Merle Haggard Selling Fast, Free Chevy Sonic Saturday, Dubai World Cup, More

Free Car Saturday Night! We've been promoting it all month and now the time has come: this Saturday night we are giving away a free Chevy Sonic or a cash option in our grand prize drawings which will be held at 6 and 8 p.m. in the casino. Don't have a Golden Ticket yet for the free car drawing? Stop by this Friday for drawings at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. for more chances to win! And if you happen to be going to Bodines casino this coming weekend, don't fret – we're giving away a Chevy Sonic up there also! Special thanks to our most cooperative friends at Michael Hohl Motor Company who helped with this promotion. 

Silver Wings – One of Merle's Classics!

Tickets are selling quite briskly for the Merle Haggard Concert on Friday night, May 1. Might want to make sure you get yours before too long 'cause this one is trending towards an advance sell-out! Tickets for the Gary Allan Concert on June 4 will go on sale sometime in early to mid-April.

Sharkey's Update of Sorts: We had a great walk-through with the architect on Tuesday of this week. Some of the visions he's been explaining to us are now starting to show themselves and we're getting pretty excited about the look, feel and ambiance associated with the rebirth of Sharkey's. We'd like to share more, but things are happening so fast and furious that our visit was cut a bit short with a half kidding, half serious comment from the general contractor as he walked by us, "Grab a hammer or a paintbrush or move along!!"

Job Opportunities This Friday: Our HR folks will be at the Spring Carson Valley Career Job Opportunity Fair this Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the CVIC Hall in Minden. We're still looking for food servers for the soon-to-open Sharkey's and we have about a dozen positions open here at the Carson Valley Inn. Stop by and look us up!

Forty to Qualify for Free $2000 Poker Tournament: Players in our poker room have been moving up and down rungs on our poker ladder as we get closer to the March 31 cutoff when we determine the top 40 players to participate in the free poker tournament on April 11 with $2000 in cash prizes. The points you earn in the poker room help you climb up the ladder. And, with some of our poker room promotions providing wheel spins which can give you extra points, you never know who's going to suddenly move up on the ladder, move on to the ladder, or drop to a rung below the cutoff. The standings are posted and last we checked at least 15 people sitting below the 40 cutoff could easily move into a qualifying spot with a little more play time or one spin of the prize wheel. Come on in and check it out! (More Poker info for the ladies below)

California Chrome and Secret Circle in Dubai: This Saturday the horse racing world turns its attention 8000 miles from the Carson Valley when the world’s richest day of racing unfolds at Meydan Racecourse and the Dubai Racing Club.  Richest day? Try this: Nine races with total prize money of just short of $30 million! Mike Pegram's Secret Circle is scheduled to run in the $2 Million Dubai Golden Shaheen and Steve Coburn's 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome is slated to go in the feature event, the $10 Million Dubai World Cup.  Interested? Read on:

• We will be showing the races on the televisions in our cabaret bar.
• You can bet the two races with local connections at the Race and Sports Book at the CVI.
• The first race starts at 5 a.m. Saturday. The Golden Shaheen is not until the 6th race and the Dubai World Cup will not start until 8:00 a.m. or after, best we can figure. Anyway, we'll be open before the Golden Shaheen starts.
• For more about the richest day in racing click here.

Imagine this Phone Conversation: Think the Dubai World Cup races are an instant path to riches for winning horses from the USA? That big prize money for each race is distributed to the various finishers, it isn't winner take all. The trainers, managers, jockeys and handlers all get a piece of the winnings. The owners need to get to Dubai and back (Southwest doesn't fly there for $199 each way!), they'll need a place to stay (sure makes the CVI look like a bargain) and dining out in Dubai is . . . well, you would long for the prices in Katie's or CV Steak. Then there's this call:

• Other End: Good Morning, Federal Express, may I help you?
• You: Yes, I'd like to ship my prized thoroughbred from southern California to Dubai and back, first class of course, and can you arrange boarding for the week he is there?
• Other End: Sure, (pause) . . . that total will be $$$$ - no make that $$$$$ - including pickup and delivery and all fees.
• You: Gulp!

The August Aviation Roundup is More Than Airplanes: Don't you think this little guy had his day made when he met one of the Thunderbird pilots at the Minden-Tahoe Airport earlier this week! A memory for a lifetime. Their advance visit to Carson Valley on Monday was most productive and you can catch more in this story posted by Joey Crandall of carsonvalleytimes.com and this story posted by Shane Murphy of The Record Courier. Be sure to mark August 22 & 23 on your calendars for the 2015 Aviation Roundup!

Ladies Poker Tournament Sunday: Our monthly ladies poker tournament is this Sunday, March 29 so that we don't conflict with Easter next week. The fun starts at 3 p.m. when Sharon gives free poker lessons for all the ladies. If you've played just a little, or are somewhat nervous about participating in a tournament, stop by starting at 3 and Sharon will have you tuned up and ready to go by the time the tournament starts. Under the direction of Derek Johnson, the Ladies-Only No-limit Texas Hold'em Bounty Tourney starts at 4 p.m. with the usual friendly assistance by Dean and Roberta. We hope you can join us!

