Nevada Travel Roundup

Ski Season Highlights

• 
  SAVE
• 
  SHARE
• 
  TEXT SIZE
• 
  PRINT
• 
  COMMENT
• 
  PDF

. October 14, 2008

JANUARY 3, 2007.

The King 'lives' at Mt. Rose - Ski Tahoe

One of the best-loved Lake Tahoe traditions returns to Mt. Rose - Ski Tahoe ski resort Jan. 6. The annual celebration of Elvis Presley's birthday, which falls on Jan. 8 this year, has become an all-day party at Mt. Rose. Visitors and employees alike get in on the Hound Dog spirit with costumes, sideburns and bell-bottoms, as well as a generous helping of "Thank you, thank you very much" echoed throughout the ski resort. Visit www.skirose.com for more information on Elvis Day, Northern Nevada's annual tribute to the King of Rock 'n' Roll.

Diamond Peak skiers make 'Last Tracks' at sunset

Food, wine, freshly groomed snow, the sun setting over the lake. This is a recipe for the ultimate end to a day of skiing, and it's available during "Last Tracks" at Diamond Peak Ski Resort on the north shore of Lake Tahoe every Saturday from Feb. 10 through April 14. Last Tracks is a special event at Diamond Peak, a small resort near the shores of Lake Tahoe that boasts some of the most spectacular lake views around.

Tickets are $25, and reservations are recommended. The price includes a ski lift ride to Snowflake Lodge, appetizers and wine tasting, and then skiers and snowboarders ride down freshly groomed trails at sunset. For more information, visit www.diamondpeak.com.

Ski by day, play by night in Las Vegas

Ski... in Las Vegas? Snow bunnies in Las Vegas are in for a treat - open ski lifts at nearby Mount Charleston. Yes, it's true, visitors can pack their skis and parkas and enjoy downhill excitement only 35 miles from Las Vegas and then live it up in the Entertainment Capital of the World at night.

Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort sits at 8,510 feet on Mount Charleston just outside of Las Vegas. It receives an average of 120 inches of snow a year and runs four lifts and 11 trails. Adult lift tickets are $20 and all major credit cards are accepted. For information on mountain conditions and directions from Las Vegas, visit www.skilasvegas.com.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort shines the spotlight on women

Kirkwood Mountain Resort, one of the 18 ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area, has expanded its teaching programs and is offering a Women's Learn to Ride Center in partnership with Burton Snowboards. The center includes gear and training programs specially designed with women in mind.

For those who already know their way around a snowboard, Kirkwood is hosting a Women's One Day Board Clinic on Feb. 10 for intermediate and expert boarders. The ski resort will also hold a Women's One Day Ski Clinic for intermediate and expert skiers who want to develop their skills on all terrain and in all snow conditions. The next one-day clinic is Jan. 27 and the final clinic will be April 7. A two-day ski clinic is scheduled for March 17-18 and includes female instructors sharing their expertise on the slopes and in the back-country. The first day ends with a wine-and-cheese reception and a showcase of the latest in women's winter gear and fashions. For more information about Kirkwood's women's programs, visit www.kirkwood.com. For nearby hotel information, log on to www.visitrenotahoe.com or www.bluelaketahoe.com.

Northern Nevada hotels attract visitors with special ski package rates

With more than 22,000 acres of skiable terrain and 18 ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe region, there's plenty of downhill and cross-country action around every turn. To help make booking a vacation even easier, many Reno and Lake Tahoe hotels offer special ski season rates and package deals all season long. Some specials start as low as $49 per person and include a room, lift ticket and shuttle service to select ski resorts. To find the area's lowest hotel rates and packages, log on to www.visitrenotahoe.com/bestrates.

Winter Wine and Ski Expo returns to Reno

The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno hosts the seventh annual Reno-Tahoe Winter Wine and Ski Expo from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 18. Restaurants, wineries, microbreweries and area ski resorts will converge on Reno to offer a sampling of their best wares and help raise money to battle multiple sclerosis.

There will be a wide array of silent-auction items ranging from ski and snowboard equipment to luxury hotel stays and fine wines. Proceeds benefit Jimmy Heuga's Vertical Express for Multiple Sclerosis, and last year's event raised more than $45,000 for the charity. For more information, visit www.atlantiscasino.com or call 800-723-6500.

