Nevada Magazine — January/February 2009 by Nevada Magazine

contents

J AN U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2009

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

up front 6

Ice fishing & skating, Clark County Centennial, & Atlantis’ New Sky Bridge

city limits 18 24

Las Vegas’ Atomic Testing Museum Peppermill Reno’s Renaissance

wide open 26 28

Stewart Indian School’s New Talking Trail Tour Around Nevada: Verdi

cravings 30

10 Ruby Mountains Heli-Experience Joe and Francy Royer, owners of Reds Ranch lodge in Lamoille, go out of their way to make guests feel at home—and take them on the ski ride of their lives.

Fondue Restaurants

people 36 38

Q&A with Katharine Jefferts Schori Snapshots

history 40 43

Virginia City’s Piper’s Opera House Looking Back

gaming 44

“The Real Deal!” at The Venetian

business 44

EcoReno & Las Vegas’ Glassic Art

events & shows 58 61

Criss Angel Meets Cirque du Soleil Happy 25th: Elko’s National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

IN EVERY ISSUE

2 This Issue on NevadaMagazine.com 3 State Map 4 Editor’s Note 5 Letters to the Editor/Contributors 64 Southern Nevada Events & Shows 76 Northern Nevada Events & Shows 88 Your Nevada

COVER STORY

Wild Horses Mustangs in Nevada have long been at the center of

unprecedented controversy. And with their population rising above the Bureau of Land Management’s sanctioned Cover photo: Mark Terrell

number, the debate carries on.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

nevada university of nevada press

The Family Ranch land, children, and tradition in the american west

401 N. Carson St. Carson City, NV 89701-4291 775-687-5416 • 775-687-6159 (fax) VO L U ME 6 9 , N U M B E R 1

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Publisher: JANET M. GEARY

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s i lve r k i ng i n the gilded age

Michael J. Makley

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John Mackay

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Nevada Magazine (ISSN 0199-1248) is published bimonthly by the State of Nevada at 401 N. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701-4291. Copyright © 2008 State of Nevada. Subscriptions are $19.95 per year ($29.95 international). Periodicals postage paid at Carson City, NV, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Nevada Magazine Subscriptions, P.O. Box 726, Mount Morris, IL 61054-7652. Printed in Nevada, QuadGraphics

296 pages | 21 b/w photographs cloth | $34.95 | 978-0-87417-770-1

Nevada’s Environmental Legacy progress or plunder

James W. Hulse

This issue on

nevadamagazine.com u Nevada Magazine has been honored with two awards from the International

176 pages | 22 b/w photographs paper | $24.95 978-0-87417-769-5

Regional Magazine Association, including Most Improved Magazine. u Lake Las Vegas (above) impresses with its world-class golf courses and floating stage and ice-skating rink.

1.877.nvbooks

www.unpress.nevada.edu

Alonzo Clayton’s poem, “Area 51,” provides an interesting perspective on one of Nevada’s most mysterious locales.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

state map Jackpot

95 93

Wells Winnemucca

Gerlach

Rye Patch

Elko

Battle Mountain

West Wendover ALT

93 Pyramid Lake

Ruby Lake

Lovelock

Reno Lake Tahoe

341

Fallon

Sparks

Austin

Virginia City Dayton

Eureka The Loneliest Road in America

50 Ely

Carson City Stateline 395 Genoa

Minden Gardnerville

Walker Lake

Hawthorne

6 95

The Extraterrestrial Highway

Tonopah

Pioche

Goldfield 375

Caliente

Nevada Silver Trails 93 Beatty

Mesquite

160

Pahrump

Henderson

Las Vegas

Lake Mead 93

S TAT E O F

NEVADA

Primm

Boulder City

95 Lake Mohave

163

Laughlin

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

editor’s note

…couldn’t drag me away

401 N. Carson St. Carson City, NV 89701-4291 775-687-5416 • 775-687-6159 (fax)

Animals don’t have a voice, and as long as man is their protectorate, we have a responsibility to take care of them.

VOL U ME 6 9 , N U M B ER 1

Email: editor@nevadamagazine.com Web Site: nevadamagazine.com Subscriptions and Customer Service: 800-495-3281

—Madeleine Pickens, horse breeder

As I sit down to write this in late November, it’s as if the work is already done for me. There are editorials popping up in the

ublisher: JANET M. GEARY P Editor: MATTHEW B. BROWN Associate Editor: CHARLIE JOHNSTON Events & Shows Coordinator: NOELLE MACHADO Art Director: TONY deRONNEBECK Production Manager: SEAN NEBEKER Production Assistant: MELISSA LOOMIS

Contributing Writers: Chic DiFrancia, Jim Fisher, Dan Giesin, Joyce Hollister, Brian T. Murphy, Valerie Porter, Melissa Siig

New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and the Las Vegas Sun, to name a few.

Contributing Photographers: Randa Bishop, Maria Coulson, Robert Davis, Jodi Esplin, Curtis Fong, Ryan Jerz, Tara Kilpatrick, Court Leve, Jessica Brandi Lifland, Diana Miller, Rick Mortensen, Brian T. Murphy, Bruce Rettig, Mark Terrell

What’s all the fuss about? Wild horses, specifically what to do about the disputed excess number

Nevada Magazine is a division of the Nevada Commission on Tourism.

of mustangs roaming free on the range and, more urgently, finding a solution to the rising population currently in holding pens, a result of the Bureau of Land Management’s mandate to control the herds. The timing of these columns and stories on a national level indicates that this might symbolic animals. In this issue’s cover story, associate editor Charlie Johnston presents the key arguments in the wild-horse debate in Nevada. The BLM Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board met in Reno on November 17 to discuss the plight of the horses not just in Nevada, but also the United States. There are about 33,000—more than half in Nevada—on the open range in 10 Western states, an excess of about 6,000 according to the BLM’s sanctioned number. In addition, more than 30,000 horses remain in adoption facilities. The sluggish economy is adversely affecting adoption rates, and the BLM’s price tag to care for the animals continues to soar. The possibility of euthanizing unadopted wild horses and burros or selling them for slaughter came up at the BLM’s November meeting, but that decision has been put on hold for two reasons: mass public outcry and the chance that Madeleine Pickens, wife of Texas oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens, could create a massive refuge (various reports indicate she has bought one million acres at an unknown location). Pickens plans to sterilize the horses on her land. Wild Horse Madeleine doesn’t have the same ring to it as Wild Horse Annie, but Mrs. Pickens has given hope to those who care so deeply for these animals. After all, you couldn’t drag them away—the advocates or the horses—even if you wanted to.

Matthew B. Brown, Editor

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

S TAT E O F N E VA DA Governor: Jim Gibbons Commission on Tourism Chairman: Lt. Governor Brian K. Krolicki Members: Eric Bello, Chuck Bowling, Cindy L. Carano, Blaise Carrig, Bruce Dewing, Lorraine Hunt-Bono, Ellen Oppenheim, Rossi Ralenkotter, Ryan Sheltra, Ferenc Szony Magazine Advisory Committee: Mark Bassett, Connie Brennan, Kurt Hildebrand, Jim King, Warren Lerude, Rick L’Esperance, Diana McAdam, Rob Stillwell, Scott Voeller, John Wilda Submissions: Nevada Magazine assumes no responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted for publication. A stamped self-addressed envelope must be included. Disclaimer: Advertisements in this publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law. Reprints: Contact the production department at 775-687-0606 or tony@nevadamagazine.com. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of editorial content without written permission is prohibited. Photo: mark terrell

be the most pivotal point in history in determining the future of one of the West’s most

letters to the editor

ated in 1951 (Mrs. Peterson’s class). Our home was on Second Street next to the Rancho Grande Creamery. When I visit Vegas now, it’s hard to keep my bearings since almost everything I remember is gone. Thank you again for saving part of the original school

What was the picture of on page 70 [of the November/December issue] with all the info on the White Pine Fire and Ice Show? It was a mass of bluish ice thrust up seemingly out of the ground? Rick Swadling, Las Vegas The big bluish ice formation was

Doug Schofield, Bakersfield (CA)

from a series of punctured pipes that, according to associate editor Charlie

Read “Fifth Street Memories,”

Johnston, were set in an elongated “H”

about the renovation of Las

and permitted to drip over a number of

Vegas’ Historic Fifth Street School, at nevada

days, resulting in a formation similar to

magazine.com under Web Extras. The building

that of an alpine waterfall in winter. Editor

I went to Bonnie Screams last night and was blown away. This is by far the best haunted attraction in Las Vegas. It has so much more to do than the other haunts in town. Bonnie Screams is a town all in itself, plus it has five haunts and lots of trails that are the scariest Vegas has to offer. The coolest thing is that it has lots of fun stuff for kids to do, too. It’s not until you get into the darkest parts of the city that the really spooky stuff starts. This place is such a cool idea! DJ Pellegrino, Las Vegas

reopened in September and houses such organiThanks for your insight, DJ. “Bonnie Screams”

zations as the Nevada School of the Arts and the

takes place in October at Bonnie Springs Old Ne-

Las Vegas Cultural Affairs Division.

vada, west of Las Vegas off State Route 160. Visit

Editor

bonniesprings.com for information on the property, which includes a ranch and hotel. For a good overview of Halloween attractions in Nevada, read “NevadaWeen” at nevadamagazine.com. Editor

We Want Your Input Nevada Magazine welcomes your thoughts and feedback. Submit a Letter to the Editor at editor@nevadamagazine.

I was thankful to find out Las Vegas is saving part of its heritage. My mother graduated from Las Vegas High in 1928 (when it was still at the Fifth Street location). I attended Fifth Street from kindergarten through eighth grade and gradu-

com or via mail using the address listed on the facing page. You can also comment on stories at nevadamagazine.com. Letters and comments are subject to editing.

c o n t r i b u t o r s

DAN GIESIN

VALERIe PORTEr

MARk TERRELl

After more than

Valerie Porter is a

Award-winning

three decades in

California-based

photographer Mark

the ski-writing

writer. She special-

Terrell of Dayton

business, California

izes in personality

has gathered an

Bay Area resident

profiles, the meta-

exceptional collec-

Dan Giesin has

physical world, and

tion of photographs

made numerous trips east along Interstate

her true passion, unusual and

documenting the lives of wild horses, as

80 in Northern Nevada to resorts in Idaho,

historical travel destinations such as the

evidenced on his Web site, wildhorsesof

Utah, and Colorado. But for this issue, his

Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas.

nevadaphoto.com. “Living in Nevada’s high

destination was Lamoille’s Ruby Mountains

“Visits such as this bring history to life

desert, home to America’s largest bands of

Heli-Experience. “It was great to be able to

for me, and I was definitely one of the

mustangs, it is my hope that given expo-

make a quick jaunt to Joe Royer’s place and

people screaming in the museum’s

sure to these exceptional animals, viewers

not have to make such a long drive to get

Ground Zero Theater,” she says.

will be motivated to help preserve the

to some incredible powder skiing,” Giesin, a

n PG. 18

mustangs’ way of life,” Terrell says.

San Francisco Chronicle writer, says.

n PG. 46

n PG. 10

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

up front

WINTER RECR EATION

Have An Ice Day It’s easy to fall into an inactive, sedentary slump when the winter freeze sets in, but that cold can also open up a new world of outdoor fun. If skiing isn’t quite your speed, don’t fret, Nevada offers some slower-paced winter activities. Carson City’s first outdoor ice rink opened in December. The rink is a joint effort between the city and the Carson Nugget and is located in the parking lot on the corner of North Carson and Spear Streets. downtowncarsoncity.com, 775-291-9446 Downtown Reno’s Rink on the River has been a locals’ favorite since it opened in 2005. At the corner of First and Virginia Streets, it’s convenient to parking, dining, and entertainment. cityofreno.com, 775-334-2262 The Olympic Ice Pavilion (above) at Squaw Valley may have the best view from an ice rink anywhere in the world. Perched at 8,200 feet at High Camp, the rink is a must see for skaters and nonskaters alike. squaw.com, 800-403-0206 The 9,000-square-foot rink at Northstar-at-Tahoe is a fitting centerpiece for the resort’s village. Live music on the rink stage makes weekends the prime time for a visit. northstarattahoe.com, 530-562-3689 South Lake Tahoe’s only outdoor rink, at Heavenly Village, saves tourists and locals the hour-plus drive to North Shore skating spots. theshopsatheavenly.com, 530-542-4230 Nevada’s most unique ice skating venue is also its most unlikely. The Southern Nevada rink at MonteLago Resort is on Lake Las Vegas…literally. The floating rink is one of the first in the country. montelagovillage.com, 702-564-4700 Nevada, despite its desert reputation, should perhaps be on that list as well. Nevada’s four ice fishing-friendly lakes offer warm-blooded, patient anglers a chance to extend their fishing season. Sub-zero wintertime temperatures in the northern and eastern parts of the state allow sufficient ice (more than four inches) to form on South Fork, Wildhorse, and Wilson Reservoirs in Elko County and Cave Lake in White Pine County. elkocva.com, 800-248-3556, parks.nv.gov/cl, 775-728-4460

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

photo: Nathan kendall

The words “ice fishing” usually conjure images of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other Northern Plains states.

H I S TORIC MILESTONE

Century Club Like its largest city, Las Vegas, Clark County knows how to party. It should come as no surprise that the county will mark its 100th birthday with a year-long celebration. “Clark County is a great place to live, with a great history, and in 2009 we get a chance to tell people about it and do some bragging,” County Commis-

F Encore Las Vegas, the newest

sioner Tom Collins says. The centennial year kicks off with the opening of a year-long exhibit at the Clark County Museum in Henderson. Other plans for the celebration include live monthly history panel discussions to be aired on local television, dedications of historic markers, the nomination of the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign to the National Historic Record, and the opening of a historic wedding chapel and 1910 railroad cottage. Check the Southern Nevada Events & Shows listings for specific dates. accessclarkcounty.com, 702-455-4011

There are about

33,000 free-roaming wild horses in the American West.

more than half of them are in Nevada. p ed estria n s a fety

Atlantis Sky Bridge Opens After nine months of construction, the Sky Bridge connecting the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa and the Reno-Sparks photo: Charlie johnston (top)

Convention Center opened in November. The 650-foot-long bridge spans Peckham Lane, providing protection from traffic and weather for the thousands of visitors that utilize the Atlantis and convention center annually. atlantiscasino.com, 800-994-5900

resort in the Wynn collection, is set to open in early January. The 2,034room resort, next door to its slightly bigger brother, Wynn Las Vegas, offers five restaurants, 11 retail outlets, seven bars and lounges, a nightclub, and 60,000 square feet of meeting space. encorelasvegas.com, 877-321-9966 F The Western Folklife Center in Elko opened its newly renovated gift shop late in 2008, just in time for the 25th annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 24-31. Accompanying the renovation are new products with an emphasis on crafts made by Western artists. westernfolklife.org, 888-880-5885 F Reno-Sparks’ Buckbean Brewing Company received a bronze medal for its Black Noddy Lager at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival. The brewery has also expanded its distribution to include Las Vegas and Henderson. buckbeanbeer.com, 775-857-4444 F The newest member of The Mirage’s Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat was born October 11, 2008. Bella, the third generation of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins at the Las Vegas resort, has quickly taken to her surroundings and is reportedly in good health and nursing well. mirage.com, 702-791-7188

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

up front

F Harrah’s Las Vegas recently introduced its redecorated “M” suites. The luxury rooms feature top-quality fabrics and furniture in reds, browns, and creams. Marble bathroom floors and high-tech gadgets such as 42-inch high-definition TVs round out the 33 new suites. harrahslasvegas.com, 800-214-9110

THEATER

F The Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno organized last fall the first statewide association to promote excellence in journalism in Nevada’s high schools. Dean Jerry Ceppos says the group will encourage networking and professional development among teachers and high journalistic standards among students. journalism.unr.edu, 775-784-6531

the theater’s wall and ceiling murals took six years to complete. “I am grate-

F Last fall the Springs Preserve finished 180 feet of sound-barrier wall visuals on the U.S. 95 freeway in Las Vegas. The artwork includes an 18-foot fox, 27-foot roadrunner, and 58-foot Gila Monster made of sustainable polystyrene foam. springspreserve.org, 702-822-7700 F Nevada’s state soil is among those included in the Washington, D.C. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s exhibit, “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil.” Orovada, as it is called, is extensive throughout Northern Nevada and is used in the cultivation of potatoes, corn, alfalfa hay, winter wheat, barley, and fruit trees. si.edu, 202-633-1000

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Drama in the Desert The Amargosa Opera House at Death Valley Junction, just a few miles from the Nevada-California border, has been bringing live theater to the rural area for more than 40 years. Opened in 1968 by dancer Marta Becket, ful to have found the place where I can fulfill my dreams and share them,” Becket says. The theater includes a 23-room hotel for visitors weary of the two-hour drive back to Las Vegas following a performance. The 2008-2009 season goes until May 9, with performances every Saturday night. amargosa-opera-house.com, 760-852-4441

art con tes t

Winning Waterfowl The Nevada Department of Wildlife announced in November the winner of its 30th annual State Duck Stamp Art Contest. The winner, Sherrie Russell Meline, is no stranger to duck stamps. Her work has appeared on about 30, including NDOW’s 1987 and 1999 duck stamps and the 2006 Federal Duck Stamp. The new stamp features a Great Basin Canada goose. The stamp sells for $10 and is required for hunting migratory birds in Nevada. ndow.org, 775-688-1500

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showroom HEADLINERS THE FOUR FRESHMEN January 2- 4 • Tickets from $15

RALPHIE MAY

January 9-10 • Tickets from $25

BILL MEDLEY with Special Guest

McKenna Medley

January 16-18 • Tickets from $45

JOHN CAPARULO

Photos: Name Here (top)

January 30- 31 • Tickets from $15

Tickets available at the South Point Box Ofﬁce or call 797-8055 or visit SouthPointCasino.com N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Photos: Name Here (top)

lamoille ext 10

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Photos: Name Here (top)

reme N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

* he l i c o p t er Elko County, Nevada

dr o p

p o in t s

1 Verdi Peak: 11,074 ft.

6 Mount Gilbert: 11,120 ft.

2 Snow Lake Peak: 11,137 ft.

7 Mount Silliman: 11,256 ft.

3 Mount Fitzgerald: 11,215 ft.

8 Ruby Dome: 11,387 ft.

4 Lake Peak: 10,992 ft.

9 Lee Peak: 11,025 ft.

5 Wines Peak: 10,893 ft.

*Does not include every drop point

You’ll feel right at home during an adventure with Ruby Mountains Heli-Experience.

ome folks call Elko County’s Ruby Mountains the “Yosemite of Nevada.” Others refer to the rugged, glacier-carved range as “Nevada’s Swiss Alps.” Joe Royer calls them home. For the past 30 years, he has been happily escorting guests around his “house” via his tour company, Ruby Moun-

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

tains Heli-Experience. The backcountry ski and snowboard service is based in Lamoille, a ranching community 20 miles south of Elko. “It’s sort of an oxymoron,” Royer says on a January evening, kicking back in the common room of his 10,000square-foot Reds Ranch lodge after a day of guiding visitors around the Rubies. “I mean, who would have thought it was

Graphic: kevin karl

BY DAN GIESIN

017-1029 Nev Mag Half page .doc

1/16/07

12:52 PM

Page 1

We play rough out here. Care to join us? With a name like Battle Mountain, you know this part of the country isn’t your ordinary “getaway.” You won’t find a fancy mega-chain coffee shop or a restaurant that features designer pies. But you will find rugged, tough terrain that goes on as far as the eye can see. If you’re into adventure, welcome to our mecca. It’s not for the faint of heart.