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News

• Wednesday Ladies' Night 5:30 to 8:30 PM: The first 150 ladies to sign up tonight receive the last in a series of four March Bakeware products. Also enjoy hot seat drawings for Ghirardelli Chocolate Baskets, ladies-only drink specials, a ladies-only slot tournament and more.
• Grilled Duck Breast Friday in CV Steak:  Our Friday Game Special this week is Grilled Duck Breast, a Maple Leaf Farms 9 oz. duck breast marinated with fresh herbs, grilled to medium rare-medium doneness with natural duck jus, served with tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $28.00.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge: Johnny Smokes is here tonight, Decades entertains Thursday & Friday, Stew Stewart prowls the Cabaret Lounge on Saturday night and George Pickard takes the stage Sunday through Wednesday nights.
• We Thought You Should Know: Continuing our series of bringing you interesting and unusual information: tomorrow is Make up Your Own Holiday Day and Friday is Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day (we think our entertainment manager Stew Stewart celebrates this every day -  give him a subject and he'll make up a song title on the  spot!). Have an interesting holiday you'd like to see? How about a quirky country song title? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Gary Allen Concert Announced, Sharkey's Job Fair Reminder, Pinyon Trail Dedication, More

Gary Allan Concert in JTs Corral: Country artist Gary Allan will appear in concert in TJ's Corral on Thursday, June 4! Allan has registered four #1 singles and his latest single "Hangover Tonight" is impacting radio stations across the nation. His top-10 hit "Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)" from his "Set You Free" album is in the video above. He has amassed seven gold albums so far, three of them certified platinum.  Tickets will be on sale within a few weeks.

Best of Nevada: The Carson Valley Inn is very proud to have been voted the Best Casino in the 2014 best of Nevada poll taken by Nevada Magazine last spring. We won it for the category of "everywhere in the state except Reno/Sparks or Las Vegas" as each of those areas has their own award winner. The publication just announced the opening of voting for the 2015 awards and. . . Well, we'd feel even more honored to win it two years in a row! If you're feeling inclined to give us a favorable nod, we'd also appreciate your consideration in the Best Hotel and Best Restaurant (CV Steak) categories also. Take the 2015 poll here.

Panoramic Valley Views: Sounds like the beginning of a real estate listing for a home in the foothills! Actually, we're talking about the absolutely incredible and often breathtaking views from many of the groomed trails that surround the Carson Valley, both from the Pinenut Mountains to the east and the Sierra Nevada Range to the west. Many of these views are made possible to hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians thanks to the efforts of the Carson Valley Trails Association, "a non-profit, volunteer based organization working with partners to provide access to public lands through a recreational trail system for present and future generations to enjoy."  Yet another option will be added to the list this Saturday with the dedication of the new Pinyon Trail, located east of Carson Valley and accessible off Pinenut Road.  Many of the guests staying at the Carson Valley Inn enjoy the trail systems in our area and our hotel desk staff has maps to help make it easy to get to the trailheads. We encourage you to check out all of the trail maps, projects, events, photos and more available on the Carson Valley Trails Association website.

Final Four of a Different Kind: Nope, not basketball – that Final Four is still a few weeks away. However, the CV Steak Sampler Platter made the Final Four in App Wars - a poll in search of Carson Valley’s Signature Appetizer or Starter. Voting starts Monday by clicking on this link. Give us a shout out!

Sharkey's Casino Job Fair This Saturday: Just a reminder that hiring will begin for a number of positions at Sharkey's Casino during the Job Fair here at the Carson Valley Inn this Saturday, from 9 AM to 2 PM.  The action will be in the Picon Room located just inside the hotel entrance to the left. Job Positions to be filled include Slot Floor Persons, Sports Book Writers, Security, Cleaning Attendants, Cashiers, Main Bank, Cook, Host, Servers and Bartenders.

It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports: ‘Chrome’ - For Steve Coburn, California Chrome was a literal dream come true. In Errol Morris’s fifth of six shorts for ESPN Films, we meet the passionate owner of the horse who nearly became the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years!  This one is a must watch .

No Wisecracks in This One: You may have read that we had a small fire on the Katie's cooking line late Monday night. No one was hurt, the suppression system functioned exactly as designed and there was no damage. Katie's was closed for about 17 hours while we replaced sprinkler heads, cleaned up, recharged the fire suppression system and got the green light from the Health Department and Fire Department.  Our sincere thanks to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the East Fork Fire and Paramedic District who responded very quickly to the alarm. While our fire suppression system did its job in extinguishing this fire almost immediately, it's heartening to know that we live in a community where this type of support is so readily available.

