Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 3
The heart of Humboldt County and the hub of the West Welcome to Winnemucca! Nevadans are proud of their wideopen spaces, beautiful mountain and valley vistas and fascinating history, but sharing these things with visitors makes us even prouder. Here in Winnemucca, you’ll find a little bit of everything, from off-road adventures and western cowboy fun to unique museums and shopping. Hiking and biking trails snake through the surrounding mountains and the untamed terrain is perfect for an ATV excursion or camping trip. I highly recommend dinner at one of the local eateries, including fine family-style Basque restaurants, where visitors
Brian K. Krolicki can share in a meal experience that is centuries old. And of course, what would a visit to
Nevada be without a dance with Lady Luck? The friendly atmosphere of Winnemucca’s casinos invites beginner and experienced gamers alike to sit down and enjoy a casual evening of slots, table games or poker. Feel free to ask the dealer for help and learn a new game or try your luck at your favorite slot machine. You’ll find a friendly face around every corner as you enjoy a night of Nevada-style gaming. I hope you enjoy your visit and take full advantage of everything Winnemucca and Northern Nevada have to offer. Best regards, Brian K. Krolicki, Lieutenant Governor
Winnemucca is the only town in Nevada named after a Native American The City of Winnemucca was named after the famous Northern Paiute Indian Chief Old Winnemucca by one of President Lin coln’s map makers. When Winnemucca was young, before the discovery of gold in California, several white prospectors came into the area of the Humboldt Sink from the Boise River country. When they first saw Winnemucca, he was wearing only one moccasin and his other foot was bare. In the Paiute dialect, “mu cha” means moccasin and the white men referred to him as “wan namuccha” — or “one moccasin.” This name, part English and part Paiute, pleased Winnemucca, and he adopted it as his new name, being Chief Winnemucca referred to thereafter as Wannemuccha by his tribe. The chief spent a lot of time in the region of the town of Winnemucca, attending “fandangoes,” ritual gatherings of several hundred people. Chief Winnemucca and his daughter, Sarah, traveled across the country, bringing attention to the plight of their people. In 1880, they presented their case in Washing ton, D.C. A statue of Sarah Winnemucca is housed in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capi tol in Washington, D.C. The Sarah As a spokesperson for her people, Sarah Winnemucca gave over 300 speeches to win support for statue in Washington, D.C. them, and she met with President Rutherford B. Hayes and Secretary of the Interior Carl Schurz in 1880. Her 1883 autobiography, “Life among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims,” was the first book written by a Native American woman. 4 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
Winnemucca Fast Facts
Photo courtesy J. Carmen Kofoed
The Humboldt County Courthouse.
• There are about 7,500 people in Winnemucca. • The population of Humboldt County is roughly 18,000. • Humboldt County receives 8 inches of precipitation annually. • The average summer temperature is 98, while the average winter temperature is 20 degrees.
Welcome to Winnemucca!
Winnemucca Municipal Golf Course
The City of Winnemucca welcomes you to our community! Our city has four well-maintained parks with sheltered picnic areas, playground equipment, restrooms and other amenities that are perfect for a leisurely picnic or your next family gathering. Vesco Park is located on Mizpah Street, and contains playground equipment, sheltered picnic areas, restrooms, three softball diamonds and two tennis courts. Also at Vesco Park you can find the Winnemucca Skate Park, offering plenty of dips and dives for skateboarders of all ages. The park plus the nearby golf course cover 65 lush acres. Winnemucca has two swimming pools — Bode Howard Memorial Pool is an indoor facility offering both lap swim and open swim hours six days a week. Memorial Pool, located next to Vesco Park, also has a weight room and pickleball nearby. Sage Heights Pool, located north of Winnemucca just off US Hwy. 95, is open during warm weather. Perhaps the feather in Winnemucca’s cap is the beautiful nine-hole municipal golf course. The course features well-maintainted greens and two pond fountain features. Tee times are available during warm weather months. Located on the south end of Winnemucca is the Sports Complex, boasting four regulation-size softball diamonds. During the summer, the area is busy with both softball and soccer, with ice skating offered during the coldest days of winter.
Memorial Pool
Vesco Park
Sage Heights Pool
City of Winnemucca
City Hall
Proud of it! Call Winnemucca City Hall at (775) 623-6338 for more information or to reserve one of the parks; or stop by and see us at 90 West Fourth St. in downtown Winnemucca.
Visit us online at www.winnemuccacity.org Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 5
Winnemucca Visitors Center combines past and present Winnemucca has long been a stopover for weary travelers wind ing their way through the treacherous routes of the Great Basin. Today, due to its central location between San Francisco and Salt Lake City, it continues to offer a long list of lodging, dining and entertainment amenities that lure travelers off the interstate. Venture through the antique wooden doors of the newlyimproved Humboldt County Visitors Center and you will find a wealth of
The displays at the Buckaroo Hall of Fame trace the rich history of the cowboy life in northern Nevada.
information about the area, and you’ll The Humboldt County be welcomed by the Humboldt Coun Visitors Center is open for ty Chamber of Commerce. This group self-guided tours six days per week; has mastered the “art of the welcome,” Sundays seasonal. For Winter hours and other information, and the staff there is a treasuretrove of call the Humboldt County Chamber knowledge about Winnemucca and the of Commerce, surrounding areas. (775) 623-2225, or log onto A major display in the Visitors Cen www.humboldtcountychamber.com ter is the William Humphreys Big Game Collection. This is a collection of more than 53 big game specimens representing more than four continents. Visitors are also treated to the Buckaroo Hall of Fame, a display of authentic buckaroo life from those who helped tame the Great Basin. Other exhibits in the Visitors Center include those representing the mining and other local industries, as well as historical representations of the Great Basin, the pioneer trail, local Native American heritage and Basque heritage. The Humboldt County Visitors Center is full of local history and information and should be on the “mustsee” list for any traveler.
