» Cravings champions of chocolate
November/December 2008
You can follow your heart or be led around by the nose, but no part of the anatomy provides such a strong navigational signal as the sweet tooth. Fortunately, visitors to the Las Vegas Strip have plenty of opportunities to indulge that insatiable incisor, and perhaps do some holiday shopping at the same time.
» Living a house of straw
November/December 2008
Constance Alexander’s straw-bale, all-electric home in Minden is warmed courtesy of Nevada’s consistent winter sun, and her house’s thick stucco-finished walls hold the heat for hours. Alexander only pays for power from January to May. During the rest of the year, 14 solar panels on the roof generate electricity to run her lights and appliances, and the power company banks the excess in a process known as net metering.
» Nevada Books 2008 nevada books
November/December 2008
Are you having trouble figuring out what to buy some of those people on your holiday gift list? Let Nevada Magazine’s annual book-review package do the work for you. Visit the book’s listed Web site for ordering information.
» Events Spotlight earth, ice, and fire
November/December 2008
In Nevada, art has been known to take many—often peculiar—forms. Maybe the most unusual are the sculptures at the annual White Pine Fire and Ice Show near Ely. They’ve recently added fireworks to give further incentive for locals and tourists to check out the festivities.
» Shows Spotlight messages from the great beyond
November/December 2008
Believers and the curious will fill the Flamingo Las Vegas showroom on December 6 to hear from psychic medium John Edward, hoping they will be chosen to receive messages from those who have “crossed over to the other side.” For more than 20 years, Edward has used his books, television shows, and live appearances to—as he contends—help connect people with spirits, cope with unresolved issues, and offer assurances that life continues after death.
» Web Extras cowboy poetry comes to reno
November/December 2008
Paul Zarzyski and Wylie Gustafson performed at Reno’s Pioneer Center on October 28 in a tune-up concert for one of Nevada’s most anticipated 2009 events, the 25th anniversary of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 24-31 in Elko. The event is a celebration of cowboy culture.
» Web Extras historians dig it
November/December 2008
Old dusty buttons, rusted nails and bolts, and pieces of broken bottles and dinner plates. Most would classify these items as trash, but not those who dig for a living—or want to. “Archaeologists love garbage,” says state historic preservation officer Ron James. James’ agency provided the federal funds to finance the University of Nevada, Reno’s recent excavations of two historic areas in Virginia City, the Barbary Coast and the site of the original Maguire’s (later Piper’s) Opera House.
» Web Extras dinner with a side of “murder”
November/December 2008
The lights are dim, salad is being served, and then a shot rings out and screams reverberate throughout the room. Police and an ambulance are dispatched, and the recently departed is wheeled away. This is the opening scene at “Marriage Can Be Murder,” an interactive murder mystery dinner show at the Canyon Club in the Four Queens in Las Vegas.
» Web Extras flying fish
November/December 2008
Up in the sky…it’s a bear…it’s a fish…it’s a 15-story pink bunny with dark sunglasses and a marching drum. At The Great Reno Balloon Race, it’s all three. Quirky designs, such as the aforementioned, and almost 100 other balloons were present at the 27th annual event, September 5-7.
» Web Extras “green” christmas trees
November/December 2008
More than 1,000 Christmas-tree farmers call the Pacific Northwest home, meaning a majority of the holiday icons are grown in the region. Why is that statistic important to Nevadans? Because chances are you’ll be buying your tree this year from one of those growers. One of the main tree producers in the region is Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association, which prides itself on distributing environmentally friendly real trees. Following is information on the types of trees you typically find in Nevada and tips for selecting them, courtesy of PNCTA.
» Great Nevada Picture Hunt 2008 great nevada picture hunt
September/October 2008
To us, Nevada Magazine’s annual photo hunt never gets old. This is the 31st time our staff fielded hundreds of submissions of photos taken in Nevada’s spectacular places. This year we’ve awarded our yearly Grand Prize, in addition to naming a second- and third-place overall winner. Our five categories remain essentially the same as they were in 2007: City Limits, Wide Open, Living (replaces Lifestyle), People, and Events.