Active Weekend at CVI: The Carson Valley Arts Council and the Proscenium Players, Inc. are presenting "Polter-Heist: A Hauntingly Hilarious Show!" as a fundraising murder mystery dinner theater show in our Valley Ballroom this Friday. Seems the Bogeyman Outreach Organization (BOO), a support group for ghosts, is holding its annual convention and . . . . well we're just tellin' ya 'cause there may be some unusual characters roaming the halls outside our convention center. Moving on to Saturday night, we do not anticipate there will be any wild game creatures roaming the halls when Minden Rotary hosts its annual Beast Feast fundraiser. We offer our thanks to both of these organizations for choosing the Carson Valley Inn. If you're considering a fundraiser, business meeting, social gathering or any type of large event, please contact Carrie in our Sales department at 775-783-6673.

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News

• Merle Tickets – Almost! Still working out the final details on the seating chart with our online ticketing service . . . should have tickets on sale very soon for the Merle Haggard Concert on Friday, May 1 in TJ's Corral.
• Wednesday Ladies' Night 5:30 to 8:30 PM: The first 150 ladies to sign up tonight receive the third in a series four March Bakeware products. Also enjoy hot seat drawings for Chocolate Shoppe gift baskets, ladies-only drink specials, a ladies-only slot tournament and more.
• Braised Buffalo Short Ribs This Friday in CV Steak: One and a half pounds of American Bison short ribs braised and slow-cooked, finished with natural pan sauce. Served with tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $29.00.
• St. Patrick's Day Tuesday, March 17:  INN Club members earn 5X Points from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Cash and FreePlay Giveaways will be held at noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m.; $2 Green Bud Light draft will be served at the Cabaret Bar, a traditional Bag Pipe Salute will take place at 3 and 7 p.m. and Cabaret Lounge entertainment starts at 6 p.m. on St. Patrick's Day.
• Royal Flush Progressive Bonus Hits: Richard S gathered up $3,834 last Monday when he drew a Royal Flush in Clubs – just one of the many promotions and extras in our Poker Room!
• Blackjack Tournament Pays Out $1650: Last night's monthly tournament brought $825 to Joy T. for finishing first, $495 to Blaze H. for second and $330 to Gary H. for third. The next Monthly Blackjack Tournament is Tuesday, April 14 with all the entry fees and re-buys going to the prize fund.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge: Dale Poune is here tonight, 7se7en5 makes a one-night appearance tomorrow, After Dark entertains Friday & Saturday nights, and Steve Lord takes the stage Sunday through Wednesday nights.
• We Thought You Should Know: This Friday is Open An Umbrella Indoors Day. This is important in case you see someone opening an umbrella indoors or, and this is really a stretch, in case you want to know the proper indoor umbrella procedures on this day.

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Horses, Cowboy Festival, Job Openings, More

Super Bowl Weekend Wind Down:

• $5000 Guaranteed Payout Deflated: Well, not really . . . But we just had to use the term deflated in here somewhere! Truth is that no one person will collect the $5,000 we guaranteed because three people got 13 out of the 15 proposition bets correct and they each wind up with $1,667! Only one of the three has come forward at this point. So, if you played one of the $5 Pro PK'EM Progressive Parlay Cards for the Super Bowl game and you think you might have gotten 13 out of 15, stop by the Sports Book at CVI or Bodines Casino and let us check your card as some cash could be coming your way!
• Super Bowl Conspiracy Theory Debunked: We've heard the conspiracy theories that either
  
  the NFL or NBC conspired to create that incredible fourth-quarter reception by the Seahawks followed by the almost-not-possibly-true interception two plays later by the Patriots. We decided to do our own research and found that, as has been the case for many years with many mysteries,the Butler did it in both cases! 

Horse Racing News:

• Hoppertunity and California Chrome Face Off Saturday: It was supposed to happen last year in the Kentucky Derby. Here we are nine months later and it's supposed to happen again Saturday: Two local favorites, Mike Pegram's Hoppertunity and Steve Colburn's California Chrome are both scheduled to run in the $500,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita Park this Saturday. We are rooting for a 1- 2 finish for these two great thoroughbreds with Carson Valley ties. 
• Speaking of Mike's Horses, he had two close seconds at Santa Anita last weekend with both Secret Circle and Gimme Da Lute paying the "place" amount.

A Horse of a Different Color

About a year ago the Carson Valley Visitors Authority released the first in a series of Carson Valley Rider videos - this one depicting the Carson Valley Rider visiting the Carson Valley Inn and meeting up with Elvis. Initially, this video just had a music background, now it sports a narrative telling more about the Carson Valley Inn.

Katie's New 24/7 Special is a $5.99 Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs plate. The Chicken Fried Steak is hearty, your two eggs can be any style, and we also include a biscuit and gravy – it's a generous plateful and an incredible value at just $5.99. Katie's Offers a number of specials and all the details are here.