William Humphreys’ Big Game Collection
Buckaroo Hall of Fame The Buckaroo Hall of Fame is located inside the East Hall of the Winnemucca Convention Center. The display pays tribute to the cowboys who helped tame the wilds of Nevada, and includes memorabilia from several area cowpokes. Each year, a new addition is added to the fold, the display yields new insight into the lives of those who worked with cattle and horses so many decades ago. The welldisplayed array of artifacts gives visitors a glimpse into the hard life that many of these range riders faced. Worn saddles, boots and spurs attest to the many hours of labor they’ve seen, while photographs of weath ered faces proud of a life well lived gaze back at visitors. The Buckaroo Hall of Fame is open 8 a.m. 4 p.m. Monday Saturday (Sundays seasonal). The exhibit is free and open to the public.
BLM Rock and Mineral Display The rock and mineral display inside the Visitors Center showcases the many types of materials that are found in the northern Nevada desert. Each display is labeled by type, and also notes the location of discovery. Also on hand are antique bottles, and even the model of an Agustasaurus skull, found locally. 6 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
William Humphreys’ Big Game Collection is a display of 53 large animals collected over many years.
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 7
PROUD TRADITIONS Most of the people who make their home in Winnemucca have their livelihood tied to the land in one form or another. Agricultural pursuits and mining for gold, silver and other precious minerals are what bring many families to our small city, and love of the rolling hills and deserts are what make many of them stay. Winnemucca is located 167 miles east of Reno and 265 miles southwest of Boise, Idaho. The city covers 5.4 square miles and has about 7,500 people. The city of Winnemucca is the seat of Humboldt County, and, since much of the county is rural, nearly half of
Photo by Michael Michaelsen, Winnemucca Publishing
Heavy equipment pairs with high-tech processes in the modern gold mining industry. the population lives inside the city limits. Winnemucca sits at a geographic crossroads — Interstate 80 takes travellers east and west through Winnemucca while U.S. Highway 95 brings drivers from Oregon and Idaho into the middle of town. Jungo Road takes adventurous drivers into the heart of the Black Rock Desert. Finally, a rail line with daily Amtrak service runs parallel to many of the town’s major streets. The city is also a cultural crossroads. There is a large Basque population who speak their native language, Euskera, and practice the customs of their homeland on a daily basis. In addition, there is a large and active Hispanic population in the community. The Cinco de Mayo celebration and the festival of Our Lady of Guadalupe are not to be missed! Finally, northern Nevada is enriched by the presence of several Native American tribes, one of which, the Western Band of the Western Shoshone, have a colony within the city limits of Winnemucca.
8 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 9
Ready for a stroll through history? Though a first glance may not reveal it, Winnemucca has more than its fair share of old and interesting architecture. From the 137-year-old Winnemucca Hotel to the merely 77-year-old Humboldt County Courthouse, the early residents of the city took pride in the quality and style of their homes, businesses and public buildings. Four Winnemucca buildings — Winnemucca Grammar School, the W.C. Records House, the old Winnemucca Post Office and the Humboldt County Courthouse — are on the National Register of Historic Places. Here is a quick introduction to some notable representatives of Winnemucca’s living architectural history.
1. The Winnemucca Hotel The Winnemucca Hotel, 95 Bridge Street. This hotel is the city’s oldest building, though the exact date of its construction is difficult to substantiate. It is believed that the building was constructed in 1863 by Louis Lay and Co.
4. W.C. Record House, W.C. Record House is located at 146 West Second Street. This house was built in 1874 and is one of the city’s oldest structures. It features gingerbread gables and other Gothic Victorian touches. 5. The Gables Guest House The Gables Guest House, 124 Lay Street. This structure, built in 1903, was originally called the Winnemucca Sanatorium and was the town’s first medical building built specifically for that purpose. 6. Brown House Brown House, 322 W. Second Street. This is the former home of Merwyn Brown, whose distinguished career included 18 years as a Humboldt County District Attorney and 21 years as Sixth Judicial District Court judge. The bungalow-style home was built in 1913. 7. Reinhart House Reinhart House, 343 West Second Street. This home may be the most architecturally interesting home in Winnemucca. It was built in 1909 by Guy Sisson and is a fine example of the Greek revival style.
For more information about the Winnemucca Walking Tour, stop by the Humboldt County Visitors Center, 30 W. Winnemucca Blvd. and pick up your free brochure and map!
9. Winnemucca City Hall Winnemucca City Hall, 90 W. Fourth Street. This building served as Winnemucca’s Post Office for 70 years (1921 to 1991), and has been extensively renovated for use by the City.
