Ten September Activities, Community Events at the CVI, Bakery Topples Blog Writers, Much More

Sunset at the Charlie Daniels Band Concert Courtesy of Brian Aspenleiter

A September Top Ten! September is the ideal time to stay at the CVI and enjoy our area's recreation and adventure. Here are just a few of our suggestions:

• Go Soaring at Minden-Tahoe Airport (775-782-9595)
• Experience Skydiving (on your bucket list?) at Minden-Tahoe Airport (775-790-7602)
• Marvel at The Fall Colors in Hope Valley on Hwy 88
• Take A Hike on one of the many Carson Valley Trails (775-782-8145)
• View Lake Tahoe from above with a Hot Air Balloon Ride (775-790-7572)
• Take a Walking Tour of Minden's Historic District (775-782-8145)
• Stroll thru Nevada's oldest settlement with a Walking Tour of Genoa (775-782-8145)
• Take home one of the top three cash prizes in the CVI Monthly Blackjack Tournament this coming Tuesday, Sep. 9
• Sip Wine & Visit Local Shops at the Thirsty Third Thursday Wine Walk on Sep. 18 (775-782-8027)
• Feast on a Fantastic Dinner in CV Steak! 

Our Community Comes Together at the CVI! Our Valley Ballroom is in the spotlight this fall with many of our community's most prestigious organizations holding annual events. As always, one of the benefits of holding these events at the Carson Valley Inn is the assistance we often lend in getting the word out (space available, of course). Some of the upcoming events (all numbers are area code 775): Sierra Nevada Republican Women 911 Dinner on Friday Sep. 12, an official NV Sesquicentennial event (Nancy, 267-6937), Friends of the NRA Dinner on Sat., Sep., 13 (Blayne, 450-2349), Douglas County Republican Women Dinner & Fashion Show on Sat., Sep. 27 (Janet, 267-2991),  Business Council of Douglas County Critical Issues Conference on Thu., Sep. 25 (Renea, 782-6715), Bunko for Breast Cancer on Sat. Oct. 11 (Pamela, 215-1027),  D.A.W.G. Celebrity DAWG Pound Dinner & Comedy Show on Sat., Oct. 18 (Allison, 267-7325) and A Touch of Class Show on Oct. 23 – 25 (Sue, 265-1097).  To book your next event, convention, reception, meeting or reunion at the CVI, call Carrie at 775-783-6673.

Please Don't Forget these Two Events Coming This Month:

Garrett Felling at Nevada
Boxing Hall of Fame
Induction Last Month

• The Collegiate and Amateur Boxing in TJ's Corral on September 13 presents a great opportunity to see some National Collegiate Boxing Association Champions in action including Nevada boxer Garrett Felling who won the NCBA boxing title last spring at 185 pounds and Jacob Berggren who captured the NCBA 139-pound championship title over Nevada's JJ Mariano. You'll also get a chance to meet the Nevada Boxing coaches and many Nevada Boxing alumni, a caring brotherhood of now successful businessmen who continue to keep the sport alive and well. Tickets are just $10 and are available online.
• Nevada Coach Brian Polian's Visit is less than three weeks away so plan now to attend his Nevada Wolf Pack Blitz buffet lunch here at the CVI on Monday, September 22. 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 Friday, September 19.

CVI Bakers 2, CVI Blog Writers 0:

• They Threw a Cupcake at Me! Last week we mentioned a great deal for September: 50% off
  
  when paying with points in Katie's on Tuesday's from 2 – 10 p.m. We also mentioned that on Mondays in September, when you earn 125 points that day, you can just swing by the casino kiosk and swipe your card for a Free Omelet  or Free $6.99 Platter that same day. About an hour after last week's blog went live, a couple of the bakers showed up in the Blog Office and pelted us with cupcakes. Good thing for us the cupcakes are always fresh and thus the damage was more embarrassment than the "ouch" which would come from a stale cupcake. The reason for the onslaught? We forgot to mention that every Monday in September all bakery items at the Katie's counter are 50% off when paying with points!
• And Then They Attacked Our Waistlines!  A day later, a frequent CVI Guest Reggie Gold asked an innocent question on our Facebook Page inquiring about what flavor of pies we would have that weekend. Foolishly, one of us went down to the bakery to ask. A half hour later we had been sweet-talked into tasting all of the weekend's offerings and the result?? Not even a dent could be made with 50 minutes on the treadmill that night!
• Bottom Line: Our bakery operates seven days a week making the cakes, pies, cupcakes, cookies, brownies and other goodies served in our restaurants and sold at the bakery display at the entrance to Katie's. Order is advance for birthdays, anniversaries, office or home open houses or receptions, holidays, or any special occasion. The heavy volume of sales assures freshness and, as we found out, if you try to eat a whole room full of this stuff (way past the "moderation" level) by yourself, it will require a few extra minutes on the treadmill . . .but it's worth it!!

