LET IT GROW
Hardy houseplants for winter
THE WILD AZZIE
Foraging in the mushroom mecca
GHOSTS AND GREENS Wildhorse Golf Club
N E VA DA DECEMBER 2020
LOCALS’ GIFT GUIDE Stuff your sack with goodies
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NEVADA SENSI MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020
sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag
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FEATURES
26
Nevada’s Gift Guide
34
Foraging for Magic
Great local gifts to stuff stockings this season
Stalking the wild Azzie in the mushroom-hunting capital of the Pacific Northwest
DEPARTMENTS
9 EDITOR’S NOTE 16 THE LIFE Contributing to your health and happiness 10 THE BUZZ WINTER BE GONE Hardy News, tips, and tidbits to keep you in the loop
houseplants give your home an island vibe.
GUILT-FREE INDULGENCE
MAKE THE YULETIDE GAY
Vegan, full-spectrum chocolate SELF-GUIDED GOURMET
Finger Licking Foodie’s new socially distanced experience IN WITH THE NEW Upcoming restaurant concepts at Fergusons Downtown WHAT IS REAL? Surrealist photography sessions BOX BRIDE Wedding plans delivered right to your door PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Blue Ribbon Hemp
Holiday cocktails with Mount Gay Rum HOROSCOPE What the stars hold for you
42 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip hangouts around town GHOSTS AND GREENS
The legendary links of Wildhorse Golf Club ALIEN ART Storm AREA15 for an otherworldly experiential exhibit. HIGH SOCIETY Recapping the Circa Resort & Casino grand opening
ON THE COVER
The Silver State does Christmas a little differently than most— and in our opinion, a little better than most. PHOTO BY HUE12 STUDIOS EDITS BY JOSH CLARK
52 THE END Lady Liberty masks up.
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®
®
ADVISORY BOARD
Bailey’s CBD Pet CBD Tincture & Treats Eden Water Technologies Water System Technologies Green Leaf Money Canna Business Finanacing GreenHouse Payment Solutions Payment Processing Ideal Business Partners Corporate Law & Finance Jupiter Research Inhalatation Hardware Lee’s Discount Liquor Liquor Store Matrix NV Premium Live Resin Red Rock Fertility Fertility Doctor Rokin Vapes Vape Technology RVDCBD Athletic Lifestyle CBD Terpen Terpene Specialists This Stuff Is Good For You CBD Bath and Body MEDIA PARTNERS
Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy
EXECUTIVE
Ron Kolb Founder, CEO ron@sensimag.com Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder, Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com Mike Mansbridge President mike@sensimag.com Fran Heitkamp Chief Operating Officer fran@sensimag.com Lou Ferris VP of Global Revenue lou@sensimag.com Chris Foltz Director of Global Reach chris@sensimag.com Jade Kolb Director of Project Management jade.kolb@sensimag.com Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com EDITORIAL
Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Debbie Hall Managing Editor debbie.hall@sensimag.com Leland Rucker Senior Editor leland.rucker@sensimag.com Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief Diane Blackford, Mona Van Joseph Contributing Writers DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak, Josh Clark Designers Neil Willis Production Director neil.willis@sensimag.com PUBLISHING
Abi Wright Market Director abi.wright@sensimag.com
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T
EDITOR’S NOTE
Magazine published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC.
© 2020 Sensi Media Group. All rights reserved.
The word “present” offers many connotations,
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and all are apropos, especially during the month of December. Its definition encompasses many meanings that express several concepts: time occurring now, in a particular place, existing, entirely focused, being considered, or a gift. Present—such a powerful word and our theme for this month’s issue of Sensi. December brings holidays, including Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day (for Canada and the United Kingdom), Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve. Other lesser-known celebrations include Feast of St. Nicholas (Christian), Bodhi Day (Buddhist), Ashura (Sunni), and Winter Solstice (Pagan). In the holiday context, the word “present” is used to describe a gift, usually wrapped, celebrating the tradition of exchange between people. When it comes to revelry, residents and tourists in Las Vegas do take this time of the month very seriously. While 2020 presents a different way to celebrate, there will be innovative and imaginative parties, decorations, gifts, themes, and dinners. Generosity will be abundant in giving, volunteering, and sharing with others. People are not going to allow COVID-19 to stop the holidays from happening. Take that, Mr. Grinch! But the pandemic has taught us that we need to remain in the present and not dwell on the past or worry about the future. Yes, there have been challenges along with heartache, sacrifice, and loss. Remaining focused on the present will allow for reinvention and transformation to change processes and ideas that no longer work in the current time. I’m interested to see what January 2021 will bring when it comes to being present. I predict that the resolutions of the past will not be made for the coming year. Thank you for sharing the joy that is a part of Sensi magazine. Happy holidays to those who celebrate. I wish all the best life has to offer to everyone now and in the coming year.
The pandemic has taught us that we need to remain in the present and not dwell on the past or worry about the future. People are not going to allow COVID-19 to stop the holidays from happening.
Yours in the new normal,
I N S TAG R A M @sensimagazine is home to exclusive photos and content.
Debbie Hall debbie.hall@sensimag.com
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Permission to Indulge
Chocolate tempts, delights, and satisfies that sweet craving. Moksha Chocolate, an organic, artisan bean-to-bar chocolate company, offers products with full-spectrum CBD oil or isolate. The vegan chocolate is handcrafted from Peruvian single-origin cacao. Founder Jen Caines pivoted her business to become a CBD chocolate company making its own goodies with ingredients grown and harvested on its own cacao farm. Moksha sources CBD from Ryte Brands—a vertically integrated CBD company. CBD chocolate is the antidote to stress and full-spectrum CBD helps with anxiety. Dark chocolate is rich in flavanols, magnesium, and theobromine, giving an energy boost and releasing endorphins in the brain for a feeling of relaxation and happiness. It’s that time of year to indulge in a bite of delish sweetness. Moksha Chocolate / mokshachocolate.com
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PHOTO COURTESY OF MOKSHA CHOCOLATE
Vegan, full-spectrum Moksha Chocolate satisfies your sweet tooth.
CONTRIBUTOR
Debbie Hall
BY THE NUMBERS
1965 The year that 1 million Chevrolet Impalas were sold, a record that still stands today
Socially Distanced Culinary Experience
PHOTOS (FROM TOP): BY GIFT HABESHAW / COURTESY OF VEGAS TEST KITCHEN
Finger Licking Foodie Tours presents self-guided gourmet dining.
For foodies, the tasting tour offers the best of all culinary delights. Finger Licking Foodie Tours has partnered with Aria Resort & Casino to present a self-guided socially distanced dining experience for the ultimate night out. The two-hour tour leads guests through critically acclaimed restaurants with world-renowned chefs, restaurateurs, and dining concepts. The tour, designed for a minimum of two people, provides immediate seating with VIP service at three of the four restaurants at Aria: Carbone, Jean Georges Steakhouse, Catch, and Bardot Brasserie. An upgrade will include custom limo coach transportation to Maverick Helicopters for a champagne toast, followed by a 12- to 15-minute flight aboard an Eco-Star helicopter for a stunning view of The Strip at night. Enjoy the season with a decadent dining experience.