12. Humboldt County Courthouse Humboldt County Courthouse, Fifth and Bridge Streets. When the old courthouse burned down in 1919, this building was constructed, and opened with much fanfare in 1921. 14. Kluncy’s Apartments Kluncy’s Apartments, 583 Lay Street. Finished in 1912, this home was built by Bert Kluncy, a native of Germany who was one of the county’s most prosperous ranchers.
10. First National Bank First National Bank, 352 Bridge Street. This building is best known as George Nixon’s First National Bank, which was reputed to have been held up by fabled outlaw Butch Cassidy and his gang on Sept. 9, 1900.
15. The Martin Hotel The Martin Hotel corner of Railroad and Melarkey Streets. This rooming house and restaurant was built in 1913-14 and was constructed to serve the heavy railroad traffic of the day.
11. Winnemucca Mercantile Winnemucca Mercantile, 355 Bridge Street. This building was constructed in 1898 by the Browns, the First Family of hardware and home furnishings in Winnemucca’s early history.
16. Shone House Shone House, 602 Bridge Street. Built in 1901 by hotelier Thomas Shone, the structure was nearly destroyed by fire in 1980, but today has been restored and serves as a boarding house.
2. Humboldt River Bridge Spanning the river at the north foot of Bridge Street, the bridge was constructed in 1910.
3. Lamb House The Lamb House, located at 108 Melarkey Street was built in 1914 by young Winnemucca architect Frederick DeLongchamps for Graham and Nellie Lamb.
8. St. Paul’s Catholic Church St. Paul’s Catholic Church, corner of Fourth and Melarkey Streets. This church was built on the site of an 1883 mission and is the only example of Spanish Colonial-style ecclesiastical architecture in the area.
10 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
13. Winnemucca Grammar School Winnemucca Grammar School, 522 Lay Street. With its pleasant red brick and white trim exterior, the grammar school is arguably the most impressive in the city. Built in 1927-28 at a cost of $100,000, the school has been going strong ever since.
winnemuccachamber.blogspot.com Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 11
The Humboldt Museum is located adjacent to Pioneer Park. The Museum is open weekdays from 9-4 and Saturdays from 1-4. For more information, visit the Museum’s website: www.humboldtmuseum.org
A look at our past — Ever wonder what became of old Winnemucca, the town where brave pioneers sought their fortune and weary cowboys hitched up their steeds after a day on the range? Those days live on at the Humboldt Museum, along with the Great Depression, the Roaring Twenties, and even the Ice Age. The museum offers a compendium of area history through its many artifacts. Visitors can see a turnofthecentury parlor, early model horseless carriages, a set of bones from a local mammoth, and much more. The collection encompasses all of Humboldt County, with artifacts from Paradise Valley, rural areas, and Winnemucca. The museum itself is a piece of old Winnemucca. Built in 1907, it was a downtown church — until it was picked up and hauled across the Humboldt River to its present site, at Jungo Road and Maple Avenue. A second, larger building was added on when the museum’s col lection outgrew its humble home. Also on the museum grounds is the Cumley Richardson House, currently undergoing restoration, a historic store (used by the Museum as “The Trunk” Thrift Stop, and the new est addition — a 1950’s bus that formerly belonged to the Humboldt Hotel. Inside the museum, every artifact at the museum comes with two supplements — a story, and someone who loves telling it. The staff of the museum will gladly take you back in time with an introduction to the treasures of Humboldt County’s history. The Humboldt Museum is located adjacent to Pioneer Park and is open Monday Saturday 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Admission is free, and dona tions are accepted. 12 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
The Humboldt Museum can truly boast a “mammoth” display! Castings of bones found in the Black Rock Desert now have a permanent home on the second story of the museum. Visitors can take a step back in time and imagine a landscape populated by these enormous beasts. ——— Below, these wooden indians were originally used by local casinos for promotions. Now they’re indoors at the museum, and restorations are planned.
Drive a little, do a lot! The northern Nevada back country offers freedom to anyone who enjoys being able to pitch a tent, hike or bike the hills, fish the streams, pursue quality big game or pit themselves against the rugged terrain that supports the ultimate upland game bird, the chukar. Springtime arrays of wild flowers will delight photog raphers, and the scenic vistas they capture on film will leave a lasting memory of the area’s beauty. This is the gold mining center of the U.S., but it is home to almost every mineral mined by man. Beauty and nature are as near to town as Water Can yon, just a few minutes’ drive into the Sonoma Moun tains. This is a great place to picnic, hike or mountain bike. A longer excursion, but every bit worth the drive, is a ride north to Hinkey Summit in the gorgeous Santa Rosas. From May to midJune, the vast panoramas of Hinkey Summit are aweinspiring. On your way back to Winnemucca, stop and visit the picturesque town of Paradise Valley. Just a short visit and you’ll know why it got its name. Like to fish? Humboldt County boasts some amaz ing high country trout water. Check out our reservoirs, streams and creeks. If you’re the exploring type, there are numerous old mining ghost towns hidden, almost gone, throughout the area. If you like the outdoors you’ll never be bored in and around Winnemucca!
