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

The Motel Life Novel Hits the Big Screen

Nevada—and not just Las Vegas—has made its mark on the motion picture industry.

"The Motel Life" stars, from left to right, Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning, and Stephen Dorff.

BY MATTHEW B. BROWN

On Friday, November 8, "The Motel Life" movie—an adaptation of Reno native and author Willy Vlautin's 2006 novel of the same name—debuted in select cities around the country with a simultaneous iTunes and National Video On Demand release. I had the pleasure of attending a screening of the film on Saturday, November 2 at the University of Nevada, Reno. In the book/movie, two brothers—Jerry Lee and Frank—flee Reno after Jerry Lee kills a teenage boy in an accident turned hit-and-run.

Vlautin, also the frontman for the Richmond Fontaine band, was present as an intimate crowd of about 100 were treated to the free first-come, first-serve showing. Although it was difficult for me to get over the fact that the film's creators passed off Virginia City as Elko (where the men escape to), for the most part I enjoyed the 85-minute movie. "I apologize…and they apologize…for making Virginia City Elko," Vlautin joked in a post-screening Q&A session. "I guess they went to Elko and said, 'It looks exactly like Reno…kinda.' So they had to find somewhere close that they could afford."

My opinion of the movie pretty much mirrors many of the reviews I read. While the movie itself is good, not great, what makes it memorable are the surreal illustrations by Mike Smith. Like Smith, Jerry Lee's character (Stephen Dorff) is a great drawer, and Frank (Emile Hirsch) tells equally great and far-flung tales, often pitting Jerry Lee as the hero. The animation, coupled with the wintry cinematography, are exceptional. "My favorite part of the movie are the animation scenes," Vlautin said.

If you're a resident of Reno (like myself) or Virginia City, or hold these cities dear, it's worth seeing the movie simply for that reason alone. I also recommend reading the Q&A with Vlautin, by Caleb Cage, from the November/December 2008 issue of Nevada Magazine, here.

Keep reading this blog to learn about other memorable films that have a strong Nevada tie. The following story (although condensed and re-edited here) was published in the November/December 2012 issue of Nevada Magazine:

SILVER STATE ON THE SILVER SCREEN

BY MATTHEW B. BROWN

Early in 2011, Carson City and neighboring Douglas County were abuzz with Dakota Fanning sightings. The famous actress was in the Carson City area for the filming of “The Motel Life,” based on a book of the same name by author-musician Willy Vlautin.

“I just saw her and Emile [Hirsch] filming in Carson City at the Back on Track Inn,” wrote Frank Norton in a comment on the website onlocationvacations.com on March 4, 2011. “I yelled ‘I love you’ to her, and she stopped, looked at me, and started walking again.”

Norton represents that crazed movie lover in all of us; we become obsessed with the characters, quotes, and places from our favorite films. “The Motel Life,” also reportedly shot in Gardnerville, Genoa, Minden, Reno, and Virginia City, is just one of many in a long line of recognizable movies that take advantage of Nevada’s unique cities, towns, and landscapes.

With the help of the Nevada Film Office, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2012, we chose a diverse group of films to spotlight in this story. Some of them you can even revisit—literally—today, simply by planning a trip to or within Nevada.

Plot descriptions are from International Movie Database—imdb.com.

