Winter 2023

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For this issue, we visited a new Uncommon Overnighter in Eureka, and a new Sagebrush Saloon. What both these places have in common is that they are not new locations, but new to our travels. We dive into a bit of Silver State history with a look at museums that are frozen in time and some seriously historical eateries in Carson City, and we have a look at the town of Goldfield, 100 years after a devastating fire nearly razed Nevada’s last boomtown. The cool thing about Nevada history is that it is still so available today. Goldfield, for example, is an incredible town begging to be explored. Elko—which has a rich history of its own—is included in this issue, and we share all kinds of reasons to visit Nevada’s biggest little town. For our winter lovers out there, we have some great trails just waiting for the crunch of your snowshoes. And if winter isn’t your favorite season, we invite you to read all about taking a warm winter state-cation in southern Nevada.
Issue Cover Winter 2023

What’s Inside

Rural Wranglers: Elko

Founded in 1868, Elko began life as a station on the Union Pacific line. Thanks to its prime location near the railroad and the Humboldt River, the northeastern Nevada town became a busy community surrounded by a sprawl of farms and ranches. ... read more

Frozen in Time

Everyone knows that museums are filled with exhibits, but what does it look like when the building itself is the exhibit? If you’re looking to do a bit of time travel, we’ve got a few locations around the Silver State to recommend.  ... read more

Shop Local: Holiday Gift Guide

Great gift inspiration awaits at Nevada’s small businesses. We’ve chosen a few favorites, and include a link for not only their contact information, but more great places to get that Silver State swag! ... read more

Walk It Out

I tried to love skiing. I grew up in the mountains and signed up for the cheap ski lessons through my junior high, but I couldn’t get into it. I tried it again in my early ‘20s, thinking maybe my personality had magically changed in the ensuing years, but it’s just not my sport. Still, I couldn’t spend an entire season indoors.  Enter my first pair of snowshoes, a birthday gift I received during my first winter in Nevada. Now, 10 years—and hundreds of stomps—later, I am still using the same gear. Every time I head out, it costs me exactly zero dollars (unless you count gas and the rare occasion I pay for a cross-country course). The zero dollars is not my favorite thing about snowshoeing, but it’s a pretty awesome perk. Another bonus? Snowshoeing has almost no learning curve. If you can walk, you can snowshoe, and the cardio workout is no joke. ... read more

Snowshoe Thompson

Imagine climbing countless flights of stairs for three consecutive days with little rest and a 90-pound pack on your back. That was essentially the level of rigor Carson Valley legend John A. Thompson—better known to history as “Snowshoe” Thompson—endured on each of his 90-mile expeditions over the Sierra Nevada Mountains for nearly 20 years.   ... read more

Neon to Nature

Let’s be real: Las Vegas has so much to do it could be your annual destination and you’d still never see it all. We have no argument with that, but sometimes you might find yourself itching for something a little less neon and a little more natural. Luckily, you can have it all with this three-part road trip that will have you exploring world-famous Hoover Dam, outdoor playgrounds like Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire, exciting attractions, and charming towns—and still get you back in time for your dinner reservation.   ... read more

The Glory of Goldfield

On a fine spring day in the year 1900, a rancher named Jim Butler was wandering the remote hills of south-central Nevada—looking for a stray burro, as the story goes—when he came across an outcrop of black-banded rock. Ever the hobbyist prospector, Butler picked off a few samples and headed back to civilization to get them evaluated. The assayer was shocked to discover that the black bands were pure argentite. Jim Butler had discovered one of history’s richest silver deposits. ... read more

2023 Great Nevada Picture Hunt Results

The Great Nevada Picture Hunt is our annual contest dedicated to finding the photos that best represent the Silver State’s people, places, and landscapes. This year, thousands of phenomenal shots were sent in across eight categories. Suffice it to say, judgment was not easy! But the results are finally in, so without further ado, check out this year’s esteemed winners. ... read more

Uncommon Overnighter: Stone Church Lodge

Have you heard the good news? Eureka has a new Uncommon Overnighter and it’s a revelation. The Stone Church Lodge is housed in an old Methodist church built in 1881 using native stone. The building served as a church until 1900, housed a few revivals in the 1920s, then sat vacant, praying for a comeback. In the 1980s, a master craftsman turned a portion of the building into a living space complete with ornate and intricate woodwork.   ... read more

Dinner With a Side of History

Combine a tour of the city’s historic buildings with some of its hippest restaurants and watering holes. These establishments often boast up to a century (or more) of civic pride, but their menus keep it fresh, innovative, and mouthwatering! ... read more

Winter State-cation

Winter’s icy temps are welcomed by those who dream of bluebird powder days and snowshoe hikes through Nevada’s backcountry. There are, however, a number of people who long for the warmth of the sun and dream of tropical locales. That wish can fade when faced with the cost of an island getaway but take heart: southern Nevada offers a solution. ... read more

Winter Sun Fun

Few people picture T-shirts and shorts when planning their winter adventure. In southern Nevada, however, that’s the perfect wardrobe. From November through February the daytime temperatures are rarely below 60 degrees, and the great outdoors beg to be enjoyed before the return of summer’s blast-furnace temps. That said, both Big Bend of the Colorado and Spring Mountain Ranch are packed with plenty of reasons to visit any time of year.  ... read more

Small Towns, Big Culture

Discover art across Nevada’s rural communities. ST. MARY’S ART CENTER Virginia City Perched above a backdrop of rolling foothills, St. Mary’s Art Center looks like it was once some Comstock silver baron’s mansion. But this stately structure has much humbler roots: It was Virginia City’s first hospital. Built in 1875, the facility ope ... read more

Yesterday: Was Garden of Eden Located in Nevada?

In 1924, a group of scientists and reporters announced that Yerington was the cradle of civilization! This story first appeared in our August 1993 issue. BY HARRY A. CHALEKIAN On August 17,1924, readers of the “San Francisco Examiner” received the shocking news with their Sunday morning coffee: The cradle of civilization had been ... read more

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