Film competition highlights Reno-Lake Tahoe adventure sports

The Reno-Tahoe Freeheel Open, Feb. 26 through March 4, is a celebration of the mountain-action-sports lifestyle so abundant in the Reno-Lake Tahoe area. This week-long event includes a 72-hour film shootout in which competitors film, edit and produce five-minute short films in and around Reno-Tahoe to be previewed and judged at the National Bowling Stadium March 2.

Other events during the festival include a rail jam, sponsor expo and the 2007 Telemark Extreme Freeskiing Series competition where athletes from around the world ski the most difficult lines at Alpine Meadows for a shot at $10,000 in cash and prizes. For more information, visit www.toughguyproductions.com or call 970-668-0216.

What's Happening

Eastern Nevada showcases 'Fire and Ice'

The wonders of winter are coming to Ely, a historic mining town in eastern Nevada. What has quickly become a national event, the White Pine Fire and Ice Show, now in its third year, is a highly visual, two-day snow- and ice-sculpture competition followed by a fireworks display over a frozen high-desert lake.

The show is Jan. 13 and 14 at Cave Lake State Park, 15 miles southeast of Ely. The family-oriented snow- and ice-sculptures stand up to 12 feet tall. Last year's winner was a sculpture of a 27-foot-wide big horn sheep skull created by Jason McNutt of Ely.

A fireworks display will follow the competition at 6 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 14. Other activities throughout the weekend include skiing, snowmobiling, ice-skating, ice fishing and the firing of a historic Nevada cannon. For more information, call Steve Gray at 775-296-0196.

Cowboy crooners return to Elko for National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

The 23rd annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, a week-long celebration of life in the rural West, brings the best of cowboy poets and singers to Elko in Northeastern Nevada. The gathering, Jan. 27 through Feb. 3, highlights everything cowboy from music and food to saddles and western art.

Started in 1985, the gathering has grown from an informal get-together for a few dozen cowboys to an international event that attracts thousands. The evening performances, which are often sold out months in advance, feature well-known poets and musicians such as Baxter Black, Waddie Mitchell and Don Edwards.

As with cowboy music, cowboy poetry developed as a result of the long hours that cowboys spent alone. To pass time, many would concoct songs and poems about their lives, their philosophy, or their experiences. Wry humor and unabashed sentimentalism were common in their verse. So were exaggerations and outright lies. For more about this unique taste of western life, visit www.westernfolklife.org.

Miss America to be crowned in Las Vegas

The most beautiful and talented women from all 50 states will vie for the crown at the Miss America pageant to be held at the Aladdin Casino & Resort in Las Vegas Jan. 29. The two-hour pageant will air live on CMT (Country Music Television) at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Standard Time. This is the second year the Las Vegas resort will host the event.

The preliminary competitions, including swimsuit, talent and evening wear, begin Jan. 25. Tickets to the preliminaries and the final competition will be available at www.ticketmaster.com.

NBA All-Stars hold court in Las Vegas

The NBA All-Star Jam Session is headed to Las Vegas Feb. 15-19. The world's largest interactive basketball theme park could only feel at home in the Entertainment Capital of the World, and will settle in for five days at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip.

The Jam Session is a perfect place for kids to practice their basketball skills while meeting the stars of the game. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet NBA players, collect autographs, shoot hoops all day on more than 10 courts and watch the NBA All-Star Practice as well as the All-Star Celebrity Game. Tickets to the Jam Session are $20 for adults and $12 for kids, and tickets to the All-Star Practice and Celebrity Game are sold separately. Visit www.nba.com/jamsession for more information and to purchase tickets.

Erin Brockovich shares 'The Power of One' in Reno

Erin Brockovich, a file clerk who made history by winning a $333 million lawsuit against a giant utility company for poisoning its groundwater, kicks off the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts' "Smart Talk" lecture series for 2007. The Pioneer Center in downtown Reno hosts a variety of performances all year long from Broadway plays to operas and ballets.

Brockovich's presentation, "The Power of One," comes to Reno Jan. 17. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets start at $53.90. For more information and tickets, visit www.pioneercenter.com or call 775-686-6600.