Following up on Two "More Next Week" Mentions in Last Week's Blog:

• $1,000 Guaranteed Winner Every Friday & Saturday Night: We mentioned last week that our Friday and Saturday night drawings have taken a new twist for February. Here it is: our drawings are at 5 PM, 7 PM, and 9 PM every Friday and Saturday - that's eight nights during February and we guarantee there will be a $1000 winner each of these nights! Earn drawing tickets all month by using your Inn Club card when playing in the casino. Click here for more on all of our February Promotions.
• Poker Room $2,000 Free Roll Tournament: we mentioned some of the new February poker room promotions last week. . . We also mentioned that there is a $2000 free roll tournament coming up. Here's how it works: we'll be keeping track of all the Inn Club points that players earn in the poker room during February and March. As the month gets going, we'll start posting a leaderboard each week – we call it the Ladder – so everyone will have a chance to see where they rank as the next two months move along. The top 40 people on the "Ladder" as of March 31 will qualify for a free spot in the $2,000 Free Roll Tournament on April 11!  Be sure to check out all the Poker Room's special games and promotions.

Some Holidays and Special Events:

• Valentine's Day: Whatever we said in last week's blog must have worked – there are very few spots open in CV Steak for Valentine's Day dinner on February 14. So, if you're still thinking about it, call today at 775-783-6650. For a refresher on the specials in both CV Steak and Katie's, Click Here.
• Genoa Cowboy Festival Weekend Package:  Here we go again with another "this thing is sure to sell out so be sure to act fast" claim . . . But it is well justified. We have just one dozen Genoa Cowboy Festival Weekend Special Packages to sell at $279 plus tax for May 1 & 2. Each includes a room for two people for Friday and Saturday nights, two front-section tickets for the Friday night concert, two front-section tickets for the Saturday night concert and a $50 food credit.

Need a Job? If so, you have come to the right place! We have almost a dozen different positions open right now and the Carson Valley Inn is a pretty darn good place to work!  We offer paid time off (PTO), a free meal each shift, holiday premium pay, and . . . . well, a bunch more. If you are interested in employment at the Carson Valley, or have a friend or relative who might be, click here for more on what we offer and details for the positions that are currently open.

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News 

• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret: Steve Lord is on stage tonight, Decades returns by popular demand Thursday – Saturday nights and Paul Covarelli entertains Sunday through Wednesday nights. Our web site has our schedule of upcoming entertainment.
• $12,000 Winner Last Friday: It came down to five finalists who participated in a poker hand type showdown. The winner of the $12,000 was a very nice local lady who requested that her name not be released and that we not use her picture - we always honor these requests.  If you were here, you know who it was!
• Grilled Elk Medallions Friday in CV Steak:  Two 3 oz. elk tenderloin medallions grilled and finished with the demi and sundried cherries. Chef does not recommend cooking temps over medium. Served with tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $$29.00.
• Wednesday Ladies' Night 5:30 to 8:30 PM: Get first of four weekly skin care products tonight and also enjoy hot seat drawings and a ladies-only drink special. Earn just 50 points between 4 and 8:00 p.m. today and you qualify for our Wednesday ladies-only slot tournament!

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

You CAN Get Here From There, Super Tailgate Party, Horse of the Year, More

Congratulations to local residents Steve and Carolyn Coburn and their partner Perry Martin on California Chrome winning the Eclipse Award for 2014 Horse of the Year and also being voted 3-year-old champion. "Chrome" won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness and is the first Kentucky Derby winner to be voted Horse of the Year since Charismatic in 1999. Be sure to congratulate Steve next time you see him here at the CVI!! Speaking of horses, Mike Pegram's filly Global Hottie won the second race at Santa Anita on Sunday under jockey Victor Espinoza.

Cousin Vinny from New York: Seems like almost everyone has a cousin Vinny from New York. Perhaps his or her name isn't Vinny, but it's similar. And maybe he or she lives in "Jersey" instead of New York. You get the picture. This just may be the summer that you finally convince this east coast cousin to visit. And if he/she does, you'll definitely want the entourage to stay here at the Carson Valley Inn rather than at your home . . . ya know what I mean!!? Why this year? Because Jet Blue is starting nonstop service between Reno and New York in May. This plus some of the other new service recently added by the Reno-Tahoe International Airport could be a big help in getting our far-flung relatives and friends to finally come for a visit. RNO's webpage has an interactive map that allows you to see all the routes between the various cities around the country and Reno. Hey, check it out (imagine east coast accent)!

Tumble Weed, Jackass, Silver Spur, The Noose . . . Quick, without peeking below, guess if these terms are 1) characters or locations in a series of Spaghetti Westerns being shown by the Carson Valley Historical Society, 2) slang heard in our Poker Room for certain hands or situations, 3)  drink names, or 4) monikers for special areas of Sharkey's after it is remodeled?  We won't ask you which one you picked, and we have no idea if 1), 2) or 4) are partially or completely true, but these are definitely names for four of the many special martinis available in CV Steak. Check out the full list!