32 KEYS The number of black keys on a traditional piano
$2.798
BILLION Marvel’s 2019 blockbuster, Avengers: Endgame remains the highestgrossing film of all time, without taking inflation into account
VARIETY IS THE NEW SPICE
Vegas Test Kitchen at Fergusons Downtown offers rotating restaurant concepts.
Vegas Test Kitchen at Fergusons Downtown, the first of its kind in the city, recently opened, offering a collection of chefs and unique flavors. The rotating restaurant concepts, pop-ups, and special events all under one roof will bring the community together to discover and enjoy. “Times are tough for everyone right now, but I truly believe that downtown Las Vegas needs this, and our chefs are craving it,” says Vegas Test Kitchen founder Jolene Mannina. “This incubator kitchen will allow chefs to test concepts, see what sticks, and get the community to fall in love with them and their food. It’s a win for everyone involved.” Sectioned into different vendor hubs, Vegas Test Kitchen brings together chef residencies and pop-ups, each operating independently around the central dining room. Guests can choose to dine in, take their food to-go, or enjoy their meals next door on The Yard at Fergusons. Vegas Test Kitchen / Fergusons Downtown / 1020 Fremont St. / vegastestkitchen.com
3 POINTS Chris Ford scored the first three-point basket in the NBA in 1979
Finger Licking Foodie Tours / fingerlickingfoodietours.com
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THE BUZZ
LOCAL COMPANY
WHAT IS REAL?
Photographer Sarah Alba, owner of Windy Compass Photography, started her career as a child model, including walking runways and doing alternative modeling. At the age of 25, she decided she wanted to work on the other side of the camera and jumped from modeling to photography. Alba felt she could add an edge of creativity she felt was lacking at the time. Alba loves surrealism and her work has been influenced by her favorite artist, Salvador Dalí. One of her specialties includes surrealism photography, including a human-size candy dish she built for one of her series. Alba’s work also encompasses blacklight photography, including nebulous photography, which showcases painted areas on the models. Along with her work in magazines, Alba shoots family portraits and loves working with children. With her expertise as a nanny, she plays with the kids to put them at ease and capture their true essence. 12
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She also loves to photograph flowers. “I really love the way light works with flowers reflecting in the petals. I wanted to capture how unique each flower is with my photography. I apply what I learned about photographing flowers to capturing the best in people,” she says. Originally from Vermont, Alba has lived in nine states in the past eight years. Las Vegas, her base for now, is the 11th city she has called home. Alba has driven across the country six times, and visiting the six states she has missed during her travels is on her bucket list. Alba keeps her work as a safe space with no negative talk, especially downbeat self-talk. She encourages people to be gentler to themselves, even in photographs. As part of her journey, Alba is currently working on a photography book to express the beauty in everyone and everything. Windy Compass Photography / IG @windycompass
PHOTOS BY WINDY COMPASS PHOTOGRAPHY
Surrealism in photography captures the absurdity and beauty in life.
THE BUZZ
BILITIES BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF
1 THE MORE THE MERRIER One in three Americans now lives in a state where recreational cannabis is legal, thanks to voters in New Jersey, Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota supporting measures to legalize the plant for adult use. 2 MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS Supporters of marijuana legalization in Arizona outraised and outspent opponents 10 to one leading up to Election Day. In New Jersey, that number was 99 to one.
3 THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION According to a new Gallup Poll released in November, 68 percent of Americans support cannabis legalization. That’s 5.5 times more support than five decades ago in 1969. If you’re a young adult American male with a college degree earning more than $100k, there’s at least a 74 percent chance you support legalization, according to the poll. If you’re Republican or attend religious services weekly, there’s a 52 percent chance you don’t.
4 MAGIC MONEY David Bronner of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps wrote checks totaling more than $6.4 million toward drug-war reform campaigns this year, thanks in part to COVID-19, which has the soap business booming.
Say “I Do”
The Wedding Box delivers special touches to any ceremony. COVID-19 is not stopping weddings in Las Vegas, the wedding capital, and India Mcmihelk, CEO of Creative I Special Occasion Coordination, has created The Wedding Box for couples determined to take the plunge. “I decided to become a planner in a box,” says Mcmihelk. The basic box is tailored to each client with items like champagne flutes, cake toppers, cake knife, cake server, charger plates, framed couples canvas, guest book and pen, bride’s hair accessories, a timeline, vendor lists, and miscellaneous decor customized to fit a theme. More items such as silk boutonnieres and bouquets can be added for an individual touch. The beautiful box is shipped, so delivery is contactless. The Wedding Box also includes virtual wedding planner assistance by Mcmihelk for any ceremony and micro-reception. The Wedding Box / $99 and up / creativeibyindia.com/store
COURTESY OF INDIA MCMIHELK
5 TRIPPING OVER NOTHING Psychedelic mushrooms send the fewest people to the emergency room of any drug on the market, according to a massive report by the Global Drug Survey. Related: there are more than 100 varieties of psilocybin-producing mushrooms, aka “magic mushrooms,” aka the kind Oregon voters legalized in November’s election.
“WHAT YOU REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO YOUR FUTURE.” —Andy Stanley, leadership author and speaker
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Q: Which U.S. President Asked Congress To Decriminalize Cannabis?
A: Jimmy Carter
Within ďŹ rst six months of taking oďŹƒce, President Jimmy Carter was candid about cannabis. During a 1977 address to Congress, he asked they abolish federal penalties for possession. If we know this much about cannabis, imagine what we know to Lift Your Business.
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THE BUZZ
VOX POPULI
Question: How do you stay present?
TASHARI MATHIS
ELYSE M. PHOENIX
BRIAN PACO ALVAREZ TUCKER GUMBER
JOE MARRA
Sales and Performer Las Vegas
Promotional Products Sales Representative, Las Vegas
Cultural Advocate, Historian, Activist, Las Vegas
Free4All Founder Las Vegas
Cannabis Sales Las Vegas
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
I find solace in my family’s good health, being able to take care of bills, and starting my new job.
[We’re] keeping our heads up and moving forward. I’ve been taking my martial arts classes religiously and started my kids on their fight journey about a month ago.
I find comfort, joy, and culture during these COVID times in public art. It’s everywhere, socially distant, and it creates a sense of place during these unprecedented times.
I am appreciative that this will be the year that we will talk about forever, so I am making the best of it. I am now getting into the best shape of my life.
I recently became a member of the cannabis industry, and I connect with everyone. I stay in the present with my life, including my business, but still celebrate the good times.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Older and Better
PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUE RIBBON HEMP
Blue Ribbon Hemp focuses on consumers aged 50 and up.