775.635.1112 BattleMountainTourism.com

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

“I thought, ‘There’s got to be some great skiing out there,’” Royer recalls. His vision was 20/20. The riding in the Rubies is spectacular. After the last ice age glaciers departed, the range was bequeathed with an array of steep cirques and deep U-shaped canyons. And with its crest rambling between 9,000 and 11,000 feet, the Rubies catch a lot of moisture from wintertime storms, producing upwards of 10 feet of snow each season. But the best part is that with the

desert climate and cold winter temperatures, the snow is super dry, the kind of fluff that ski-resort marketers in the mountains and states farther east like to brag about. Combine that with 200,000 square miles of pristine terrain ranging from open-bowl to aspen groves to stands of white bark pine and spruce, mix in access via a six-person Astar B3 chopper, and you’ve got a great recipe for winter adventure. “We don’t try to compete with those Alaskan (heli-ski) outfits,”

Photos: CURTIS Fong (top middle and right), Ruby mountains heli-experience (top left and bottom)

possible to have a great winter ski vacation in this area? How many people think there are big, jagged peaks in eastern Nevada…or, of the Great Basin as a ski destination?” Royer did, for one. In the early 1970s, he traveled back and forth between California’s Bay Area, where he grew up and spent his summers, and Utah’s Wasatch Range, where he was a ski patrolman in the winter. The glimpses he had of the Rubies as he traveled along Interstate 80 intrigued him.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

CONTACT Ruby Mountains Heli-Experience P.O. Box 281192, Lamoille, NV 89828 helicopterskiing.com 775-753-6867, 775-397-1215 3-day package: $4,100 per person: Three nights lodging, double occupancy; meals provided except arrival-night dinner; guide service; ski rental; guaranteed 39,000 feet of vertical skiing. 1-day package (available Thursdays only, Feb. 5 to April 2): $1,325 per person: Includes arrival-night lodging; breakfast

says Jamie Laidlaw, one of the half-dozen or so guides Royer employs. “We leave Alaska to the rad daddies.” In other words, Ruby Mountains HeliExperience is not considered extreme skiing, just extremely good skiing. “We like to say we can take any ability,” Royer says, “as long as no one gives up on us or lets their head get in the way, we can give them an enjoyable backcountry experience.” The experience incorporates a rundown of the dos and don’ts—the paramount of which is to mind your guide and the helicopter’s rotors— boarding the chopper, a fairly quick run to a nearby ridge, a short discussion of which route to take down, whooping it up while making many swooping powder turns, catching a breather at the designated landing site, and climbing aboard the chopper (mind those rotors). Repeat. Again and again. The three-day package (the usual length of a visit) guarantees 39,000 vertical feet of skiing and snowboarding—about seven runs, enough to make

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

a person feel the burn at the end of the day, at which point you’re treated to an underrated part of the deal. The after-hour diversions—specifically, the lovely aromas and yummy treats that emanate from Francy Royer’s kitchen—are why people return to Ruby Mountains Heli-Experience year after year (Joe says 80 percent of his guests are repeat customers). “This is definitely a dream come true for me,” says Francy, who before joining her future husband as a guide was trained as a pastry chef. “Designing meals for hungry skiers is definitely challenging, but it’s a good challenge. We have a different menu each night, so it’s important to be very creative.” That hospitality is not lost on guests. “A big part of the experience for me is that Joe and Francy go above and beyond what is necessary to make sure we have a pleasant experience,” says Robert Capps of Squaw Valley, Calif., who has been making annual sojourns to the ranch since the late 1990s. “I’ve been to other

heli-ski outfits, and this is totally different. Here, you feel like you’re at a friend’s house. [The Royers] have a great attitude, and they go out of their way to find you great skiing and make sure you have a great time.” Which is very satisfying for Joe to hear. “We want to make this the greatest winter ski experience in anybody’s life,” he says. “We really care about our guests.”

Photos: Ruby mountains heli-experience

and lunch; guide service; six runs.

N e va da D ow n h i l l According to orbitz.com, Lake Tahoe is the most popular ski destination in the U.S. for hotel and vacation packages booked on the site. With the new upgrades and offerings at area resorts, it’s likely 2009 will see more than last winter’s 60.5 million visitors. For Nevada ski packages and road conditions, visit ski.travelnevada.com or skitravelnevada.mobi. Homewood Mountain Resort skihomewood.com 530-525-2992 Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 209-258-600 Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe skirose.com 775-849-0704 Northstar-at-Tahoe unveiled the new Martis Camp Express Lift, accessing more advanced terrain near Lookout Mountain.

An informal, feel-good ski experi-

northstarattahoe.com

ence in northeastern Nevada.

530-562-1010 Sierra-at-Tahoe introduced the Sierra Pub

A few miles north of Elko lies Nevada’s least-

Club that includes your own mug and

known winter-sports resort, Elko Snobowl. At the

all-day happy-hour pricing on 21-ounce

end of a snow-covered dirt road that’s essentially

beers.

an extension of Elko’s Fifth Street, the Snobowl

sierraattahoe.com Alpine Meadows opened the Burton

530-659-7453

has an endearing funkiness to it. The resort’s sign, for instance, is a huge granite boulder with

Learn-to-Ride Center, which introduces

Soda Springs promises an expanded

beginners to snowboarding.

Planet Kids for the 2008-2009 ski season,

skialpine.com

with a new location and features.

530-583-4232

skisodasprings.com

There’s one double-chair lift that takes skiers and

530-426-1010

snowboarders up the summit’s 650 vertical feet

Quad chairlift and replaced every light

Squaw Valley USA has opened

and a couple rope tows that access a learning

fixture with energy-efficient lighting.

customized private backcountry tours to

area. A small building serves as a warming

borealski.com

skiers and boarders of all abilities.

hut/repair shop and rental facility. Skip’s Snack

530-426-3666

squaw.com

Shack, a trailer that’s often still hitched to a

530-583-6955

pickup truck, dispenses hot food, cold drinks,

renovate the base lodge, adding new

Sugar Bowl unveiled plans to build and

and $20 lift tickets.

restrooms, an outside deck, and more.

maintain a training course for skiers and

diamondpeak.com

boarders heading to the 2010 Winter

775-831-3211

Olympic Games.

Boreal introduced its new Castle Peak

Diamond Peak spent $4 million to

Photos: curtis fong (right), Sierra-at-tahoe (left)

Elko S n obowl

Donner Ski Ranch donnerskiranch.com 530-426-3635 Granlibakken granlibakken.com

grooming machines and remodeled the California Lodge rental shop. skiheavenly.com 775-586-7000

peek into the Snobowl’s charm.

All the employees—lift attendants, ski patrol personnel, instructors, and parking lot attendants—

sugarbowl.com

are volunteers who keep the nonprofit resort in

530-426-9000

operation on weekends and select holidays. The

Tahoe Donner skitahoedonner.com 530-587-9444

riding is intermediate skill level, but the snow conditions can be sparse—this is the high desert after all. But a day at the Snobowl is like going back 30 or 40 years, when skiing was a less

530-583-4242 Heavenly fired up six new low-emission

the name white-washed on the side—a sneak

Southern N evada

manicured affair.

Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard

It reminds me of the days when I skied the mom-

skilasvegas.com 702-385-2754

and-pop resorts of the Sierra Nevada as a kid in the 1960s. The Snobowl is truly a place out of time and well worth the visit.—DAn GIESIN

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ground zero The Atomic Testing Museum educates visitors about Nevadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in nuclear experimentation.

Phoebus nuclear reactors (left) were built in the 1960s as part of the Rover program, to meet the needs of an interplanetary mission.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Photos: Rick MortensEn

BY VALERIE PORTER

city limits

The Ground Zero Theater is a stark, callous place with hard benches. Its entrance replicates walking into a testsite viewing area, the control point for watching nuclear-bomb detonations. The doors close, and even those not prone to claustrophobia might notice the distinct lack of fresh air in the room. A recorded voice begins a countdown, and on a large screen visitors see what workers did prior to and after the detonation—quiet at first, followed by a mushroom cloud. Most frightening? The steam, noise, and shaking emanating from the room, all affects of the test. It’s make-believe, but guaranteed to elicit gasps, and even screams. Visitors exit in stunned silence. And to think all of this takes place less than 10 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip at the Atomic Testing Museum. The museum offers a dramatic, sometimes eerie history lesson that’s still highly relevant today. Nevada played a central

role in the testing and development of nuclear bombs—conducting 928 aboveand below-ground tests between 1951 and 1992, when a moratorium halted the testing of nuclear weapons. Nevada’s open land and good weather made it a prime choice for the dubious activities. A copy of the December 1950 letter written by President Harry S. Truman authorizing the Nevada Test Site is prominently on display (see above). Visitors are issued name tags and badges at the start of the tour, then freed to roam past continuous newsreels of—among other things—Adolf Hitler, actual bomb tests, and test-site workers heading to and from their shelters and campgrounds. Those who lived through World War II make up a significant number of visitors. “I remember when Hitler made those speeches,” says 92-year-old Agnes Fitzgerald. “And over there at that TV screen, the newspaper headlines and

scenes of Harry Truman, I remember those days well.” Her 86-year-old sister, Theresa, looks with fascination at gas masks, helmets, and survival kits used by test-site workers. “A friend of mine worked at the site,” she recalls. “It’s important to [see this] and remember those dangerous times so we don’t repeat them.” A sense of quiet awe permeates the museum, which opened in 2005. It contains hundreds of artifacts from the Nevada Test Site (still used for other programs such as hazardous chemicalspill testing, emergency response training, conventional weapons testing, and waste management and environmental technology studies), 65 miles from Las Vegas. Two test bombs dubbed Little Boy and Fat Man are among the most unnerving displays. A nearby simulated work station depicts a lifelike idea of bunker life. The most eerie experience—and the

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

city limits

most popular—is the aforementioned Ground Zero Theater, but there are plenty of other interactive displays. You can walk through replica silos, where bombs were stored and from which underground tests were launched, and test your own level of radioactivity. About 2,500 Americans visit the museum monthly. “Canada and England comprise our next-heaviest tourist base,” says Dawn Ham, director of marketing and development. “We’ve also had visitors from Japan, Australia, Serbia, Ethiopia—all countries and age groups.” Educational field trips are encouraged for appropriate age groups. “Because of the museum’s subject matter we prefer

fourth graders and above,” Ham adds. Revolving exhibits, lectures, and book signings keep material fresh. Through January, an exhibit honors the 50th anniversary of the 1958 Anglo-American Mutual Defense Agreement, acknowledging our association with the British in opposing nuclear weapons. There’s a small gift shop with books, photos, and quirkier items such as Atomic Fireball candies, popular in the 1950s and still delivering a nostalgic cinnamon kick. A poignant history walk around the museum’s exterior commemorates with plaques, names of former test-site employees, and others who were involved in the testing.

CONTACT Atomic Testing Museum 755 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas Located on the first floor of Frank H. Rogers Science and Technology Building at the Desert Research Institute Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun., 1-5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day) Admission: $12, adults (ages 18-65); $9, children (ages 7-17), seniors, students, Nevada residents, and military; Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation members and youth (ages 6 and younger), free atomictestingmuseum.org 702-794-5161

Top: An Arms Race-era at the entrance to the Underground Testing Exhibit. A replica of a B61 Thurmonuclear Bomb (right).

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Photos: Rick Mortensen

family greets visitors

Your Escape With an abundance of recreational opportunities it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Jackpot is an outdoor enthusiast's dream. Combined with the hottest

Jackpot Tourism

gaming action, fabulous restaurants, and big-name

www.jackpot-nevada.org

775-755-2229

entertainment, it’s clear to see why Jackpot is more than a weekend getaway … it’s your escape. P H O T O S

B Y

J O S E P H

R O Y E R

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city limits

WORTH A VISIT Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never heard of the Atomic Testing Museum? Here are a few more outside-the-norm Nevada institutions. East Ely Railroad Depot Museum 1100 Ave. A, Ely Has been restored to its original 1907 appearance nevadaculture.org 775-289-1663 The Historic McGill Drug Company #11 4th St., McGill An old small-town drugstore frozen in time mcgilldrugstoremuseum.org 775-235-7082 Liberty Engine Co. No. 1 125 S. C St., Virginia City History of firefighting in Nevada comstockfiremuseum.com 775-847-0717 Lost City Museum 721 S. Moapa Valley Blvd., Overton Situated on prehistoric Puebloan ruins nevadaculture.org 702-397-2193 The Neon Museum 821 Las Vegas Blvd. N., Las Vegas A collection of old neon signs and associated artifacts neonmuseum.org 702-387-6366

worth a click nevadamuseums.org museums.travelnevada.com

The Silo Theater at the Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas houses a short film explaining the Nevada Test Siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s various uses.

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Photo: Randa Bishop

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city limits

Tuscany Events Center

peppermill reno’s renaissance Resort unveils new spa, club, restaurants, and events center.

b y c h a r l i e johnston

In November, Reno’s Peppermill Resort Spa Casino unveiled what it calls its “Crown Jewel.” The 30,000-squarefoot, three-story Spa Toscana is the most ambitious spa CONTACT undertaking to 2707 S. Virginia St., Reno date in Reno. peppermillreno.com Its first floor is 800-648-6992 split into men’s and women’s rejuvenation areas with separate hot and cold plunge pools and steam and cedar wood saunas. The second floor of Toscana is dedicated to 24 treatment rooms, including couples’ quarters, all 24

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with high-definition plasma TVs and spa treatments that provide So Sound Acoustic Resonance Therapy resonating through the massage tables. The top floor includes a full-service salon and Romaninspired Caldarium with indoor pool, hot tubs, and a sun deck. Entertainment additions at the Peppermill include the Edge nightclub, Terrace Lounge, and Tuscany Events Center. Overlooking the new pool area, the club sets a Vegas-like standard for Reno nightlife. Local favorite DJ-Freez runs the state-of-the-art sound system, complimented by light shows and dozens of wall-mounted high-definition plasma screens. Thursday is ladies’ night, with

drink specials and free admission for women until 1 a.m., and Service Industry Night, Sunday, also offers free admission (with valid service ID) and drink specials. Terrace Lounge, across from the casual eatery Biscotti’s, is a relaxing spot to start or close an evening, with views of the pool and occasional live piano music. The Tuscany Events Center—at 62,000 square feet, the largest free-span convention center in Northern Nevada—rounds out the Peppermill’s expansion and hosts entertainers such as Willie Nelson (January 10) and Wynonna (February 21). Two new restaurants—Bimini Tropical Steakhouse and Chi fine Asian cuisine— also opened in late 2008.

Photos: Name Here (top)

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trail of tales Dial up the personal stories of former students and employees at Stewart Indian School. B y j oy c e hollister

letha Tom arrived at Stewart Indian School in 1959, making the long journey from

12 years old. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was the first time I was away from the reservation,â&#x20AC;? she recalls.

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PHOTO: ryan jerz

her home at the Moapa Indian Reservation in Southern Nevada by bus. She was

photos: Bruce Rettig

wide open

Tom tells of her six years at Stewart on the Stewart Indian School Talking Trail, a self-guided cell phone tour that debuted last fall. In its 90 years, the former boarding school near Carson City saw more than 20,000 American Indian students pass through its portals. You can take the tour by following a map of the campus and stopping at 20 designated sites. Dial 775-546-1460, punch in a tour-stop number, and you’ll hear from Tom, employees, and other students. Although student life was regimented, Tom enjoyed her time at Stewart. On the tour, she talks about lining up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. “I remember as a little girl marching to the dining room,” Tom relates on the tour at the Small Girls Dorm stop (opposite page). “The bigger girls would call us termites. I’m not sure why. Maybe because we had to march in a line.” At another stop, former guidance counselor and third-generation employee William Oliver remembers the time he picked up a student at the bus depot. “I asked him where he came from,” Oliver says. “He said, ‘Japan.’” The student’s father was stationed in Japan with the military, and he flew the boy home to attend the school. Stewart Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Larry Hale, whose father is a Stewart alumnus, first worked at the school as a plumber’s apprentice in 1971. On the audio tour, Hale describes the underground steam tunnels that heated the school buildings. “I spent many happy hours here,” he says. Nevada Indian Commission Executive Director Sherry Rupert worked with various partners to produce the cell phone tour, which allows visitors

to learn about the school and what it means to American Indians. “The school evokes fond memories,” Rupert says. “The alumni are passionate about their teachers and what they learned here. This school became their family. They are very proud.” Stewart served Indian students from Nevada and surrounding states from 1890 to 1980. The first schoolhouse and dormitory occupied a Victorian-style wood building. As enrollment increased, students worked under the direction of Hopi stonemasons to construct buildings of colorful native stone. Focus was on vocational training until the 1960s, when academics were emphasized. Nevada acquired the school in the 1990s. Recently, the Nevada Indian Commission received a grant from the Commission on Cultural Affairs to restore the old administration building into a cultural center. Displays will present the school’s history and that of the three Nevada tribes: Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe. Research, archive, and community gathering spaces also are planned. Tom is pleased. “I loved my time in Stewart,” she says. “It has a lot to do with who I am today.”

CONTACT Nevada Indian Commission Office Stewart Indian School 5500 Snyder Ave., Carson City stewartindianschool.com (download tour podcasts) 775-687-8333 CELL PHONE TOUR Stewart Indian School Talking Trail 775-546-1460

Opposite page: A visitor on the Stewart Indian School Talking Trail tries the cell phone tour. This page: The Stewart Indian

Nevada Online To watch a

School Father’s Day Powwow (top).

video about the talking trail, visit

Nevada Indian Commission Executive

blog.travelnevada.com.

Director Sherry Rupert (bottom).

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

a river runs through it The quaint community of Verdi has quieted down since its days as a bustling mill town.

verdi

★

reno

l as veg as

When Walt Walker was growing up in Verdi in the 1930s, the only warning the town had that a fire had broken out was the sound of a rifle shot piercing the air. For anyone familiar with the town’s history, they’d guess a lot of ammo had been spent through the years. “The old town was destroyed by fire every time you turned around,” says Bruno L. Coli, a resident of Verdi for all of his 80 years. In October 1944, fire destroyed a church, hotel, and saloon. In response, Walker and two friends established a volunteer fire department in 1948. “We put a fire engine together and had a little garage in the middle of town,” says Walker, who was born in Verdi in 1930 and has lived there ever since. It’s that sense of community that 28

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

longtime Verdi residents hold dear and has kept them here for most or all of their lives. “I have four kids, and they all live here. One of them is already retired here,” Mary Powning says with a laugh. Powning has lived in Verdi for nearly 80 years. What does she enjoy about the town? “Everything. The beautiful scenery and the people. I’ve been here a long time, and I intend to stay.” Verdi is the first Nevada town you pass if you’re traveling east on Interstate 80 into Reno. What was once the main highway, now Old Highway 40, makes up Verdi’s main street. On one end, there’s Gold Ranch Casino, a popular place to fill up for those making the drive west into California, and on the other, Backstop Bar & Grill, a locals’ hangout. In

between you have the Truckee River and a fascinating history revolving around the railroad and lumber trade. Named for Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, the town was established in 1868 following a short stint as O’Neil’s Crossing. Officials of the Central Pacific Railroad, which was constructed from 1867-69, were responsible for the name change. The town “became a major mill town and terminal for the shipment of ties and construction timbers, with a network of logging railways reaching into the timber north and west,” as stated on Verdi’s historical marker accessible off Old Highway 40 (also State Route 425 and Third Street). The Crystal Peak Company, established in 1864, prospered in mining and lumbering.