For more information things to do near Winnemucca, visit the Outdoor Recreation section of the winnemucca.com website
Martin Creek near Paradise Valley
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 13
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Enjoy mountain biking on several groomed trails
The “Bloody Shins Trail,” a single-track course located east of Winnemucca, offers beginning riders a 12-mile course. The trail is fairly easy and climbs in elevation from 4,570 feet to 4,820. Intermediate riders are invited to try their skills on the 12-mile track, a slightly more difficult course which rises 1,000 feet. Both courses are open March - November. No matter what type of twowheeled adven ture you’re looking for, the hills and deserts around Winnemucca offer exciting terrain. Nearly every week end during the warmer months, riders take to the trails to eat a little Nevada dust. The “Bloody Shins Trail,” a 12mile trail that begins right on the edge of town, is a good place to start. This rolling single track course is divided into beginner and expert grades (the last five miles range from intermediate to expert level) and offers endless views of the distant mountain ranges. In addition to the Bloody Shins Trail, the Sonoma Mountains (the range to the East of Winnemucca) offers old pack routes, cow trails, and Jeep trails crisscrossing the sagebrush strewn flanks of the hills. The Sonomas also excel for back country excursions, whether accessed by bicycle, motorbike, horseback or hiking. Several of the deep Vshaped canyons offer springfed creeks and pleasant camping experiences.
14 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
Find miles of tracks and roads for outdoor fun Not everyone prefers to travel within the confines of a car — and astride a horse isn’t always the best way to spend a day in the desert. Sometimes, you just gotta take the bikes or ATVs out and eat some dust.
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Humboldt County has hundreds of miles of back roads that are ready for you to ride. Most motorcycle enthusiasts begin their desert trek accessing trails behind Winnemucca Mountain (the big hill west of town with the “W” on it), or by driv ing their trucks and trailers up Water Canyon Road and parking at one of the campgrounds there. A second good jumpingoff point for motorcycles and ATVs is Sand Pass Road, located just 11 miles north of Winnemucca on U.S. Highway 95. This road travels almost due east into the desert, and affords some awesome views, as well as a terrific ride! The Sonomas are excellent for backcountry excursions, and are frequently accessed by riders both on motorcycle and mountain bike. Other options for riding include the Santa Rosa Mountains, above Paradise Valley; the Sand Dunes and Sand Pass Road north of Winnemucca and the Jungo area west of Winnemucca.
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 15
Champion fish, record game and premium fishing Winnemucca: Home to the Elusive Chukar
If you love bird hunting, then you should know this area is syn onymous with good upland game hunting. Northern Nevada claims legendary status as the “Chukar Capital of the Country.” There are a few reasons why. Long seasons and liberal bag limits make for more hunter recreation days than any other upland game bird. Plus, only the Great Basin can duplicate the original chukar habitat of India, Pakistan and Afghani stan, the birds’ native countries. Only here will you find the steep, rugged canyons with talus slopes and rocky outcrops that provide a perfect hideout for the birds. That makes a difference when it’s near ing sunset and you’ve already bagged your limit of six. That’s not to say the experience isn’t a humbling one. Hawkins says, “The chukar has bagged more hunters than hunters have bagged chukar. Always remember that.” Still, there will always be a next time.
16 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
Big Game Challenges Hunters Those who enjoy the sport of big game hunting will want to give Humboldt County a try! From the steep hillsides of the Santa Rosa Mountains to the wide deserts found throughout the area, Humboldt County seems to be prime territory for big game animals. The area is home to large herds of antelope and mule deer, as well as mountain goats and bighorn sheep, and their elusive predator, the mountain lion. Hunters from outside of Nevada should visit the Nevada Department of Wild life Web site, www.ndow.org for more information about obtaining an outofstate hunt ing tag, or get in touch with Courtesy Photo one of the area’s many hunt Rick Manion brought down this ing guides, who can help large buck near Paradise Valley. with every detail.
Visit www.ndow.org for more information about hunting in Humboldt County and northern Nevada.
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 17
Photo by Dale Hartley
The Virgin Valley Campground in northern Humboldt County features a hot springs soaking area, naturally-heated showers, many campsites with shade, plus fishing at Dufurrena Ponds and Big Springs Reservoir. The area is frequented by campers from around the world as two dig-your-own opal mines are close by.
Rockhounds, gold-diggers and treasure-seekers find their place in the sun Nevada adopted an official precious and semiprecious gemstone on May 27, 1987. Considered one of the most beautiful of Nevada’s gem stones, Virgin Valley black fire opal was designated the precious gemstone. Northern Nevada’s Virgin Valley is the only place in North America where black fire opal is found in any significant quantity. If you’re interested in trying your hand at digging black fire opals yourself, the Royal Pea cock Opal Mine, the Bonanza Opal Mine and the Virgin Valley Opal Mine, all located in northern Humboldt County each offer digging for a fee.
Sun photo
Turquoise mining has become a popular pastime for visitors to Humboldt County. Pictured above, a lucky hunter shows off his trophy from the Royal Peacock Opal Mine.
20 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
Above and left, the opals pulled from the Royal Peacock mine vary in color from black with flecks of iridescent color to green-hued opalized wood.
