the Lousetown area north of Virginia City. “The image was created by light-painting the rock formations with a large portable spotlight, as well as a small Mini Maglite for the glyphs themselves,” says Lockhart, who has a passion for night photography. He strategically included the Milky Way. “I can only imagine how bright the light of the stars must have been at the time the glyphs were created,” he adds.

In addition to the Grand Prize, there were 2nd Place, 3rd Place, and 4th Place winners in the magazine's 2013 photo contest. Carson City resident Jarrod Lopiccolo took 2nd with his stunning "Life Guard Off Duty" photo, taken at Sand Harbor on Lake Tahoe's northeastern shore. The 3rd Place photo, "Rhyolite Ghost Town" by Wayne Posner of Las Vegas, also landed on the cover of the current issue. Like Lockhart, Posner used a light-painting effect on the "Ghost Rider" sculpture at Rhyolite’s Goldwell Open Air Museum. Rhyolite is a ghost town in southwestern Nevada, not far from Beatty.

Reno resident Michael Lindberg took 4th Place with his photo of Sand Mountain Recreation Area, titled "Star Dust." The gigantic pile of sand, east of Fallon, is a popular ATV destination. “I went in February 2013 during a cold weekend in hopes of seeing zero motorized vehicles,” Lindberg says. “Unfortunately, there were still plenty of people, and I had to hike all over to find sand that had not been touched. Luckily my sweat and determination rewarded me with this scene.”

To view the winning images and Honorable Mentions, pick up the September/October 2013 issue at national bookstores and where magazines are sold in Nevada, or visit nevadamagazine.com. Look for information in a future 2014 issue covering submission rules for the 2014 photo contest, or check back regularly at nevadamagazine.com.

Also in the September/October 2013 issue

Photo by Wayne Posner

The current issue is also Nevada Magazine's first Sesquicentennial Special Edition. Nevada is celebrating its 150th birthday in 2014, so the magazine will honor the sesquicentennial over the next eight issues, through November/December 2014. Author and historian Ron Soodalter is writing a series of history stories that covers Nevada's past. Part I of Soodalter's two-part "Pre-Nevada" series covers the Indians, explorers, miners, and settlers who paved the way for Nevada's rise to statehood.

Also highlighted are a southwestern Nevada ghost-towns tour, spectacular fall images, more on the changing face of downtown Las Vegas, and a new tavern in Reno that pays homage to Nevada's birth year of 1864.

Historical Nevada Book Now Available

In honor of Nevada’s 150th birthday in 2014, Nevada Magazine is publishing a special book titled Historical Nevada: 150 Memorable Images in Celebration of the Silver State's Sesquicentennial. This 160-page publication is a great way for Nevadans and Nevada enthusiasts to celebrate the state's heritage. The cover shows the Virginia & Truckee Railroad as it was in 1876 Carson City.

The book also pays homage to Nevada Magazine's annual Nevada Historical Calendar, because the 150 images showcased are the most intriguing and memorable from 36 years of calendars (1978-2013). "We carefully scanned and edited the photos to preserve their original attributes," says Nevada Magazine Publisher Janet Geary. "We know you will enjoy this nine-decade journey through the different eras that shaped Nevada and helped create the state we know and love today."

From 1870s Virginia City to 1950s Las Vegas, Historical Nevada illustrates the Silver State's rise from a sparsely populated mining mecca into a world-renowned tourist destination. It also includes a Foreword by Richard Moreno, who was the Nevada Magazine publisher from 1992 to 2006. He has authored a number of Nevada history books, most recently A Short History of Carson City, and he is currently a professor at Western Illinois University.

Each book is $29.95 plus $6 shipping and handling. To order, visit nevadamagazine.com, or call 775-687-0610. Nevada state employees can get the Historical Nevada book for $25 by e-mailing carrie@nevadamagazine.com or calling 775-687-0610.

2014 Nevada Historical Calendar Now Available

The 2014 Nevada Historical Calendar, produced by Nevada Magazine, is now available for pre-order. For 36 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.