The 1950s might be known for beatniks smoking reefer, the 1960s as the love generation, and the 1970s as the disco era, but for many boomers, the stigma of cannabis-based plants remains. A young doctor with older patients and an 80-year-old rebel came together to establish Blue Ribbon Hemp for those 50 and older to help with ailments and promote a better quality of life. This includes healthier sleep patterns, recovery from inflammation, and a sense of calm and focus. Co-founder Igor Bussel, M.D., M.S., M.H.A is a clinician-scientist and ophthalmic surgeon with a background investigating botanical extracts and supplements. Brussel learned about CBD through research and patient experiences and teamed up with longtime activist and co-founder Richard Cowan to create Blue Ribbon Hemp. Their menthol-flavored hemp-extracted oral breath strip is water-soluble and dissolves immediately under the tongue. Hemp Tinctures (1,000mg and 5,000mg) are tropical-mango flavored and easily digestible. All products contain no THC. Blue Ribbon also developed a pet line for senior dogs, featuring a bacon-flavored broad-spectrum tincture oil (1,000mg) that can be added to pet food or water. Blue Ribbon Hemp / $40 and up / blueribbonhemp.com
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PHOTO BY TONTECTONIX, ADOBE STOCK
Containing the Tropics Baby it’s cold outside, but these easybreezy houseplants can add an instant island vibe to your home no matter what’s happening out there. TEXT DIANE BLACKFORD
Your dreams for a ity in your place—and Caribbean getaway this trust me, your hair, skin, year get dashed by the sinuses, and more will pandemic and travel thank you for adding restrictions? more moisture to the air. While it’s not quite My apartment’s large the same as frolicking southern-facing winon sugary soft beaches dows deserve a lot of flanked by palm trees credit for helping to and lapped by shimmer- transform an empty ing turquoise waters, apartment into a lush I’ve done my best to turn landscape, no doubt. But my apartment into a even if your place rarely tropical oasis with palm sees any direct sunlight trees and verdant foliat all, you too can grow age growing out of every some palm trees. available space. You can Everyone can be a do the same, and I high- tropical gardener, and ly encourage it. Plants thanks to the houseprovide oxygen, clean plant-crazed millennials the air, and are shown to demanding more—and elevate happiness. Not more exotic—greenery to mention if you get to grow in their homes, enough of them growing, it’s easier than ever to you’ll raise the humidcultivate a true island D EC E M B E R 2020
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SEE WHAT
CBD CAN DO FOR YOU.
702.857.7474 THISSTUFFISGOODFORYOU.COM LOGOS ARE A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OWNED BY THE NEXTL3VEL SERVICES GROUP LLC. 2018THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.*NOT ACTUAL PRODUCTS SHOWN
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THE LIFE
IMAGES VIA ADOBE STOCK
vibe indoors—even in the coldest of climates. “It may be a little tricky at times, but adding that special warmth and color to your home definitely can be done,” confirms Andrea Haywood, a certified master gardener from South Florida. While Jack Frost is not a friend to most greenery native to climates where temperatures hover above 75°F, we’ve rounded up some of the easiest tropical plants that you can grow indoors all year long. You can find these varieties and others like them at your local garden center, where the staff can help you pick out the right
type for your home’s light and offer tips to help you care for the tropical transplant. So
flowers makes the plant a superb conversation starter that adds a welcome burst of color to any household where it Bird of Paradise (above) blooms, which doesn’t happen without a ton This colorful plant species got its moniker from of natural sunlight. But its uncanny resemblance even without the nameto the feathered creature sake flower, the large plant adds a ton of tropwith the same name. The unusual shape of its ical flair to any room, thanks to its glossy leaves fanning out. take your green thumbs out of your gloves and get growing on your own tropical paradise.
Bromeliad (left) There are over 3,000 species within this standout family of tropical plants. Most have bold leaves that are often colorful, but the most distinguishing characteristic of many bromeliads is an exotic flower spike. Given the long-lasting blooms and ornamental foliage, you may assume these are high-maintenance D EC E M B E R 2020
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THE LIFE
Dracaena Marginata (below) Often called the dragon tree, this spiky houseplant is native to Africa. The tricolor cultivar, also known as the rainbow plant, adds an instant island vibe to any household with its pink, cream, and yellow stripes on narrow, green leaves.
houseplants, but you’d be mistaken. They tend to be among the easiest to grow, and you
can fi nd varieties in all shapes and sizes with different preferences for light and heat.
and well-drained soil to survive, and it needs lots of sunlight to bloom, which it can do from late spring through fall in the right conditions. You can find versions with flowers in a dizzying array of colors, making it easy to match your home’s color palette. If you don’t have bright, direct sunlight, don’t let that stop you Hibiscus (left) from adding this stunner Huge, dramatic blooms to your collection. Keep up to eight inches in it indoors during the windiameter add terrific ter then move it to the splashes of color (albeit balcony or porch when it short-lived) to this shrub. warms up outside to enIt needs plenty of water joy its seasonal blooms.
IMAGES VIA ADOBE STOCK
EDITOR’S CHOICE: PONYTAIL PALM The cascading curls flowing from the top of this plant just make it seem like all sorts of bubbly fun. It’s technically a succulent, not a palm tree, but we won’t tell if you don’t. A native of the dry desert states of eastern Mexico, it does well in low humidity, and its bulbous base stores water like a camel’s hump, making it a good choice for people who tend to neglect their plants.
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THE LIFE DRINK
Honey Old-Fashioned
Savor the Moment 22
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INGREDIENTS
1½ ounces Mount Gay Rum XO 1 bar spoon runny honey 2 dashes angostura bitters 1½ ounces hot water Orange peel rind
Enjoy these cocktails in front of a fire.
INSTRUCTIONS
TEXT DEBBIE HALL
• Add rum, honey, and bitters to an old
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fashioned glass. Add hot water and stir until honey is dissolved. • Hold orange peel with both hands using the thumb and forefinger. Twist peel over the drink, then rub along the rim of the glass and drop into the drink as a garnish.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MOUNT GAY RUM
Makes 1 drink
THE LIFE DRINK
In Nevada, December brings chilly weather, snow in some regions, and, even with COVID-19, a chance to celebrate with friends and family. Just in time, Mount Gay Rum (caskers.com) released its new Master Blender Collection: The Port Cask Expression. The third limited edition in the exclusive series and the second blend in the series by the Distillery’s first female master blender, Trudiann Branker, Port Cask incorporates Tawny Port casks for the first time in Mount Gay history. The spirit delights the palate with a beautifully complex blend with cherry, dried fruit, oak, prune, and almond. The exclusive batch will be limited to 2,100 bottles in the US. Branker recommends this unique new spirit be served neat, slightly chilled, and paired with a bit of dark chocolate. At home, try these warming cocktails, featuring Mount Gay Rum XO, Eclipse, and Black Barrel.
Out of Office Makes 1 drink ING REDIENTS
2 ounces Mount Gay Rum Black Barrel ½ ounce lime juice ½ ounce grapefruit juice
½ ounce cinnamon syrup ½ ounce falernum Grapefruit wheel for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Add rum, lime juice, grapefruit joice, cinnamon syrup, and falernum to a shaker. Fill with crushed ice, shake, and strain over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with grapefruit wheel.