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 21
There’s always a rodeo in the heart of Cowboy Country! The heart of Cowboy Coun try is Winnemucca, so it’s only to be expected that much of the year’s entertainment is dedi cated to the interplay of man, horse and cow. Winnemucca does it up big, hosting the oldest continuous rodeo in Nevada. Great riding, roping and steer wrestling talent is always on hand to take on equally talented bucking livestock at the annual TriCounty Fair and Stampede. Equine events continue throughout the year as Hum boldt County hosts competi tions for working cowboys, high school rodeo, barrel rac ers, and more big roping events than you can shake a stick at.
Bull riding during the Silver State International Rodeo Photo by Tony Erquiaga, Winnemucca Publishing
Silver State Invitational Rodeo heats up Fourth of July
Photo by Tony Erquiaga, Winnemucca Publishing
The Silver State International Rodeo is “where runners-up become champions.” Over 500 high school rodeo contestants who just missed going to the national finals rodeo come instead to Winnemucca to compete for five days in early July. 24 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
Rodeo Events 2013 February 27-29 Cow Dog Trials March 1 Invitational Bull Sale March 2 Ranch, Rope & Performance Horse Sale March 2 & 4 Ranch Hand Rodeo April 5-7 and April 26-28 ACTRA Team Roping April 26-28 Humboldt County High School Rodeo May 4 Cinco de Mayo Exhibition Rodeo May 10-12 777 Spring Barrel Race May 31-June 2 Mule Races and Show June 7-9 American West 4-D Barrel Race Michael Michaelsen, Winnemucca Publishing
Hyland Wilkinson of the Lucky 7 Ranch competes in the saddle bronc event during the 2012 Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo. Teams from all over the West compete each year for over $20,000 in prizes and enough bragging rights to last until the next competition.
Ranch Hand Rodeos take the West by storm The American cowboy has been a worldwide icon since the early 1800s and the values, tradi tions, heritage and cowboy code are still alive and well, even today. There are ranch cowboys still out there calving, branding, gathering and doctoring, whether full time or part time. Northern Nevada celebrates this tradition with three huge Ranch Hand Rodeos. The first, the Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo weekend, features not only competitive events for ranch teams, but a cowdog trials, working cowhorse competition (and sales of both later) as well as an invitation al bull sale. The event also boasts one of the largest Western Trade Shows this area sees all year. Over the Fourth of July weekend, the border town of McDermitt gets into the action with their own Ranch Hand Rodeo. The Western States Ranch Rodeo Association has come together to promote and preserve the heritage of the cowboy tradition through sanctioned ranch rodeo events designed for the full and part time ranch cowboy. The WSRRA is dedicated to providing a showcase for the full and part time cowboy to compete in WSRRA sanctioned ranch rodeo events — and all qualifying teams and individual event contes tants gather to compete at the WSRRA finals in Winnemucca in early November. For information about the WSRRA, visit their official website, www.wsrra.org. To learn more about the Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo visit the website: www.ranchrodeonv.com.
July 1-6 Silver State Invitational Rodeo July 12-14 Winnemucca Summer Cutting August 2-4 Cow Country Classic - Team Sorting August 23-25 USTRC Northwest Team Roping Finals August 29 – September 1 Tri-County Fair & Stampede
September 12-15 ACTRA NV & ID Team Roping Finals October 11-13 America West 4-D Barrel Race Circuit Finals October 31 - November 3 Western States Ranch Rodeo Finals
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 25
Gaming is the Nevada tradition Gambling was first legalized in Nevada in 1931 to help reduce the impact of the Great Depression. As a point of interest, that fateful bill was introduced by freshman Assemblyman Phil Tobin of Winnemucca. There are many types of wagering available in Humboldt County, and depending on your mood, skill and your pocketbook, your choices vary. Below is a rundown of several different types of games available around the area, and how to get the most out of each.
Slot machines
ing of casino games — and they offer a chance to win huge sums of cash for a small investment. There are many different types of slot machines out there — from the traditional favorite single pay line slots to multiline video screen slots with bonus features and up to 20 pay lines.
Slots are usually the first thing visible when one enters Video poker a casino, and they’re typically a gamer’s introduction to Video poker is the modern rage. In a small amount of space inside a casino, players can the gambling world. Slot machines, with their blinking indulge in Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Jokers Wild and bonus and progressive poker action. lights, themes and fast pace, can be among the most excit This is a show most casinos would be hardpressed to put on live, so the new computer video poker machines are a winner for both the house and the gamer.
Blackjack Though Blackjack originated in France, the casinos of Nevada have made it their own. Casinos each offer slight variations on the game, but the basics remain the same: The dealer places two cards before you, deals themselves one face up and one face down, and then you have a decision to make: draw or stand.
Keno Easy to play, keno is one of those games that gamblers either love or hate. Many grumble that the game has a low payout percentage — the odds are that the house will make a good living off of keno players. Others love the game, because it is one of the few casino wagers that can yield big payoffs for a small investment. Pick the right numbers, and you could go home with your pockets stuffed with cash!
Craps How to play. Are you kidding? This article is far too short to teach you how to play craps. This dicethrowing game is one of the most complex to learn, but also one of the most excit ing. There are many different wagering options in a craps game, as well as many different outcomes depending on the roll of the dice.
Sports Betting A long time ‘til the outcome. With sports betting, time is on your side. As far as entertain ment values go, your $10 never stretched so far! For the cost of your wager, you’ve earned two or three hours of sports entertainment, at the end of which you might take home the prize. Wagering on sporting events actively involves you in the game, since once your bet is placed you have some real interest in the outcome of the game.