Experience a taste of Broadway in the 'Biggest Little City'

The Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts has only two more shows in the 11th season of its Broadway Comes to Reno series. The series began in September with "Chicago," "Camelot" and "Spelling Bee," and the last two plays take the stage in the new year. "Jesus Christ Superstar" will be in town Jan. 26-28 and "Aida" finishes the series March 16-18.

Not part of the series but still a Broadway favorite, "Rent" will perform at the Pioneer Center Feb. 23-24. The beloved musical has won a Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize. Tickets go on sale Jan. 8. Tickets for all Broadway shows, as well as information on other performances at the Pioneer Center in downtown Reno, are available at www.pioneercenter.com or by calling 775-686-6600.

Nevada's Colorful Past

Cowboy poetry featured on 'Live from Elko' podcast

The Western Folklife Center Archives now produces a bi-weekly podcast called "Live from Elko," featuring cowboy poetry and music recorded over the years at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

Elko is a rural-yet-thriving city in Northeastern Nevada and home to the famed National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. The town's quiet cowboy culture catches up with the 21st century with the new podcast, audio files that can be played online or downloaded to an iPod or other mp3 player. For more information, visit www.westernfolklife.org and click on the Listen & Watch section.

Las Vegas cemetery listed on National Register of Historic Places

The Woodlawn Cemetery in Las Vegas was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. The 40-acre cemetery is significant for the role it played during Las Vegas' early years starting in 1914. It grew in phases over time, much like Las Vegas grew throughout the 20th century.

Because the cemetery has been in existence almost as long as the city of Las Vegas, many prominent local figures are laid to rest among the 24,000 plots. For more information about the Woodlawn Cemetery and the National Register of Historic Places, visit www.nevadaculture.org and click on SHPO.

Governor dedicates Sarah Winnemucca statue to grammar school

Sarah Winnemucca has returned home. Gov. Kenny Guinn in December dedicated a small bronze statue of the Paiute activist to Winnemucca Grammar School in the northeastern Nevada town of Winnemucca. The statue is a replica of a life-size statue placed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Sarah Winnemucca was a 19th century educator and activist who worked tirelessly on behalf of Nevada's Native American population. A statue of her was placed in the U.S. Capitol in 2005 and a replica in the Nevada Capitol. Now the elementary school named after her also boasts a statue in her honor. For more information about the statue, visit www.nevadaculture.org.

Nevada Arts Council releases cultural travel guide

A new 72-page pocket guide, released by the Nevada Arts Council, guides travelers through the culture and heritage of Lake Tahoe. A map directs visitors to destinations that open up the world of the Washoe Indians and their history, as well as the Austrian, Filipino and Hispanic influences on the area.

The book, titled "Enduring Traditions: The Culture and Heritage of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Driving & Walking Tour," is a way to explore the area's rich history. It is $12 and available through the Nevada Arts Council by calling 775-687-7103.

Lovelock celebrates first anniversary as official place to 'lock your love'

One year ago on Feb. 14, the rural town of Lovelock in Northern Nevada unveiled a new attraction playing on the town's unusual name. The Lovers Lock Plaza became the official place to "lock your love" with someone special. This idea of locking one's love stems from an ancient Chinese custom in which couples hang a lock on a chain and throw away the key, thus cementing their commitment and love for eternity. Miles and miles of lock-laden chains snake through the Yellow Mountains and at the Great Wall of China, and now the custom has a special place in the United States at Lovers Lock Plaza in Lovelock.

Lovelock is the ideal getaway for Valentine's Day. Take a loved one to the quaint town and lock your love, then spend a day exploring the wide-open space of Northern Nevada or take a road trip to romantic Lake Tahoe, a short three-hour drive away. For more information, visit www.loverslock.com.

Las Vegas malls launch new shopping shuttle

Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip and Fashion Outlets in Primm, about 30 miles away, have launched a new shopping shuttle that will transport shoppers between the two retail venues. Roundtrip tickets are $15 and include a savings book worth up to $800 in coupons.

The shuttle makes two round trips daily, and reservations are recommended by calling 888-424-6898. The Fashion Outlets also offer a shuttle departing from the MGM Grand and the Shops in the Desert Passage so shoppers have a choice of destinations and departure times.