Photo: Maria Coulson

B Y M AT T HEW B. B ROWN

wide open

Tour Around

★

NEVADA

The area is also known for the “Verdi Train Robbery” (the site of the heist is actually closer to present-day Reno), more commonly known as the Great Train Robbery, of 1870. Ringleader A.J. “Jack” Davis and four others held up Central Pacific No. 1 and looted an express car carrying close to $50,000 worth of gold pieces and silver bars. For all of its success as a lumber town in the 19th and 20th centuries—some residents contend that the population of Verdi was more than Reno at one time—Verdi couldn’t seem to escape its arch enemy: fire. According to a timeline provided by the Verdi History Preservation Society, there have been more than 20 major fires in the town’s nearly 150-year history. It was the fire of 1926, however, that devastated the community most and changed its course from an active stop on the railroad to the sleepy town it is today.

Nevada Magazine will visit one Nevada community per issue and present the town with a Tour Around Nevada certificate and customized Nevada Magazine cover. It’s up to you to decide which towns are covered! Send your vote to editor@nevadamagazine.com with the town and “Tour Around NV” in the subject line. Please, only one vote per e-mail address. Because they’re well known nationally, Las Vegas and Reno are excluded from the Tour Around Nevada. Voting for the May/June issue closes Friday, February 20.

MEET NEVADA MAGAZINE On January 10 at 11 a.m., we will celebrate the grand opening of the Verdi History Center. We invite you to visit our booth and join us in the festivities.

Despite its quaint disposition, Verdi has plenty to offer the casual tourist. For starters, the Verdi History Center, which contains interesting photos and other memorabilia, opened in the fall. Crystal Peak Park has a scenic walking trail that follows the Truckee River. Later this year, a community fishing pond will open at the park and host such family events as kids fishing tournaments. You can cross the historic Crystal Peak Toll Bridge, built in 1928, on Bridge Street, also home to the Verdi Library, which has a wealth of information on the town’s history. Residents and visitors can play the nine-hole Crystal Peak Golf Course, and Boomtown Hotel Casino

and Cabela’s outdoor superstore are also in close proximity. If you make the short drive down Third Street, don’t be deceived by the town’s small appearance. There are a good number of homes in the area. “I used to look out to sagebrush, and now I see houses,” Powning says. But you still get a sense of serenity that doesn’t quite exist over the hill in Reno. “It’s quiet out here, you’ve got the hills around you, entertainment close by, and a good [elementary] school,” Coli says. “Overall, it’s an enjoyable experience.” VERDI Established: 1868 Population: 3,797 (city-data.com) Elevation: 4,905 CONTACT Verdi History Preservation Society P.O. Box 663, Verdi, NV 89439 775-345-0173 e-mail: verdihistory@yahoo.com

TIMELINE A fiery past 1860 – O’Neil’s Crossing bridge built 1864 – Crystal Peak settlement established Nov. 4, 1870 – Great Train Robbery 1900 – Oliver Lonkey establishes Verdi Lumber Company Photo: Verdi History Preservation Society

1926 – Verdi Glen Resort & Verdi Inn open 1926 – Disastrous fire leads to Verdi’s decline as prosperous mill town 1938 – Verdi Glen Resort destroyed by fire 1944 – Fire destroys a church, hotel, and saloon 1948 – Verdi Volunteer Fire Department established Sept. 15, 1985 – Verdi Inn interior seriously damaged by fire Oct. 30, 2002 – Verdi Community Library opens 2005 – Verdi History Preservation Society established 2008 – Verdi History Center opens Spring 2009 – New community fishing pond expected open Verdi (circa 1902)

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just fondue it.

Follow a day of winter play with this stomach-warming Swiss comfort food. B Y M ELISSA SIIG

henever the Sierra-at-Tahoe ski team performs well at a competition, its

members get a special treatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;cheese fondue melted on the spot by Tahoe Swiss Chalet owner Peter Baumann.

The Melting Pot, Reno

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

cravings “It’s an easy way to connect with people. It’s the way Europeans do it—they take their time, talk, and enjoy the food.” —Kirk Hansen, owner of two Melting Pots in the Las Vegas area, on fondue

Photos: court leve

Tahoe Swiss Chalet, South Lake Tahoe

Baumann’s 16-year old son, Erich, a junior at South Tahoe High School, is a member of the team. The elder Baumann, who is half Swiss, says the hearty, après-ski reward makes other teams jealous. “All the other schools ask, ‘How come we don’t get fondue?’” Baumann says. For those without the luxury of such immediate service, fondue restaurants around the state offer winter sports enthusiasts (and others, of course) a warm place to retreat from the cold, refill their hungry bellies, and enjoy a rewarding, social dining experience with family and friends. Fondue, French for “melted,” is a traditional Swiss dish made by melting Gruyere or Emmenthaler cheese and wine in a communal pot. Cubes of bread are dipped

into the steaming sauce. Modern twists include dipping chicken, prawns, and lamb in different liquids such as hot oil or broth. The origins of fondue are found in winter. Peasants in 18th-century Switzerland relied on cheese and bread made during the summer to last them through the cold winter months. However, by the time the snow started to fall, the cheese and bread were so hard they became inedible. The industrious Swiss discovered that by mixing the cheese with wine and heating it over a flame, they could dip the stale bits of bread into the sauce for a soft, delicious meal. Today, fondue can be found on practically every menu in restaurants in the Swiss, French, and Italian Alps. Mary Hendrix, owner of La Fondue in Incline Village, spent two weeks last March in France and

Italy. “I’ve eaten it all over the world, always in mountain towns,” says Hendrix, who got her first fondue pot in 1973. So it’s only natural that fondue restaurants have taken root in Nevada, the most mountainous state in the country. The Reno-Lake Tahoe area, home to a plethora of ski resorts, has six restaurants that serve fondue. Las Vegas, with a ski resort less than an hour away, has two all-fondue establishments in the area. La Fondue, which opened in 1980, is the only eatery at Lake Tahoe that exclusively serves fondue. Its interior replicates the feel of a cozy Swiss chalet, with European ski posters lining the wood-paneled walls. The connection between fondue and skiing was obvious to Hendrix. “When you come in from skiing you want something hearty,”

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Photos: Name Here (top)

THE WATCH BOUTIQUE THE WATCH SHOPPE MICHAEL E. MINDEN AT MGM GRAND AT TREASURE ISLAND DIAMOND JEWELERS 702 8913396 702 8947772 AT FASHION SHOW MALL 702 2535588 W W W.L A S V E G A S H O O K B R AC E L E T.CO M

cravings

Photos: court leve

Hendrix says. “It’s the warmth of it, the aroma, and the atmosphere, too.” Her customers agree. In the 12 years they’ve had a ski lease at Tahoe, Lynn Bodfish and her family have made it a tradition to dine at La Fondue at least once a month after hitting the terrain at Heavenly Mountain Resort. “After a cold day on the slopes, it’s nice to come into a warm, inviting, and toasty ambience,” Bodfish says. “It makes the whole skiing experience.” The parallel between skiing and fondue is one reason that Sean Sette, owner of the two Chocolate Bar restaurants in Reno, decided to open a third location at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort in December. The Chocolate Bar serves both cheese and chocolate fondue, the latter being its number-one seller. “Chocolate has always been synonymous with cold weather and skiing,” Sette says. “Chocolate is a comfort food and has so many benefits—it just makes you feel good.”

The Chocolate Bar, Reno

The Melting Pot of Reno will offer for the second year in a row discounts to area skiers. Owner Eric Ponce de Leon gives 15 percent off any bottle of wine $50 or less and $20 off a Big Night Out for Two (four-course meal in which guests choose their fondue options) to any customer who brings in a ski pass or same-day lift ticket from any of the area resorts. “After a full day of skiing with friends or family, what a better way to end than with a cheese pot and a nice bottle of wine,” Ponce de Leon says. “It’s a cozy, warm atmosphere, and it’s fun.” That communal aspect of fondue dining is another one of its attractions. Depending on the restaurant, the pots of melted cheese or chocolate can serve anywhere from two to eight people. The Tahoe Swiss Chalet, which opened in South Lake Tahoe in 1957, offers fondue bourguignonne (raw cubes of filet mignon) for two, in which customers dip and cook the meat in hot oil.

The Melting Pot, Reno

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cravings

CONTACTS The Chocolate Bar (three locations) 475 S. Arlington Ave., Reno 775-337-1122 13979 S. Virginia St., Ste. 505, Reno 775-852-9966 thechocbar.com 100 Northstar Dr., Truckee (CA) northstarattahoe.com La Fondue 120 Country Club Dr. #66, Incline Village 775-831-6104 lafonduetahoe.com The Melting Pot (three locations)

La Fondue, Incline Village

6950 S. McCarran Blvd., Reno 775-827-6500 8955 S. Eastern Ave., Green Valley 702-944-6358 8704 W. Charleston Blvd., Summerlin 702-384-6358 meltingpot.com Tahoe Swiss Chalet 2544 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe 530-544-3304 tahoeswisschalet.com

Kirk Hansen, owner of two Melting Pots in the Las Vegas area, says that sharing fondue, which can last a few hours for larger parties, gives people an opportunity to spend quality time together. “It’s an easy way to connect with people,” he says. “It’s the way Europeans do it—they take their time, talk, and enjoy the food.” Fondue can also help you start a conversation with strangers. “It’s an icebreaker,” Hendrix says. “People tend to be very interactive because they are all eating from the same pot.”

Or, you can always fall back on fondue folklore. One version says that if a man drops his cube of bread into the pot, he has to buy the next round of drinks. If a woman drops her morsel, she has to kiss the man to her left. Baumann says the custom had to be modernized. “It used to be that a man had to kiss a girl, but the guys kept dropping their fondue bread on purpose,” he says. “Now, if you lose your bread, you buy the table a bottle of wine.”

Peter Baumann’s easy fondue recipe In a large pot, mix: Pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg Garlic to taste 2/3 cup white wine 2 2/3 cup mixture of grated Gruyere and Emmenthaler cheese

In a separate bowl, make a paste out of a couple tablespoons of cornstarch and a little water. Heat the contents of the pot over medium heat, whipping occasionally. Gradually add cornstarch mixture to desired thickness. Heat fondue for five minutes or until cheese is melted. Break up your favorite loaf of bread, and Bon Appétit!

The Melting Pot, Reno

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Photos: court leve

1 oz. Kirschwasser (a German fruit brandy)

For subscriptions, change of address, or renewals, call 800-495-3281. To purchase additional copies and back issues, call 775-687-0609. Write to:

Nevada Magazine 401 N. Carson St. Carson City, NV 89701-4291

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N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

NOTABLE NEVADAN

Q&A

with Katharine Jefferts Schori The pilot, priest, and Presiding Bishop couldn’t help falling in love with the desert. b y m att h e w b. brown

Katharine Jefferts Schori has touched many lives, and given the unassuming way she’s acquired her leadership positions in the church, one might say it was her destiny. While enjoying a successful career as an oceanographer, she had a fellow Episcopal Church member ask if she’d ever thought of becoming a priest. Then another. And finally another. “It was a shocking enough experience that I paid attention,” Jefferts Schori says. Some years later, while on sabbatical, she traveled the Western states, and one of her many stops happened to be St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Sparks. Again she found herself answering to fate, this time by way of a St. Paul’s priest, agreed, was elected, and what followed was a nearly six-year tour of the Silver State in which she developed a sincere respect for Nevada’s land and people. Now, as Presiding Bishop of the United States, Jefferts Schori travels the world and plans to visit more than 100 dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. and 15 other countries. Born in 1954 in Pensacola, Florida, Jefferts Schori grew up in the Seattle area, spent a few years in New Jersey, got a degree at Stanford University, and went on to earn her master’s and doctorate from Oregon State University. The practicing pilot served as Bishop of Nevada from 2001 to 2006, and she and her husband own a home in Henderson. She spoke with Nevada Magazine in October.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Photo: 2008 Episcopal life online

who asked Jefferts Schori if she could enter her name into the search for the next Bishop of Nevada. Jefferts Schori

people

Q Explain more about the process that led to your tenure as Bishop of Nevada.

A I was a priest serving in the diocese of Oregon. I had a sabbatical, and I was interviewing congregations that were engaged in the particular way of being church called “total ministry,” and I visited St. Paul’s in Sparks. When I left, the priest there said to me, “What you’ve done here is a lot like what a bishop does. Can I put your name into the search process?” I laughed. I thought it was totally absurd. I left and drove the rest of the way across Nevada in a snowstorm and through Wyoming

challenge is] the diversity in the state, given its exceedingly urbanized south and another large urban center around Reno—but the rest of the state is pretty empty. There are many small communities, and there are Episcopal Churches in many of them that have been there since they were boomtowns. The Episcopal Church is often the only mainline representative still there, and we took that really seriously.

What are your main responsibilities in your current

role as Presiding Bishop?

and Colorado, and the idea didn’t let go of me. When I

A My responsibilities are to all 110 dioceses of the

finally got home, I said, “This doesn’t make any sense,

Episcopal Church—nearly 100 of them in the United

but yes, you can put my name in.”

States. Then, in places like Taiwan, Micronesia, Honduras, Ecuador, Venezuela, Columbia, Haiti, Dominican

What are the Bishop of Nevada’s main

responsibilities?

The Bishop of Nevada is responsible for the

[state’s] 37 congregations of the Episcopal Church, seeing that effective and appropriate ministry is going

Republic, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and a group of churches in Europe. I’m the chief pastor, and I hope to visit each diocese of the church by the time my term has ended after nine years.

challenging people to pay attention to the needs of their

Q How did you become a pilot? A I come from a family of pilots. My father and grand-

neighbors, locally and farther away. The Bishop also has

father were both pilots, and so was my mother. My

a responsibility to the larger church to participate in its

father’s still an active pilot. It was something I grew up

government.

with, and I got my license when I was in college. But I

on in all communities, starting new congregations, and

didn’t use it until I came to Nevada and quickly learned

Q A

You lived in Las Vegas during your five-year term? Yes, my main residence was in Las Vegas because

the main office for the diocese is [there], but there’s also a satellite office in Reno. The diocese of Nevada also

that flying an airplane would be a great asset in getting around because [the state’s] so big.

Q How did your experience as an oceanographer

includes one congregation in Bullhead City, Arizona.

shape you?

Q What do you like most about Las Vegas and Reno? A I like the whole state. The people are wonderful, the

tions about what I’m going to find; also a willingness to

scenery is spectacular, there are lots of challenges, and

A [I learned] to not come into a situation with assumpmake a hypothesis and test it and to change my mind if I find reason to.

people in Nevada—in my experience—engage those challenges in really creative ways. I fell in love with the desert.

Q A

What challenges do you speak of? All the way from the rate of population growth in

Las Vegas to the challenges of keeping a tiny congregation going in the most rural parts of Nevada. [Another

Nevada Online For more of the interview with Katharine Jefferts Schori, including her experience flying over Nevada, visit nevadamagazine.com.

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people

SNAPSHOTS Roni Taylor Las Vegas The host and executive producer of the television series “Getaway for a Day,” Roni Taylor, is one tough woman. She has to be to climb, rappel, ride horses, and drive a race car…all in heels. Since starting the southern Nevada and Utah travel show in fall 2007, Taylor has taken the tourist experience to a new level with her willingness to try (almost) anything once. “I try to be as positive, compassionate, and entertaining as possible,” she says. “I hope [viewers] like the show as much as I like making it.” The show has traveled to Nevada locations such as Bonnie Springs, Boulder City, and Pahrump—and to Utah’s Zion National Park. Prior to “Getaway for a Day,” Taylor produced an improvisational comedy show in Los Angeles, worked as a runway model and actress in New York, and was a media consultant for commercials and infomercials. getawayforaday.tv, 702-448-7916

PHOTOGRAPHER

Wolfgang Kohz Minden More than 40 years ago, Wolfgang Kohz and his wife came to America with $39 to their names. The German immigrant didn’t stop moving from there; he quickly took to the Sierra Nevada, exploring the backcountry, camera in hand. Wolf, as he is called, is best known for his panoramic murals at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. His work ranges from scenic landscapes to wildlife and floral portraits. Wolf sells his work via his company, Wolf Products Inc., which has been a staple in the Northern Nevada arts community since 1966. You will also find fine-art furniture and decorative floor and wall tiles on his Web site. wolf-products.com, 775-267-3131 38

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N E VA DA W R I T E R S

Sally Denton Santa Fe, New Mexico The Elko native and University of Nevada, Reno graduate was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame in October. As an investigative reporter and author, Sally Denton has written about Las Vegas’ links to Wall Street, international drug traffickers, and the CIA. Her 2001 book, The Money and the Power: The Making of Las Vegas and its Hold on America— cowritten with her husband, Roger Morris— exposed disturbing connections between politicians, businessmen, and criminals and revealed Las Vegas’ extensive influence across the nation. Denton has previously been honored with such awards as the Guggenheim Fellowship in 2006 and received a Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Silver Pen Award in 2003. library.unr.edu

Don Waters Santa Fe, New Mexico Don Waters, a Reno native, received a Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Silver Pen Award for his collection of short stories, Desert Gothic. The stories show a grittier side of life, set in offbeat desert communities of Nevada and Arizona. Visit nevadamagazine.com and click on “BattleBorn Books” for a review of Desert Gothic. Waters has received numerous additional honors, including the 2009 Pushcart Award and the 2007 Iowa Short Fiction Award. library.unr.edu

Photos: Name Here (top)

GETAWAY GIRL

S TO RYTELLERS

Cowboy Poets of Northern Nevada Reno Area In 2005, three Reno area cowboys with a common interest in sharing appreciation for what many call the “cowboy way” united. Their shared talents as poets and performers led them to travel the West together—sharing their work and Western lifestyles—as the Cowboy Poets of Northern Nevada. Tony Argento Jr. is an animated performer who incorporates clever props in his recitations of classic poems and some of his own work. cowboypoettony.com A former Oregon cattleman and Rocky Mountain packer, Dave P. Fisher is an all-around cowboy entertainer. In addition to poems, Fisher writes Western stories and books and is an actor.

davepfisher.com

Poet and horseman Harold Roy Miller (pictured above) has a penchant for ending his poems with an unexpected twist. Miller also writes song lyrics and has contributed to a Western CD promoting Nevada’s wild horses. cowboypoetry.com Others who share the trio’s passion will perform at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, January 24-31. M U SICIAN

Photo: diana miller (top)

Richard Elloyan Carson City The singer, songwriter, cowboy, and poet has been entertaining Nevadan and Western crowds for more than a decade in venues ranging from the Eureka Opera House and Carson City’s Brewery Arts Center to cowboy poetry gatherings all over the West. Elloyan started his career in the most unlikely of settings, at an open-mic event in Dayton almost 12 years ago. Surprised by the crowd’s reception of his song, “Carolina”—now on his album, “Big Nevada Sky”—Elloyan started performing the songs and stories he had written over the last 30 years. “I would [write my music and poetry] even if I was the only one to ever read them,” he says. “Every song, every poem, is an itch or an ache that doesn’t go away until it finds its way to paper.” Elloyan has released five albums; the most recent, “Rodeo Bones,” debuted in December 2007. richardelloyan.net

Locomotive choice is reserved by the railroad due to operational considerations. Must be 18 years of age with valid drivers license to operate. The limit is two people in the cab. Rentals may be split between individuals. Steam rentals are only available on steam days. Diesel rentals are usually available any day the museum is open. Rentals are for about two hours. Go online or call for more details and reservations.

