November – December 2017

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HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE

We’re ending the year on a high note and in a big way. Our feature this issue is about rural airports across the state, and what it takes to travel at altitude. You’ll find that story on page 70. If that’s not big enough for you, check out our story on the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, which is the second largest refuge in the country and sits just outside the neon of Las Vegas; read about it on page 62.

We’ve also got a tasty and nostalgic look at Basque restaurants that bisect the state. Three friends recreate a trip they did 20 years ago, and you can follow along on page 36. If nostalgia is your thing, you’re going to love our look at the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, where the bells and whistles are still alive. That story is on page 28. Our art director went to Winnemucca’s Shooting the West Symposium this year, and her look at this annual photography event will have you reaching for your camera. Read her story on page 22.

Issue Cover November – December 2017

What’s Inside

Shooting Holes in a Theory

Annual photography event leaves our art director with a different view. STORY & PHOTOS BY KIPPY S. SPILKER Famed gallery owner Tibor de Nagy once wrote, “As a rule, artists are difficult—to say the least. Their emotions are more intense. Their egos are either enormous, or just the opposite, but they are never well balanced. Artists love ... read more

Pinball Hall Of Fame

Pinball Hall Of Fame Museum of arcade games supplies all the bells and whistles for a trip back in time. STORY & PHOTOS BY J. TYGE O’DONNELL Two miles east of the Las Vegas Strip, there’s a place one can hear the clink of coins along with the bells and whistles of machines eager for play. These sweet-sounding chimes and buzzers ... read more

Basque Roadtrip, Revisited

Annual Basque pilgrimage brings food, fun, and friends together for tasty trek. BY STEVE BASS, LARRY ERREA, AND MARK MESKE Twenty years ago our intrepid group began what has become an annual pilgrimage to the National Basque Festival in Elko. Along the way the intent was, and still is, to sample as many Basque meals and to taste the unique ... read more

Ancient Nevada: Part VI - Geology

Ancient Nevada - Geology Sixth of six-part series explores the geology of the Great  Basin. BY ERIC CACHINERO A fire raged some 15 million years ago that still glows to this day. Though the embers are now cool enough to hold in your hands, the colors are as bright as ever. During the time when it was lit, northwestern Nevada was a bubbling c ... read more

Nevada State Parks, Part 6

One year and 26 state parks later, the journey through our state parks is complete. Not intentionally, but perhaps appropriately, we began with Clark County and we end with Washoe, Douglas, and Carson counties. From south to north, east to west, the exploration of our historical and recreational parks has, I hope, been interesting and enticing. I know I learned more about our state parks than I could have imagined, and despite being thwarted by one park (I’m looking at you, Beaver Dam), I would happily do this adventure every year. ... read more

A Rugged Sense of Open Space

Picture a uniquely diverse landscape spread out across 1.6 million acres. There’s little water, few defined trails, and even fewer roads, but so much to explore. It’s as close as 25 miles from Downtown Las Vegas, yet seemingly far away from the city lights and crowds. If you want to experience “a rugged sense of open space,” the Desert National Wildlife Refuge may be for you. ... read more

Maintaining Altitude

General aviation in rural Nevada often faces a turbulent future BY MEGG MUELLER Nevada is the land of wide-open space. Miles of highway, endless valleys, and vistas are the stuff road trippers dream about. Some travelers to the Silver State, however, don’t need any roads. Certain intrepid sightseers prefer to do their traveling with a lit ... read more

Yesterday: Exotics

The Nevada Fish and Game Commission Introduces Game Birds From India By DAVE MATHIS This story originally appeared in the January/February 1962  issue of Nevada Highways and Parks. When he came to work as an upland game biologist for the Nevada Fish and Game Commission in 1952, Glen Christensen had no idea that he would one day be living ha ... read more

A Literary Guide to Las Vegas

By MEGAN EDWARDS The word “literary” does not often turn up as a modifier for Las Vegas. The only books to be found in Sin City are sports books, and literacy is not a requirement for excelling at blackjack, playing the slots, or even holding down a job. Because everybody is a dealer, a showgirl, or a monosyllabic gangster, right? We all kn ... read more

Notable Nevadan: Suni Chabrow

Suni Chabrow has taken a cruel twist of fate and turned it into something sweet for others. Her son, Specialist Douglas. J. Green was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Our Carrie Roussel recently talked with Suni about how she turned personal tragedy into a successful business and non-profit foundation that touches the lives of Nevadans serving their ... read more

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