Orange Eclipse Makes 1 drink ING REDIENTS
2 ounces Mount Gay Rum Eclipse 1 ounce blood orange juice
½ ounce sweet vermouth 4 dashes angostura bitters Orange peel for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Add rum, orange juice, vermouth, and bitters in a shaker. Fill with ice, shake, and strain into a chilled champagne coupe glass (a stemmed glass with a shallow bowl). Garnish with orange peel. D EC E M B E R 2020
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THE LIFE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mona Van Joseph has been an intuitive since 2002. She is an author, columnist, and host of Psychic View Radio. She created dicewisdom.com, which also has a smartphone app. mona.vegas
HOROSCOPE
DECEMBER HOROSCOPE What do the stars hold for you? TEXT MONA VAN JOSEPH
and see the bigger picture. SAGITTARIUS People are turning to you for Each month, your cards the light and discipline of present a new adventure, your goals, which will ultiand this one will be connect- mately also benefit them. You ed with how you earn mon- are the beacon of your circle. ey. Someone is about to invite you in a new direction. FEB. 19–MAR. 20 It is totally worth exploring. PISCES Something planned will be deDEC. 22–JAN. 19 layed this month; don’t fight it. CAPRICORN The delay will ultimately work You’ve been working hard, in your favor. Pay attention to spiritually and emotionalthe things you can resolve and ly. You are doing your best to find a creative distraction. keep your balance, while the influences around you seem MAR. 21–APR. 19 oblivious to kindness, ethics, ARIES and morality. Remember, you Do you live so well in your can only manage yourself— spiritual understanding that and you are being tested. you could explain your perspective to another? This is JAN. 20–FEB. 18 the month to fill your heart AQUARIUS with light and blessings. Your biggest gift right now is Your example of living may your ability to stay focused heal or help someone. NOV. 22–DEC. 21
APR. 20–MAY 20
TAURUS
Though it may not feel this way, the power of all things is available to you right now. You have a network of enlightened people and spirits around you who are willing to help you get what you want. It’s okay to ask. MAY 21–JUNE 20
GEMINI
Things will happen very quickly this month, and you will react quickly. Karma will address someone who has wronged you. Opportunity and/or focus are about to cross your radar. JUNE 21–JULY 22
CANCER
Pay a little extra attention to the people you interact with. You will find common ground
SAGITTARIUS, SOMEONE IS ABOUT TO INVITE YOU IN A NEW DIRECTION. IT IS TOTALLY WORTH EXPLORING.
and coincidental connections. It will also allow you a bonding opportunity for creating your network.
barrel. Now that your mojo is back, it’s time to sing their praises and maybe do your own version of Secret Santa.
JULY 23–AUG. 22
SEPT. 23–OCT. 22
It’s time to acknowledge and further develop your natural intuitive ability. It’s time to learn a simple way to focus on those who have doubted this ability. Clear your mind, imagine that all the flow of the universe is within you, and see what presents itself.
Recent events have placed you in a position of emotional conflict and imbalance. It’s the perfect foundation to determine what’s most important. You’ve found out where your heart is, so stay there.
LEO
LIBRA
OCT. 23–NOV. 21
SCORPIO
You are finally released from VIRGO what was working against Think of the people you you—and those “habits” would slay dragons for and around how you’ve regardeveryone who covered your ed situations or people. You butt when you were emoare still in the same position, tionally at the bottom of your but you have a clearer view. AUG. 23–SEPT. 22
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GIFT 26
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T PHOTOS (FROM LEFT): IMAGE BY HUE12 PHOTOGRAPHY; EDITS BY JOSH CLARK / COURTESY TERRY LYNN’S COOKIES
PHOTO CREDIT
GUIDE We
these great local gifts. TEXT DEBBIE HALL
Terry Lynn’s Cookies Freshly baked cookies just out of the oven evoke cherished memories for many, and, especially for those who don’t bake, premade cookie dough rolls aren’t the same. Shane Warner wanted to honor the memory of his mother and her perfectly textured sugar cookies CraftHaus Brewery with the creation of Terry Lynn’s CraftHaus Brewery brings the Sugar Cookie Decorating Kit. His ultimate indulgence to stuff the mother would bake her delicious stocking of the craft beer lover on sugar cookies and bring the family any shopping list. Big Boy Pants is around the table to decorate them a robust barley wine clocking in at during the major holidays. When 13% ABV to keep those indulging she passed away, Warner didn’t toasty on cold winter nights. The want her recipe and the tradition three 12-ounce cans are packaged to end with her. Kits come with in a festive cylinder featuring the two to 12 cookies (freshly baked biggest boy of them all, Santa! Sales and individually wrapped) with all will be limited to 50 gift packs with the ingredients to decorate. Availpickup from December 11 to 23. able for pickup or delivery. A little shopping goes a long way to bringing joy to someone else with a special present. Supporting local businesses adds to the value of the gift by giving to both small business owners and grateful recipients. Below are our favorites for buying local.
$30 / crafthausbrewery.com
$7.50 and up / terrylynnscookies.com
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ALL YOUR WATER NEEDS UNDER ONE ROOF!
From inlet to product, we’re the Water Guys! Specializing in sales and installation of Water Treatment and Complete Fertigation Systems.
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Stardust Ornament The Stardust ornament is modeled after the sign that has been in the Neon Boneyard since The Neon Museum’s grand opening in October 2012. In 1968, the Stardust Resort and Casino expanded its groundbreaking atomic-themed signage to include a dramatic roadside pylon sign adorned with stars and cosmic-font lettering. The 188-foot-tall sign was the largest in the world for a decade.