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Circa 1940

from the ashes

Newly renovated Piper’s Opera House has been reborn more than once through the years. B Y C H I C D I F RANCIA

Virginia City’s Piper’s Opera House has stood as a monument to Comstock entertainment for almost 150 years. Even after withstanding two disastrous fires and suffering through financially tough times when the Virginia City mines ceased operation more than a century ago, Piper’s has managed a successful transition into the 21st century—but it hasn’t been easy. Piper’s Opera House began as Maguire’s Opera House in 1863, when San Francisco theater impresario Thomas Maguire built the establishment on D Street between Union and Taylor. Maguire did well for a couple years, booking top talent from around the country. He was the first to book Adah Isaacs Menken, who had the starring role in “Mazeppa.” Menken, scantly dressed

in flesh-colored tights and a filmy blouse and strapped to the back of a black horse dashing across the stage, caused quite a stir in Virginia City. Mark Twain, who developed a semi-serious relationship with Menken, wrote a review for the Territorial Enterprise based on an earlier “Mazeppa” performance he had seen in San Francisco. Maguire fell on hard times in 186667 and began selling the opera house to John Piper in installments. In March 1867, Piper paid Maguire $2,500 and took over sole ownership of the establishment. Piper came to Virginia City with the first rush of prospectors in 1860. However, he didn’t earn his pay with pick and shovel but with a whiskey bottle. An 1861 lithograph by Grafton Brown shows he owned Old Corner Wines, Liquors, & Co. at B and Union streets. The saloon was a bit

joint, meaning one could get two drinks for two bits (a 25-cent value). Piper became entrenched in Storey County politics and was well respected in Virginia City, even before his involvement with the opera house. He was elected to the city council in 1865 and CONTACT took over as Piper’s Opera House mayor the 12 N. B St., Virginia City following year. 775-847-0433 pipersoperahouse.com He served as Storey County commissioner and state senator from Storey County in the Nevada State Legislature in 1875 and 1877. Piper’s political contributions to Virginia City are all but forgotten today, overshadowed by his three decades of ownership of the famed opera house. Piper gave Virginia City the best enter-

Maguire’s Opera House opens

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John Piper purchases opera house

Original New Piper’s Piper’s burns opens down

New Today’s Piper’s Piper’s Opera burns House opens down

John Piper dies

Edward Piper, John’s son, dies

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PIPER’S OPERA HOUSE TIMELINE

Piper’s Opera House condemned

history Virginia City Celebrates Sesquicentennial in 2009 Virginia City celebrates its 150th birthday June 5-7. Many of the events scheduled are free to the public. Costumed characters participating in Civil War reenactments and a Mountain Man Rendezvous will greet visitors. An Old West gun show, pastry cook-off, and a rockdrilling competition are also on tap. The Fourth Ward School, St. Mary’s Present

Hospital, and the Silver Terrace

parade with marching band will kick off the event. Parking and in-town shuttles will be free. CONTACT Virginia City Convention & Tourism Authority 86 S. C St., Virginia City visitvirginiacitynv.com 800-718-7587

Carol Piper Marshall named managing director

Piper’s Opera House Historic Programs is born

20 09

stands today at B and Union streets. The stage is 32 feet deep and 50 feet wide and raked—slanted downward from the rear to afford better viewing for the audience. It was lighted by gas until 1900 when Virginia City was wired for electricity. Piper died in San Francisco on January 1, 1897 at age 63. Ownership of the opera house went to his son, Edward, who ran it until his death in 1907. Edward’s brother-in-law, Louis Zimmer, took over operations. Under Zimmer, silent movies were shown in

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19 72 Louise Zimmer Driggs takes over opera house

scattered throughout town, and a

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Louis Zimmer dies

scheduled. Food vendors will be

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Piper’s Opera House opens as museum

Piper built the second opera house at the rear of his saloon at the corner of B and Union streets. The building was under construction for more than two years and opened on January 28, 1878. During the next five years, Piper presented a variety of entertainment from Shakespeare to burlesque acts. On March 13, 1883, Piper’s Opera House again went down in flames, this time in an early morning fire. A Delta Saloon employee noticed the flames and awakened Piper, who was living in an apartment at the opera house. An alarm sounded, but by the time firemen arrived, the opera house was fully engulfed. Firemen managed to save the surrounding buildings, but the opera house was lost. The origin of the fire was never proven, but suspicion pointed to an unattended cigar. Piper was not only out of business, but homeless. Through the aid of a generous community, Piper got back on his feet and built a third opera house with lumber from some of the older mine buildings and whatever other materials he could acquire. This is the building—opened with a grand ball on March 6, 1885—that

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photo: kevin karl

Cemetery also have special activities

tainment money could buy. Theatrical greats such as Maude Adams, Lotta Crabtree, Lily Langtry, Edwin Booth, and W.F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) all performed at Piper’s. Piper often promised more money than he could afford for top talent. In these cases his millionaire friend, big bonanza king John Mackay, would fill the financial void. Mackay never shared in the profits at Piper’s, but he did hold a proscenium box seat. Storey County’s population reached 22,000 in 1875. The mines were in full production, and the economy was booming. Piper had been in business for 8 1/2 years and was doing well when disaster struck. On the morning of October 26, a fire broke out at Crazy Kate’s lodge and by evening, 33 blocks of Virginia City were in smoking ruins. The fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes and several hundred commercial buildings, including Piper’s Opera House. Though down, Piper was not out, and he continued to put on shows at the Odd Fellows Hall, National Guard Hall, and other facilities until he raised enough money to construct a new building.

Virginia City’s sesquicentennial celebration

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history

the early part of the 20th century. The building was also used for basketball games, roller-skating, dances, graduation parties, and a host of other civic events. The opera house fell into a state of disrepair and was condemned in 1920. Zimmer reopened it as a museum in the 1940s and oversaw it until his death in 1960. Louise Zimmer Driggs, the great-granddaughter of John Piper, took over the opera house and began summer concerts there in 1972. In 1986, Driggs’ daughter, Carol Piper Marshall, was named managing director and began staging plays. Also in the 1980s, Piper’s hosted performances by Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Mountain Men Ballet, and Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain that played to sold-out audiences. In 1997, Driggs sold Piper’s to a nonprofit foundation, Piper’s Opera House Historic Programs. The foundation, through the support of the Commission for Cultural Affairs, has used nearly $2.5 million to restore the grand old building. Recent upgrades include a structurally reinforced front façade, a new roof and heating system, and renovated bathrooms and kitchen facilities. Current events include concerts, theater, and dance performances. This spring, to celebrate Virginia City’s sesquicentennial, you should be able to order a drink at the original bar that served Piper’s, closed since the 1883 fire.

irginia Cit V y NEVADA

VIRGINIA CITY IS HAVING ITS 150TH BIRTHDAY PARTY,

You’re invited. 1859~2009

www.VisitVirginiaCityNV.com 42

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history

l o o k i n g b ac k A painting by cowboy artist Will James teases our 1966 story about his years in Nevada.

JANUARY

SPRING 1966

6, 1870 –

An act of Congress authorized the opening of the Carson City Mint.

9, 1863 – Allen Milstead, convicted for the murder of Lyon County Commissioner T. Varney on October 29, 1862, was hanged in the first legal execution in Nevada. About 700 people viewed the execution. 1870 CARSON DOLLAR

19, 1864 – The citizens of the state defeated the constitution drafted by the constitutional convention. It contained an unpopular clause that taxed all mining property, regardless of mining output.

21, 1929 – The Elko Free Press reported that the 32 “soft drink” parlors in Elko required a “maximum of police supervision” and would be required to pay for a quarterly license to provide the city with additional revenue. Local authorities clearly were paying little regard to Prohibition.

23, 1941 – Las Vegas leased property, formerly the Western Air Express run-

FEBRUARY

way and field, to the U.S. Army Quartermaster for the development of an aerial gunnery school.

AERIAL SCHOOL

DR. ELIZA COOK

1, 1894 – The Great Meteor struck the ground between Candelaria and Belleville in Esmeralda County.

5, 1856 – Eliza Cook—who in 1899 became the first woman licensed by the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners—was born. After receiving her degree in 1884, Cook practiced in areas from Genoa and Markleeville to Reno.

6, 1913

– The Nevada Legislature ratified the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution providing for direct election of senators by the people of the state.

JOHN C. FREMONT

14, 1887 – The private power outfit Reno Electric Light Company began operating the first electric street lamps in Nevada.

20, 1844 – John C. Fremont made the first winter crossing of the Sierra Nevada via Carson Pass.

24, 1866 – The state seal, designed by Alanson “Lance” Nightingill, with the words “The Great Seal of the State of Nevada” around the outer edge, is adopted. Nevada Magazine volunteer Elmer Wolf provided this information.

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gaming

Las Vegas’ New Deal In October, “The Real Deal!,” the first live interactive poker-themed stage show, premiered at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Hosted by comedian Vinnie Favorito, “The Real Deal!” is a 90-minute extravaganza that gives audience members a chance to play against the world’s best professional poker players to win prizes—and bragging rights. Two members of The Real Deal! professional poker team compete with six amateur players from the audience in a tournament-style game of Texas Hold ’Em. At the same time, the rest of the audience is the “ninth player” competing against the table and gathering points through wagers on the action, side bets, and other games.

Each audience member also has a chance at winning $1 million (payable over 20 years). Showgoers are equipped with handheld devices to play the game; you must be 21 or older to attend.

SHOW NOTES “The Real Deal!” The Venetian Dark Wed., Dec. 22-25, 29-Jan. 1 venetian.com 866-641-SHOW

Sustainable living store opens in Reno EcoReno, which aims to help consumers reduce waste, buy recycled materials, and live in more sustainable ways, opened in downtown Reno last fall. The retail store, owned by Marc and Morgan Tiar, carries goods such as household products, pet supplies, composting aids, and an extensive selection of natural personal care products. The emphasis is not only to sell, but also to educate, in offering items that will encourage conservation and decrease pollution. At EcoReno, you’ll find compost bins, kids toys made from recycled plastic, solar backpacks,

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and books on green living, to name a few. The business also plans to host regular lectures and educational programs featuring experts on a variety of ecologic issues. “On both a local and global level, we want to take small steps to reduce our impact and preserve the planet for future generations,” Marc says. CONTACT EcoReno 18 Stewart St., Ste. B, Reno goecoreno.com 775-32-GOECO

Classic Glassic If you want an idea of the elegance of Leslie Rankin’s Glassic Art business, make a reservation at the Le Cirque restaurant in the Bellagio next time you’re in Las Vegas. There, you’ll see the decorative glass on display inside one of Vegas’ most luxurious properties. Glassic Art is also on display in major cities such as Dallas, internation-

al travel destinations like Puerto Rico, and private residences. It’s a testament to how far Rankin has come in 22 years, when she first opened up shop in Nevada’s biggest city. Before that, she spent eight years experimenting with paint coatings, sandblasting, and welding to refine a formula for coloring glass without using heat. The custom glass is used in anything from doors and windows to staircase railings and countertops. CONTACT Glassic Art 5850 Polaris Ave., Las Vegas glassicart.com 702-658-7588

Photos: jacob andrzejczak, IS photography (top)

business

Take a Gamble on MontBleu Last fall, MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa at Stateline unveiled 40,000 square feet of remodeled casino floor. New interactive slot machines include eBay, in which one to five guests can play to win, and The Big Spin, a 10-station Wheel of Fortune machine that gives winners a chance to spin the center wheel for even more cash. montbleuresort.com, 800-648-3353

Lucky Sevens Casino Gaming, LLC, creator of the popular Blackjack betting option Automatic Win, launched “7 Point 7,” a new betting option for craps play-

ers, late last year. The Orleans in Las Vegas was the first casino to debut 7 Point 7. “It has been well received by craps players due to the challenges, risks, and rewards that come with each bet,” says Frank Mugnolo, Casino Gaming president.

Reserve Your Spot The 17th annual convention of The Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collectors Club (CC&GTCC) will be held at Las Vegas’ South Point Hotel on June 24-27. Casino memorabilia is the focus, but there are also poker and blackjack tournaments and educational seminars. ccgtcc.com, 866-791-7626

MontBleu, Stateline

100th Birthday Celebration Our Oldest Running Train, Engine #93

Fireworks Train (Fireworks from the train itself!) Saturday, January 17 • 6:30 p.m.

Morning Train

Sunday, January 18 • 9:30 a.m.

Snow and Ice Sculpting Competition at Cave Lake State Park January 17 and 18, 2009 Fireworks 6 p.m. on Sunday, January 18 First Prize- $1,000 Second Prize- $500 Third Prize- $250

White Pine County

Tourism & Recreation Board 775-289-3720 or 800-496-9350 elynevada.net ccmanager@mwpower.net

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ustangs in Nevada have long been at the center of unprecedented controversy. And with their population rising above the Bureau of Land Managementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sanctioned number, the debate carries on. By charlie johnston photo by brian T. murphy

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Photos: Name Here (top)

feature

Photos: Name Here (top)

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glance back at the mustangs. With my excitement ebbing, the gravity of the previous few hours sinks in. I was temporarily a part of that band—an awkward two-legged outsider nonetheless—permitted to walk among one of the West’s proudest symbols. Early last fall, Lamm, president of Least Resistance Training Concepts, and Bonnie Matton, president of the Wild Horse Preservation League, took me to the Virginia Range east of Dayton to introduce me to some of their closest friends, Nevada’s wild horses. Anyone who has read a Nevada publication in the last couple decades knows that wild horses, and the issues surrounding them and their range, remain among the most controversial topics in the state. Although the controversy has evolved into an emotional, convoluted collection of opposing viewpoints, everything relates to two main issues: the horses’ sharing of land and resources with free-ranging livestock and the methods with which state and federal government manage the mustang population. Those issues are closely related to the niche wild horses fill on the range, where they fall in the spectrum of animals sharing the habitat, and the debate over whether they should be considered a feral (introduced) or reintroduced species. According to Jay Kirkpatrick, director of the Science and Conservation Center in Billings, Montana, ancestors of modern horses started evolving in North America about four million years ago. The most recent ancestor to exist on the continent, Equus lambei, went extinct about 12,000 years ago. Kirkpatrick goes on to say DNA analysis shows that this extinct species is the genetic equivalent of the modern horse that was reintroduced into North America in the 1500s by Spanish explorers, and that modern horses, E. caballus, could have evolved nowhere else but North America.

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Kirkpatrick’s findings point to wild horses deserving consideration as indigenous, not feral—as common belief for more than a century suggests—animals. By 1900, there were as many as 2 million wild horses in North America. During the following decades, that number fell sharply as the horses were increasingly captured and domesticated for private and military use and slaughtered for consumption. During the 1950s, activists such as Velma Johnston, better known as Wild Horse Annie, pressured government

to pass a bill prohibiting the use of aircraft or motorized vehicles to hunt wild horses, and in 1959 the Wild Horse Annie Act went into law. The decree only stoked the flames of public outcry, and The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 was implemented. In its declaration of policy, Congress said, “Wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene.” Under the law, mustang populations around the country were protected from capture, branding, harassment, and death. The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service (most herd areas are under BLM jurisdiction) were charged with implementing the act and managing herds on public land with an emphasis on maintaining a “natural ecological balance.” Counts conducted following the passage of the act set the number of animals that the BLM and Forest Service were responsible for maintaining. According to Susie Stokke, Wild Horse and Burro Lead for the BLM, there are about 18,800 mustangs in 102 BLM Herd Management Areas (HMAs) across Nevada. That number does not include close to 1,000 wild horses on state-owned and private lands. She says the ideal number—to maintain the aforementioned balance—is about 12,600. “We have been trying to get to the proper number (of animals) for the last decade,” Stokke says, and according to BLM studies and counts, that can only be accomplished if the surplus animals are removed from the range. Currently, roundups are the primary method with which the BLM attempts to control population. “We want healthy animals and healthy range lands,” Stokke says. She is well aware that the BLM’s wild-horse program elicits strong emotions. “People are very passionate about the horses,” she says. “We’re very passionate about them, too. I love them.” A dozen Nevada roundups in 2008

Photo: mark terrell

As I climb into Willis Lamm’s Ford pickup I briefly

Photos: mark terrell (top), tara kilpatrick (bottom)

removed 3,837 horses according to BLM Deputy State Director Michael Holbert. The number of animals captured each year during roundups in 2006 and 2007 were between 3,000 and 4,000 as well. Once the horses are gathered, they are transported to holding facilities, such as the Palomino Valley National Wild Horse and Burro Center, about 20 miles north of Sparks, and are prepared for adoption. But they are not being adopted in large enough numbers. Stokke cites the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s struggling economy as one of the biggest factors contributing to a steadily declining rate of adoption. This means that the horses are held in facilities like Palomino Valley for much longer than intended, a situation that cost the BLM about three quarters of its $37 million budget in 2008 and prevented the agency from having enough funding to properly manage other parts of the wild horse program, according to Stokke. Advocacy groups, such as The Ameri-

can Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, argue that the range can support even more horses than it currently does, making adoptions and holding facilities like Palomino Valley unnecessary. The groups claim that the BLM gives

preferential treatment to livestockâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;such as cattle and sheep for which ranchers lease grazing privilegesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;on public lands around the state, resulting in an inaccurate assessment of the appropriate sustainable numbers for wild horses.

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Furthermore, according to Lamm, the horses can graze in areas where cattle and sheep cannot survive, and wild horses are not responsible for overgrazing. In Paula Morin’s book, Honest Horses: Wild Horses in the Great Basin, Bob Brown, a retired wild horse specialist for the BLM’s Ely Field Office, argues to the contrary. He says that when horses graze they bite small plants low enough to remove the roots, making it so the plants have no chance to regenerate. “If horses were left unchecked, they would be the last to survive out there,” he says. Independent studies support the arguments of both sides, contributing to this fundamental discrepancy that has yet to find a compromise. In 2004 the controversial Burns Amendment was enacted to provide an alternative to long-term holding. The amendment changed the language of the 1971 legislation to allow for the open sale of horses that have not been adopted after three tries. This is an attempt to

defray some of the costs—each horse held at Palomino Valley costs the BLM $4 to $5 per day according to JD Parsons, assistant facility manager—and alleviate pressure on holding facilities. Activists strongly oppose the amendment on the grounds that horses put up for sale stand a greater chance of being slaughtered, as horse meat is regularly consumed and considered a delicacy in countries such as Belgium, France, and Japan and still used to feed zoo animals and exotic pets worldwide. Stokke emphasizes that the BLM does not want any of the horses it sells under the amendment to be slaughtered, but that it is a possibility if the horses are sold without limitations. She adds that even though the law mandates that horses that are not adopted after three tries can be euthanized, killing these horses remains an exceedingly unlikely option. “I know of no BLM employee who would want to be in the position of having to put down a healthy horse,” she says. Failing increases

in adoption rates, the best option for the BLM seems to be more funding. “The BLM needs about $60 million to operate this program in 2009,” she says. Congress has proposed a budget between $35 and $36 million. Stokke points to rising costs of hay for adoption facilities and fuel for transporting the horses as the main reasons the agency needs a larger budget. Some people, such as Ely rancher Hank Vogler, say they have seen starving mustangs and are open to humane slaughter. “The horses are the ones that

CONTACTS Bureau of Land Management Nevada State Office 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno blm.gov/nv 775-861-6400 The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign P.O. Box 926, Lompoc, CA 93438 wildhorsepreservation.com 877-853-4696 Wild Horse Preservation League P.O. Box 1858, Dayton, NV 89403 wildhorsepl.org 775-220-6806 Least Resistance Training Concepts whmentors.org

2100 L St., NW, Washington, D.C. hsus.org 202-452-1100 State of Nevada Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses 885 Eastlake Blvd., Carson City wildhorse.nv.gov 775-849-3625 WORTH A READ Honest Horses: Wild Horses in the Great Basin, by Paula Morin. University of Nevada Press, unpress.nevada.edu, 775-784-6579. 408 pages. Visit nevadamagazine.com and click on “Battle-Born Books” for a review.