An 1876 scene of the Carson City Capitol is featured on the cover. The 2014 calendar features many more images from Nevada’s past, including a few from the early days of the Comstock, famous writer Mark Twain's cabin in Aurora, an 1860s photo of Austin, and an 1870s photo of Eureka. All of the inside calendar images are from Nevada's first decade of statehood.

Each calendar is $14 plus $4 shipping and handling. To order, visit nevadamagazine.com, or call 775-687-0610. Nevada state employees can get the 2014 Nevada Historical Calendar for $11 by e-mailing carrie@nevadamagazine.com or calling 775-687-0610.

THS-Visuals Tells Nevada's Story

BY MATTHEW B. BROWN

One of the slogans we use at Nevada Magazine is "Telling the Silver State's story since 1936." Well, THS-Visuals has been telling Nevada's story for many years as well. We were lucky enough to work with owner Todd Simon and his crew this month for a Nevada Magazine promo video, which you can watch below:


I found it interesting, in conversations I had with Simon in between filming at our Carson City offices, just how much of Nevada he's seen. We share this in common, I as the editor of Nevada Magazine and he as the owner of THS-Visuals, which has produced numerous Nevada tourism videos. Here is a summary of THS-Visuals' Nevada travels just this year:

• In March, they shot for a new TLC TV show called "Insane Bathrooms" covering a solid-gold bathroom in a Zephyr Cove (Lake Tahoe) home. The house was built by the co-founder of Tommy Hilfiger.
• Shortly after, they visited Pahrump for eight days to film a series of videos aimed at promoting tourism on the Visit Pahrump website. Included were Southern Nevada attractions such as Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Hoover Dam, local wineries, Death Valley National Park, and Rhyolite ghost town.
• In May, THS-Visuals spent time in Elko making a video for the California Trail Interpretive Center, followed by a shoot at Barrick Gold Corporation's Goldstrike mine site.
• In June, the Nevada Commission on Tourism asked THS-Visuals to put together a "Travel Nevada" video set to the new Nevada theme song, "Don't Fence Me In," by Las Vegas band The Killers.
• This summer, Simon and crew filmed events and activities in West Wendover during the city's July 4th celebration, then spent four days covering wild horses around Reno and Winnemucca for a new Discovery Channel show. Then they were back in West Wendover for 10 more days to film a series of tourism videos for the city website.

"Who knows where in the state you'll find us next? Interesting, and often unexpected...but always fun. That's my take on Nevada!"—Todd Simon

THS-Visuals' reach is not limited to Nevada, having produced shorts for Redding, California and Shasta Lake, for example. They were extremely professional during filming and turned the video around quickly, while remaining diligent about quality. We at Nevada Magazine highly recommend their work if you're looking to have a video made for your agency, business, etc.

Nevada Moon Rocks on Display

The smaller of two samples of moon rocks on display
at Nevada State Museum in Carson City through August 11.

Debunking a myth, Nevada’s moon rocks are not missing. In fact, moon rocks gifted to the Nevada State Museum and carried from space on Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 missions are safe, sound, and on public display in Carson City through August 11.

For more than a decade, a rumor has swirled that the moon rocks provided to several states were lost. The rumor circulated again recently, though Nevada’s samples have always been in the museum’s collections.

“They aren’t missing and never have been,” says Peter Barton, administrator of the Nevada State Division of Museums and History. “I saw them again for myself [recently]. We invite the public to come see for themselves. We just added what some experts say is the cannon John C. Fremont carried across the western states as he mapped out much of what is Nevada. We think these explorers had some things in common and hope people will come see both great pieces."

To celebrate the debut of  “Our Nevada Stories,” a new collection of artifacts has been gathered in advance of the state’s 150th birthday in 2014. Starting Saturday, July 27, the public can enjoy the moon rocks as part of the exhibit. For a more information about Nevada's moon rocks, refer to this 2009 Nevada Magazine story.

The museum is at 600 North Carson Street in Carson City. Admission is $8 for adults and free for members and ages 17 and younger. For information, call 775-687-4810 or click here.

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.