View historic Virginia City on the Web

The Virginia City Convention & Tourism Authority has installed a new Webcam, a camera tuned into the main street of the historic mining town near Reno and broadcast on the World Wide Web. The Webcam provides accurate weather information, as well as a peek into the comings and goings of visitors and residents in the bustling mountain town.

Viewers can access the Webcam at www.highspeednetworks.biz/storey.html or by logging onto www.virginiacity-nv.org and clicking on the "Useful Links" tab that will direct them to the Webcam.

Athletes wanted for 2007 'The Nevada Passage' competition

The 2007 "The Nevada Passage" made-for-TV adventure competition that showcases adventure sports and destinations in Nevada features a new twist: open auditions for thrill-seekers wanting to get in on the action.

This year's Nevada Passage, the third since 2005, will include a 10K run, bike trek, ATV dune race and back-country ski event as well as visits to the ghost town of Rhyolite and Carson City, Nevada's state capital, for a new "destination highlight" feature of the program that does not include a competition. Ten coed teams of two will compete for bragging rights as the champions of the Nevada Passage, which kicks off in May and airs nationwide in August.

Online auditions, information and rules for "The Nevada Passage" can be found at www.nevadapassage.com, where viewers can watch the 2005 show. Audition materials include a short video of the applicant stating why he or she should be selected as a competitor and a completed application. Audition materials will not be accepted past Jan. 31, 2007.

Tourism Tidbits

Peppermill opens expanded casino

The Peppermill Hotel Casino in Reno opened its expanded casino in December, the second component of a $300 million expansion project to be completed in 2007. The casino includes a state-of-the-art Race and Sports Book, a sports bar and an expanded retail clothing shop. The bigger, better casino now boasts more seating, more betting windows, a smoke-free seating area, two 10-foot high-definition screens, 42 50-inch plasma screens, 63 work stations with individual LCD viewing screens and Internet access, and storage for personal belongings. And that's just the beginning. For more information, visit www.peppermillreno.com.

MGM Grand Web site wins Best in Show

MGM Grand's Web site recently claimed the highest honor at the Digital Marketing Awards, Canada's top awards show recognizing the best in digital marketing. The site, www.mgmgrand.com, also won Gold in the Entertainment Arts and Tourism category. The site was designed by Montreal-based firm Sid Lee and launched in August 2006. It won for its technology and creativity that allows visitors to tour the hotel as if they were really there.

'Lunchtime with Ira' moves to earlier time

"Lunchtime with Ira, Live from the Las Vegas Hilton" has moved to an earlier time on Las Vegas radio station KDWN AM 720. The popular radio show features local media personality Ira David Sternberg of the Las Vegas Hilton interviewing the celebrities, entertainers and personalities that make Las Vegas one of the most exciting cities in the world. The show now broadcasts at 9 p.m. Thursdays and can be heard as far as Montana, British Columbia and Mexico. It is also broadcast live at noon on Mondays on Cable Radio Network (CRN) in Las Angeles and KFNX 1100 in Phoenix. It can also be downloaded online at www.lvhilton.com.

Airline offers new flights between Las Vegas and London

MAXjet Airways, an all-business-class airline headquartered in London, has announced new nonstop flights to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. The twice-weekly flights arrive in Las Vegas at 12:30 p.m. and depart at 1 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. MAXjet Airways provides premium business class service from London to New York, Virginia and Las Vegas. The airline also offers a departure lounge near its gates at each airport except McCarran where travelers can take advantage of free wireless Internet, self-service cappuccino machines and premium liquor, plasma TVs and leather seating. For more information on MAXjet's flights and schedules, visit www.maxjet.com.

Laughlin hotel offers Grand Canyon sightseeing package

Ramada Express in Laughlin, a thriving city about two hours from Las Vegas on the Colorado River, has partnered with Grand Canyon West to offer a cultural/adventure "Spirit Package." The package includes shuttle service to three viewing areas on the Grand Canyon's west rim, photo opportunities with Hualapai Tribe members, a wagon ride, a barbecue or cowboy cookout and access to the new Grand Canyon Skywalk, a glass bridge suspended 4,000 feet above the Colorado River that opens in March 2007. Packages start at $80. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 800-243-6846.