Tailgating, Drinking a Beer, Using Your Cell Phone, Loud Music . . . sound like a list of "don'ts" while driving? Well, it is - but all of these are allowed and encouraged in TJ's Corral on Saturday, January 31 from 1 to 4 p.m. at our Super Weekend Tailgate Party! We'll have cheeseburgers, hamburgers and chili bowls for sale plus beer plus soda, waters and hot chocolate, too. You can crank it up with FREE live music by The Blues Monsters and use your cell phone all you want and take selfies with former NFL players to post online. We'll also be passing out drawing tickets for merchandise prizes and the chance to win up to $2,500 post-party in the casino!

Event Reminders:

• BLM Thursday Night:  Reminder that the Bureau of Land Management is holding a meeting in our Valley Ballroom Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. to solicit comments for their Carson City District Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Click here for more information and stop by to hear hundreds of government acronyms! 
• Savor the Flavor Saturday: A few more tickets are available for this fun evening of wine, micro brews and food . . . call Jeri at 775-771-6432.
• Ski the Weekend After Super Bowl: Our  special ski weekend package for arrival on Friday, February 6 includes two nights in the hotel, a day of skiing each at Kirkwood and Heavenly, dining credits for CV Steak or Katie's, and a warm CVI Logo sweatshirt for après ski lounging! Click here for more.
• Clay Shooting in February: Our 2015 Clay Shooting Weekend  February 19 – 21 includes a Thursday reception, Friday sporting clays at Walker River Resort, Saturday sporting clays at Carson Valley Clays, and a Saturday Awards Dinner.
• Don't Get Your Wings Clipped: The Eagles and Agriculture event on February 20 – 22 is filling fast. We checked with the Chamber yesterday and they told us there is still room on the Ranch & Eagle Tour for both Saturday and Sunday and for the Falconers’ Dinner Friday night (here at the CVI), but just about all of the smaller tours and photo workshop are full. Get all the information by clicking here or call the Chamber at 775-782-8144. 

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News

• Pro PK'em - $5,000 Guaranteed Payout on Super Bowl: No winner again last week so we rounded the pot to $5,000 and, as promised, it must be given away on Super Sunday. Play as many $5 parlay cards as you want and whoever gets the most of the 15 propositions correct wins the $5,000 (ties split)! Check at the Sportsbook at the CVI or Bodines Casino for the details.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret: Dale Poune tonight, Vegas Road Show Thursday – Saturday night, George Pickard Sunday through Wednesday nights.
• Grilled Duck Breast Friday in CV Steak: Maple Leaf Farms 9 oz. duck breast marinated with fresh herbs, grilled to medium rare-medium doneness with natural duck jus. Served with tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $28.00.
• Wednesday Ladies' Night 5:30 to 8:30 PM: Tonight and next Wednesday we are giving away a collectible mug to the first 150 ladies who sign up. We also have ladies-only drink specials, a ladies-only slot tournament, hot seat prizes and more.
• Winter Weekend Winner: Congratulations to Yvette M. who won a deluxe room for two for Friday and Saturday nights, February 4 and 5 plus $100 in Dining Credit for use during her stay in any of our restaurants. Thanks to all who entered and watch for more giveaways in future blog postings.

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Snow Arrives, Valley Horses Do Well, Food Drive, New Community Center, More

Now That We Have Some Snow in the Area:  Keep doin' the dance 'cause it's working as we saw some significant snow in the Tahoe area this week and the ski resorts are opening more of their terrain every day (see proof on Heavenly web cams).  We had no doubt (OK, we had a little doubt), so the Carson Valley Inn's 2014/2015 Ski Packages are ready to book!  We also have a special Epic Pass Hotel Rate for those who have one of the 2014/2015 Epic Passes for the northern Nevada Vail Resorts properties which include Heavenly, Kirkwood and Northstar.  Also, keep an eye open for a special ski package on the weekend after the Super Bowl . . . more to come.

California Chrome Wins Big, CVI Owner Mike Pegram's Horses Also Do Well: Horse racing had quite a local tie this past weekend from California to Kentucky to New York! Mike Pegram's colt Hoppertunity, a 2014 Kentucky Derby favorite who was scratched days before the Derby with a foot bruise, roared back with a win in the Grade 1 $500,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs last Friday. On Saturday, Mike's past Breeders' Cup winner Secret Circle finished 2^nd in the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct Park in New York. Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Steve and Carolyn Colby's California Chrome won the Hollywood Derby at Delmar. And on Sunday, Midnight Hawk came in third in his race at Delmar. "Hawk" is owned by Mike in partnership with Chicago Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville, Blackhawks assistant coach Mike Kitchen, Altanta Falcons offensive line coach Mike Tice, and John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings. Oh, one more: Mike's SECRETSATMIDNIGHT won the previous Saturday, November 22 at Delmar.

It's Christmas Kickoff Weekend in the Carson Valley with plenty of visual and experiential events guaranteed to get you into the holiday spirit.