December 1986 issue

“THE MISFITS”
1961 — Dayton & Reno
Plot: A sexy divorcée falls for an over-the-hill cowboy who is struggling to maintain his romantically independent lifestyle in early-’60s Nevada.
Stars: Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, & Montgomery Clift
Misfits Flat has quite a ring to it. Unfortunately for tourists, it’s on private property. Fortunately, Lester Robertson—owner of the land and the company Complete Millwork Service—is open to playing tour guide. Robertson says motorized vehicles are off limits, but he’s invited hikers, landsailers, and model airplane flyers and rocketeers to his acreage just south of Stagecoach off U.S. Highway 50. “Then there’s the occasional school film shoot,” he adds. “Schools from the Bay Area shoot shorts. It’s really the only dry lakebed that’s privately held. They’re looking for that desert scenery; that cloud of dust. I have all those vistas.”
As for “The Misfits,” Robertson says he knows precisely where the movie was shot and where the action took place. “The only people who have been interested are Europeans,” he says. “The French and Germans have an affinity for westerns.” Call Robertson at 775-246-0485 to inquire about the property.
Dayton’s Odeon Hall & Saloon, now home to the aptly named Misfits Theater Group (misfitstheatergroup.org), is where the movie’s lively bar scenes were filmed. Interestingly, director John Huston was the winner of Virginia City’s inaugural Camel Races in 1960. The event is still held annually in Virginia City.

Valley of Fire State Park

“THE PROFESSIONALS”
1966 — Valley of Fire State Park
Plot: An arrogant Texas millionaire hires four adventurers to rescue
his kidnapped wife from a notorious Mexican bandit.
Stars: Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, & Robert Ryan
Today, a plaque marks the spot where “The Professionals” set once stood, accessible via the White Domes Trail in Valley of Fire, Nevada’s oldest and largest state park. “The main movie set, a Mexican hacienda, was located where the parking lot is now. Railroad ties can still be seen sticking out of the rocks,” reads the plaque. Parts of the movie were also filmed in Las Vegas and at Lake Mead, both nearby.
Hal Roach began the tradition of filming westerns among the red sandstone vistas in the 1920s before the area was officially recognized as a state park in 1935. Other well-known films to feature Valley of Fire State Park include “Electric Horseman” and “Star Trek Generations.”

“THE GODFATHER: PART II”
1974 — Lake Tahoe
Plot: The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York is portrayed while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on his crime syndicate stretching from Lake Tahoe to pre-revolution 1958 Cuba.
Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, & Robert Duvall
In true mob fashion, the Lake Tahoe location used in the second “Godfather” is shrouded in secrecy. “It’s long been rumored that a scene was filmed at the Thunderbird Lodge, but the property manager there has no recollection,” says Robin Holabird, former deputy director of the Nevada Film Office before she retired in 2008. “The production designer, Dean Tavoularis, told me he could only remember shooting near Homewood. That was the old Kaiser Estate, which is now the Fleur du Lac condos. Only the boathouse remains standing.” The original “Godfather” used the Riviera in Las Vegas for filming.
Some films that feature Lake Tahoe as a backdrop are more obvious. The 2006 film “Smokin’ Aces” used the iconic Cave Rock, which drivers pass through on U.S. Highway 50. ‘“The Deep End’ used Sand Harbor for Tilda Swinton’s character to dump a body; ironic because Sand Harbor is probably the most shallow end of Lake Tahoe,” Holabird adds.

"The Shootist" house, Carson City
Photo by Charlie Johnston

“THE SHOOTIST”
1976 — Carson City
Plot: A dying gunfighter spends his last days looking for a way to die with a minimum of pain and a maximum of dignity.
Stars: John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, & Ron Howard
The 1914 Krebs-Peterson house at 500 Mountain Street in Carson City (near the Governor’s Mansion) has a sidewalk plaque commemorating western icon John Wayne’s final film. “Wayne was great to Carson City locals while he was staying at the Ormsby House Hotel during the filming,” reads imdb.com. “He signed autographs for young people readily.”
Former Nevada Magazine art director Tony deRonnebeck grew up with a similar story. Tony’s grandfather, Otto, worked as a truck driver for Salvage Construction Company in Carson City. “He was delivering sand to cover the asphalt streets for the set. On one of the trips John Wayne jumped up in the cab of his truck, shared a Camel straight, and talked about the old days,” Tony told me.
The movie was also filmed in nearby Washoe Lake State Park. Ironic that he played a dying gunfighter, Wayne’s acting career faded quietly. He never made it back to the big screen despite dying of stomach cancer a whole three years after filming for “The Shootist” began.