» City Limits how mesquite it is
September/October 2008
“I so need this!” This is what four friends exclaimed in unison as we met at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport one Friday for a much-needed weekend getaway to Mesquite. We were on an adventure—cell phones turned off, emails unanswered, and office deadlines looming…but we didn’t have to worry about that until Monday. This group of girlfriends was long overdue for a short escape.
» Wide Open the rachel files
September/October 2008
If I didn’t know the famous moniker of the highway I was turning onto it would be just another change of direction like any other turn on any other highway on any other road trip. But this is different. This isn’t just Highway 375, this is the Extraterrestrial Highway. A giddy excitement falls over me as I venture down the desolate byway, the obscure promise of “Low Flying Aircraft” on a road sign pulling my attention skyward…No UFOs…Yet.
» Cravings thyme to try rosemary’s
September/October 2008
Virtually every big resort on the Las Vegas Strip can boast of a top-of-the-line gourmet restaurant run by a celebrity chef. The restaurant that has earned more awards than any other fine-dining establishment in the entertainment capital, however, is not on the Strip, but in a strip mall 10 miles from Las Vegas Boulevard. Rosemary’s Restaurant has been chosen Best Gourmet in the Las Vegas Review-Journal readers’ poll numerous times.
» Living sweet dreams
September/October 2008
Bed and breakfasts are about an experience. After you check in, you take a tour and learn about the history of the house. Later, you sit down for tea with the innkeeper and other guests. In the morning you wake to a gourmet, home-cooked meal, followed by hours of lively conversation over coffee in a tranquil garden. Guests that are used to hotel travel find that these “beds” are more than just a place to lay your head.
» Events Spotlight nevadaween
September/October 2008
Nevada’s statehood was proclaimed on October 31, 1864. Thus, Nevadans were left with a dilemma of sorts: two reasons to celebrate the 31st. A solution came when the state legislature stipulated that beginning in 2000, Nevada Day would be the last Friday in October and the capital parade would follow on Saturday.
» Shows Spotlight cher turns back time
September/October 2008
Las Vegas and Cher have both changed over the years, but neither so much that the two old friends aren’t on the same page. Subtlety was never their strong suit, understatement not an option. “Las Vegas is way over the top, and the show that I do is way over the top. I feel that it just has to be,” the ageless (but really 62-year-old) star noted in February, when she first spoke of her three-year deal to play about 200 shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
» Web Extras super off-road
September/October 2008
Speed isn’t just their middle name—it’s their first. I’m reminded of this as I’m barreling down a dirt road north of Reno in Speed Technologies’ Avenger Class 1 off-road racecar. The driver, Mark Levrett, is telling me to watch the odometer to see if we reach 90 mph. We hit 87. It’s not like I haven’t flirted with 90 before, but this isn’t the comfortable freeway driving we’re all used to. There are bumps (and jumps) in the road—sudden turns, jolts, and catapults. I’ve got a front seat on a desert roller coaster…
» Web Extras mi “vacacion” del verano
September/October 2008
Al fungir como pasante en la Comisión de Turismo de Nevada, más una experiencia de vida, un honor y un motivo para aprender y conocer que como un trabajo, pasé dos días con el editor de Nevada Magazine, Matthew B. Brown. Con un paseo comenzó todo en la pintoresca capital de Nevada, la ciudad de la plata, Carson City. Es a solo 16 km., al Oeste de la bella ciudad capital, en un punto donde el desierto se desvanece en un frondoso bosque de pinos justo antes de la frontera estatal entre Nevada y California, se encuentra el pequeño “Spooner…
» Web Extras midnight madness
September/October 2008
In its second year, Calico Racing’s Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon is one of the most unique races in Nevada—and possibly the entire country. With the aid of glow sticks, flashlights, headlamps, reflective vests and tape, and the full moon, myself and about 400 other runners and walkers took on the Extraterrestrial Highway (State Route 375) over the weekend of August 16 and 17.