• Here at the Carson Valley Inn, Candy Cane Lane is lit up nightly through December – enter at the large electronic sign and follow the lighted arch. Inside the CVI, our Christmas decorations are all up, so be sure to check them out.
• The Dangberg Home Ranch for the Holidays Toy Exhibit runs through December 10 from 10 am to 4 pm.
• The Gardnerville Christmas Tree Lighting and Fireworks are Thursday evening at Heritage Park.
• Caroling, Tree Lighting and Santa are all on the docket Friday evening in Genoa.
• The Minden Gazebo and Tree Lighting Festivities are also Friday evening in Downtown Minden and Minden Park, just a short walk from the CVI.
• Breakfast with Santa is Saturday morning at the Genoa Town Hall
• The Douglas County Historical Society Annual Holiday Gala is midday Saturday at the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center
• The Carson Valley Chamber's Annual Parade of Lights is Saturday evening ending in Downtown Minden.

The KTVN Channel 2 Share Your Christmas Community Food Drive is coming up fast on Friday, December 12 at the RV Park entrance from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.  United Blood Services is again holding a Blood Drive from 11:30 to 5:30 at the site of the Food Drive. To schedule an appointment or find out more, click here.  And if you absolutely can't make it next Friday to donate food, you can always buy a $10 bag (or a few) at the Gardnerville Raley's – all that food winds up at the Food Drive that afternoon.  As for our KTVN On-Air crew of Adam, Chloe and Arianna . . . guess which one enjoys cooking and traveling to San Francisco, which one enjoys coaching basketball and working with animals, and which one harbors a healthy obsession with Lake Tahoe?

Hidden Mickeys Can Bring You $100 Worth of Food and Beverage in CV Steak: This is a pretty simple "contest." Mixed in among the many hundreds of Christmas decorations inside the Carson Valley Inn are 9 Mickey Mouse themed Christmas ornaments. In Disney parlance, these are called Hidden Mickeys. So how does this tie to $100 Worth of Food and Beverage in CV Steak? For every correct location you identify (shoot us an email by clicking here) before the deadline, you'll be entered once into our Hidden Mickey contest. We'll hold a drawing on December 23 and the winner will be notified by email. $100 in CV Steak goes a long way . . . So why not look around and let us know where you see our Christmas Hidden Mickeys.

Reno Shuttle Going Well: The folks at Amador Stage Lines told us that the Carson Valley Airporter scheduled shuttle service between the Carson Valley and Reno is going very well. Make you plans now to use this service if you are flying out of town for Christmas or New Years.  Also a great way for out-of-town visitors to get between the Reno Airport and Carson Valley!

New Senior and Community Center: Congratulations to Douglas County on the long-anticipated opening of the Douglas County Community and Senior Center this Saturday! The Grand Opening and Open House starts at 1:00 p.m. at the impressive new facility at 1329 Waterloo Lane in Gardnerville. A great opportunity to tour the 83,000 sq. ft. building which includes a wide variety of services and state-of-the-art amenities.

Throw Down for Best Sandwich: The carsonvalleytimes.com "Sandwich Wars" started earlier this week with four Katie's favorites on the nomination round ballot: The Big Bird, The French Dip, The Nevadan and The Monte Cristo. Still plenty of time to add more of your Katie's favorites and start voting! Need a reminder on what Katie's offers? Click here to go to the lunch and dinner menu.

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News:

• Special Poker Game Expanded: The new daytime no-limit game we covered in last week's blog quickly proved both popular and fun, so the crew in the poker room added another day and you can now jump in on this lower-risk no-limit game at 1 p.m. on both Wednesdays and Fridays! Word from the Poker Room is that the Saturday hourly High Hand Contest is also creating some extra interaction as the end of each hour closes in!
• Ladies Night New Start Time: Ladies' Night now starts at 5:30 p.m.   Tonight's Hot Seat winners will receive a valuable Yankee Candle gift basket and the first 150 ladies to check in tonight will receive a Yankee Candle Votive. To have your business featured on one of our Ladies' Nights (we do pay you for the prizes); call Stephanie at 775-783-7711.
• Jackpot Update:
• The Penny Progressive Jackpot was approaching $53,000 when we checked late yesterday afternoon . . . sure starts climbing at a faster rate when it tops $50k. As a reminder, this jackpot is all at the Carson Valley Inn, so no worries about someone hitting it elsewhere!
• The Pro PK'em Progressive is $4,096 for this weekend's NFL games. That's just about where it was when it hit for the first time last year . . . just sayin'.
• This Week's Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak is Grilled Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast served with tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $28.00!

Fire Back at Us! Have questions about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Ghastly Ghoulash, Breeder's Cup Highlight A Full Week at the CVI

Please – Not Again! If the picture at the left rings a bell, then you definitely want to catch the Late Nite Catechism  comedy/play in our Valley Ballroom on Saturday night, November 15. Tickets are available now for just $20 at our Hotel Desk or call 775-783-6629.  Click Here for all the details! And you definitely want to think twice about sitting in the front row or chewing gum!