Director Brooks at Hoover Dam

“LOST IN AMERICA”
1985 — Hoover Dam & Las Vegas
Plot: A husband and wife in their 30s decide to quit their jobs, live as free spirits, and cruise America in a Winnebago.
Stars: Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty, & Sylvia Farrel
This story ranges from the work-a-day world of Los Angeles to the razzle-dazzle of Las Vegas to the high energy of New York City; from the stunning beauty of Hoover Dam to the quaint life of roadside trailer camps.
In Las Vegas, the picture company worked and lodged at the Desert Inn Hotel, filming in the casino, lobby, and coffee shop. In the casino, usually seen in films as a distant backdrop, special arrangements were made to enable filming at the gaming tables amid customers and employees.
In striking contrast to Vegas’ neon shimmer was the majesty of the Hoover Dam. For the filmmakers, as well as for the main characters David and Linda, the journey proved to be an exercise in rediscovering America.—From albertbrooks.com

“CASINO” 
1995 — Las Vegas
Plot: Greed, deception, money, power, and murder occur between two mobster best friends and a trophy wife over a gambling empire.
Stars: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, & Joe Pesci
The Las Vegas locations used in this classic mob film are too vast to list, but some notable ones are Bally’s and former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman’s actual Fourth Street office. The driving scene in the beginning of the movie was filmed on Fremont Street in downtown, which is no longer open to automobile traffic.
The Tangiers casino mentioned in the movie is fictional; the story is actually based upon the history of the Stardust casino and the life of mobster Franky “Lefty” Rosenthal.
Las Vegas residents and tourists can get a great overview of the city’s mob history on the Vegas Mob Tour (vegasmobtour.com, 866-218-4935), Wednesday through Saturday in the winter months and daily in the spring and summer months. The two-and-a-half hour bus tour covers fedoras and pinstriped suits from Bugsy Siegel in the ’40s to Rosenthal in the ’70s. Former mobster Frank Cullotta served as a technical adviser on the “Casino” set and has provided his insights to the tour.

ID4 monument in Rachel

“INDEPENDENCE DAY”
1996 — Rachel & West Wendover
Plot: The aliens are coming, and their goal is to invade and destroy. Fighting superior technology, man’s best weapon is the will to survive.
Stars: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, & Jeff Goldblum
Perhaps Nevada’s most obscure monument to the motion-picture industry lies in the small town of Rachel on the Extraterrestrial Highway—or State Route 375. “The ‘ID4’ monument in front of the Little A’Le’Inn was placed here by the producers of the movie ‘Independence Day,’” reads rachel-nevada.com. “It contains a time capsule, to be opened in the year 2050.”
Imdb.com lists the “trailer park scene” as having been filmed in Rachel. Holabird, also a film reviewer for KUNR, says Pullman and Goldblum traveled to Rachel the year the movie was released in theaters—1996—to dedicate the official opening of the Extraterrestrial Highway. “The Area 51 shots were done at the Wendover Air Base, which meant the cast and crew, even Will Smith, stayed in West Wendover,” she says. The movie also used Utah’s famously spacious and white Bonneville Salt Flats, just east of West Wendover, for filming.

Exploded plane from "3,000 Miles..."

“3000 MILES TO GRACELAND”
2001 — Las Vegas & Nelson
Plot: A gang of ex-cons robs a casino during Elvis convention week.
Stars: Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, & Courteney Cox
Nelson is best known as one of Southern Nevada’s most intriguing “living ghost towns,” but it’s also home to a piece—a big piece—of movie memorabilia. The remnants of a plane blown up by Costner’s character sit adjacent to the Techatticup Mine, available for tours most days via Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours (eldoradocanyonminetours.com, 702-291-0026).
The set was not new to Russell. Another film he stars in, 1997’s “Breakdown,” also used the Nelson area as a backdrop.