26 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 27
Experience the thrill of pari-mutuel betting Parimutuel betting is one of the most exciting of gaming options. Soon after placing your wager on an animal, the race is on and the thunder of their hooves echoes the pounding of your heart. This is Nevada gaming at it’s very best! Though you can walk into many casinos and place bets on horse races tak ing place far away, there are only three places in Photo courtesy Jerry Teague Nevada that allow betting And they’re off! The annual Winnemucca Mule Races are one of only three opportunities in Nevada on live races — and one for patrons to bet on racing, then see the races live! of those events is held in the fun of the day. three finishers to take home the trifecta payout Winnemucca! The Winnemucca Mule Show and Races offer — or bet on multiple races. No matter how you The annual Mule Show and Races is made all full parimutuel betting opportunities. You can choose to play, you’re sure to have a great day at the more exciting by parimutuel betting, and the enjoy choosing one mule to win, or name the top the races! fact that it is mules running, not horses, adds to
28 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
Interested in Winnemucca? Thinking of moving to town? Visit the area’s online news source! www.insidenorthernnevada.com brings together the news from The Humboldt Sun in Winnemucca, the Battle Mountain Bugle and the Lovelock Review-Miner.
For the low subscription rate of $5 per month, you can learn more about the issues, people and events that make our area unique. PLUS all online visitors get access to classified ads, Community Calendars and Inside Northern Nevada Magazine, the region’s monthly arts and entertainment magazine! Call or email today and mention the promo code “RELOCATION” and get one month’s access free! Call toll free (866) 644-5100 email: accounting@winnemuccapublishing.net
WP
WINNEMUCCA PUBLISHING
Home office: 1022 S. Grass Valley Rd, Winnemucca, NV 89445 • (775) 623-5011
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 29
Humboldt County Events Feb. 27 – March 3, 2013 Ranch Hand Rodeo Weekend Nevada’s largest and most exciting Ranch Hand Rodeo kicks off the weekend with the Cow Dog Trials featuring the Brace and Ranch class beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Thursday sees the opening of the Western Trade Show, the Cow Dog Trials Open Pro Class, the Finals competition and the Cow Dog Sale. Friday’s schedule features the Western Trade Show, Stock Horse Challenge and the Preview of Sale Horses. Saturday’s schedule includes the Ranch Hand Rodeo Calcutta, Kids’ Pee Wee Events, the Ranch, Rope and Performance Horse Sale, and the Main event, the Ranch Hand Rodeo. Sunday, March 3 features Cowboy Church and the final performance of the 2013 Ranch Hand Rodeo, while Monday brings the Invitational Bull Sale.
For more information about the 2012 event, visit www.RanchRodeoNV.com
Shooting the West Director Stuart Scofield (left) works with a photographer during an excursion held as part of the 2012 symposium.
Mar. 6 – 10, 2013 Shooting the West XXIV
PHOTO COURTESY LORRAINE GIURLANI
Nevada’s premier photography conference. Enjoy a wide array of guest speakers, and have your portfolio critiqued. Bring your competitive spirit and enter the “Give It Your Best Shot” and “Outback Roundup.”
Shooting the West XXV: The Nevada Photography Experience There’s a very special gathering that happens each March in Winnemucca. A group of the finest photographers in the west come to the heart of Cowboy Coun try to learn more about the art of snapping the shutter. Symposium attendees have the chance to rub elbows with some of the biggest names in photography, to get tips from the professionals and to learn about mak ing it to the photographic “big time,” — getting published. This year the Shoot ing The West symposium celebrates their Silver Anniversary with the event set for March 6 10 2013 at the Winnemucca Convention Center. For more informa tion about joining 2013’s Shooting the West XXV, contact Shooting the West at (877) 6233501, by mail at P O Box 1766, Winnemucca, NV 89446 or visit them online at www.shootingthewest.org
For more information about the 2013 event, visit www.shootingthewest.org
April 27 – 28, 2013 2nd Annual Winnemucca Balloon Festival Up, up and away! Colorful hot air balloons fill the sky with a 6 a.m. launch during the Winnemucca Ballon Festival.
For more information about the 2013 event, visit winnemuccaballoons.wix.com/winnemucca-balloons
Run-A-Mucca rumbles into town over Memorial Day weekend Gorgeous skies, the wind in your face and the rumble of a huge engine — there’s little to compare to riding a motorcycle in Nevada. Now Winnemucca welcomes riders to stop and play awhile. On tap for the threeday event this year are a poker run, poker stagger, free music and concerts, bike games, bike show and vendors, a “burning bike” that lights up the night — plus the chance to win a beautiful raffle bike! Buy the Run Package before April 30, 2013 and receive your Run Shirt, Run Pin, Poker Run and Poker Stagger hands plus the Run BarBQue for only $35. The 2013 event is set for Friday through Sunday, May 24 26, 2013. For more information hop online and visit www.runamucca.com.
Visit www.runamucca.com for more information Humboldt Sun Photo
The Run-A-Mucca event will bring bikers from around the country to Winnemucca over Memorial Day Weekend. For more information about the 2013 event, log on to www.runamucca.com
30 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
May 24 – 26, 2013
Humboldt Sun Photo
Run-A-Mucca Motorcycle Rally All motorcycles welcome! Enjoy free outdoor concerts, a memorial service, event cruises, games, bike show, vendors, poker run, and don’t miss the “Burning Bike!”