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Photos: charlie johnston (top), mark terrell (bottom)

The Humane Society of The United States

Wild Horses of Nevada Photography wildhorsesofnevadaphoto.com

PO Box 1400 Dayton, NV 89403

Mark Terrell 775-230-1992

At the intersection of I-80 and U.S. 93, the Central Pacific RR founded Wells, Nevada in 1869. On the Old California Trail, the cow town connected mines and ranches to the railhead and packed Front Street saloons with gamblers, railroaders, cowboys, and bull-whackers. Today, plaques on 19th century buildings tell how that kept Wells lively. Get the Walking Tour booklet at the Emigrant Trail Interpretive and Visitor Center at 6th Street and Lake Avenue that tells the California Trail, Wells, and Metropolis Ghost Town stories. Our golf course, airport, Angel Lake, and nearby ATV/motorcycle trails make this a great outdoor place to stay and play.

Visit WellsNevada.com or call (775) 752-3540.

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animals over many years, it can equate to huge discrepancies. A 1992 article in RANGE magazine points to an episode in Southern Nevada on the Nellis Air Force Range in which a herd of 1,000 horses increased to 10,000 in “little more than a decade.” The article, “Wild Horses: No Home on the Range?” describes the sickening condition of many of the removed horses that suffered from extreme dehydration and starvation. “Down at Nellis there were

colts that were just dried as prunes, not one but dozens of them,” says Dave Cattoor, a contractor for the BLM who worked on the roundup. “Their little mouths were caked with mud. We had to rinse the mud out before you could feed them,” he says. This population explosion represents an annual increase of more than 25 percent. With adoptions dwindling and the strong sentiment opposed to any kind of slaughter, many see fertility control as a

Water Shortages Helping Northern Nevada’s wild horses cope with the arid landscape. In the Virginia Range east of Dayton, water is sparse in late summer and early fall. With more and more water being used to hydrate the ever-growing suburban areas around Reno and Carson City, domestic cattle and wild horses in the area are faced with increasing challenges to their survival. That is where people like Willis Lamm and Dell Brandt come in. The two volunteer countless hours to provide watering troughs for animals in the region. Lamm makes it clear that they provide water only, not food. While the horses use the troughs just as they would a natural spring, feeding them would create a dangerous dependence on humans. “Feeding these animals would be a death sentence,” he says. CONTACT Least Resistance Training Concepts whmentors.org

Photo: mark terrell

suffer,” he says. “Starvation is a terrible, agonizing death. It’s a travesty.” Vogler adds that restrictions on humane slaughter in the U.S. (the last three horse meat abattoirs were ordered closed in 2007 according to an Associated Press article) encourage some people to ship horses to Mexico, where he says slaughter practices are downright gruesome. In a video on The Humane Society’s Web site, a horse is repeatedly stabbed in the neck until its spinal column is broken. Brown contends that slaughter in the U.S. is a more humane option. “The animals (sheep and cattle) go down instantly, there’s no chance for them to feel anything,” he says. In the U.S., slaughterhouses use what is called a captive bolt gun which thrusts a heavy steel rod into the forehead of animals, leading to a quicker, less painful death. In September 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. The bill, however, was not taken up by the Senate. The amount of mustangs on the range can vary greatly year to year, adding further challenges to effective population control. Statistics concerning wild-horse reproduction and survival rates vary greatly depending on their source. Regardless, there is no refuting that if unchecked, wild-horse populations have the potential to climb even farther above the number set by the Free-Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act. In a 1982 National Academy of Science report cited by the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, wild-horse populations throughout the West experience annual increases of less than 10 percent, while the 1971 study conducted on behalf of the BLM suggests an annual increase of about 20 percent. A 2004 essay from the USDA National Wildlife Research Center titled, “Evaluation of Three Contraceptive Approaches for Population Control in Wild Horses,” puts the rate between 15 and 20 percent. A difference of five to 10 percent might seem small, but when dealing with tens of thousands of

Adoption Finding homes for gathered mustangs is very much a team effort.

Photo: brian t. Murphy

“We don’t see sick horses coming in off the range,” says JD Parsons, assistant facility manager at the Palomino Valley National Wild Horse and Burro Center. “These animals are much hardier than domestic horses.” The mustangs taken to adoption facilities such as Palomino Valley are prepared for adoption by BLM staff and volunteers. In addition to giving the animals all the necessary vaccines, the facility occasionally offers a $100 price cut from the regular $125 adoption fee. Parsons adds that another advantage to adopting mustangs is that with the proper attention, they take to training very well. “They’re basically a clean slate,” he says. If the only thing keeping you from adopting a mustang is the challenge of training it, a prison horse adoption might be for you. Prisoners at the Warm Springs Correctional Center in Carson City work with mustangs for 120 days before the horses are put up for adoption. The adoptions can be successful—the last one, in October 2008, found a home for every horse. The next adoption is set for February 21.

viable and acceptable means to prevent such extreme situations as that which occurred at Nellis. The USDA essay regarding birth control aimed to find contraceptives that were safe, potentially reversible, effective for several years, and had minimal affect on reproductive or harem maintenance behavior. The study concluded that the two tested vaccines prevented pregnancy in all of the 27 mares tested, while the other contraceptive prevented pregnancy in 10 out of 15. The study also found that none of the contraceptives had adverse effects on the health or behavior of the horses. According to the essay, further research is needed to evaluate the longevity of the birth-control measures, and only one of them is currently approved for use. A continuing barrier to this method of population control, according to Stokke, is the cost and logistics of administering contraceptives that, for all intents and purposes, are not proven beyond one-year effectiveness. The horses still must be gathered, and the

time and potential risk involved in administering birth control is far greater than that for regular roundups. Stokke says that the BLM wouldn’t be able to treat enough animals for the contraceptives to help control the population. “We have to catch the horses, bring them in, and apply it,” Stokke says. “We turn them back out and won’t catch them again for four or five years, so there is currently no practical means of remotely applying fertility control to thousands of horses across millions of acres.” The question of whether there is a viable solution remains. Although there are situations in which the conflicting factions work together—advocates that protest BLM roundups also help by promoting adoptions, and the ranchers pay close attention to the range so that it can sustain both their livestock and wild horses—certain key issues remain uncompromised on. Are there too many horses on the range? Is it worse to slaughter mustangs or risk their starvation when and if their numbers grow too

CONTACTS Palomino Valley National Wild Horse and Burro Center wildhorseandburro.blm.gov 775-475-2222 Nevada Department of Corrections, Warm Springs Correctional Center doc.nv.gov/wscc 775-861-6469

unwieldy for the range to support? Is birth control for wild animals a realistic answer to population control? But, for all of their differences, practically everyone involved with Nevada’s wild horses shares a common goal: to ensure the wellbeing of these magnificent animals. The horses have no control; their fates lie in the hands of these people and the hope that they can continue to work together on behalf of the animals they all care for so deeply. As we left the band of Virginia Range horses, I thought about the future of these animals and wondered if such compromises were possible. My reflection was interrupted when the lead mare cautiously approached me. After a moment of eye contact I surmised that it was safe to raise my hand toward her face. She gave it a few sniffs and allowed me to lightly stroke her nose. Lamm and Matton were astonished; apparently she doesn’t let just anyone pet her. I like to think she knew I was there for a good reason. N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

CONTACT Cattoor Livestock Roundup wildhorseroundups.com E-mail clrwildhorseroundups.com for details on the next wild-horse roundup.

off the beaten path Cattoor Livestock Roundup gives tourists an up-close look at wild horses.

Wild-horse roundups might not come to mind first when you think of Nevada’s tourist attractions, but given the pristine vastness of our open space it’s not surprising that more than half of the nation’s wild mustangs call the Silver State home. A Bureau of Land Management roundup is a Western adventure featuring free-roaming wild horses that doesn’t require a ticket purchase. In fact, unlike other action in the Nevada desert, roundups are free. It was late November 2007 when I found myself waiting with other adventurous souls near New Pass Range, 70 miles south of Battle Mountain. I had always wanted to photograph wild horses in their natural habitat, and this was my chance. Off in the distance, sunlight cresting a mountain filtered through a cloud of rolling dust. Ten minutes later an 18-wheeler arrived pulling a cavernous horse trailer followed by a few battered pickup trucks. Wranglers ambled out and began off-loading saddles and other gear into the horse trailer as if they’d done it a thousand times.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

I recognized Dave Cattoor, owner of Cattoor Livestock Roundup and one of two contractors who provide roundup services for the BLM. He tipped his hat and, without wasting a word, was off again with me and the other onlookers in tow. In less than an hour we found ourselves in a shallow down-sloping canyon—a natural corral that the mustangs would be driven into. At the mouth of the canyon was a burlap fence shaped like a funnel that the wranglers called “wings.” We onlookers took a low-profile position on a nearby hill so as not to spook the mustangs as they galloped toward us. The sound of a distant helicopter cutting the brisk morning air was unmistakable. Camera ready, I searched for the telltale cloud of dust. In the distance, I spotted a herd of more than 40 horses: a couple of stallions but mostly mares with their colts. When they were finally upon us, two mares broke from the herd but were quickly redirected via a series of deft maneuvers by the helicopter pilot. Inside the “wings” now, I could see the sweat on the horses’ backs and hear their thundering hoofs as the herd broke into a final gallop in front of the

Dave Cattoor

helicopter, which dropped to the deck to ensure no more breakaways. The action continued until late afternoon: gathering, separating the animals, transporting them to holding pens, friendly association between onlookers and wranglers during occasional lulls, then inoculations and caring for sick animals by volunteer veterinarians. This extraordinary day ended as the corrals were taken down and the gear carefully stowed in anticipation that it would all be repeated tomorrow. As for me, I gathered a few pieces of wood and dry sage for my campfire and waved as Cattoor and the wranglers drove off with the onlookers they had brought in that morning. Out of earshot now, solitude filled me with the sense that the desert is never changing—hopefully, just like the mustangs.

Photos: brian t. murphy

B Y B R I A N T. MURPHY

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Tourism agencies 100 All Tourism Agencies 101 Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce 102 Beatty Chamber of Commerce 103 Boulder City Chamber of Commerce 104 Carson City CVB 105 Carson City CVB–Senior Discount 106 Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Authority 107 White Pine County Tourism & Recreation Board 108 Eureka Opera House 109 Fallon Convention & Tourism Authority 110 Elko Convention & Visitors Authority 111 Jackpot Tourism 112 Nevada Commission on Tourism 115 Virginia City Convention & Tourism Authority 116 Lander County Convention & Tourism Authority 117 Winnemucca Convention & Visitors Authority

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spotlight

from street to stage Quebec’s Cirque du Soleil has grown exponentially in its 25 years.

B y C H A R L I E JOHNSTON

More than 25 years ago, in Baie-SaintPaul, Canada, a colorful band of 20 street performers spent their days roaming the streets on stilts, juggling, dancing, breathing fire, and playing music. In 1984, to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Jaques Cartier’s discovery of Canada, the troupe was selected to perform a show, and Cirque du Soleil has not stopped since. From its humble beginnings, Cirque has grown into a household name, bringing awe-inspiring performances to almost 80 million people in more than 200 cities on 58

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

five continents. In 2008 Cirque presented 17 shows, simultaneously, worldwide. And there is no more fitting a home for Circus of the Sun—the English translation of Cirque du Soleil—than Las Vegas. The Strip is home to six resident Cirque shows: “Mystère” at Treasure Island, “O” at Bellagio, “Zumanity” at New York-New York, “KÀ” at MGM Grand, “The Beatles LOVE” at The Mirage, and the newest, “CRISS ANGEL Believe” at Luxor. “CRISS ANGEL Believe” represents a slightly new direction for Cirque, in that it pairs the mesmerizing, surrealistic experience of a Cirque production with the

energy and individuality of charismatic entertainer Criss Angel in a dark and disturbing dreamscape. Best known for his A&E show, “Mindfreak,” Angel brings his unique brand of illusion to a show that Cirque describes as a “haunting exploration deep inside the inventive mind of a mystifier.” In “Believe,” Angel hovers in a world created and contained entirely within his mind, somewhere between life and death. In his dreamlike state, Angel encounters many bizarre representations of familiar images from his waking life. Kayala and Crimson (Angel’s assistants from “Mindfreak”) represent oppos-

All photos: The costumes in “CRISS ANGEL Believe” run the gamut from whimsical and elegant to dark and gothic.

ing ends of the spectrum of femininity, while an energetic troupe of characters and dancers play out Angel’s conflicting, tormented emotions. Four peculiar ushers provide comic relief and introduce the audience to the baroque theater of Angel’s mind. Unlike the self-contained, standalone illusions of other performances and “Mindfreak,” the magic elements in “Believe” are woven into the story and presented in the open for all to see. “I had to involve other art forms,

like the costuming, lighting, and special effects,” Angel says. “There were so many things that had to work seamlessly together [in order to present the illusions on an open stage].” The show—at its core an homage to all things magical and to Angel’s childhood inspiration, Harry Houdini—takes a satirical look at traditional, rabbitpulled-out-of-the-hat magic. Rabbits— from lovable, cuddly bunnies to twisted, evil hares—appear in a multitude of roles throughout the production.

SHOW NOTES “CRISS ANGEL Believe” by Cirque du Soleil Luxor Dark Wed. & Thurs. cirquedusoleil.com 800-557-7428 See the Southern Nevada Events & Shows listings for details on other Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Great hike. Now what?

Located seven miles from Death Valley, Beatty is the perfect base camp after a long day of exploring. In addition to great room and RV rates, the town offers a wide choice of dining experiences. If you’re looking for entertainment, there’s great casino gaming, and the town also has a full calendar of special events. Now’s the time to find out why Beatty is the place to be while visiting Death Valley. Come share the adventure. Beatty, Nevada.

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N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

spotlight

Left: Showgoers gather at the Pioneer Hotel’s bar at the Western Folklife Center in Elko, where lively conversation and Picon Punch— the unofficial cocktail of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering—are never in short supply.

putting the verse in anniversary National Cowboy Poetry Gathering turns 25, and it hasn’t forgotten its founders.

Photo: Jessica Brandi Lifland (bottom)

By Jim fisher

“This is a full week of entertainment—meeting wonderful people while living and breathing the cowboy culture with its great work ethic,” says Carole Davis, who has attended more than half of the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gatherings. The Gathering’s 25th anniversary will be January 24 to 31 in Elko. Past gatherings have focused on cowboy cultures from here and abroad, but this one will be a homecoming. “Artists, audiences, volunteers, and sponsors

from past Gatherings have been invited to return to Elko,” executive director Charlie Seemann says. Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, is expected to reflect on her childhood on a ranch in Arizona in her keynote address. In her book written with her brother, Alan, Lazy B: Growing up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest, she recalls those days. “It was no country for sissies, then or now,” O’Connor says. At least 15 of the 53 poets and 24

CONTACT Western Folklife Center 501 Railroad St., Elko westernfolklife.org 775-738-7508

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

spotlight

Audience members react to one of the often hilarious poetry performances (left). Paul Zarzyski and Wallace McRae (top right) share the spotlight for a moment. Above: Wylie Gustafson, the voice behind the worldfamous Yahoo! yodel, gets in a few licks during a

musicians performing this year were at the first Gathering, including Waddie Mitchell, one of the Gathering’s founders; Baxter Black, a nationally syndicated columnist and National Public Radio commentator; and Canadian singer and songwriter Ian Tyson. Other performers include Riders in the Sky western quartet and western band Asleep at the Wheel, who will present two live musical performances as a tribute to Bob Wills. Besides poets and musicians, other attractions will be workshops on Western cooking and crafts, ranch tours, how to write poems and family histories, and Western film screenings. The Gathering began in the 1970s when western folklorists, concerned 62

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

about the loss of cowboy culture, met to find a solution. That solution was a gettogether. Elko was chosen as a “good cowboy center for more than a century, with cheap wintertime rates, excellent public facilities, and where cowboy poetry was already known,” recalls founding director Hal Cannon. He and local poet Mitchell set up chairs in 1985 for a one-time event. “We had about 60 chairs in place when Waddie said, ‘Pard, let’s not go overboard. We don’t want to embarrass ourselves.’ Soon the room filled to capacity and by the end of the weekend, between 500 and 1,000 people had come.” As the Gathering’s popularity grew, many others were held around the country. In 2000, the Elko event was renamed

the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering by an Act of Congress. Red Steagall, Poet Laureate of Texas and a member of the Western Folklife Center’s National Advisory Council, has performed at many Gatherings. “I like what they do here and I’m glad to support them,” he says. Paul Zarzyski, a popular poet from Montana, enjoys the event. “It’s the people. It’s just like rodeo. I can’t rodeo anymore, but the experience is the same. Great people—the performers, those behind the scenes, the whole remuda,” he says. Perhaps Mitchell, now a nationally known performer, sums it up best. “It’s just like a family reunion, except everyone likes one another.”

Photos: robert davis (top left); Jessica Brandi Lifland (top and bottom right)

performance with his band, Wylie and the Wild West.

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N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

southern

reno

to n o pa h

l a s VE G AS l au gh l i n

January

w1 (1-4) Randy Anderson Laughlin Virgin River virginriver.com 877-GETAWAY

(1-5) World Series of Beer Pong IV Flamingo Las Vegas bpong.com 888-445-PONG

(1-12) David Copperfield MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre mgmgrand.com 800-929-1111

w2 Aaron Lewis of Staind Henderson Green Valley Ranch Resort stationcasinos.com 702-547-5300

Neil Diamond MGM Grand Garden Arena mgmgrand.com 702-474-4000

Nevada Online For more events and shows in the Silver State, visit nevadamagazine.com.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

nevada

january/february All listings are in Las Vegas unless otherwise noted. Multiple-day events are listed on the first day. Call ahead to confirm details such as times and age restrictions. For a more extensive Southern Nevada listing, visit nevadamagazine.com. To submit an event or show listing, e-mail nmachado@nevadamagazine.com.

Pauly Shore & Jamie Kennedy Mandalay Bay House of Blues mandalaybay.com 702-632-7600

Stone Temple Pilots The Pearl Concert Theater at The Palms livenation.com 702-942-6888

(2-3) Legends Of Motown North Las Vegas Cannery Casino cannerycasinos.com 866-287-4643

(2-3) Mike Epps The Orleans orleanscasino.com 800-ORLEANS

(2-4) The Four Freshmen South Point southpointcasino.com 702-797-8055

(2-4) “Oh What A Night” Suncoast suncoastcasino.com 702-636-7111

(2-8) Happy Birthday to the King w/Don Rose Laughlin Riverside Resort riversideresort.com 702-298-2535

S AT U R D AY Aaron Lewis of Staind North Las Vegas Aliante Station

January

After an eight-year hiatus from touring,

rockers Stone Temple Pilots returned to the

Stone Temple Pilots

fell in love with such ’90s hits as “Vasoline” and

The Pearl Concert Theater at The Palms livenation.com 702-942-6888

aliantecasinohotel.com 702-692-7777

B.B. King

stage last year to the delight of a fanbase who “Interstate Love Song.” STP, led by frontman Scott Weiland (above), rides its newfound momentum into 2009 with a show at The Palms’ Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas.

Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts. com 800-386-7867

Kathleen Madigan

Blues Boyz

The Pearl Concert Theater at The Palms

Four Queens’

Mandalay Bay House of Blues mandalaybay.com 702-632-7600

Kid Rock

livenation.com 702-942-6888

Marathon at Boulder Beach Area Boulder City Lake Mead NRA event boulder-citychamber.com 702-293-8990

Photo: courtesy of the palms casino resort

e l ko

H ongoing The Adventuredome Indoor theme park Circus Circus Daily adventuredome.com 702-794-3939

Amazing Johnathan Planet Hollywood Dark Wed. & Thurs. harmontheater.com 877-333-9474

“An Evening at La Cage” Frank Marino as Joan Rivers Riviera Dark Tues. rivierahotel.com 702-794-9433

“An Evening with Dean & Friends,” starring Tom Stevens

ongoing

Danny Gans Encore Las Vegas Starts Feb. 10 Dark Mon., Thurs., & Sun. encorelasvegas.com 888-320-7110

Smash Mouth Silverton silvertoncasino.com 702-914-8557

ZZ Top Hard Rock Hotel hardrockhotel.com 800-HRD-ROCK

Encore, the new signature Las Vegas Wynn resort, is now accepting room reservations for dates starting with January 12. Guests will have to wait until February 10, however, to see the property’s first resident performer, singerimpressionist Danny Gans. Not coincidentally, it was Steve Wynn who built the Danny Gans Theater at The Mirage—Gans’ former stomping ground—in 2000.

mesquiteartscouncil. com 702-346-ARTS

(6, 13) Jon Lovitz Presents Comedy at The Canyon

(7, 28) Broadway In Concert! Four Queens’ Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

Four Queens’ Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

Reel Big Fish w/ Streetlight Manifesto & One Pin Short

South Point Casino southpointcasino.com 866-796-7111

Mandalay Bay House of Blues mandalaybay.com 702-632-7600

Saxaphobia Mesquite Virgin Valley High School Theater

(7-11) Disney’s High School Musical—The Ice Tour The Orleans orleanscasino.com 800-ORLEANS

(8-11) MidAmerica Motorcycle Auction

(8, 10) Las Vegas Vintage Flat Track Race South Point Casino southpointcasino.com 866-796-7111

Riviera Fri.-Sun. rivierahotel.com 800-634-6753

Anthony Cools Comedic hypnosis Paris Las Vegas parislasvegas.com 888-266-5687

“Barbra and Frank: The Concert That Never Was” Riviera Dark Mon. & Sat. rivierahotel.com 877-892-7469

“The Beatles Love” by Cirque du Soleil The Mirage Dark Tues. & Wed. cirquedusoleil.com 800-963-9634

“Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On” The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Dark Mon. & Thurs. bette.aeglive.com 877-723-8836

Blue Man Group The Venetian Nightly venetian.com 866-641-SHOW

BODIES… The Exhibition More than 260 full body, organ, and partial body specimens Luxor Daily luxor.com 800-288-1000

Carrot Top Luxor Dark Tues. luxor.com 800-557-7428

Cher The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Dark Mon., Thurs., & Fri. (off until Feb. 21) cher.aeglive.com 866-510-2437

Chinese New Year Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden Jan. 11-Feb. 28 bellagio.com 702-693-7111

“Chippendales” Male-review dancers Rio All-Suite riolasvegas.com 888-746-7482

“Country Superstars Tribute” Fitzgeralds Dark Fri. & Sat. countrysuperstars tribute.com 800-274-5825

“Crazy Girls” Topless revue Riviera Dark Tues. rivierahotel.com 800-634-6753

“Crazy Horse Paris” Topless revue MGM Grand Dark Tues. mgmgrand.com 800-929-1111

“CRISS ANGEL Believe” by Cirque du Soleil Luxor Dark Wed. & Thurs. cirquedusoleil.com 800-288-1000

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

w 16

January

w 9-15

Brass Roots Quintet Downtown Cultural Series Lloyd D. George U.S. Courthouse artslasvegas.org 702-229-4611

Winter Break Festival for the 50+ age group Laughlin winterbreak.us 480-926-5547

Conflict of Interest

age group that both educate and entertain. Take

Hard Rock Hotel hardrockhotel.com 800-HRD-ROCK

note: dancing, bingo and slot tournaments, healthy

Gabriel Iglesias

Laughlin’s annual Winter Break is a smorgasbord of events geared toward the 50-plus

cooking classes, wine tasting, fitness activities,

Four Queens’ Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

Gal-Events (including activities for the Red Hat Society), singles functions, karaoke, and a car rally, to name a few. Last year, Winter Break attracted more than 5,000 guests.

w9 Chris Young Henderson Green Valley Ranch Resort stationcasinos.com 702-547-5300

Shelby Car Show Fremont Street Experience vegasexperience.com 702-678-5600

Tower of Power Four Queens’ Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

Natalie Cole

Tuff-N-Uff Fighting Championships Mixed Martial Arts The Orleans orleanscasino.com 800-ORLEANS

(9-10) Bucky Covington Suncoast suncoastcasino.com 702-636-7111

(9-10) Celebration of The King North Las Vegas Cannery Casino cannerycasinos.com 866-287-4643

(9-10) Ralphie May South Point southpointcasino.com 702-797-8055

(9-15) Winter Break

Nevada Online For more events and shows in the Silver State, visit nevadamagazine.com.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Festival for the 50+ age group Laughlin winterbreak.us 480-926-5547

w 10 S AT U R D AY AVN Adult Movie Awards Mandalay Bay Events Center mandalaybay.com 702-632-7580

Dennis Wise, “A Tribute to The King” Santa Fe Station santafestationlasvegas. com 866-767-7770

On Angels Wings: A Tribute to Down Syndrome Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, UNLV pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

Village People, Sister Sledge, & Rose Royce Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts. com 800-386-7867

(10-15) Ozark Jubilee w/Doofus Doolittle Laughlin Riverside Resort riversideresort.com 702-298-2535

(10-22) Todd Luxton: The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Laughlin Harrah’s Laughlin harrahslaughlin.com 702-298-8510

w 15 Stanley Clarke

Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts. com 800-386-7867

(16-17) Led Zepagain Tribute to Led Zeppelin North Las Vegas Cannery Casino cannerycasinos.com 866-287-4643

(16-18) Bill Medley w/McKenna Medley South Point southpointcasino.com 702-797-8055

(16-18) Wes Winters

Four Queens’ Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

Suncoast suncoastcasino.com 702-636-7111

(15-18) Frankie Avalon & Bobby Rydell

w 17

The Orleans orleanscasino.com 800-ORLEANS

Boyz II Men

(15-28) Tom Jones MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre mgmgrand.com 800-929-1111

S AT U R D AY Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts. com 800-386-7867

w 19 Martin Luther King Parade Fremont Street Experience vegasexperience.com 702-678-5600

w 21 Michael McDonald Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts. com 800-386-7867

(21-25) H&R Block Tournament of Champions

ongoing

PBA (bowling) Red Rock Casino redrocklasvegas.com 866-767-7773

Gordie Brown Golden Nugget Starts Feb. 5 Dark Sun. & Mon. goldennugget.com 800-634-3454

w 22

Impressionist Gordie Brown, a former staple at Planet Hollywood’s V Theater, starts his new gig at the Golden Nugget on February 5. Coincidentally, the popular show “Defending the Caveman” closed at the Nugget in December. Brown, who parodies the likes of Elton John, Clint Eastwood, and Sylvester Stallone, combines singing and dancing in his comedic act.

(22-24) “No Biz, Like Show Biz” Talent show Mesquite Community Theatre mesquiteartscouncil. com 702-346-ARTS

H ongoing Danny Gans

“Fab Four Mania”

Encore Las Vegas Starts Feb. 10 Dark Mon., Thurs., & Sun. encorelasvegas.com 888-320-7110

Beatles Tribute Riviera Dark Thurs. & Fri. rivierahotel.com 702-794-9433

Dealertainers

Topless revue Luxor Nightly luxor.com 800-557-7428

Impersonators deal & perform Imperial Palace Daily imperialpalace.com 800-351-7400

The Dixie Boys Laughlin Colorado Belle Thurs.-Sun. coloradobelle.com 877-460-0777

The Dixie River Band Laughlin Colorado Belle Thurs.-Sat. coloradobelle.com 877-460-0777

Donn Arden’s “Jubilee!” Bally’s Las Vegas Dark Fri. ballyslasvegas.com 800-237-SHOW

Donn Arden’s “Jubilee!” Backstage Walking Tour Bally’s Las Vegas Mon., Wed., & Sat. ballyslasvegas.com 800-237-SHOW

Donny & Marie Osmond

Enuff Z’ Nuff & Bulletboys Santa Fe Station santafestationlasvegas. com 866-767-7770

photo: Randa Bishop (bottom)

Lisa Lampanelli The Pearl Concert Theater at The Palms livenation.com 702-942-6888

(17-31) The Rat Pack Laughlin Riverside Resort riversideresort.com 702-298-2535

w 18 S U N D AY “La Traviata” Nevada Opera Theatre Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, UNLV pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

Sonny Turner Laughlin Tropicana Express tropicanax.com 800-243-6846

(22-25) SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Off-road racing Laughlin score-international. com 818-225-8402

continued

“Fantasy”

First Friday Art Celebration Downtown Arts District First Fri. of each month firstfriday-lasvegas.org 702-384-0092

“Fitz of Laughter,” starring Kevin Burke Fitzgeralds Nightly fitzgeraldslasvegas.com 800-274-5825

“Folies Bergere” Topless & covered shows Tropicana Dark Sun. tropicanalv.com 800-634-4000

Fountains of Bellagio Water, music, & light show Bellagio Daily bellagio.com 702-693-7111

Free Movies Under The Stars

Flamingo Las Vegas Dark Sun. & Mon. flamingolasvegas.com 800-732-2111

Henderson The District at Green Valley Ranch Fri. & Sat. thedistrictatgvr.com 702-564-8595

Elton John “The Red Piano”

“Fuego Raw Talent Live”

The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Feb. 3-4, 6-8, 10-11, 13-15 caesarspalace.com 888-435-8665

The Sahara Dark Wed. saharavegas.com 888-696-2121

“Fab Four Live”

Flamingo Las Vegas Dark Sun. & Mon. harrahs.com 800-732-2111

Beatles Tribute V Theater at Planet Hollywood Dark Thurs. varietytheater.com 702-932-1818

George Wallace

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

w 24 S AT U R D AY Al Di Meola Santa Fe Station santafestationlasvegas. com 866-767-7770

Eddie Money Boulder Station boulderstation.com 800-683-7777

The Head Cat Hard Rock Hotel hardrockhotel.com 800-HRD-ROCK

“King of Diamonds”

ongoing

Rob Garrett’s Tribute to Neil Diamond North Las Vegas Cannery Casino cannerycasinos.com 866-287-4643

“Legends in Concert” Celebrity tribute Harrah’s Las Vegas Nightly harrahslasvegas.com 800-392-9002

“Love Letters”

orchestra and dancers. “Legends” will share the

Boulder City Historic Boulder Theatre Fundraiser for Boulder City Ballet Company boulder-citychamber.com 702-293-1161

Harrah’s showroom with comedian Rita Rudner.

Willie Nelson

Harrah’s Las Vegas welcomed its newest resident, “Legends in Concert,” in mid-December. For 25 years, the longest-running celebrity tribute show in the world called Imperial Palace home. The production features live re-creations of superstars of yesterday and today backed by a live

w 23 The FAB Celebrating the Music of the Beatles North Las Vegas Cannery Casino cannerycasinos.com 866-287-4643

(23-24) CBR World Championship Bull Riding South Point Casino southpointcasino.com 866-796-7111

(23-24) Jay Leno The Mirage mirage.com 800-963-9634

(23-25) Bootleg ’60s Suncoast suncoastcasino.com 702-636-7111

(23-25) Kenny G The Orleans orleanscasino.com 800-ORLEANS

Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts. com 800-386-7867

w 25 S U N D AY Al Di Meola Four Queens’ Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

w 29 Joshua Bell, Violin Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, UNLV pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

H ongoing Glow: Living Lights Explores phenomenon of bioluminescence Las Vegas Natural History Museum Thru March lvnhm.org 702-384-3466

continued

“Lance Burton: Master Magician” Monte Carlo Dark Sun. & Mon. montecarlo.com 702-730-7160

Gordie Brown

Las Vegas Showgirl Art Competition Exhibition

Golden Nugget Starts Feb. 5 Dark Sun. & Mon. goldennugget.com 800-634-3454

Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas Thru spring nevadaculture.org 702-486-5205

Gregory Popovich’s “Comedy Pet Theater”

Las Vegas Wranglers

V Theater at Planet Hollywood Dark Wed. & Thurs. varietytheater.com 702-932-1818

Haunted Vegas Tours Sat.-Thurs. hauntedvegastours.com 866-218-4935

“ICE”–Direct from Russia Ice skating & aerial acrobatics Riviera Dark Fri. rivierahotel.com 702-794-9433

Ice Skating at MonteLago Village Henderson Thru Feb. 20 montelagovillage.com 702-564-4766

Improv Comedy Club Harrah’s Las Vegas Dark Mon. harrahs.com 800-392-9002

“Jersey Boys” The Venetian Dark Wed. venetian.com 866-641-SHOW

“KÀ” by Cirque du Soleil MGM Grand Dark Sun. & Mon. cirquedusoleil.com 866-774-7117

ECHL hockey The Orleans Jan. 2-3, 23-25, 27, 30-31 Feb. 2, 13, 15-16 lasvegaswranglers.com 800-675-3267

“Laugh Out Loud with the Scintas” Las Vegas Hilton Dark Thurs. lvhilton.com 800-732-7117

“Le Rêve” Wynn Las Vegas Dark Tues. & Wed. wynnlasvegas.com 888-320-7110

“Legends in Concert” Celebrity tribute Harrah’s Las Vegas Nightly harrahslasvegas.com 800-392-9002

“Liberace and Me” Pianist Philip Fortenberry of “Jersey Boys” performs Liberace Museum Tues., Wed., Sat., Dark Dec. 23-Jan. 4 liberace.org 702-798-5595 ext. 14

The Lion Habitat at MGM MGM Grand Daily mgmgrand.com 877-880-0880

“Louie Anderson: Larger Than Life” Excalibur Dark Fri. & Sat. excalibur.com 702-597-7600

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

february

w1 S U N D AY Super Bowl Sunday Check your local listings for special events centered around the NFL Championship

w2 (2-6, 9-13) Schoolfest 75-minute performances educate middle & high school students College of Southern Nevada Performing Arts Center 702-651-4720

w3 ongoing

“Nathan Burton Comedy Magic” Flamingo Las Vegas Dark Mon. & Thurs. flamingolasvegas.com 702-733-3333

Dinner-and-show packages might no longer be the norm in Las Vegas, but comedic-magician Nathan Burton hasn’t totally forgotten the city’s glory days. Flamingo Las Vegas and Burton invite locals to bring their Nevada ID to the Flamingo box office to purchase entry to the Paradise Garden Buffet and a ticket to Burton’s show for $19.95 (plus tax). The offer is good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and expires February 28.

Utah Shakespearean Tour Pahrump Pahrump Valley High School Auditorium pahrumpchamber.com 775-727-5800

(3-8) Diamond Rio NOFX

w 30 Crown Boxing The Orleans orleanscasino.com 800-ORLEANS

Josh Turner Mandalay Bay House of Blues mandalaybay.com 702-632-7600

Hard Rock Hotel hardrockhotel.com 800-HRD-ROCK

(30-31) John Caparulo South Point southpointcasino.com 702-797-8055

(30-Feb. 1) The Las Vegas Tenors Suncoast suncoastcasino.com 702-636-7111

(30-Feb. 1) The Smothers Brothers Nevada Online For more events and shows in the Silver State, visit nevadamagazine.com.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

The Orleans orleanscasino.com 800-ORLEANS

(30-Feb. 1, 4-8) “The Chasm,” by Laura Neubaer Nevada Conservatory Theatre, UNLV The Black Box Theatre pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

w 31 S AT U R D AY Badfish, A Tribute to Sublime Mandalay Bay House of Blues mandalaybay.com 702-632-7600

Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz in Concert

Laughlin Riverside Resort riversideresort.com 702-298-2535

Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, UNLV pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

Great White Henderson Sunset Station sunsetstation.com 888-786-7389

UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2 MGM Grand mgmgrand.com 702-474-4000

Las Vegas Philharmonic Connoisseur Series Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, UNLV lvphil.com 702-895-2787

w5 Lee Oskar Harmonicas Presents: Blues Harp Blowout Four Queens’ Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

H ongoing Mac King Comedy Magic Show

New York-New York Roller Coaster

Harrah’s Las Vegas Dark Sun. & Mon. harrahslasvegas.com 800-427-7247

Daily nynyhotelcasino.com 800-689-1797

“Madame Meg’s Find Your Sexy” Planet Hollywood Dark Fri. & Sat. madamemeg.com 877-333-9474 february

w 6-7

Guns, gourmet food, bourbon,

“Mamma Mia!”

cigars, and a silent auction are among

ABBA-inspired musical Mandalay Bay Theatre Final performances, Jan. 1-4 mandalaybay.com 877-632-7800

the enticements offered at the Las Vegas Sporting Clays Classic, a Boy Scouts

Las Vegas Sporting Clays Classic

fundraiser. The shooting competition is

Shooting competition & Boy Scouts fundraiser lvacbsa.org 702-736-3466

open to 75 teams of four and costs $5,000, $10,000, or $25,000 per team to enter, depending on your promotional interest. Events take place at the Land Rover Las Vegas Showroom and Desert Lakes Shooting Club.