“WAKING UP IN RENO”
2002
Plot: A romantic comedy about two trashy couples traveling to Reno to see a monster truck show.
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Charlize Theron, & Patrick Swayze
The Biggest Little City has provided the backdrop for countless films, as is the case with this under-the-radar movie. Perhaps it wouldn’t have flown quite so far under had Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston not dropped out prior to filming. Casino scenes were filmed in the former Fitzgeralds, also seen in the 2010 film “Love Ranch,” starring Joe Pesci, which is based on the real-life story of Joe Conforte opening the first legal brothel in the state.
“Kingpin” used downtown Reno’s National Bowling Stadium extensively, and who could forget the scene of Whoopi Goldberg and a group of fellow nuns running under the famous downtown “Biggest Little City in the World” arch in “Sister Act”?

“THE ISLAND”
2005 — Rhyolite
Plot: A man goes on the run after he discovers that he is actually a “harvestable being,” kept as a source of replacement parts, along with others, in a Utopian facility.
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Ewan McGregor, & Djimon Hounsou
Forget its role in popular films. If you haven’t been to Rhyolite, a popular ghost town just west of Beatty, you’re missing a real Nevada treasure. The barely standing buildings and ruins remain from the early 1900s when the Bullfrog Mining District boomed. By the 1920s, the town was by all means abandoned. Structures such as the three-story Cook Bank Building fit Bay’s vision of a desolate world in which Johansson and McGregor’s characters are thrust.
Filming of “The Island” also commenced in Tonopah, according to imdb.com. 1987’s “Cherry 2000,” a sci-fi action number starring Melanie Griffith, was filmed almost exclusively in Nevada, utilizing the aforementioned Rhyolite, as well as Goldfield and the Hollywood-popular Valley of Fire State Park.

What are your favorite Nevada movies? Let us know in the Comments section.

Reno Hosts its First Triple-A All-Star Game

Photo: Matthew B. Brown

As the days become longer and hotter, it is evident that summer in Reno is in full swing. Summer means baseball, and Aces Ballpark in Reno hosted a spectacular display Wednesday during the Dolan Auto Group Triple-A All-Star Game. An Aces Ballpark record crowd of 10,135 fans gathered to watch the best Triple-A players.

Editor Matthew B. Brown and I were fortunate enough to attend the game, enjoying some much-needed ballpark food, sunshine, and, of course, baseball. The familiar organ music and the concession men shouting, "Get your popcorn here!" set the stage for a great evening at Aces Ballpark.

The highlights, according to the Reno Aces' communications department, are as follows:

The International League defeated the Pacific Coast League by a score of 4-3.

Catcher Tony Sanchez of the Indianapolis Indians hit a three-run home run to right field off PCL starter Jarred Cosart of the Oklahoma City RedHawks in the second inning, giving the IL a 4-2 lead. Sanchez finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs and was named the IL Top Star for his game-deciding home run. 

Michael Wacha of the Memphis Redbirds was named Top Star for the Pacific Coast League after pitching one-and-two-thirds innings without allowing a base runner. 

International League starter Greg Reynolds of the Louisville Bats tossed one inning giving up two runs off three hits and earned the win. Cosart received the loss and was replaced after allowing four runs over one-and-two-thirds innings. 

Photo: Matthew B. Brown

Louisville’s Billy Hamilton led off the game with an infield single and followed that up by stealing second. Back-to-back ground outs advanced Hamilton to third and eventually home to give the IL an early 1-0 lead. 

The PCL answered back in the bottom half of the first as Albuquerque’s Nick Buss and Reno’s Chris Owings hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Buss quickly scored off another single from Brett Pill of the Fresno Grizzlies. Owings advanced to third and would score on an RBI ground out off the bat of Brock Peterson of Memphis, giving the PCL a brief 2-1 lead. Peterson finished 1-for-2 with an RBI.

Sanchez’ blast in the top of the second inning was the first home run hit in in a Triple-A All-Star Game since Russ Canzler launched one in 2011. The PCL would score another run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI ground out by Fresno catcher Johnny Monell, but the IL relief pitchers closed the door, only allowing just one hit after the fourth inning.