MIRACLE MILE SHOPS
Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood becomes a holiday retail center with wonderful ideas for gifts for foodies and music lovers. (miraclemileshopslv.com)
PHOTO CREDITS: COURTESY THE NEON MUSEUM / COURTESY SOLUS SUSTAINABLE HYDRATION
$7.95 / neonmuseum.org
Solus Sustainable Hydration A subscription to Solus for home delivery of eco-friendly, premium bottled water will spark a love for this beverage. The water is delicious and available in still or sparkling. This regionally sourced spring water goes through final filtration at a plant in North Las Vegas and is then poured into reusable glass bottles. Since the process and delivery are local, which reduces the company’s carbon footprint, and the glass bottles have over 800 uses per bottle, Solus is a sustainable way to stay hydrated. $30 for a 10-bottle case / solush2o.com
TOMMY BAHAMA Tommy Bahama at Miracle Mile Shops has an array of gourmet gifts. You’ll find the travel-inspired Cooking with Tommy Bahama cookbook series: Flavors of Aloha, California, and The Southern Coast. The Toasted Coconut Ground Coffee Blend, a rich medium roast exclusive to the restaurants, will make the perfect holiday gift for any coffee connoisseur. Fulfill your island holiday fantasy with Hot Tropics Trio Set Snack Mix. When cooking, add Blackberry Brandy or Mango Guava BBQ Sauce for some zest. Cookbooks $40 / Coffee $15 / Snack Mix $30 / BBQ Sauce $17
BUFFALO WILD WINGS AT MIRACLE MILE SHOPS Gift Set Fan Fave Sauces—Parm Garlic, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing— is the gift of iconic flavor this holiday season. Whether dipping, glazing, or marinating, these gift-sized flavors are a perfect way to customize any meal. / $18 INMOTION ENTERTAINMENT
InMotion Entertainment products bring music to life with JBL Flip 5 Speaker (shown), a waterproof portable speaker in various colors with a rugged rubber exterior and 12 hours of play time. Triple threat Bose QuietComfort Earbuds offer wireless, compact, and noise-canceling features. Beats Flex-All-Day wireless earphones feature 12-hour listening capacity and a comfortable flex design. JBL Flip 5 Speaker $90 / Bose QuietComfort Earbuds $280 / Beats Flex-All-Day $50 PHOTOS COURTESY MIRACLE MILE SHOPS AT PLANET HOLLYWOOD
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$16 and up / store702.com
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PHOTOS COURTESY STORE702.COM
Store702 Designs from Store702 represent original artistic expressions offering Vegas fans a chance to wear their pride in their state. Collections such as Nevada Day, Hockey, and Football, including the Sugar Skull LAS Football line, reflect all those things that make Las Vegas unique. While inspired by a love of various teams and sports, these products are not the official team or league merchandise or endorsed by any team, league, or school. Official logos are not used in the designs, but the message worn is loud and clear, “I Love Las Vegas.�
PHOTOS: COURTESY ANY OCCASION BASKETS / COURTESY LAS VEGAS SWINGS / COURTESY ROOSTER BOY CAFE
Any Occasion Baskets In 2016, Las Vegas local Felicia Parker founded Any Occasion Baskets to offer a fresh twist on creating gift baskets, including holiday, food and wine, and other special celebrations. Along with hard-working mom Ilka Brown, this minority- and women-owned company creates custom baskets while giving back to local charities in the community. For every basket that is gifted, the company is committed to giving a percentage of its profits to local charities. The mission is to provide more than just a basket but to make an impact on the community as well.
Las Vegas Swings Sitting outdoors while gazing at Southern Nevada’s mountain ranges conjures up images of serenity. Las Vegas artisan Tom McGrady creates a bit of country living by crafting his hand-made furniture, including Adirondack chairs, porch swings, and garden arbors. McGrady also builds one-of-a-kind tables, countertops, and other artistic objects using black walnut and cherry hardwood slabs. His newest creations are Swing and Arbor, priced separately or as a unit.
Rooster Boy Cafe Granola Stop by Rooster Boy Cafe and pick up delicious granola made by chef and owner Sonia El-Nawal. The beloved granola is a perfect stocking stuffer for foodies with a variety of options, including Paleo and Keto and Rooster Boy Granola Bar Original. There’s a granola for everyone. Add a cute coffee cup and breakfast will be a hit. $6 and up for granola bars; $13 for granola bags / roosterboygranola.com/shop
Pricing varies / lasvegasswings.com
$12 and up / aoblv.com
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FERGUSONS DOWNTOWN
Fergusons Downtown (fergusonsdowntown.com) thrives as a creative destination filled with restaurants, retail, and art. Unique gifts for the holidays can be purchased at Fergusons’ unique stores, supporting the continued growth of small businesses and downtown Las Vegas. JACOBSEN CO. SALTS All For Our Country (allforourcountry. com), located at Fergusons Downtown, is the only retailer in Nevada featuring a broad selection of seasoning salts, infused sea salt sets, and salt tins. Jacobsen Co. Salts are available in the shop as well as online, with options for in-store pickup or shipping. $3–$48 / jacobsensalt.com
PHOTO CREDITS: COURTESY FOUNDERS COFFEE / COURTESY THE+SOURCE
BIG SPOON ROASTERS Also available in All For Our Country, Big Spoon Roasters Cashew Butter is a plant-based alternative to peanut butter, blending fresh-roasted, golden organic cashews with organic virgin coconut oil. The handcrafted cashew butter comes in an assortment of unique and delicious flavors, including Chai Spice, Fiji Finger, Maple Cinnamon, and Espresso. Big Spoon Roasters’ nut butters are available in the shop as well as online, with options for in-store pickup or shipping. $15 / bigspoonroasters.com
GOOD EARTH PROJECT CORN NUTS The perfect stocking stuffer, Good Earth Project Corn Nuts are baked, crispy, perfectly flavored, and non-GMO with tasty flavors such as BBQ and Chili Lemon. Found at The Market Shop at Fergusons Downtown, Good Earth Project Corn Nuts can be purchased in store or ordered online, with in-person or curbside pickup or shipping options.
Founders Coffee Give a gift from locally owned and Vegas-born Founders Coffee, including merch such as hats, hoodies, and tees along with coffee beans for any java lover on Santa’s list. While there, purchase a unique Giving Drink as part of its Coffee with a Cause, a partnership with local southern Nevadan charities to raise awareness and money from the Giving Drink sales. Coffee Beans $17 / Merch varies in price / founderscoffeeco.com
CAMP Live Rosin Cartridges The CAMP Live Rosin Cartridges are the only ones of their kind available in Nevada. Flavors include Starduster and Connor’s Comfort. The Starduster cartridge is .5 grams and contains 68 percent THC, encouraging energetic, happy, creative, and focused effects. The Connor’s Comfort cartridge, also .5 grams, contains 41 percent THC and 37 percent CBD, leaving users inspired, happy, and focused. The+Source Dispensaries / $60 / thesourcenv.com
$7 per 8-ounce bag PHOTOS COURTESY ALL FOR OUR COUNTRY AND THE MARKET SHOP
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Stalking the wild Azzie in the mushroomhunting capital of the Pacific Northwest TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE PHOTOS LEAH D’AMBROSIO
FORAGING FOR
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Fighting for freedom is Join the revolution at norml.org
T
he wind was blowing about 20 knots, pelting us with needles of mist, as we trudged through the dune grass with our eyes peeled. We weren’t focused, as you would expect, on the stunning shoreline and churning gray waves of Willapa Bay in our vista, but on the ground. We were looking for mushrooms—Psilocybe azurescens, to be exact. I couldn’t believe my luck when Chef Sebastian Carosi, one of the first and finest farmto-fork pioneers and a virtuoso cannabis chef, offered to teach me how to stalk the wild Azzie. “There really is no better experience with anything psilocybin-related than picking your own,” he told me when we met at the Everything Edibles virtual conference in October. “You can actually go find your own psilocybin in the wild, beyond a government-sanctioned organic label, and that in itself is part of the therapeutic effect.” Carosi describes himself this way: “Imagine James Beard and Salvador Dali have a ’70s baby … raised by Alice Waters and Jack Kerouac … babysat by Jack Herer and Julia Child,” a chef who makes “organic, plant-heavy American truck-stop cuisine served on white tablecloths.” He’s a master forager and a heck of a lot of fun to hang out with, and the opportunity to learn the art of the hunt from him in the mushroom capital of the Pacific North-
west was far too good to pass up. He didn’t have to ask twice. On Election Day 2020, I wrapped myself in layers of North Face, laced up my Sorels, and joined Carosi; his wife, Carla Asquith; and my friend Leah D’Ambrosio (who organized the Everything Edibles conference)—along with dozens of other hunters who descend on Long Beach, Washington, every fall in cold, wet pursuit of the shroom. (In Long Beach, they say, first come the rains, then the Azzies, then the Winnebagos). Long Beach is a 28-mile-long peninsula along the southwest coast of Washington where the
Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. Warm and wet, it’s a forager’s paradise. The shores are rich with clams, oysters, and crab; wild berry bushes and dense mycelial mats cling to the sandy soil. James Beard made a home and restaurant here, and mycology guru Paul Stamets lives just up the road. Fungi is plentiful, from beefy King Boletes, otherwise known as porcini—which you’ll pay a fortune for at the market, if you can find them—to crunchy, tasty Lactarius deliciosus. Amanita muscaria, or Fly Agaric, with its iconic red cap and white spots, makes for great pics but shouldn’t be eaten.