For more information about the 2013 event, visit www.runamucca.com
May 31 – June 2, 2013 Winnemucca Pari-mutuel Mule Races and Show Join in on some wild fun at Nevada’s only sanctioned mule event. Bet your lucky dollar on your favorite animal during racing rounds. Also don’t miss the 25-mile endurance race on Friday, June 1, and the mule show that is also an exciting part of these fun-filled days.
For more information about the 2013 event, visit www.muleshow.com
June 8 – 9, 2013 Basque Festival Honor a unique heritage during this fun-filled, exciting event. Watch a colorful parade; cheer at games of strength and endurance; dance to Basque music; attend a Holy Mass; and, enjoy a traditional Basque family style picnic. Fun for everyone!
June 15, 2013 Koyote Cruiser’s Car Show Spend a nice summer day gathered around motorized vehicles. All types of cars and trucks will be on display for your viewing enjoyment. Prizes and trophies will be awarded.
June 16, 2013 Paradise Valley Father’s Day Barbecue and Craft Show The food would be incentive enough to make that 35-mile trip to Paradise Valley via Highway 290. But when you add a beautiful summer day and fantastic barbecue fare, this event is sure to be the best Father’s Day present he’ll ever get!
July 4 – 5, 2013 McDermitt Ranch Hand Rodeo Ranch hands from Nevada, Oregon and Idaho compete in Nevada’s longest continual-running ranch hand rodeo. Contestants compete for prize money in a number of working events. Street contests and dances add to the festivities set in McDermitt, 70 miles north of Winnemucca on Highway 95.
July 2 – 6, 2013 Silver State International Rodeo While the High School Finals Rodeo welcomes finalists who finish ranked 1-5 in their sport, the “runners-up” have their own rodeo. The Silver State International Rodeo is for contestants who finish ranked 6-10 nationally, and is billed as a rodeo “where reserve champions become champions.”
For more information visit www.ssir.us
July 4, 2013 Family Fourth of July Celebration This is Winnemucca’s best family event. The City Park is crammed with games, food, a petting farm, face painting, a dunk tank, displays and lots more. Fireworks cap off the Independence Day celebration just as the sun bids farewell to the day.
Celebrate the Basque heritage with us! The Basques are a people like no other. Their homeland is the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain and France, but their language and culture are unique. More than a century ago, a handful of Basque sheep herders settled in Winnemucca and Hum boldt County. Thanks to those pio neers and their descendants, the rich Basque heritage is inextricably woven into our local culture. There are two Basque restaurants in Winnemucca. Basque cui sine offers a combination of savory flavors, all served with a hearty infusion of garlic. Paella (a rice dish with chicken, seafood, veg etables, and spices) and chorizo (a spicy sausage) are as familiar to Winnemucca as burgers and fries. For the true Basque dining experience, you can eat family style, sitting at a long table and sharing food and stories with other restau rant patrons. This year, the Basque Festival will be held June 8 9, 2013. It is a glorious celebration of all things Basque — the Irrintzi dancers don their colorful costumes, traditional Pyrenees music fills the air, and the people of Winnemucca turn out for a lively parade.
July 12 – 14, 2013 Winnemucca Summer Cutting One of the world’s fastest growing sports, cutting offers tremendous excitement and drama for horse, rider and spectators alike. This cutting showcases the many hours of hard work and dollars spent by trainers and owners who are put to the test and rewarded, either with trophies or individual satisfaction. Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 31
July 19 – 21, 2013 44-Hour Softball Tournament
Fast cars and good times
Called the “Mardis Gras of the West,’ this is 44 hours of non-stop softball action. Over 80 teams compete around the clock for honors.
For more information visit www.44hour.com
July 29 – Aug. 2, 2013 Superior Livestock Auction Cattle buyers and sellers from across the nation come together via satellite and in person for this annual bid bonanza. Golf tournaments, great entertainment and plenty of food make this event a favorite for locals and visitors alike. Next door in the East Hall of the Convention Center, visit the Superior Western Art and Trade Show for fine art, jewelry and gift items galore! For more information visit www.superiorlivestock.com
Aug. 2 – 3, 2013 Good Times Street Drags Drivers, start your engines! The drags are roarin’ into town with enough racing slicks, cherry paint jobs and shined up chrome to make you think you’re on some back country road in the heat of summer with James Dean. Rumor has it this is one of the few drag races in the world that still takes place (legally) on a public road.
Aug. 2 – 4, 2013 Fifties Fever The Fever’s rising and this summer is going to be hot! That’s right, Fifties Fever is this area’s very own celebration of those fabulous fifties. Enjoy parades, street dances, poker runs, a free concert on the Nixon Lawn, and of course, the ever-popular show ‘n shine with dozens of classic autos that make nostalgia buffs twist and shout!
For more information visit www.fifties-fever.com
Aug. 23 – 25, 2013
Visit fifties-fever.com for more information Humboldt Sun Photo
It’s a celebration of old cars and the good memories that go with them during the Fifties Fever festival. You don’t have to go to the “big city” to find great classic car shows! Winnemucca boasts some of the friendliest classic car shows in the West! From the Koyote Kruisers Kar show beginning the season in June, to Fifties Fever ending it in August, there are plenty of oppor tunities to see classic cars polished to perfection.