Clark County Centennial Exhibit Opening Reception

(6-7) All-Balanchine Program

Henderson Clark County Museum accessclarkcounty.com 702-455-7955

Nevada Ballet Theatre Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, UNLV pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

w6 Little River Band

(6-7) Las Vegas Sporting Clays Classic

Four Queens’ Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

Shooting competition & Boy Scouts fundraiser lvacbsa.org 702-736-3466

Paula Poundstone

(6-7) Paperback Writer

Boulder Station boulderstation.com 800-683-7777

Round Table Discussion with Clark County Pioneers Clark County Government Center Commission Chambers accessclarkcounty.com 702-455-3546

e-mail: pactickets@ csn.edu 702-651-5483

w7 S AT U R D AY The Grass Roots Laughlin Tropicana Express tropicanax.com 800-243-6846

Four Queens Dark Sun. marriagecanbemurder. com 800-634-6045

“Menopause: The Musical” Las Vegas Hilton Daily lvhilton.com 800-732-7117

“The Mentalist— Gerry McCambridge” Hooters Dark Fri. hooterslv.com 866-584-6687

“Mystère” by Cirque du Soleil

“Nathan Burton Comedy Magic” Flamingo Las Vegas Dark Mon. & Thurs. flamingolasvegas.com 702-733-3333

Neil Diamond Tribute starring Jay White

(6-7) “Twelfth Night” Shakespeare production College of Southern Nevada Performing Arts Center

“Marriage Can Be Murder”

Treasure Island Dark Thurs. & Fri. cirquedusoleil.com 800-392-1999

Tribute to The Beatles North Las Vegas Cannery Casino cannerycasinos.com 866-287-4643

LeAnn Rimes Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts.com 800-386-7867

continued

Riviera Dark Fri. & Sat. rivierahotel.com 800-634-6753

“O” by Cirque du Soleil Bellagio Dark Mon. & Tues. cirquedusoleil.com 888-488-7111

Penn & Teller Rio All-Suite Dark Thurs. & Fri. riolasvegas.com 888-746-7482

“Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular” The Venetian Dark Sun. venetian.com 866-641-SHOW

The Platters, Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, & The Marvelettes Sahara Nightly saharavegas.com 888-696-2121

The Polar Express 4-D 4-D rides featuring special effects Excalibur Thru Jan. 6 excalibur.com 877-750-5464

“The Price Is Right” Bally’s Las Vegas Daily ballyslasvegas.com 800-634-3434

“The Rat Pack is Back” Plaza Hotel Dark Sun. plazahotelcasino.com 800-634-6575

“The Real Deal!” Poker-themed show The Venetian Dark Wed. venetian.com 866-641-SHOW

Rita Rudner Harrah’s Las Vegas Dark Sun. harrahslasvegas.com 800-427-7247

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

Las Vegas Philharmonic

february

All-Tchaikovsky concert Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, UNLV lvphil.com 702-895-2787

w 14 S AT U R D AY Billy Joel

Steelheart

MGM Grand mgmgrand.com 702-474-4000

Santa Fe Station santafestationlasvegas. com 866-767-7770

Billy Joel will make his triumphant return to Las Vegas with a Valentine’s Day appearance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena

w 15

as part of a limited number of shows in select

S U N D AY

cities this winter. In July 2008, Joel became the

Styx

only artist to sell out three of New York’s outdoor

Mandalay Bay House of Blues mandalaybay.com 702-632-7600

sporting venues (Giants Stadium, Shea Stadium, and Yankee Stadium).

w 17 Anabel Montesinos

(7-9) Tony Orlando

canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

Laughlin Harrah’s Laughlin harrahslaughlin.com 702-298-8510

w 11

w 10

The Orleans orleanscasino.com 800-ORLEANS

(10-11) Little River Band

Impressionist North Las Vegas Cannery Casino cannerycasinos.com 866-287-4643

Russian National Ballet

(13-14) Jay Leno

Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts. com 800-386-7867

Charo Laughlin Riverside Resort

Nevada Online For more events and shows in the Silver State, visit nevadamagazine.com.

riversideresort.com 702-298-2535

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Harlem Globetrotters

Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, UNLV pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

(11-14) Dam Short Film Festival Boulder City Historic Boulder Theatre damshortfilm.org 702-293-4848

w 13 Billy Vera & The Beaters Four Queens’ Canyon Club

(13-14) Bob Anderson

The Mirage mirage.com 800-963-9634

(13-15) Chris Isaak The Orleans orleanscasino.com 800-ORLEANS

(13-15) Colorado River Bluegrass Festival Laughlin Aquarius Casino Resort coloradoriverblue grass.com 928-768-5819

(13-15, 19-22) “The Diary of Anne Frank” Adaptation by Wendy Kesselman Nevada Conservatory Theatre, UNLV The Judy Bayley Theatre pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

(13-22) Parade of Homes Home tour Washington County, Utah paradehomes.com 435-674-1400

w 14 S AT U R D AY Billy Joel MGM Grand mgmgrand.com 702-474-4000

Fantastic Diamond Four Queens’ Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

UNLV Classical Guitar Series The Doc Rando Recital Hall of the Lee & Thomas Beam Music Center pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

Wagner & Berlioz UNLV Music Department Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, UNLV pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

(17-22) Glen Campbell Laughlin Riverside Resort riversideresort.com 702-298-2535

w 20 Al Stewart Santa Fe Station santafestationlasvegas. com 866-767-7770

Kick off your boots and stay awhile. Much in contrast to its colorful past, Pioche today attracts new residents with its friendly, hometown appeal. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great place to stay while exploring the surrounding country that includes picturesque locations like Spring Valley State Park, Eagle Valley Reservoir and Echo Canyon. Sportsmen, photographers, and adventurers will enjoy these fantastic areas. For more information about getting comfortable in the town of Pioche, go to LincolnCountyNevada.com/Pioche. Bureau of Land Management (775) 726-8100

Nevada State Parks (775) 728-4460

PIOCHE Pioche is the Lincoln County seat and the courthouse is a prominent fixture of the town. Once a rough and tough mining town, it has been reported that seventy-five men were buried in the cemetery before anyone in Pioche had time to die a natural death.

Louisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Basque Corner

VOTED BEST BASQUE RESTAURANT in Nevada. Home of the famous Picon Punch. Dinners served familystyle with authentic specialties such as paella, shrimp and tongue Basquaise, oxtails, tripas callos, lamb chops and sirloin steak. Fish served daily. Lunch Tuesday-Saturday. Dinner nightly 5-9:30pm. Reservations suggested. Banquet facilities up to 125 people. Located East of the Bowling Stadium and the Downtown Events Center. Free parking. 301 E. Fourth Street, Reno (775) 323-7203

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

ongoing

“Shear Madness” Town Square Las Vegas Dark Mon. shearmadnesslv.com 702-949-6123 This version of America’s longest-running off-Broadway comedy, set in present-day Las Vegas, opens on Christmas night in a custom theater at Town Square. Audience members get to play armchair detectives to help solve the murder of a famed concert pianist who lives above the Shear Madness hairstyling salon. The show has been a staple in Boston and Washington, D.C. for more than 20 years.

(20-21) Jason Michael Carroll Suncoast suncoastcasino.com 702-636-7111

(20-21) Mardi Gras Celebration Pahrump Nevada Treasure Luxury RV Resort pahrumpchamber.com 866-722-5800

(20-22) Dana Carvey The Orleans orleanscasino.com 800-ORLEANS

(20-22) Fitzgeralds Taste & Sounds of Soul Fremont Street Experience vegasexperience.com 702-678-5600

(Feb. 20-March 1) “The Sniper” Works by playwright Eugene O’Neill College of Southern Nevada Performing Arts Center Backstage Theatre e-mail: pactickets@ csn.edu 702-651-5483

w 21 S AT U R D AY Brooks & Dunn

Nevada Online For more events and shows in the Silver State, visit nevadamagazine.com.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts. com 800-386-7867

Laughlin Tropicana Express tropicanax.com 800-243-6846

riversideresort.com 702-298-2535

lvms.com 800-644-4444

w 25

w 27

w 22

Twelfth Night Utah Shakespearean Festival

The Smothers Brothers

Pat Boone

S U N D AY Munich Symphony Orchestra Charles Vanda Master Series Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, UNLV pac.unlv.edu 702-895-2787

w 24 Blondie Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts. com 800-386-7867

(24-March 1) The Oak Ridge Boys Laughlin Riverside Resort

Mesquite Virgin Valley High School Theater mesquiteartscouncil. com 702-346-ARTS

w 26 (26-March 1) 2009 NASCAR Weekend World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, Feb. 26 NASCAR Qualifying Day, Feb. 27 Sam’s Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series, Feb. 28 Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, March 1

Four Queens’ Canyon Club canyonclub.net 818-879-5016

(27-28) Dead or Alive Tribute to Bon Jovi North Las Vegas Cannery Casino cannerycasinos.com 866-287-4643

(27-March 1) RaceJam Fremont Street Experience vegasexperience.com 702-678-5600

w 28 S AT U R D AY Dokken Santa Fe Station

H ongoing Selections From Nada Motel

“Tony ’n’ Tina’s Wedding”

23 artists featured Marjorie Barrick Museum, UNLV Jan. 23-April 20 hrcweb.nevada. edu/museum 702-895-3381

Rio All-Suite Nightly riolasvegas.com 888-746-7482

Shark Reef Aquarium Mandalay Bay Daily mandalaybay.com 702-632-4555

“Shear Madness”

“Ultimate Manilow: The Hits”

Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat

United States Bowling Congress Open Championship

The Mirage Daily mirage.com 800-963-9634

Cashman Center Feb. 21-July 23 lvcva.com 877-847-4858

“Sirens of TI”

UNLV Lady Rebels Basketball

Planet Hollywood Dark Fri. stevewyrick.com 877-333-9474

Cox Pavilion Jan. 2, 10, 14, 21, 31 Feb. 7, 18, 25 unlvrebels.cstv.com 702-739-FANS

UNLV Rebels Baseball Feb. 20-22, 24-25, 27-28 unlvrebels.cstv.com 702-739-FANS

“Stomp Out Loud”

UNLV Rebels Basketball

rate the world of the showgirl and the elaborate

Planet Hollywood Nightly planethollywood resort.com 877-333-9474

Thomas & Mack Center Jan. 3, 17, 24 Feb. 3, 10, 14, 21 unlvrebels.cstv.com 702-739-FANS

costume productions that were once common

Terry Fator

Wayne Brady

Ventriloquist Starts Feb. 14 The Mirage Dark Sun. & Mon. mirage.com 800-963-9634

The Venetian Thurs.-Mon. venetian.com 866-641-SHOW

this year’s competition, as well as showgirl cos-

Las Vegas Showgirl Art Competition Exhibition

tumes and accoutrements. The Las Vegas Show-

Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas Thru spring nevadaculture.org 702-486-5205

competition in 2007 to preserve and commemo-

girl Art Competition was established by former showgirl Lou Anne Chessik, who founded the

in Las Vegas and Reno showrooms. Above is designer Bob Mackey’s Blue Cage costume from Bally’s “Jubilee!”

santafestationlasvegas. com 866-767-7770

Mariachi Sol De Mexico de Jose Hernandez

Eric Burdon & The Animals

Primm Star of the Desert Arena primmvalleyresorts. com 800-386-7867

North Las Vegas Aliante Station aliantecasinohotel.com 702-692-7777

Boulder City Nevada State Railroad Museum nevadaculture.org 702-486-5933

Las Vegas Hilton Jan. 16-17, Feb. 18-20, 26-28 lvhilton.com 800-732-7117

“Steve Wyrick: Real Magic”

Visitors can enjoy the artwork from

Train Rides

Town Square Las Vegas Dark Mon. shearmadnesslv.com 702-949-6123

Free pirate show Treasure Island Nightly treasureisland.com 702-894-7111

ongoing

continued

(28-March 12) Drinkin’, Singin’, Swingin’—Tribute to the Rat Pack Laughlin Harrah’s Laughlin harrahslaughlin.com 702-298-8510

“Thunder From Down Under” Male-review dancers Excalibur Nightly excalibur.com 702-597-7600

“ZUMANITY, Another Side of Cirque du Soleil” Cabaret-style production New York-New York Dark Mon. & Thurs. zumanity.com 866-606-7111

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

n o r t h e r n e l ko

reno

to n o pa h

Las v e g a s

l au g h l i n

January

january/february All listings are in Reno unless otherwise noted. Multiple-day events are listed on the first day. Call ahead to confirm details such as times and age restrictions. For a more extensive Northern Nevada listing, visit nevadamagazine.com. To submit an event or show, e-mail nmachado@nevadamagazine.com.

Fallon Optimists Fun Run

Sol Jibe

5k run/walk Fallon Churchill County Fairgrounds churchillcounty.org 775-423-7733

(1-3, 17-19) Ski & Snowboard Camp for Teens

Crystal Bay Crystal Bay Casino crystalbaycasino.com 775-883-6330

w3 S AT U R D AY Monophonics

Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

Crystal Bay Crystal Bay Casino crystalbaycasino.com 775-883-6330

(1-4) “Holiday Ice Spectacular”

Little Anthony & The Imperials

Eldorado Reno eldoradoreno.com 800-879-8879

South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

(1-4) Shake, Rattle, ’N’ Roll

Snowshoe Running Clinic

Minden Carson Valley Inn cvinn.com 800-321-6983

(1-4) Tina & Company Carson City Carson Nugget ccnugget.com 800-426-5239

Northstar-at-Tahoe northstarattahoe.com 530-562-2475

(3, 24) Women Specific Ski & Snowboard Clinic Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

S U N D AY Big Air Festival

Nevada Online For more events and shows in the Silver State, visit nevadamagazine.com.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

nevada

Alpine Meadows Snowbomb Sick & Twisted Series snowbomb.com 530-581-0553

January

In 1959, Bill Harrah spent more than

$3.5 million to expand Harrah’s Lake Tahoe

S AT U R D AY

seat dinner theater with “Vegas-type stars.” Late

Little Anthony & The Imperials

with Red Skelton as the headliner. Fifty years

South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

Hyatt Regency Poker Run Dealers on the mountain Diamond Peak ivgid.org 775-832-1177

and build a state-of-the-art nightclub and 850that year, Harrah opened the South Shore Room later Little Anthony & The Imperials kick off a milestone 50th campaign, including performances from Don Rickles (January 23-24) and Tony Orlando (February 15).

Ski for Education Northstar-at-Tahoe northstarattahoe.com 800-GO-NORTH

Telemark 1-Day Camp Northstar-at-Tahoe northstarattahoe.com 530-562-3270

w7 George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Grand Sierra grandsierraresort.com 800-648-3568

H ongoing 100th Anniversary: 1908 New York to Paris Automobile Race

Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club Silver Legacy Dark Mon. silverlegacyreno.com 800-687-8733

Featuring 1907 Thomas Flyer National Automobile Museum Thru Jan. 5 automuseum.org 775-333-9300

Coin Press No. 1 Demonstration Carson City Nevada State Museum Last Fri. of each month nevadaculture.org 775-687-4810 x.233

The Art of Nature ongoing

“Carnival Cabaret,” starring Gypsy South Lake Tahoe Horizon Casino Dark Mon. carnivalcabaret.com 800-683-8266

w8 Souls of Mischief “The Ice Cold Tour” w/Bukue-One & Serindipity Project Club Underground clubundergroundreno.com 775-786-2582

(8-9) Moonlight Snowshoe Tours Northstar-at-Tahoe northstarattahoe.com 800-GO-NORTH

w9 Aaron Lewis of Staind Silver Legacy silverlegacyreno.com 800-687-8733

“Carnival Cabaret” was the longestrunning show in Lake Tahoe history when it had—what was thought to be—its last show in January 2004. More than four years later, “Carnival Cabaret,” starring James “Gypsy” Haake, returned to the Horizon in September 2008. The high-energy production features comedy, dance, and five of the country’s top female impersonators.

Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

(9-10) Sheep Dip Fundraiser show Sparks John Ascuaga’s Nugget janugget.com 800-648-1177

(9-11) AIARE Avalanche Level I Course Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

(9-11, 15-17, 23) Advanced Ski Clinics Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

w 10

Willie Nelson

S AT U R D AY

West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

Aaron Lewis of Staind

(9-10) Guided Full Moon Snowshoe Tours

West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

Elvis Day Mt. Rose Ski Resort mtrose.com 800-SKI-ROSE

Nevada Magazine’s Tour Around Nevada Verdi History Center grand opening Verdi nevadamagazine.com 775-687-0602

Willie Nelson Peppermill Reno peppermillreno.com 866-821-9996

Winter Trails Day Free cross-country skiing lessons and snowshoe demos Kirkwood Mountain Resort e-mail: crosscountry@ kirkwood.com 209-258-7248

Winter Trails Introduction Day Cross-country skiing Royal Gorge royalgorge.com 800-500-3871

Sharon K. Schafer’s photographs, sketches, & paintings Carson City Nevada State Museum Thru Aug. nevadaculture.org 775-687-4810 x. 236

Ed “Big Daddy” Roth Exhibit Creator of Rat Fink National Automobile Museum Thru Jan. 5 automuseum.org 775-333-9300

Between Grass & Sky: Rhythms of a Cowboy Poem

Fallon Trap Club Season-long events Fallon fallontourism.com 775-427-4556

Nevada Museum of Art Jan. 17-May 17 nevadaart.org 775-329-3333

First Thursday

Between Grass & Sky: Trappings of a Ranch Life

Refreshments & music Nevada Museum of Art nevadaart.org 775-329-3333

Elko Western Folklife Center Wiegand Gallery Opens Jan. 20 westernfolklife.org 775-738-7508

Fleischmann Planetarium & Science Center

The Bill Harrah Story & Magic Carriage Auto-related films, daily National Automobile Museum automuseum.org 775-333-9300

“Carnival Cabaret,” starring Gypsy South Lake Tahoe Horizon Dark Mon. carnivalcabaret.com 800-683-8266

The Cash Only Band—Tribute to Johnny Cash South Lake Tahoe Harveys Tues. harveystahoe.com 775-586-6266

Exhibits & shows UNR campus planetarium.unr.edu 775-784-4811

The Flying Vargas Circus Circus Dark Mon. circusreno.com 800-648-5010

“Greg London’s Icons” Harrah’s Reno Dark Tues. harrahsreno.com 775-788-2900

Hidden Cave Tours Jan.-July, second & fourth Sats. Fallon ccmuseum.org 775-423-3677

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Traveling down Highway 50 in the middle of Nevada you ask, “What the heck am I doing out here?” For once, you actually answer yourself. Your mind is clearer, your thoughts sharper and your consciousness enlightened. Free of cell phones, e-mail and traffic jams, your spirit is released, free to roam the countryside. As you explore ghost towns, nature preserves and mining towns, you find the answer to your question.

Hear yourself think.

“Everything.”

Fernley Fallon Austin Eureka Ely

PonyExpressNevada.com 888.359.9449

In the middle of Nevada, there are many peak experiences. The town of Austin is located in the middle of rural Nevada, a vast stretch of country with beautiful panoramic scenery. Nearby Mt. Jefferson, along with the Toiyabe and Shoshone Mountain ranges, are fitting backdrops to this picturesque Old West town. Towering peaks reach more than 11,000 feet high, stretching upwards into the crystal clear sky. Austin is the perfect base camp for enjoying spectacular outdoor recreation in these pristine mountains. Take some time to enjoy the historic Main Street businesses, grab a bite to eat and spend the night at one of our comfortable and friendly motels. Austin, Nevada: where adventurous souls meet.