The annual KTVN Channel 2 Share Your Christmas Community Food Drive returns to the Carson Valley Inn on Friday, December 12 at the RV Park entrance from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.  KTVN's Adam Varahachaikol, Arianna Bennett, and Chloe Beardsley (l-r in the picture) will anchor the day's activities from our location and we'll have music, Santa arriving by Care Flight helicopter and plenty of fun! Please plan on stopping by and doing your part to make sure the Carson Valley Community Food Closet is well stocked to serve our community in the coming year! 

This Week at the Carson Valley Inn:

• Wednesday, 10-29: Giants and Royals in Game 7 of the World Series and all the action will
  
  be on the TVs in our Cabaret Lounge, Casino, CV Steak Bar and Poker Room - Go Giants!! Tonight's Ladies Night Hot Seat winners will receive a Gift Basket from The Chocolate Shoppe and the first 150 ladies to check in tonight will receive a Chocolate Cake Pop with our logo!  To have your business featured on one of our Ladies' Nights (we do pay you for the prizes); call Stephanie at 775-783-7711.
• Thursday, 10-30: The Grand Prize Drawings in our October Giveaways Promotion are at 6 & 8 p.m. and we'll be throwing out a bunch of cash and FreePlay!
• Friday, 10-31 (Boo!): Our employees are welcome to wear Halloween costumes to work for our annual Employee Halloween Costume Contest. We'll have a day shift and swing shift "best costume" contest with cash prizes. So, if you see someone you'd like to campaign for, simply bribe the judges: Eileen Knox & Pat Stirling (lavish jewelry or compliment their shoes) for day shift and Phil Dohrn & Demont Pegram (a new 4-wheeler should do it) on swing shift.   This Week's Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak is Ghastly Ghoulash, a very hearty stew with alligator, venison and rabbit sausages, vegetables and pumpkin potato croquettes . . . Served with  tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $26.00! And just to make sure you don’t get spooked on Friday, you'll earn 5X points all day so be sure to use your Inn Club card!
• Saturday, 11-1: Our November Promotions start and we have 4X Points today . . . Mike's
  
  horse Secret Circle defends his Breeders Cup Sprint crown at Santa Anita and the big local pull is for California Chrome in the Breeders’ Cup Classic! Join us as we root on "Chrome" and look forward to seeing owners Steve & Carolyn Coburn, frequent guests at the Carson Valley Inn, in the Winner's Circle! We'll be giving away Free “California Chrome” t-shirts in the casino on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. and continuing while they last.
• Sunday, 11-2:  Start the day with a supposed extra hour of sleep by turning your clocks back an hour at 2:00 a.m. Ever consider that an hour later it's 2 a.m. again  and – well just turn 'em back the first time it's 2 a.m.  In the afternoon, catch the 49er Game in the casino (1:05 p.m. vs. the Rams) and then swing by Katie's for "The Chandler" Southern Fried Chicken dinner – our long-running Sunday special that includes mashed potatoes, gravy, coleslaw and a biscuit all for $5.99. 
• Monday, 11-3: Nevada Football Coach Brian Polian will be in our Valley Ballroom for a
  
  Blitz Buffet Lunch and all area Wolf Pack fans are invited to attend! The doors open at 11:30 a.m. and the program begins at noon. The cost is $17 per person and advance reservations are a must through the University of Nevada Athletic Department. Please call 775-682-6901 by Thursday, October 30!
• Tuesday 11-4: If you haven't voted early, vote today!
• Wednesday, 11-5: Be sure to check next week's blog for information on our Christmas Kickoff Weekend Hotel Package for December 4 – 6 and an update on the soon-to-start Carson Valley Airporter scheduled shuttle service between the Carson Valley Inn and the Reno Airport. 

November Events to Put on Your Calendar:

• The Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce Gala (775-782-8144) on Saturday, November 8 is an example of one of many awards or formal events that happen in our ballroom each year.
• Our  4th Annual CVI Veteran's Day's Spaghetti Feed the following Tuesday, November 11 is another in a list of events produced by the Carson Valley Inn for our customers and casino players - and many area companies hold similar events for their clients. 
• The Late Nite Catechism comedy show/play (775-783-6629) on Saturday, November 15 shows the versatility of the Valley Ballroom for performances whether they be drama, comedy, theater or product announcements.
• The Annual Economic Outlook (775-782-8144) on November 19 is co-sponsored by three organizations that use our convention center facilities on a regular basis: the Northern Nevada Development Authority, the Business Council of Douglas County and the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce.
• Interested in having your holiday, social or business event at the Carson Valley Inn? Contact Carrie at 775-783-6673. She'll help you look like a hero! 

