Traveling Nevada

Nevada Day Visit to the Dangberg Home Ranch

Joyce Hollister — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:04:36 GMT

Evening gowns dating from the 1900s to the 1930s look ready to wear in front of the Dangberg Home Ranch living room fireplace. Photo by Joyce HollisterElegant evening clothes conjured ghosts of the past at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park’s annual observance of Nevada Day. Beaded silk and sequined dresses were displayed on stands in the living room as if the Dangberg ladies had returned for a party, and a volunteer played classical pieces on the 1916 grand piano.

Rangers and volunteers had readied the house for public viewing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They brought out some of the thousands of artifacts found there, a veritable treasure trove of the 19th and 20th centuries as lived by prosperous Carson Valley ranchers. Now a state historic park, for decades the house had been ravaged by time and weather, not to mention squirrels, raccoons and owls…

Nevada State Railroad Museum Celebrates the Western Pacific Railroad’s Centennial

Bethany Drysdale — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:45:09 GMT

The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City will host a presentation commemorating the centennial of the Western Pacific Railroad in Nevada on Nov. 9.

Discover a winter wonderland at Sam’s Town

Bethany Drysdale — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:01:50 GMT

Mystic Falls Park, a Western pioneer world inside Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, will be transformed into a fantasy winter wonderland experience Nov. 26 through Jan. 2.

Nevada Magazine goes green

Matthew B. Brown — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:16:17 GMT

Nevada Magazine’s November/December 2009 issue covers the future of green energy in Nevada, as well as the green building and living trends in the Silver State.

Nevada Day Salutes Lincoln

Bethany Drysdale — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:00:28 GMT

Every year state offices and schools close to celebrate Nevada Day with a major parade in the capital, festivals, fairs, contests, tours, food and fun. This year’s parade theme tips a hat to President Abraham Lincoln, who granted Nevada its statehood. Lincoln was born in 1809, so this year marks the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Carson Valley’s ‘Haunted Weekend’ creates Halloween mood

Bethany Drysdale — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:18:47 GMT

Ghost hunters, history buffs and fun-seekers: conquer your fears, pack your Ouija Board and tarot cards and be irresistibly drawn to Carson Valley for “Haunted Weekend”, Oct. 22-25, to experience ghosts on the streets and in the cemeteries.

Carson City’s annual Ghost Walk ‘sees’ dead people

Bethany Drysdale — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:14:40 GMT

Friendly ghosts will lead tours along the historic Kit Carson Trail Oct. 24, offering views and lore of the city’s haunted Victorian homes and buildings during Carson City’s 17th Annual Ghost Walk.
Ghosts of Carson City’s past will lead guests through the eerie lives and untold lore of local legends, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Oct. 24
“We Know Dead People” is this year’s theme for one of the capital’s most popular events that traditionally falls on the weekend before Halloween and the Nevada Day celebration. This year, visitors can take part in re-enacting the 1873 funeral of Abraham Curry, one of Carson City’s founding fathers.

Costumed guides will escort participants on two different one-mile 90-minute walking tours along Carson City’s historic downtown Kit Carson Trail. The “Overtaker” and “Undertaker” paths will take guests through the preparations for Curry’s funeral. On the day of his burial, the entire city was closed, including the Mint, and nearly every resident attended. Curry purchased 1,000 acres with business partners to start the town of Carson City and also donated 10 acres for the Capitol grounds.

Tour highlights include reenactments by members of the Bruka Theatre and Nevada Gunfighters and visits to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, the Bliss Mansion and the Edwards Home.

Tours start at 10 a.m. and depart every 30 minutes until 3 p.m. from the Firkin & Fox Pub at 310 S. Carson St. Tickets are $20 for adults; $10 for kids 6-12 and free for kids under 6. For advance tickets, visit www.activitytickets.com or call 1-800-NEVADA-1. For special room discounts visit: www.sweetnevadadeals.com

For more Carson City tourism information, contact the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau at 775-687-7410 or 1-800-Nevada-1, or visit www.visitcarsoncity.com

Cowboy Up! Tickets on sale for National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Bethany Drysdale — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:31:06 GMT

Annual music festival in Elko celebrates ranching, cowboy life
Cowboy Poet Sourdough Slim
Tickets to the 26th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko go on sale to the public Oct. 8, and they’re available online at www.westernfolklife.org, or call toll-free to 888-880-5885. But don’t wait, because as the thousands of cowboy poetry fans know, tickets to the shows can sell fast! The gathering Jan. 23-30, 2010, also includes how-to workshops, art and western gift, crafts and jewelry exhibits and much more.

Most of the shows are staged the last four days, Jan. 27-30 at the Elko Convention Center, Western Folklife Center and Great Basin College. The event draws ranchers, cowboys and people who like the music, storytelling and celebrating the heart of the American West — and anywhere else in the world where cowboys ride.

Every gathering has a special theme, and this year’s will pay tribute to ranching roots of the Deep South, featuring performances by Seminole and “Cracker” cowboys from Florida and “swamp” cowboys from Louisiana. Guests include poets, storytellers, cooks, Creole zydeco musicians, crafts people and Seminole Indian cowboys, and of course, many of the gathering’s favorite cowboy poets who perform every year. For more information, visit www.westernfolklife.org.

Another Sweet Weekend in Genoa

Joyce Hollister — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:07:06 GMT

Genoa was crammed with happy shoppers at this year’s Candy Dance fair. Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.There were big dogs and little dogs. I saw a brown Great Dane at one end of town and a tiny black and white chihuahua at the other, even though a sign on a telephone pole said No Dogs. The pets were well-behaved and obviously having fun.

The human visitors were, too. It was Genoa’s 89th annual Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Fair, and the streets were packed. Parking was located about a half mile from the fair, but that didn’t matter: You could catch a ride on a tractor-driven trolley or an air-conditioned bus for the short ride into the center of Genoa.

We walked to the festivities from our home about a mile north of town. Cars were parked on both sides of Jacks Valley Road for over a mile. As we headed in, people streamed out carrying bags and pushing carts with their booty. Happy shoppers toted fanciful metal yard ornaments, framed artwork and photographs, home decorations, and, of course, candy…

Vintage Jailhouse Lives Again

Bethany Drysdale — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:52:33 GMT

Law enforcement memorabilia displays evolution of U.S. police work

Cells that once housed criminals in an 1876 jail now showcase one of the nation’s finest U.S. law enforcement memorabilia collections at the Silver State Peace Officers Museum in Virginia City.

Instead of being torn down, the musty cells, unused for years at the old Storey County Jail, were transformed into inviting displays of early law enforcement officers’ guns, badges, batons, uniforms, restraint devices, vintage police cars, photographs and much more. There’s even a hollow baton that housed a flask for a few nips on the job, when such perks were permitted.

Enough of the “real” jail was preserved to let visitors glimpse what it was like to be locked behind bars. There’s also an interactive Kids Station with flashing police lights and other playful equipment to amuse the youngest visitors.

The museum, which opened in July 2009, is inside the Storey County Court House at 26 South B Street, one block west of Virginia City’s main street, C Street. Summer hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and winter hours begin Nov. 1. Check times at www.SilverStatePeaceOfficersMuseum.org or call 775-847-7800.

Virginia City, once the hub of Nevada’s rags-to-riches gold and silver mining days, is the state’s largest and best-known historic mining town and a popular visitor destination. Stroll down the wooden sidewalks and browse the shops for gifts, clothing, jewelry and souvenirs, refresh yourself at one of the 19th century saloons and check out the mine tours and museums. Another new attraction is the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, which now runs 13 miles to Carson City. www.visitvirginiacitynv.com