The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce 775.964.2200 AustinNevada.com

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

w 12 Carson City Music Club Members’ recital Brewery Arts Center breweryarts.org 775-882-9517

Winemaker Dinner Series

Imperial Acrobats of China

Sparks John Ascuaga’s Nugget Featuring Ravenswood janugget.com 800-648-1177

Circus Circus Dark Wed. circusreno.com 800-648-5010

Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

(12-16) Learn to Ski and Ride Week

“Greg London’s Icons”

Diamond Peak diamondpeak.com 775-832-1177

Harrah’s Reno Dark Tues. harrahsreno.com 775-788-2900 Greg London’s show has been extended at Harrah’s Reno into 2010, and the show will be revamped to start 2009. One of the longestrunning shows in Reno, “Icons” features the multi-talented musical impressionist who mimicks such stars as Buddy Holly, Jim Morrison, and Ozzy Osbourne. In addition, London stars in the film “The Dukes,” which hit theaters in November.

w 13 Mile High Jazz Band Carson City Comma Coffee milehighjazz.com 775-883-4154

w 16 George Jones

(10-11) Burton AM Series Regional amateur snowboarding competition Northstar-at-Tahoe northstarattahoe.com 800-GO-NORTH

(10-11) USASA Slopestyle & Superpipe Event North Lake Tahoe Boreal Mountain Resort rideboreal.com 530-426-3666

w 11

S U N D AY (11, 13) Reno Philharmonic Sarah Hatsuko Hicks conducts Pioneer Center renophil.com 775-323-6393

(11, 25) Snowshoe Race Series Northstar-at-Tahoe northstarattahoe.com 530-562-2206

Holly Art Handmade holiday presents North Lake Tahoe Thru mid Jan. 877-949-3286 gotahoenorth.com

(12-14) Just For Women Ski Clinic

ongoing

H ongoing

Silver Legacy silverlegacyreno.com 800-687-8733

(16-17) Sheepherder’s Reunion Baker Sourdough Slim performs, Jan. 17 greatbasinpark.com 775-234-7300

(16-18) “Broadway Comes to Reno” Pioneer Center pioneercenter.com 877-840-0457

Improv Comedy South Lake Tahoe Harveys Dark Mon. & Tues. harveystahoe.com 775-586-6266

JR Johns Pet Show Circus Circus Dark Tues. & Thurs. circusreno.com 800-648-5010

Katie Holten: Atlas of Memory Nevada Museum of Art Thru May 17 nevadaart.org 775-329-3333

Last Tracks Appetizers, wine tasting, & skiing Incline Village Diamond Peak Sats., Feb. 7-April 11 diamondpeak.com 775-832-1177

Lavish Landaulettes National Automobile Museum Thru April 20 automuseum.org 775-333-9300

Locomotive Rentals

continued

Margarita Cabrera: Hummers Nevada Museum of Art Thru March 15 nevadaart.org 775-329-3333

Mary Warner: Painting Nature Fallon Oats Park Art Center Thru March 28 churchillarts.org 775-423-1440

Michael Sykes: Photography Fallon Oats Park Art Center Thru March 28 churchillarts.org 775-423-1440

Nevada Wolf Pack Basketball Lawlor Events Center Jan. 3, 15, 17, 22 Feb. 5, 7, 21, 28 nevadawolfpack.com 775-348-7225

Nevada Wolf Pack Women’s Basketball Lawlor Events Center Jan. 8, 10, 30 Feb. 1, 6, 8, 20 nevadawolfpack.com 775-348-7225

Northern Nevada Railway Train Rides Ely Jan. 17-18, 24-25 nnry.com 866-407-8326

Old Town Wine Walk Carson City First Sat. visitcarsoncity.com 775-883-2211

Ely Nevada Northern Railway Call for details nnry.com 866-407-8326

Pinball Rally Jib Contests

Long May She Wave

Reno Beer Crawl

A graphic history of the American flag Nevada Museum of Art Thru Feb. 22 nevadaart.org 775-329-3333

Suns., Jan.-Feb. Northstar-at-Tahoe northstarattahoe.com 800-GO-NORTH Tastings of specialty beers Fourth Sat. renobeercrawl.com 775-996-1811

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

Harlem Globetrotters Lawlor Events Center unr.edu/lawlor 775-784-4444

w 21 (21-24) Safari Club International Hunters’ Convention Peppermill Reno showsci.com 888-SCI-HUNT

w 22 Mighty Mite Parent Social

w 24

S AT U R D AY John Jorgensen Quartet

Fallon Oats Park Art Center churchillarts.org 775-423-1440

Louie Anderson West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

Mile High Jazz Band

Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7270

Hawthorne USO Building milehighjazz.com 775-883-4154

January

The 2009 White Pine Fire and Ice Show

w 16-18

has been named to the American Bus Associ-

White Pine Fire & Ice Show

along with Reno’s Hot August Nights (August 113) and National Finals Rodeo (December 3-12)

w 23

Rotary Ice Fishing Derby

Snow-sculpting & fireworks Ely Cave Lake State Park parks.nv.gov/cl.htm 775-728-4460

in Las Vegas. The snow-sculpting competition is

Bag o’ Tricks Battle

capped by a fireworks show. For a larger story

Boreal Mountain Resort Snowbomb Sick & Twisted Series snowbomb.com 530-581-0503

Ely Cave Lake State Park whitepinechamber.com 775-289-8877

ation’s Top 100 Events in North America list,

on the event, visit nevadamagazine.com.

The David Maldonado Group (16-18) White Pine Fire & Ice Show Snow-sculpting & fireworks Ely Cave Lake State Park parks.nv.gov/cl.htm 775-728-4460

w 17

S AT U R D AY All Mountain Ski & Snowboard Clinic Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

Dave Mason South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

Fireworks Train Ely elynevada.net 775-289-3720

Holiday Cooking Class Series III Atlantis atlantiscasino.com 800-723-6500

w 18

S U N D AY

Avalanche Terrain Awareness Course Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

Marc Broussard South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

Morning Train Ride Ely elynevada.net 775-289-3720

Pauly Shore Crystal Bay Crystal Bay Casino crystalbaycasino.com 775-883-6330

(18-19) Olympic Valley Freestyle & Freeride Team USSA Mogul Competition Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

Crystal Bay Crystal Bay Casino crystalbaycasino.com 775-883-6330

Eddie Money West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

Introduction to Skiing Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

Just For Women Ski Clinic Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

Sierra Arts’ Brew HaHa Sparks John Ascuaga’s Nugget Fundraiser w/more than 80 brews to sample sierra-arts.org 775-329-2787

Winter, Wine, & All That Jazz Carson City Fundraiser for Carson Advocates for Cancer Care Carson City Nugget visitcarsoncity.com 775-883-7477

(24-25) Reno Chamber Orchestra Concert Nightingale Concert Hall, UNR renochamberorchestra. org 775-348-9413

Photo: charlie johnston

w 20

(23-24) Don Rickles

events & shows

Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

w 29 The Second City Nightingale Hall unr.edu/pas 775-784-4ART

(29- Feb. 1) US Snowboarding Grand Prix Boreal Mountain Resort rideboreal.com 530-426-3666

w 30 CNISSF Ski Race

January

w 31U R D AY

Royal Gorge royalgorge.com 800-500-3871

S AT U R D AY

Joe Diffie

Martin Short

West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

Silver Legacy silverlegacyreno.com 800-687-8733

Men of Worth

he perfected his comic creations and inspired

Irish & Scottish Folk Music Eureka Eureka Opera House eurekacounty.com 775-237-6006

impressions. Short has also appeared on NBC’s

Tab Benoit

“Saturday Night Live.”

Crystal Bay Crystal Bay Casino crystalbaycasino.com 775-883-6330

An exuberant Canadian comic performer of stage and screen since the 1970s, Martin Short started acting while studying to become a social worker. He worked in musical theater and cabaret before joining Toronto’s Second City troupe, where

(24-25) USASA Competition

westernfolklife.org 775-738-7508

Snowboarding Northstar-at-Tahoe northstarattahoe.com 800-GO-NORTH

w 25

S U N D AY

(24-26) DP Jiblet 3-Day Event

North Mississippi Allstars

Skiers & snowboarders showcase tricks Diamond Peak ivgid.org 775-832-1177

Crystal Bay Crystal Bay Casino crystalbaycasino.com 775-883-6330

(24-31) 25th annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

w 28

Elko Western Folklife Center

(28-30) Just For Women Ski Clinic 50+ age group

(30-Feb. 1) Moana Nursery & The Orchid Society of Nevada Orchid Seminar & Show Learn about varieties of orchids & how to care for them Moana Nursery moananursery.com 775-825-0600

(30-Feb. 1) Squaw XTeam Clinic Three days of coached skiing Squaw Valley USA skiclinics.com/ xteamskiclinics.htm

H ongoing Reno Bighorns Basketball NBA D-League Team Reno Events Center Jan. 2, 4, 10-11, 13, 17, 30-31 Feb. 4, 21-22, 27 renobighorns.com 775-284-2622

Rommelo Yu: Remembering Abu Ghraib Nevada Museum of Art Thru Feb. 7 nevadaart.org 775-329-3333

Some Dry Space: Michael Light Photographic exhibition Nevada Museum of Art Thru Jan. 4 nevadaart.org 775-329-3333

Steppen Stonz Carson City Carson Station Wed.-Sat. carsonstation.com 800-501-2929

continued

Toxic Audio Eldorado Reno Jan. 20-Feb. 22 eldoradoreno.com 800-879-8879

Western Folklife Center Wiegand Gallery Elko Interactive exhibitions & multimedia presentations westernfolklife.org 775-738-7508

Western Nevada College Softball Henderson Jan. 30-Feb. 1 Carson City Centennial Park Feb. 13-14, 27-28 wnc.edu 775-445-4264

Wine Walk on the River Reno Riverwalk Third Sat. renoriver.org 775-323-7766

Terry Falke: Observations in an Occupied Wilderness Photographic exhibition Nevada Museum of Art Thru Jan. 4 nevadaart.org 775-329-3333

Slopestyle

w 31

S AT U R D AY Biggest Little Tailgate Party Silver Legacy silverlegacyreno.com 800-687-8733

Dr. John South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

Martin Short Silver Legacy silverlegacyreno.com 800-687-8733

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe Snowbomb Sick & Twisted Series snowbomb.com 530-581-0553

Telemark Clinic Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

(31-Feb. 1) Jeep King of the Mountain/48Straight “Loudest Show on Snow” Squaw Valley USA 48straight.com 530-452-7111

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

Reno Events Center silverlegacyreno.com 800-687-8733

(4-6) Just For Women Expert Ski Clinic Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

w5 (5, 12, 19) February Films @ The Barkley

FEBRUARY

w9 Winemaker Dinner Series Sparks John Ascuaga’s Nugget Featuring Pride Mountain Vineyards janugget.com 800-648-1177 Join Pride Mountain Vineyards and special host Stuart Bryan for John Acuaga’s Nugget’s Winemaker Dinner Series. If you can’t make this multi-course feast, Restaurante Orozko will host similar events on March 9, April 6, and May 4. “Fans of good food and superior wine have touted this series as among the best they’ve ever attended,” says Michael Traum, the Nugget’s public relations manager.

Neo-noir movies Fallon Oats Park Art Center churchillarts.org 775-423-1440

Bud Light Ladies Day Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe mtrose.com 800-SKI-ROSE

J.G.B. featuring Melvin Seals Crystal Bay Crystal Bay Casino crystalbaycasino.com 775-883-6330

Smokey Robinson South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

(7-8) Tahoe League DPSEF Race Kids racing Incline Village Diamond Peak ivgid.org 775-832-1177

(7-8) USCSA Races Northern California colleges Squaw Valley USA uscsa.com 530-581-7263

w6 Frank Caliendo West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

(6-7) Guided Full Moon Snowshoe Tours Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

(6-8, 13-15, 20-22) “Eurydice” Telemark 1-Day Camp

Northstar-at-Tahoe northstarattahoe.com 530-562-3270

S U N D AY Super Bowl Sunday Check your local listings for special events centered around the NFL Championship

w2 (2-6) Advanced Ski Clinics Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

w4 Mötley Crüe Nevada Online For more events and shows in the Silver State, visit nevadamagazine.com.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

Saints of Los Angeles Tour w/Hinder, Theory of a Deadman, & The Last Vegas

Classic Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice Hug High School Theater renolittletheater.org 775-826-8835

S AT U R D AY All Mountain Ski & Snowboard Clinic Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

february

w 14-15 S AT U R D AY & S U N D AY RMSHA Hillclimb Snowmobile racing Elko rmsha.com 775-738-8236 The Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association hosts this popular annual event in Elko. According to the RMSHA Web site, the 2008 races averaged 550 entries each. In addi-

Alpine Meadows Lil’ Air Festival

tion to Pro and Semi Pro classes, there’s a Juniors

Geared for kids Snowbomb Sick & Twisted Series snowbomb.com 530-581-0553

two classes run on the same courses as the pros.

Division (14-17) and a Women’s Division. These For more dates in the series (outside Nevada), visit the Web site.

Photo: jodi esplin (right)

february

Tour. Taste. Stay. Play... from Links to Lifts Visit Nevada’s capital for great skiing and golf... in one day! The Divine 9 area courses are a golfer’s paradise. Fifteen Tahoe ski resorts are an easy drive away. Room rates are lower here, too. And après-sports? Tour unique shops, a huge historic district and intriguing museums. Taste fabulous food at a variety of restaurants. Play to win casino-style. Come to the Visitors Center – 1900 S. Carson St., Suite 100 – for special offers. For reservations: visitcarsoncity.com • 800-NEVADA-1

Taste the High Sierra

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

Valentine’s Day Cruises

Lake Tahoe Tahoe Queen’s Sweetheart’s Dinner Dance, 5:30-6:30 p.m. M.S. Dixie II’s Dinner Dance, 6:30-9:30 p.m. zephyrcove.com 800-23-TAHOE

S U N D AY Avalanche Terrain Awareness Course Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

“Where’s the Love?” Scavenger Hunt

Big Air Festival Homewood Snowbomb Sick & Twisted Series snowbomb.com 530-581-0553

Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-583-6985

(14-15) RMSHA Hillclimb

Crystal Bay Crystal Bay Casino crystalbaycasino.com 775-883-6330

Learn to Ski and Ride Day Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

(8-9) Moonlight Snowshoe Tours Northstar-at-Tahoe northstarattahoe.com 800-GO-NORTH

(8, 10) Reno Philharmonic Laura Jackson conducts Pioneer Center renophil.com 775-323-6393

w9 Adrian Legg Crystal Bay Crystal Bay Casino crystalbaycasino.com 775-883-6330

Carson City Music Club Time for 2 (duet program) Carson City Brewery Arts Center breweryarts.org 775-882-9517

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

ongoing

Toxic Audio Eldorado Reno Jan. 20-Feb. 22 eldoradoreno.com 800-879-8879

For more than a month, Toxic Audio brings a unique blend of music, theater, and comedy to the Eldorado Showroom. Considered human jukeboxes, the group of five singers performs incredible vocals with no instruments. Their repertoire is an eclectic mix of almost every musical genre including pop, jazz, hip-hop, country, and R&B.

Winemaker Dinner Series

Introduction to Skiing

Sparks John Ascuaga’s Nugget Featuring Pride Mountain Vineyards janugget.com 800-648-1177

Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

John Michael Montgomery

Carson City Community Center visitcarsoncity.com 775-445-4249

(13, 26-28) Just For Women Ski Clinic Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

w 11

West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

Reverend Horton Heat & Throw Rag

(13-14) Todd Snider

w 14

Sparks John Ascuaga’s Nugget janugget.com 800-648-1177

Mark Hummel’s Harmonica Blowout

South Lake Tahoe MontBleu montbleuresort.com 888-829-7630

w 13 Advanced Ski Clinic Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

(13-15) Balloon Lovers Aloft Lovelock loverslock.com 775-273-7213

(13-15) “Grand Night” featuring Galaxy of Stars Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company

S AT U R D AY

South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

Valentine’s Day at Lovers Lock Plaza Ancient custom— Lock Your Love Lovelock loverslock.com 775-273-7213

Snowmobile racing Elko exploreelko.com 775-738-4091

(14-21) Ski & Snowboard Camp for Teens Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-581-7263

w 15

S U N D AY Tony Orlando South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

Wayne Newton Sparks John Ascuaga’s Nugget janugget.com 800-648-1177

Women Specific Ski & Snowboard Clinic Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

w 19 (19-21) Sporting Clays & Game Feed Minden Carson Valley Inn cvinn.com 800-321-6983

Photo: carol rosegg

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band & Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave.

WENDOVER

WILL

WELCOMING VISITORS TO WEST WENDOVER FOR OVER 55 YEARS Gaming • Dining • Golf • Recreation Historic Sites • Bonneville Salt Flats and More!

866-299-2489 westwendovercity.com

Just 90 minutes west of Salt Lake City on I-80

For Horseback & ATV Tours Contact: INTERMOUNTAIN GUIDE SERVICE

intermountainguidenevada.com or call 877-882-4386

Come Enjoy Top Name Entertainment at the New Peppermill Concert Hall

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

events & shows

West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

Wynonna Peppermill Reno peppermillreno.com 866-821-9996

february

The world’s top international

w 27-March 5

freeskiers and riders will be

Nissan Tram Face

the steep, challenging rock face below

granted the rare opportunity to conquer Squaw Valley’s Tower One (known as

Freeride World Tour Squaw Valley USA freerideworldtour.com 530-452-7111

“Tram Face”). The face’s permanent closure makes it one of the most coveted lines to extreme freeriders. The event is the only North American stop on the 2009 Freeride World Tour.

(19-22) AST Dew Tour Skiing & snowboarding competition Northstar-at-Tahoe ast.com

w 20 Big Head Todd & The Monsters Crystal Bay Crystal Bay Casino crystalbaycasino.com 775-883-6330

Emerson Drive West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

Frank Caliendo Silver Legacy silverlegacyreno.com 800-687-8733

Styx South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre “The Reluctant Dragon” Eureka Eureka Opera House eurekacounty.com 775-237-6006

Nevada Online For more events and shows in the Silver State, visit nevadamagazine.com.

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

(20-22) AIARE Avalanche Level I Course Kirkwood Mountain Resort

kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

(20, 22) Nevada Opera “The Circus Princess” Pioneer Center pioneercenter.com 877-840-0457

w 21

S AT U R D AY Emerson Drive South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

Rip Curl Grom Search Search for nation’s most talented skiers & snowboarders ages 16 & under Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

(27-March 1) ArenaCross Series Motorcycle racing Reno Livestock Events Center ticketmaster.com 775-688-5750

(27-March 5) Nissan Tram Face

w 22

S U N D AY

Freeride World Tour Squaw Valley USA freerideworldtour.com 530-452-7111

An Evening with Oscar

(27-March 8) SnowFest

Academy Awards Fundraiser South Lake Tahoe MontBleu Theater tahoeartsproject.org 530-542-3632

Polar bear swim, parties, parades, ski & boarding challenges North Lake Tahoe tahoesnowfestival.com 530-583-7167

Carson City Symphony

(27-28, March 4-8) “The Foreigner”

Carson City Community Center ccsymphony.com 775-883-4154

w 26 (26-March 1) Ranch Hand Rodeo Ranch, rope, & performance horse sale Winnemucca Events Complex winnemucca.com 800-962-2638

w 27 Air Supply West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

Marie-Andree Ostiguy Pioneer Center pioneercenter.com 877-840-0457

Snowfest Opening Ceremonies Torchlight parade & fireworks Squaw Valley USA squaw.com 530-583-6985

Comedy Redfield Proscenium Theatre unr.edu/nevadarep 800-225-2277

w 28

S AT U R D AY Amazing Johnathan West Wendover Peppermill Concert Hall wendoverfun.com 800-537-0207

Halfpipe Battle Boreal Mountain Resort Snowbomb Sick & Twisted Series snowbomb.com 530-581-0553

Taj Mahal South Lake Tahoe Harrah’s Lake Tahoe southshoreroom.com 775-427-7247

Telemark Clinic Kirkwood Mountain Resort kirkwood.com 877-KIRKWOOD

Photo: Nathan kendall

Styx

R&K Ranch

Horseback adventures with Wrangler Rich

Trail Rides & Horse Training Learn to ride the right way

COWBOY 101 OPEN ALL YEAR

You get hands on experience Private Rides • Group Rides also A.T.V. Rentals

Reservations Required Gift Certificates Available

50% BOOKING FEE REQUIRED

775-691-7723 7177 Shulz Dr. • Carson City

Pipers Opera House

In the heart of Historic Virginia City

Still open and active! MUSIC • THEATER • DANCE ~ For Events Schedule, VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.PipersOperaHouse.com or call:

775-847-0433 866-422-1956

for reservations 775.831.6104

120 COUNTRY CLUB DR. #66 INCLINE VILLAGE, NV 89451 across from the Hyatt

N E VA D A m ag a z i n e . c o m

your nevada

Intricate Icing

Share Your Nevada

It’s a tradition for the Esplin family to cut their own Christmas tree every December.

Send your favorite Nevada images

This particularly chilly and snowy morning in 2007 yielded more than a Christmas

to tony@nevadamagazine.com,

coniferous, as seen above. “[I took the photo] in an area called Pearl Creek in Elko County,” Jodi Esplin says. “I believe it’s a piñon.” jodisperception.com PHOTO BY JODI ESPLIN

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subject line “Your Nevada,” for possible publication.