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But, let’s be honest, it’s the Azzies that draw the crowds. Long Beach is legendary for its bounty of the little shrooms, also known as flying saucers, beloved for being the most psilocybin-dense mushrooms on the planet. “Discovered” in 1979 by Boy Scouts camping near the mouth of the Columbia River, just over the bridge in Oregon, Azzies were formally named Psilocybe azurescens by none other than Stamets, whose son is named Azureus for the color of bruised psilocybin. “Simply blowing on the fibrils of the stem of this purple-brown spored mushroom causes the fibrils to turn bluish with an azure color, hence its name,” Stamets writes on Instagram. “Psilocybin dephosphorylates into psilocin, then further degrades into an associated blue compound. The more bluish bruising, the more potent this mushroom once was.” These are the mushrooms Stamets took Michael Pollan to find—likely in the very same spots we covered with Carosi—the ones Pollan wrote about tripping on in his best-selling book How to Change Your Mind. When you eat them, according to Psilopedia, a nonprofit educational center and encyclopedia, Azzies “produce intense visual hallucination, profound journeys into alternate realms of consciousness, and more rarely induce temporary paralysis.” For Carosi, Azzies are good medicine. When he was 17, he was sentenced to seven years for a cannabis charge, and the mushrooms cut through his prison PTSD like nothing else. That he could return to prison for gath-
“PSYCHEDELICS ARE ILLEGAL NOT BECAUSE A LOVING GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED THAT YOU MAY JUMP OUT OF A THIRD-STORY WINDOW [BUT] BECAUSE THEY DISSOLVE OPINION STRUCTURES AND CULTURALLY LAIDDOWN MODELS OF BEHAVIOR…. THEY OPEN YOU UP TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG.” —Terence McKenna, ethnobotanist
ering his medicine was not lost on any of us as we searched for it during an Election Day he could not participate in. Picking Azzies is a Class A felony in the United States and the state of Washington. Under the 1971 US Controlled Substances Act, psilocybin and psilocin are listed alongside heroin as Schedule I drugs with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. It’s hard to get my mind around this. In Denver, we voted to decriminalize psilocybin in 2019, and it seems like everyone’s casually doing mushrooms, in micro and macro doses. On the very day we went picking, voters in Oregon—a stone’s throw from Long Beach—opted to legalize therapeutic access to mushrooms and decriminalize all drugs. Mushrooms show extraordinary promise for many of the mental health issues that have intensified during the pandemic—particularly depression—and they’re losing their stigma under the gaze of celebrities like Pollan and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who donated $500,000 to Oregon’s decriminalization effort. Still, we had to be aware. Rangers looking to harass dune-pickers patrol the state parks ringing Long Beach, and I couldn’t stop checking the horizon for them when I should have been scouring the thick wet grass for little caramel-colored, nippled caps with purple spores. That might be why we weren’t all that successful. Again and again, D’Ambrosio and I called out that we’d found a patch of Azzies, only to be told they were galerinas, poisonous mushrooms that look like Azzies
MUSHROOM MAGIC When you eat magic mushrooms, your body turns the psilocybin in them into psilocin, which binds with serotonin receptors in the brain that regulate cognition, memory, mood, and perception. Psilocin stimulates the visual cortex while muting the region of the brain responsible for our sense of self, or ego.
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Q: Which U.S. President Asked Congress To Decriminalize Cannabis?
A: Jimmy Carter
Within ďŹ rst six months of taking oďŹƒce, President Jimmy Carter was candid about cannabis. During a 1977 address to Congress, he asked they abolish federal penalties for possession. If we know this much about cannabis, imagine what we know to Lift Your Business.
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but have rust brown spores and appear to be far more prevalent. I’m not sure I ever got my “mushroom eyes,” and fear of arrest didn’t help my flow. We—or really, Asquith—found a mere handful of Azzies. Late in the day, as the rain started coming down in relentless sheets, I was kneeling under a clump of shore pines when Asquith told me to look to my left. Two little brown mushrooms and a couple of pins (babies) were nestled together in a cluster in the grass. When I picked them—gently, so I wouldn’t damage the mycelium below—the white stems immediately turned blue in the palm of my hand. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough. We had an Instagram moment with the mushrooms. If we could have seen the sun, it would have been low in the sky. The rain had penetrated all our layers, even the waterproof ones. We called it a day, a successful one, and headed back to town for much-needed cups of hot tea and bowls of clam chowder. Carosi surmised we may have been about five days too early for the best pickings, and that was fine. We experienced the thrill of finding our own medicine—just enough of a taste to make me want to try again next year. The good news is, I might not have to deal with the nagging fear of breaking a law (even one I believe is unjust and stupid) that haunted my first hunt. On November 4, the day after Oregon voters decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs, activists launched the Treatment and Recovery Act to do the same thing in Washington in 2021.
TIPS FOR HAPPY HUNTING • WEAR SEVERAL LAYERS of warm, waterproof clothes. Good gear makes for good days. • BRING A POCKET KNIFE to get a clean cut of the mushrooms at the base (though it’s possible to pick them by hand) and a mesh bag or basket that allows the mushroom spores to fall to the ground and repopulate as you walk the dunes. • DON’T DISTURB THE UNDERGROUND ROOT SYSTEM anymore than you need to when you’re harvesting. • ALWAYS LEAVE SOME BEHIND to grow and multiply. Even if you get lucky and find a whole colony, don’t pick them all. • TAKE FIELD NOTES about the habitat, how the mushrooms are growing, and where you find mushrooms. Make sure to visit the site again because mushrooms often return to the same spots year after year. • DRY YOUR MUSHROOMS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Fresh mushrooms are 90 to 95 percent water and should be dried immediately to retain their potency. They can be air-dried for two or three days, or you can pop them in a dehydrator to speed up the process.