Chris Bootcheck of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders contributed two shutout innings allowing only one hit. Earning the save was Columbus Clippers closer Preston Guilmet after he came in with two outs in the ninth to get Aces catcher Tuffy Gosewisch to ground out to end the game. 

Matt Davidson, the IGT Home Run Derby champ and Reno Aces third baseman, finished 0-for-2 and failed to reach base.

The International League’s victory gives them a 9-7 advantage over the Pacific Coast League in Triple-A All-Star Games since the format switched from AL vs. NL 16 years ago. The win also secures home-field advantage for IL’s representing team in the Gildan Triple-A National Championship to be held on Tuesday, September 17th at Coca-Cola Park, home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

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.

Best Chefs America

LEADING CHEFS AROUND THE COUNTRY AGREE: CHEF RICHARD LACOUNTE OF 1862 DAVID WALLEY’S RESTAURANT AND SALOON NAMED TO BEST CHEFS AMERICA

Executive Chef Richard LaCounte of 1862 David Walley’s Restaurant and Saloon has been honored as one of the country’s top culinary talents in the inaugural edition of Best Chefs America. Less than 1 percent off all chefs and professional cooks in America made the publication's list.

This is the first-ever peer review guide of U.S. chefs, who were chosen after extensive interviews between their fellow chefs and Best Chefs America analysts. Chef LaCounte will be showcased in the informative and exquisitely produced 386-page coffee table book that will be released on March 1.

“This is a great honor. To be recognized by my peers and to be included in Best Chefs America, is really a dream come true” LaCounte says. “This is a tough profession. There can be a lot of pressure and changing situations. Handling these situations professionally with my peers has always been a goal of mine. To be recognized for this and my expertise and creativity as a chef gives me great satisfaction.”

Richard LaCounte

LaCounte is the executive chef of 1862 David Walley’s Restaurant and Saloon at 2001 Foothill Rd. in Genoa. A native of Reno, LaCounte trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City. He joined 1862 David Walley’s Restaurant and Saloon from the Grand Sierra Resort and Charlie Palmer Group.

Having worked in some of Las Vegas’ most exclusive restaurants, LaCounte’s expertise is evident in the presentation and taste of his specialties at 1862. His appreciation for seasonal ingredients and the finest game, fish, and poultry are transformed into innovative menus, resulting in an unforgettable dining experience with practical pricing for every guest.

Winner of the 2012 Wine Spectator Magazine’s “Award of Excellence,” 1862 David Walley’s Restaurant and Saloon serves dinner nightly from 5 to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Call 775-782-6602, or book online via Open Table at 1862davidwalleysrestaurantandsaloon.com.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nevada Magazine Highlights Reno-Tahoe Territory

Photo: Chris Talbot

Nevada Magazine’s November/December 2011 issue — the Reno-Tahoe Territory Special Edition — will be available soon on newsstands throughout Nevada. In it are a feature on Lake Tahoe ski resorts and a roundup of northwestern Nevada cities and towns, including Carson City, Reno, and Virginia City.

Also highlighted are Reno-Tahoe Territory’s lakes and parks, the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area, noteworthy events in the territory, and a history story titled “The Six-Week Cure,” about Reno’s liberal divorce laws in the 1930s and the effect they had on the city.

The issue concludes Nevada Magazine’s 75th-anniversary year. To celebrate the milestone, the magazine covered Nevada’s six tourism “Territories” in 2011, customizing each of the year’s six issues to honor Las Vegas Territory, Pony Express Territory, Cowboy Country, Indian Territory, Nevada Silver Trails, and, finally, Reno-Tahoe Territory. Read all the Territory issues here.

Nevada enthusiasts can package the six special Territory issues with other great Nevada Magazine products such as the 75th-Anniversary Edition and 2012 Nevada Historical Calendar. The magazine is offering a number of great holiday gifts, such as the Nevada Lover's Package. Find out more at nevadamagazine.com, or by calling 775-687-0603.

