January – February 2017

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HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE

Along with outdoor stories, we’ve got some seriously fun history about five fools riding a flume in 1871. Read that story on page 22, then discover some doubt surrounding the execution of one of Virginia City’s most notorious murderers. Did he or didn’t he? Read about it on page 26. We took to the south this issue for a story on the many off-roading adventures that can be found in Pahrump (see page 40), and we went on a delicious foodie tour on The Strip that was an incredible way to sample some of the city’s best dining. Whet your appetite on page 56.

And finally, a story about accessibility in northern Nevada’s parks and trails. For readers with limited mobility, this story will hopefully entice you to visit some of our most beautiful sights confident that you will be able to enjoy them without limits. Check out page 72.

Issue Cover January – February 2017

What’s Inside

Five Fools On A Flume

A bonehead challenge in Nevada's 'wooden wonder' BY BOB SAGAN That ancient adage—a fool and his money are soon parted— might have found its purest form of expression in a little-known incident that occurred in 1875 Nevada, had it not been for a hefty dose of dumb luck. The incident in question was triggered by the curiosity of an East Coast ... read more

A Mysterious Murder On The Comstock

VIRGINIA CITY - A MYSTERIOUS MURDER ON THE COMSTOCK Unanswered questions loom after the murder of a notorious prostitute. BY ROBIN FLINCHUM It’s been 150 years since that dreadful January morning when Mary Jane Minieri left her little cottage on Virginia City’s D Street and stepped carefully through the mud to her friend and neighbor Jul ... read more

Nevada State Parks, Part 1

The National Park Service was established in 1916 as a means to preserve natural and cultural resources so they could be enjoyed for generations to come. Just 100 years later, America’s more than 10,000 parks receive approximately 275 million visitors a year. Nevada’s first state park was established in 1935, and in little more than six decades, we’ve created 23 distinct parks—from a historic schoolhouse to prehistoric rock formations, glacial lakes to charcoal ovens. Whether the adventure is watersports, hiking, camping, or a history lesson, Nevada has it all. ... read more

Pahrump: An Off-Road Destination

Ride Into The Wild New Yonder Pahrump's myriad trails are making a name with OHV enthusiasts BY VERN HEE Climb on an ATV and ride east from Pahrump, and within 30 minutes of the southern town, the desert quickly falls behind as you undulate through mountain trails, checking out the wild horses, deer, or some of the many petroglyphs found in th ... read more

Nevada Photo Tours

The bacon wave at Valley of Fire State Park. A sunset at Lake Tahoe’s Bonsai rock. The International Car Forest of the Last Church in Goldfield. Iconic images are everywhere in Nevada, but capturing them in photos can be tricky. Taking a photo tour with a professional photographer can bring it all into focus. This year, we’ll highlight some of the photographers offering tours and workshops across Nevada. If you take a tour or workshop, let them know you read about them in Nevada Magazine, and get ready to take some amazing photos of your own. ... read more

Lip Smacking Foodie Tours

 A VIP SAMPLING OF THE BEST DISHES LAS VEGAS HAS TO OFFER. BY MEGG MUELLER Adventures of every flavor exist in Las Vegas, but when flavor is the adventure, you’ve got a tasty new ball game. Luckily, Las Vegas has someone who not only knows the game, he’s mastered the rules, knows all the players, and with his Lip Smacking Foodie Tours ... read more

Ancient Nevada, Part 1: Water

If you were to stand on the shore of Pyramid Lake and gaze across seemingly endless miles of beautiful blue water, it would be hard to imagine that it could get any larger. But the northern Nevada lake was once part of a much larger body of water that dwarfed modern ones in size. ... read more

Trails For All

NO LIMITS NEVADA’S OUTDOOR SPLENDOR CAN BE ENJOYED BY EVERYONE, EVEN THOSE WITH LIMITED MOBILITY. BY BRETT FISHER There was a time when I thought much of Nevada was beyond my reach. Experiencing spastic muscles in my legs and reduced mobility, I was diagnosed with Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS), an upper motor neuron disease affecting musc ... read more

Bringing Books To Life

STORY BY RACHAEL AND DEBBIE LAMBIN PHOTOS BY KIPPY S. SPILKER My mom, Debbie Lambin, and I created “My Thousand Words,” a series of book sculptures. Each book sculpture tells a story of its origin, from the name of the book to an idea that becomes inspiration for the sculpture. That idea is incorporated into and from the pages. Both of ... read more

A Bullish Bout you'd Barely Believe

In the 19th century, fights that pitted bears and bulls were a popular spectator sport. The strangest venue for such an event occurred in 1871 in Virginia City. The fight, held inside Piper’s Opera House, was the only such event ever held indoors. ... read more

John Ascuaga

For 60 years, John Ascuaga could often be seen walking the casino floor of his namesake hotel-casino in Sparks. John Ascuaga’s Nugget became an anchor of the city, and one of its most fervent supporters. Our Carrie Roussel recently spoke to Mr. Ascuaga. JOHN ASCUAGA Question: Where were you born? Where do you live now? John Ascuaga: I was bo ... read more

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