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News:

• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret: The Henhouse Prowlers appear tonight, Just Us takes the stage Thursday – Saturday nights, NFL Football has the spotlight Sunday and Monday nights and the Paul Covarelli entertains Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Jackpot Update: The Penny Progressive Jackpot was over $36,500 when we checked last night and the Pro PK'em Progressive is $3,578 for this weekend's NFL games.
• Give us Your Two Cents: Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Triple Crown? and Bull Riding Saturday plus Eddie Money Can Mean Big Money for Boys & Girls Club

History to Be Made This Saturday? We'll know by 4 p.m. Saturday if California Chrome has become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. Meanwhile, it's been a whirlwind for the colt's owners Steve and Carolyn Colburn who are also Douglas Country residents and CVI customers. What's the anticipation and edginess like during the three weeks between the Preakness and Belmont for someone whose horse has won the first two legs of the Triple Crown? Turns out Carson Valley Inn owner Mike Pegram knows the feeling well and the "story" was captured by Reno Gazette Journal sports reporter Chris Murray. Here's a link to his article as picked up by USA Today earlier this week!

As for Mike and his horses this weekend at Belmont Park: Doctor Dempsey is entered to run in the 7^th race Thursday, Shakin it Up is listed as probable for the $1.25 million Metropolitan Mile on Saturday and Mike will be at Belmont cheering on California Chrome as will hundreds of us doing the same in the CVI cabaret lounge and casino. Post time is listed at 3:52 p.m. PDT and  we are giving away free California Chrome t-shirts in the casino and cabaret lounge while they last on Saturday before the Belmont Stakes.

And After the Belmont, Joins Us for Bull Riding! Good grief, we're not asking you to actually ride a bull . . . but rather to join us at Fuji Park behind Bodines Casino in Carson City for the Bodines Bull Riding Smackdown! It's an evening of two-dozen plus snorting bulls, plenty of brave and anxious bull riders and an encouraging crowd cheering 'em all on! Gates open 5:30 p.m. and the bull riding starts at 7:00 p.m.  There's plenty of free parking, food and beverages will be available and tickets can be grabbed for $10 in advance at Bodines Casino Guest Services or the Carson Valley Inn Hotel Desk. Tickets are $12 at the gate and children under 12 are just $5 at the gate.

Dustin Lynch – See Him in Nashville this Week or CVI Next Week! If you were at the CMA Fest in Nashville this week, you'd have two chances to catch Dustin Lynch: Thursday on the Chevy Riverfront Stage or Saturday on the CMA Close Up Stage. But, we'll bet the 99% of our blog readers will not be in Nashville this week – so, come see him in concert next Friday, June 13 in TJ's Corral here at the Carson Valley Inn! Dustin even recorded a "selfie" inviting everyone to the CVI concert. Check it out on our Facebook page.

"All Proceeds" – with no Asterisk!: We've been flacking about how "all proceeds" or "all revenues" from the Eddie Money Concert ticket sales go to the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada, Carson Valley Branch. In this case, there is no small print and no asterisk with a list of exclusions.  The concept is simple: The Carson Valley Inn is paying all costs associated with Eddie Money's appearance including his fee (not small), the rooms and other amenities for Eddie and his band, the lighting, the sound and the myriad of "extra requirements" that entertainers always have. The tickets are $60 each – which includes two drinks - and all $60 goes to the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada, Carson Valley Branch.

Putting This in Perspective (we all need a frame of reference): For the last few years the major B & G Club fundraiser for the Carson Valley Branch was held in a big hangar at Minden-Tahoe Airport and last year a $75 ticket gave you a nice BBQ buffet and a comedian. Plus, buying raffle tickets was a must (how much ya got in yer wallet there, mista?!). So $60 for this year is actually not bad for an evening of entertainment with Eddie Money and a couple of cocktails in a venue perfect for comfortable concert viewing while mingling  the great people who make this one of the best places to live in the country! Oh, and of course there is the built-in bonus of a quick glance to your right for another spectacular Carson Valley sunset over the majestic Sierra Range!

But Wait, There's More! The auction prior to the concert has some top-notch items that don't come our way very often (probably an understatement) including a VIP Trip for 2 to the 2015 Academy Of Country Music Awards in the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, a VIP Trip for 2 to Del Mar Race Track, a VIP Trip for 2 to an Atlanta Falcons game as a guest of Coach Mike Tice and the right to name one of Mike Pegram's future race horses. Don't worry, this auction will not "drag on" – we promise. All proceeds from this auction also go to the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada, Carson Valley Branch.

Bottom Line: If we all get out and support the concert, and the auction items bring anywhere near their value, the total raised could hit six figures – that's as in $100,000+! So, Eddie Money can mean Big Money for the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada, Carson Valley Branch! For sponsorship packages that also include spots in the Mike Tice Charity Golf Tournament the next day, call Jeri at 775-771-6432. To buy concert tickets online, click here.

Be sure to keep tabs on all of our upcoming concerts and we hope to see you often at TJ's Corral!

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge this Week: Steve Lord performs tonight, Midnight Express appears Thursday through Saturday and George Pickard takes the stage Sunday day through next Wednesday.

We'd Like to Hear from You! Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department. We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!