Nevada Magazine Announces 2013 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 (redeemable online as well) courtesy of Gordon’s Photo Service based in Carson City and Reno. The winner will also have the image published in the September/October 2013 issue of Nevada Magazine and on nevadamagazine.com, and receive an award certificate.

2nd Place will receive a $150 gift certificate from Gordon’s, 3rd Place will receive a $100 certificate, and 4th Place will receive a $50 certificate. All winners and Honorable Mentions will be published in the September/October 2013 issue of Nevada Magazine and on nevadamagazine.com, as well as receive award certificates.

The 2013 Great Nevada Picture Hunt, open to all photographers, has no categories this year, so your creativity has no bounds. Send up to seven (7) submissions via e-mail to snebeker@nevadamagazine.com by 5 p.m. (PDT) on Monday, July 1, 2013. To mail your images, call 775-687-0617 for instructions. Click here to view past photo contest winners, or for more contest details, visit nevadamagazine.com.

In Nevada Magazine’s May/June 2013 issue 

Nevada Magazine’s May/June 2013 issue is now available on statewide and national newsstands. It features stories on HawkWatch International, which has a raptor research site in Nevada's Goshute Mountains, and a Carson Valley falconry family. Also highlighted are the Silver State's vast network of scenic dirt roads, and the issue's other feature story is a photo gallery spotlighting the historic town of Virginia City.

The Cravings department includes a story about arte italia's Reno culinary classes, featuring authentic Italian chefs and food. The City Limits section previews the new Wet 'n' Wild Las Vegas waterpark. Finally, cycling enthusiasts can learn about six scenic Nevada rides — three in Northern Nevada and three in Southern Nevada.

2013 Wildfire Awareness Week starts May 4


Residents urged to be proactive

"Reduce the Fuel — Reduce the Risk!" is the message for the 2013 Nevada Wildfire Awareness Week, which kicks off Saturday, May 4. Ed Smith, director of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Living With Fire Program, says this year’s message is a call to action.

“Reducing the fuel around homes and other structures is critical to survival during a wildfire,” Smith, a natural resource specialist, says. "Residents must be proactive, monitoring and removing appropriate fuels year-round."

Smith says there are three factors that control wildfire behavior:

• Weather, including relative humidity, wind, and air temperature;
• Topography, including steepness of slope, aspect, and slope position; and
• Fuel, including amount, continuity, height, and moisture content.

Together, these three factors determine the ease in which a wildfire will start, direction it will go, how fast it will travel, length of its flames and how difficult it will be to suppress.

"Of these three factors, only the fuel can be altered in order to reduce the wildfire risk," Smith says. "That’s why we continue to focus our efforts on helping homeowners to know how to manage the vegetation and fuels around their homes."

Nevada Wildfire Awareness Week is a collaborative effort of local, state, and federal firefighting agencies, Extension, and many others. Proclamations and resolutions supporting the effort have been issued by Governor Brian Sandoval, the Nevada League of Cities, the Nevada Association of Counties, county commissioners, and other groups.

Events and activities are being held across the state. To see what is happening in various communities, visit livingwithfire.info and click on the Wildfire Awareness Week tab, or contact Sonya Sistare at sistares@unce.unr.edu or 775-336-0271.

Refer to the November/December 2012 issue of Nevada Magazine to read a feature story titled, "Fire Danger: Extreme."

Historical Calendar Wins Gold Award

The 2013 Nevada Historical Calendar (shown above) has won a Gold Award in the "Most Original" category from the Calendar Marketing Association of Illinois.

A complete list of Calendar Marketing Association winners are listed here: http://www.calendarassociation.org/winners.pdf

For more information about the 2013 Nevada Historical Calendar, or to order your copy, click here.

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 ushers in its 77th year

January 1936

January/February 2013
Photo: Mark Harris

Nevada Magazine’s January/February 2013 issue is now available on newsstands throughout Nevada. Featured in the edition are 12 authentic, homegrown Nevada events to plan for in 2013, as well as Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki's column about the upcoming National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko.