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Legendary Links of Ghosts and Golf
Wildhorse Golf Club trots into the future, bringing along the past and present. TEXT DEBBIE HALL
Navigating traffic along Warm Springs Road, you might catch a glimpse of a thick tree-line drive. If you turned onto the drive, it would take you to Wildhorse Golf Club, a place of serenity where social-dis42
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tanced fun, joys of nature, and history come to life. The lush green foliage, mature trees, sparkling ponds, crashing waterfalls, feathered creatures, and the sport of golf beckon all to enjoy.
Nestled in Henderson, Nevada, Wildhorse Golf Club is a public course with a colorful past that remains vibrant today. Developed by media mogul Hank Greenspun, Wildhorse opened to
the public in 1959. It was only the second golf course to be developed in Southern Nevada. Iconic billionaire Howard Hughes purchased the property in 1968 and allowed it to remain
PHOTOS BY DEBBIE HALL
pristine for generations to enjoy its beauty. Today, the course is owned by the city of Henderson and operated by Elite Golf Management. “We encompass wider community events and projects here,” says Christine Lord, administrator and facility manager of
Wildhorse Golf Club. “This is our opportunity to show off our quirky, funky place that is part of the history of Nevada.” Known by many names over the years, it has been named the Wildhorse Golf Club since 1994, with many renovations and new build-
ings added over time. In 2004, the course was updated and redesigned by renowned golf course architects Lee Schmitt and Brian Curley. Inducted into the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, Wildhorse has a rich history that includes serving as a stop on the
PGA Tour, making for only-in-Vegas stories. Legend has it that when golf great Jack Nicklaus was playing the Sahara Classic in 1970 (now called the Sahara Invitational), his caddy, who was transporting Nicklaus’s golf clubs in his car, left the golfer without his clubs. The caddy loved to gamble and got caught up in the moment in the casinos and never made it to the competition. Nicklaus was forced to use rental clubs but still played a good round. Wildhorse Golf Club is also a place to enjoy avian life; many species of birds call the links home, whether yearround or seasonally. Audubon International has designated the club as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. It’s one of only three golf courses in the entire region to earn the designation. “The open space of a golf course is utilized not only by golfers but is habitat for a variety of wildlife species,” explains Jim Sluiter, a staff ecologist for Audubon International. Course personnel plan, organize, implement, and document a comprehensive environmental management program. The club is home to very D EC E M B E R 2020
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THE SCENE
WILDHORSE GOLF CLUB
2100 W. Warm Springs Rd., Henderson 702-434-9000 golfwildhorse.com
rare birds, and a bird count is conducted on the first Wednesday of each month in the early morning hours. It should be noted that bird watching for the general public is not a part of the bird count each month. Conservation efforts at the club include relocating 15-year-old honeybee hives that measure 10 feet tall from along the play’s path to an on-site sanctuary. From their new aviary, the bees continue to pollinate in the beautiful flora, and the beekeeper on staff rescues and works to preserve the honeybee population. Another legend suggests that Wildhorse Golf Club is haunted. Mormon settlements once dotted the land-
scape in the 19th and early 20th centuries. According to staff members, a little girl in a white dress has appeared at the end of the banquet hall or as a streak of white light at dawn. Lord says that while she was working early one morning, the heavy wooden kitchen doors swung open inexplicably. Other staffers claim to have seen handprints mysteriously appear on freshly cleaned surfaces and have found faucets in the clubhouse’s restrooms running prior to opening. Paranormal investigators are welcome to call ahead and make arrangements to visit the property, says Lord. Part of Wildhorse’s charm is its staff. They are funny, friendly,
warm, and down-toearth without the rigid attitudes often associated with exclusive private golf clubs. “We take care of each other and our guests,” says Lord. “We want the community to come here to celebrate their weddings, receptions, celebration of life, bar and bat mitzvahs, anniversaries, and parties.” Meetup groups, disc golf (including the Las Vegas Disc Golf Challenge), networking, and clubhouse events bring the community together while everyone socializes (safely). The on-site restaurant, Terrace on The Green, is open to the public, affording the most amazing views of Southern Nevada. Ironically, with COVID-19, the game of
golf is on an upswing as a wonderful way to safely socialize while perfecting a skill. Two professional instructors at the club include Kerri Clark, a lifetime LGPA pro and a Golf Hall of Fame inductee, and Tony Lawson, also a PGA lifetime pro. Wildhorse is a public golf course, so being a member is not required to learn or play, and there are special rates for locals, industry workers, and military personnel. Although it’s not a public park—its main emphasis is on the game of golf—Wildhorse Golf Club does offer living history, flourishing nature, and thriving community events. It’s a great place to eat, drink, and celebrate. D EC E M B E R 2020
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THE SCENE ART
Not of This World Converge into AREA15 for experiential art. TEXT DEBBIE HALL
Much like the highly classified Air Force base and (allegedy) alien research counterpart in the desert, AREA15 immerses all who enter its domain in experiential art that defies convention and the ordinary. AREA15 is a vibrant mashup of 46
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sculpture, immersive experience, community, music, and food in one building. Its art galleries, including anchor tenant and art collective Meow Wolf, reach out beyond 3D to bring everyone into a new plane of existence. It all begins with Art Is-
land, more like an Art Galaxy Experience, featuring larger-than-life pieces from the world’s wildest festivals. The outdoor gallery showcases dynamic, multidimensional works from avant-garde events and artists from around the world.
As guests enter the portal of AREA15, they’re welcomed by Shogyo Mujo, an interactive, 12-foot-tall skull covered in 3D projection mapping and synched to music co-created by Bart Kresa and Joshua Harker, artists renowned
PHOTOS BY PETER RUPRECHT
AREA15
THE SCENE
3215 S. Rancho Dr. area15.com
ART
for their large-scale projects. Kresa is a Master Projection Designer known for his award-winning augmented realities, and Harker is a pioneer of 3D-printed art and sculpture. The name “Shogyo Mujo” represents the first of the three marks of Dharma, which state that all things are transient and impermanent. The sculpture ventures into the fourth dimension of time to give each guest a uniquely different experience based on when, where, and how they view the piece. “The Spine” is the backbone that ties everything at AREA15 together in an ever-changing corridor filled with one-of-a-kind art instal-
lations, engaging brand activations, and unique commerce. Located in the heart of The Spine is Valyrian Steel by Henry Chang Design—a kinetic art car that is part Mad Max, part Mars Rover. Chang, a Las Vegas artist, originally built the artwork for Burning Man, combining his unique background in computer science, political science, and classical and jazz piano to fuse art, science, and engineering. His pieces showcase his belief that everything is related and bigger is better. Marvel at the big-block V-8 engine and eight-wheel parade car layout, with chassis components made from stainless-steel tubing modeled on DNA helices and fabricated with the
precision of aerospace engineering. Step inside Infinity Ship (No. 1) by Matt Elson to alter the perception of reality. The shipping container (ADA-compliant) is now transformed into a psychedelic kaleidoscopic glimpse into the infinite, creating Instagrammable photo ops.