Nevada Magazine hosts IRMA conference in Reno

Nevada Magazine, the official state tourism publication, will host the International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA) conference September 9-12 at Reno’s Peppermill Resort Spa Casino.

IRMA’s 51st annual conference will bring together regional publications from Canada and the United States to The Biggest Little City in the World. “One very productive aspect of the IRMA conferences is the informal sharing of information, everything from contributors’ fees to good advertising strategies,” says Elizabeth Folwell, creative director for Adirondack Life, based in upstate New York. “Questions come up outside the formal presentations in the spirit of working together.”

In addition to their time spent in Reno, some of the more than 70 conference attendees will tour South Lake Tahoe the afternoon of September 9, and all the conference guests will spend the evening of September 12 riding the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, followed by dinner, in historic Virginia City. Reno’s Siena Hotel Spa Casino will host a reception and dinner as well on September 11.

On Saturday, Susan Breidenbach, social media specialist at Reno’s ProNet, will present at the conference, followed by Alan Deutschman, professor and Reynolds Chair of Business Journalism at University of Nevada, Reno. Other General Session speakers during the conference include Beth Roy and Eileen White of Iowa fulfillment company CDS Global and Toronto-based editor and consultant Kim Pittaway.

A complete conference agenda can be found here.

“The fact that we’re hosting this conference during our 75th-anniversary year makes it extra special,” says Nevada Magazine Publisher Janet Geary. “We are excited to not only reconnect with our partners in the magazine industry, but also to introduce the Reno-Tahoe area to out-of-towners.”

Hamilton's Aviation Tour Lands in Reno

Hamilton has been timing the skies since 1919, providing pilots with precision-crafted navigation instruments.

Paying tribute to almost a century of proven aviation heritage, Hamilton is launching a Fall Aviation Tour of the United States, in which it will send its new Hamilton-branded VOTEC 221 Mock-Up airplane to multiple cities around the country for plane and watch enthusiasts to enjoy.

The plane’s first stop will be in Reno, where it will remain on display for 30 days at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. In October, the plane heads to Greensboro, NC, where it will be stationed at Fink’s for several weeks. Later, the plane will make its journey to Los Angeles for a month-long visit, making stops at two different retail locations. Its final destination will be Chicago, where it will land at Abt Electronics and remain grounded for close to a month.

Painted in Hamilton’s signature orange and black, the VOTEC 221 Mock-Up is Swiss-made and was built using components certified for aircraft construction. It has a Wingspan of 20.7 feet and is more than 19.5 feet long. It is approximately 5.25 feet high and weighs around 1,000 pounds.

To learn more about Hamilton’s complete line of timepieces, visit hamiltonwatch.com.

Sparks resident wins Nevada Magazine’s 2010 Great Nevada Picture Hunt

A year after a Texas man won the grand prize in Nevada Magazine’s annual photo contest, a Sparks resident has delivered the gold back to the Silver State.

Sean Kukowski, who captured a thrilling 2009 summer lightning storm over the Reno area, is the Grand Prize winner of Nevada Magazine’s 33rd annual Great Nevada Picture Hunt—the feature story in the publication’s September/October 2010 issue.

The winning image (above), titled “Reno Lightning,” was taken from a hillside off of State Route 445, known as Pyramid Highway. “This storm took me by surprise,” Kukowski says. “It had some of the most impressive lightning I have ever seen.”

In addition to the Grand Prize, photographers were judged in five different categories: City Limits, Wide Open, Adventure, People, and Events. All the 2010 category winners are Nevada residents, including Las Vegas’ Bill Gerrard, who won the City Limits category and took Runner-Up in Events. Gerrard’s winning photo is of the tram that connects CityCenter to other Strip resorts.

Ellen Sargent, from Indian Springs, swept the People category with sepia images taken at the Overland Ranch in Ruby Valley. The subject of the winning image, Len Wines, was captured during his final branding at the 137-year-old ranch. The Runner-Up image is that of Len’s grandson, Pat, from the same branding.