From Winnemucca's Ranch Hand Rodeo to Carson City's Nevada Day celebration and parade, the feature story celebrates signature events that define a city or town's legacy, such as Beatty Days, Jarbidge Days, Rachel Days, and Tonopah's Jim Butler Days.

The issue’s other feature story spotlights the Nevada Arts Council's Traveling Exhibition Program (TEP), which brings visual arts—including paintings, ceramics, and photography—to 24 Nevada cities and towns. Readers can learn about such installments as Honest Horses: A Portrait of the Mustang in the Great Basin, which will be on exhibit at the Beatty Museum and Historical Society through January 23.

To complement the story, Nevada Magazine is hosting the exhibit Stop the Car, Dad! for a limited run through Friday, March 1. The public can stop the car at The Paul Laxalt Building in Carson City during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to peruse the photographs of Eric Lauritzen, who died in 2007 but left a legacy of Nevada imagery that documents the bizarre, beautiful—and in some cases disturbing—roadside attractions he discovered while exploring the Silver State.

Alana Berglund installs a Nevada Arts Council traveling exhibit at the Art Institute of Las Vegas in October 2012.
Photo: Charlie Johnston

Also featured in the issue is a cover story about the popular Nevada sport of land sailing. The many dry lake beds and abundant year-round wind have made Nevada one of the country's premier land-sailing destinations.

Goldfield's International Car Forest, Reno's historic downtown Amtrak station, Las Vegas' new DISCOVERY Children's Museum, a history story about famous Comstock journalist Dan DeQuille, and Tahoe Lobster Company, which commercial fishes the invasive crayfish from the Nevada waters of Lake Tahoe, are also highlighted in the pages of the current issue.

This publication marks the 77th anniversary of Nevada Magazine, which debuted as Nevada Highways and Parks in January 1936. See all 77 years of cover images here.

Nevada Magazine to host weekly radio show

Nevada Magazine publisher Janet Geary, editor Matthew B. Brown, and other staff co-host a weekly radio show in partnership with America Matters Media.

Nevada Magazine, the official state tourism publication for 77 years, has partnered with Reno-based America Matters Media (formerly known as Nevada Matters) to host a weekly Nevada Magazine radio show.

"In almost four decades I have never been involved in a talk show that can do as much for Nevadans as the Nevada Magazine talk show," says America Matters Media reporter and host Eddie Floyd, "which has been the goal of Nevada Matters Media ever since its beginning on KSRN when Bob Carroll was the station manager. It has always been our motto to 'enthusiastically educate, entertain, and enlighten everyone everywhere,' and Nevada Magazine certainly will do all three."

Nevada Magazine publisher Janet Geary, editor Matthew B. Brown, and other staff co-host the show, which tapes live from the Reno Town Mall on Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m. It can be heard at that time on Renegade Radio, found on 101.3 FM in Northern Nevada or online at renegaderadio.org. The public is invited to attend the live show.

The Nevada Magazine show can also be heard Sundays at 6 p.m. on Fox News Radio, found on 99.1 FM in Northern Nevada or online at 991fmtalk.com, as well as various times Monday through Saturday on the aforementioned Renegade Radio.

Just as readers of Nevada Magazine have enjoyed an educational mix of history and tourism stories in print and online over the years, that same format will carry over to the radio.

"We will keep listeners informed about what can be found in the pages of Nevada Magazine and on our website, NevadaMagazine.com," Geary says, "but we also want the community to be actively involved. We envision audience members and callers telling us about their fondest Nevada memories, or maybe their favorite Nevada event or destination. We will also invite our partners in Nevada tourism to be guests on the show."

To submit ideas for the show, or to inquire about being a guest, e-mail editor@nevadamagazine.com or call 775-687-0602. You can also connect with Nevada Magazine via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and a number of other social media channels.

For more information about Nevada Matters Media and a complete schedule of shows, visit NevadaMatters.us or call 775-827-8900.

"Information rich and packed with ideas for future trips!"—Ron Mader, founder of Planeta.com (dedicated to ecotourism and responsible travel), after listening to the Nevada Magazine radio show.

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.