Conceived as a series of mirror-worlds traversing the globe by road, sea, or rail, the Infinity Ships come together to create encompassing art and reflection. After all the imagery and information overload, The Sanctuary by Ibuku Design Studio offers a tranquil place to rest and reflect. Inspired by Indonesia’s volcanoes, it’s an earthy, airy dome made from all-natural materials, including bamboo carefully selected from the islands of Bali and Java. The Sanctuary acts as a living organism complete with lush plant life. Ibuku is a Balinese artist collective founded by Elora Hardy that brings Balinese artisans and their innovative designs to residential and commercial spaces worldwide—all made using traditional methods and sustainably sourced bamboo.
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c
w
is
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l l a w g o n m i l la love cann ab o h
CONNECT WITH YOURSELF AND OTHERS IN CITIES AROUND THE GLOBE
TOKEATIVITY.COM/CONNECT
GRAND OPENING OF CIRCA RESORT & CASINO WHERE: CIRCA RESORT & CASINO WHEN: OCT. 28 PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CIRCA RESORT & CASINO LEARN MORE: CIRCALASVEGAS.COM
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Destiny with Downtown
Circa Resort & Casino, the first resort-casino built from the ground up in downtown Las Vegas in more than 40 years, celebrated its grand opening with a black-tie VIP party. The 1.25-million-square-foot adults-only property pays homage to the golden era through vintage design, oldschool hospitality, and nods to the city’s history while introducing high-tech advancements and cutting-edge amenities. Conceived by developer and CEO Derek Stevens, Circa and its opening mark a series of firsts for Las Vegas.
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Quick Recovery Former pro wrestler Rob Van Dam took lessons from the ring and his passion for the plant to create his line of all-natural, CBD-rich products.
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s a former professional wrestler, Rob Van Dam knows that it’s important to give the people what they want. During his long career, that meant innumerable leaps and jumps and power slams. While that dedication to his profession led him to the pinnacle of success—he was a 21time champion on the sport’s biggest stages and was universally beloved by fans—it also left him with a laundry list of injuries from his high-flying time in the ring. That’s why he launched RVDCBD one year ago.
that his products passed a rigorous set of standards before rolling them out. He personally spent endless hours perfecting his recipes before launching his winning team of products. Focused on delivering high levels of cannabinoids, his topicals, gummies, tinctures, and smokables are formulated to offer instant relief. As an athlete, Van Dam knows how a sore body can set you back, so he is most proud of his topical, the RVDCBD Muscle + Joint Relief Cream. “They are available in three sizes that deliver 150, 750, 1,500, or 3,000 mg of CBD (with no THC) to affected areas immediately,” he says. “Best of all, the menthol in the cream allows your receptors to open up and let the healing pain relief happen almost instantly. Many of my colleagues from the ring swear by it.” In the short time his products have been available, there has been strong demand for them, and Van Dam is working hard to ensure that every order is fulfilled. He didn’t let his fans down when he was in the ring, and he won’t with RVDCBD either.
“I have personally experienced concussions, broken bones, torn ligaments, and a wide variety of other injuries during my lifetime. I know what it is to hurt,” Van Dam says. “I wanted to create something that could help people and change their lives. Instead of turning to opioids, I want people to turn to cannabinoids and all the healing they offer. My products are all natural and offer relief.” As a lifelong cannabis advocate who has used his celebrity to educate the RVDCBD public about the healing properties that Athletic Lifestyle CBD the plant offers, Van Dam made sure rvdcbd.com D EC E M B E R 2020
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THE END
#MaskUpLasVegasStrip Screaming Images grabs attention with visual messages.
People are walking along the Las Vegas Strip again, bombarded by neon lights, flashing billboards, and other visuals demanding to be noticed. Then, in front of New York-New York Hotel & Casino stands the replica of the Statue of Liberty. She is wearing a giant mask courtesy of Screaming Images to promote #MaskUpUSA. Screaming Images, a grand format printing and installation company open since 2002, wraps buildings and stadiums with visuals of performers, shows, sports stars, and eye-catching messages. Recently, during the NHL playoffs, a 6,000-square-foot Vegas Golden Knights jersey was placed on the replica of the Statue of Liberty, but her mask remained. As a response to COVID-19, Screaming Images formed the Signage & Safety Consultant Division. Creative solutions are provided to assist with operating daily business, while adhering to new social-distancing guidelines. The new divi52
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sion continually monitors recommended methods to stay safe and effective while implementing Business Workplace Controls. New products include removable Seat-Shields for concert and sporting venues; fully-customizable, acrylic Share-Shields for gaming tables; automated gaming machines; office settings, movie theaters, rideshare businesses, and other transaction situations; and informational safety banners and floor graphics. “When everything closed earlier this year, I dropped from $500,000 a month in sales to zero and had to furlough most of my employees,” says James Swanson, principal at Screaming Images. “I was speaking with the general manager of the El Cortez, who wanted to place dividers on a blackjack table.” Swanson developed prototypes, was covered by the news, and then his business exploded with all staff returning to work in all divisions. Screaming Images / screamingimages.net
PHOTO COURTESY OF SCREAMING IMAGES
TEXT DEBBIE HALL
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LET IT GROW
Hardy houseplants for winter
THE WILD AZZIE
Foraging in the mushroom mecca
GHOSTS AND GREENS Wildhorse Golf Club
LET IT GROW
Hardy houseplants for winter
IT’S A WRAP!
Our exclusive 2020 gift guide
THE WILD AZZIE
Foraging in the mushroom mecca
LET IT GROW
Hardy houseplants for winter
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NEW ENGLAND
DECEMBER 2020
DECEMBER 2020
DECEMBER 2020
IT’S A WRAP!
THE WILD AZZIE
Our exclusive 2020 gift guide
Foraging in the mushroom mecca
LOCALS’ GIFT GUIDE Stuff your sack with goodies
CAPITAL CHEER Sacramento-style holiday
’TIS THE SEASON Give back to 10 area nonprofits
LET IT GROW
Hardy houseplants for winter
IT’S A WRAP!
Our exclusive 2020 gift guide
THE WILD AZZIE
Foraging in the mushroom mecca
LET IT GROW
Hardy houseplants for winter
IT’S A WRAP!
Our exclusive 2020 gift guide
SEASON’S STREAMINGS Our take on the hottest shows
LET IT GLOW
Denver’s indie skincare brand
MICHIGAN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
C O LO R A D O
DECEMBER 2020
DECEMBER 2020
DECEMBER 2020
THE WILD AZZIE
Foraging in the mushroom mecca
SNEAK PEAKS
Read this before you hit the slopes
IT’S A WRAP! Our exclusive gift guide
TASTE THE SEASON Candy cane sugar cookies just taste like Christmas
CREATING HOPE Mindful art shapes the holidays
SEE ALL THE DECEMBER EDITIONS NOW AVAILABLE!