Aug. 31 - Sept. 1 — 92nd Annual Rodeo This year’s rodeo promises a lot more than 8 seconds of excitement. In fact, this year will feature more money, more cowboys and more action than one town has a right to see! Come see why this is Nevada’s oldest continuous rodeo.
For more information visit www.labordayfair.com
Sept. 12 – 15, 2013 ACTRA NV & ID Finals Roping
USTRC Northwest Regional Team Roping Finals
Lots of excitement at this bi-state roping event. Ropers compete not only for cash and prizes, but the best advance to the National Finals.
The best team ropers in the West gather for four days of tough competition. Over 2,000 teams vie for pride, prestige, awards and cash prizes. Don’t miss the little ones compete in dummy roping for “giant” silver buckles.
Oct. 11 – 13, 2013
Labor Day Fun Aug. 29 – Sept. 1, 2013 Aug. 29 - Sept. 1 — Tri-County Fair & Carnival This family fun event serves up contests and dances, competitions, exhibits, prizes, food, a petting farm, art shows, a parade, and plenty of exciting stage peformers. Pig wrestling, a crowd-pleasing charity event also returns for 2013. There will be lots of free family entertainment, so join the fun!
Aug. 30 — Pig Wrestling Get dirty for a good cause as four-person teams compete for charity. Come out and cheer on your favorite locals — or the pig!
Aug. 30 - Sept. 1 Western Art Roundup The Roundup features artists, poets, craftspeople and inductees into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame as well as demonstrations and buckaroo poetry readings. 32 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
America West 4D Barrel Racing Finals The best barrel racers from around the west come to the Winnemucca Events Complex for their national finals event.
Oct. 31 – Nov. 3, 2013 Western States Ranch Rodeo Finals Ranch Rodeo is an event that was re-created a number of years ago to return to the roots of rodeo — the duties and challenges of real working ranch hands. Events simulate what the ranch cowboys do for work each day on the ranch. These events involve plenty of friendly ranch-versus-ranch competition. In today’s fast paced environment it is rare that one can go to a sporting event of any kind and see and feel the camaraderie and the friendliness that is apparent at a ranch rodeo. This is one event you don’t want to miss, as cowhands from around the west gather in Winnemucca to compete for cash and glory!
For more information visit www.wsrra.org.
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 33
Winnemucca Area Lodging — Bed & Breakfast, Hotels, Motels and RV Parks BED AND BREAKFASTS
Winners Hotel & Casino 185 W. Winnemucca Blvd.
Old Pioneer Garden Bed & Breakfast 2805 Unionville Rd. 775-538-7585
775-623-2511
RV PARKS Hi-Desert RV Park 5575 E. Winnemucca Blvd.
Soldier Meadows Guest Ranch 150 Miles W. on Jungo Rd. 775-849-1666 www.soldiermeadows.com Stonehouse Country Inn Paradise Valley 775-578-3530 www.stonehouse. freeservers.com
HOTELS AND MOTELS Best Western Holiday Motel 670 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-3684 Budget Inn of Winnemucca 251 E. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-2394 Cozy Motel 410 E. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-2615 Days Inn 511 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-3661 Economy Inn 635 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-5281 Gold Country Inn 921 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-6999
775-623-4513 www.hidesertrv.net Model T Resort Casino RV Park 1130 W. Winnemucca Blvd. Frontier Motel 410 E. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-2915 Holiday Inn Express 1987 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-625-3100 Model T Resort / Casino Quality Inn 1130 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-2588 Motel 6 1600 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-1180 Overland Hotel 215 S. Bridge St. 775-623-2865
Santa Fe Inn 1620 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-1119 Scottish Inn 333 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-3703 Scott Shady Court 400 First St. 775-623-3646 Super 8 Motel 1157 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-625-1818 Town House Motel 375 Monroe St.
Pyrenees Motel 714 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-1116 Regency Inn & Suites 705 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-4898
34 Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com
Paradise Valley RV Park Paradise Valley 775-578-3090 Westerner Trailer Lodge 800 E. Fourth St. 775-623-2907 Winnemucca RV Park 5255 E. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-4458 www.winnemuccarvpark.com
Orovada Rocky View Motel Restaurant & Bar US Hwy 95 Orovada 775-272-3337
775-623-3620
McDermitt Val-U Motel
Park Motel 740 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-2810
775-623-2588
125 E. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-5248 Winnemucca Hotel 95 S. Bridge St. 775-623-2908 Winnemucca Inn 741 W. Winnemucca Blvd. 775-623-2565
Diamond A Motel 25 US Hwy 95 S 775-532-8552 McDermitt Motel 55 US Hwy 95 775-532-8588
Denio Denio Junction Sunset Drive, Denio 775-941-0171
WE ARE GROWING FAST! The Hycroft Mine is an open pit, heap leach mining operation
WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING QUALITY EMPLOYEES TO FILL AVAILABLE POSITIONS
Email your resume to employment@hycroftmine.com For more information about Hycroft go to www.alliednevada.com
Winnemucca Visitors Guide 2013 | www.winnemucca.com 35