Other winners are Reno resident Michael Horsley (Wide Open, “Incline Night Shot”) for his nighttime winter overview of Incline Village; Reno’s Krista Williams (Adventure, “Hidden Beach Paddle Surfers”) for her intriguing photo of two paddle surfers taken from the shore of Lake Tahoe; and Ralph Willits of Las Vegas (Events, “Shot Show”) for capturing a leaping dog at an annual hunting and outdoors trade show.

To view the winning images, pick up the latest issue (at right) at national bookstores and where magazines are sold in Nevada, or visit NevadaMagazine.com. Look for an ad in a future 2011 issue covering rules of submission for the 2011 contest, or check back regularly at NevadaMagazine.com.

Also in the September/October issue, Nevada Magazine highlights some of the state’s more accessible ghost towns, visits Virginia City’s Mackay Mansion Museum, Lake Tahoe’s Thunderbird Lodge, and Reno’s Freight House District, covers two fabulous Fallon restaurants, and continues its Tour Around Nevada in Boulder City.

Reno Philharmonic Lights Up the Pioneer Center

I had the pleasure of attending Reno Philharmonic's "Latin Temptation" at Reno's Pioneer Center last night. I had seen one prior show—a cowboy poetry and music performance—at Pioneer Center, but this was completely different in almost every aspect.

The Reno Philharmonic, led this season by music director and conductor Laura Jackson, performs regularly at the venue. Jackson spoke before the show to members of the Reno-Tahoe Young Professionals Network and said, "This is where I want to be." Her flamboyancy and energy during the performance backed that statement up. You can tell Jackson enjoys what she does, and her stage presence alone makes it worth seeing one of the Phil's remaining shows.

Although I don't consider myself a classical music buff, I was thoroughly entertained, especially by the opening act, which featured selections from Georges Bizet's Carmen. Click here for a sampling.

Event though the pace was a little slow at times for my taste, accordion extraordinaire Peter Soave put on an amazing show playing to the music of Astor Piazolla. The night ended with a tribute to Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Apparently, Jackson has a sense of humor as well. After intermission, she said to the crowd, "I wonder how many of you have been to a Latin show where two-thirds of the music is French."

Hey, it was an entertaining two hours, and that's all that matters.

See Raphael's The Woman with the Veil through March 21

I guess I didn't truly understand the significance of what I was about to see until I greeted locked doors at the main entrance of the Nevada Museum of Art on Friday, January 8. It was after regular hours, of course, but there was a scheduled media event as far as I knew.

I made my way toward the back of the museum and came across a side door, where a security guard asked me to push a button. I explained who I was, they checked "the list," and let me in. After verifying who I was a second time, security escorted me through another set of doors. It was about this time that it sank in how monumental this really was.

Actually, when Raphael's La Donna Velata or La Velata (The Woman with the Veil), c. 1516, was transported to the museum, it was quite the production as well, according to Rachel Milon, Director of Communications and Marketing for the NMA. You would have thought Barack Obama was being escorted to the museum, given Milon's description of countless police cars—with flashing lights—and an armored car delivering the painting at 2 a.m. to its 10-week temporary home in Reno.

The painting came from Portland, will be on exhibit in Reno from January 9 through March 21, then head to Milwaukee before returning to its rightful home in Italy. As I stared at the painting during a special media preview, before the onrush of folks who had received a special VIP invite to the unveiling, so many questions came to mind: Why didn't Raphael sign this particular painting, like most artists do?—(still not sure). How was the painting transported from Italy?—(by plane, under heavy security).

Much like the Rembrandt: The Embrace of Darkness and Light exhibit that runs through January 17, Milon expects a tourist boon from the Raphael exhibit. The museum is even partnering with local casinos on special room packages.

One thing is for sure, after Friday I can tell you I have much more of an appreciation for the arts. Whether you consider yourself an art aficionado or not, this is one exhibit you want to see before it leaves Reno. For hours and contact info, click here.