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

• NFL Football Starts This Weekend and we're all set with Parlay Cards, our Progressive Pro Pick'em where you pick the NFL games without a point spread, beer specials during all NFL Games including Bud & Bud Light draft beer for just $2 and $1 off all other Anheuser-Busch draft beers, Monday Night Football drawings and more!
• We are in touch weekly with the folks at Amador Stage Lines as they work out the details for Scheduled Bus Service between Reno Airport and Carson Valley. Their web site should be coming soon with rates, schedules and a more definitive starting date.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret: Jonathan "JB" Barton appears tonight, Steppen Stonz entertains Thursday – Saturday, NFL Football fills the Cabaret Sunday and Monday nights and  Dale Poune takes the stage Tuesday and Wednesday.
• This Week's Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak is Grilled Game Brochette with marinated Buffalo and Antelope, Venison and Alligator Sausage finished with a red wine demi and 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!
• Ladies' Night –Tonight! Each of tonight's Hot Seat winners will receive a Gift Basket from
  
  The Blue Cow - a relatively new Gourmet Food Shop in The Record Courier center offering custom gift baskets and a wide array of food goodies and gifts for every foodie and cheese lover in your life. Oh, and the first 150 ladies to check in tonight will receive a lucky stone paperweight. If you are a local merchant interested in getting involved in our Ladies' Night promotion, please contact Stephanie at 775-783-7711. We are always looking for a few hot seat prizes and 150 of something – every week!
• Speaking of Gift Baskets: We saw the list of some of the Gift Baskets that will be auction prizes at the Bunko for Breast Cancer event in our Valley Ballroom on Saturday, October 11.Those dedicated ladies at GE are VERY creative!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You . . .

. . . for making the Charlie Daniels Band Concert a sell out and an overwhelming success.  At the top of today's blog is just one of the hundreds of stunning photos taken that night as the sun set in spectacular fashion over the Sierra Range. Thanks to Brian Aspenleiter of Minden Grill Company for sending us this one!

. . . for supporting the recent Austinpalooza which raised $7,435 for Austin's House. Left to right in the picture: Derek McReavy, Julie Keller and Chad Cox (all GE); Conrad Buedel, Austin's House; Bill Henderson and Stew Stewart (Carson Valley Inn).

Get In Touch With Us: 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!

Football Returns, Chris Young Video, Half Off Tuesdays, Another Throw Back Thirty Picture

Football Season is Here!  Yesterday the season's first Parlay Card came out at the

Sports Book and it's all College this week with 41 games from which to choose. Starting next Thursday, the NFL returns and we're ready with: 

• Our Progressive Pro Pick'em offers a special $5 parlay card each week with all the NFL games and you pick winners without a point spread. Pick 'em all and win a minimum of $2,500 (ties split)!
• During all NFL Games, Bud & Bud Light draft beer is just $2 and all other Anheuser-Busch draft beers are $1 off.
• Monday Night Football drawings are held for items such as NFL hats, CVI shirts, Budweiser merchandise and other prizes.
• Also every Monday: two guests will be drawn to qualify for the Super Bowl Ultimate Tail Gate Package including two tickets to any Raider's home game in 2015, a BBQ grill, a $100 meat gift certificate to Costco, a Bud Light Easy-Up canopy, a couple of cases of Bud beer and assorted Bud Light T-shirts, hats and promotional items. 

When Aw Naw is Ah Yes! Whether you were there or not, this video of the Chris Young concert really gives the feel for what it's like attending a young country artist's concert at TJ's Corral! Thanks to all who made this concert a sell-out!  And thanks also for making this Friday's Charlie Daniels Band Concert another sell-out 'cause Minden's Gonna Do It Again with this Long Haired Country Boy!

More on Coach Polian's Visit: We now have more details on Nevada Wolf Pack Coach Brian Polian's visit to the Carson Valley Inn for a Blitz buffet lunch on Monday, September 22. The doors open at 11:30 a.m. and the program begins at noon. Coach's candor, insight and humor was quite entertaining last year and we encourage all football enthusiasts to enjoy his presentation and jump in with questions. 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 Friday, September 19.

More Throwback Thirty: So we cheated a little last week with the picture of the CVI from a little less than 30 years ago. We'll go the other way this time and use a picture (above) from late 1983 shortly after groundbreaking. Using the Comments section below, can you tell us the approximate vantage point from which this picture was taken? Do you know what ever became of the structures on the left behind the construction equipment? And how about the small light green house in the background center . . . does anyone remember what two incidents happened the week before it met its demise?

Ya Just Had to Be There! Like the Flying Elvi, Giant Sand Castle and Splash Dogs that helped us celebrate our Birthday in recent Augusts past, the LivFast crew featuring X-Games Gold Medalist Lance Courey didn't disappoint last Sunday. Many aerial jumps, stunts, oohs and aahas plus over a dozen birthday cakes, cases of champagne, a thousand free anniversary tee shirts, the Blues Monsters, piles of free popcorn (wind + popcorn = mess), hundreds of free ice cream sandwiches, families and a zillion kids enjoying it all – what a day and night!

Run That By Me Again!? Our September casino promotions start next week, but here's a peak ahead. We'll start with the part that has even the Blog Department amazed. Inn Club members earn 5X Points on Saturdays and then get 50% off when paying with points in Katie's on Tuesday's from 2 to10 p.m. We're confident our Casino Marketing and Accounting folks checked in advance to make sure this makes financial sense, but it sounds to us writers as if this is a "don't miss" opportunity to dine in Katie's on Tuesdays for "pennies on the dollar!" Add in that CVI points have 5 times the value of the place just down the street (yep, we checked it out ourselves on the video reels and that's the majority of our slot play) and the multiplier effect becomes so high we can't even see it! Here's another one that has us non-numbers-types scratching our heads: On Mondays in September, when you earn 125 points that day, you just swing by the casino kiosk and swipe your card for a Free Omelet or Free $6.99 Platter (we have 6 of 'em on the menu) that same day. Plus, you keep the 125 points!

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

• A reminder that the '65 Mustang Coup will be given away this Saturday at Bodines Casino. The drawings are at 5 & 7 p.m.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret: Greg Austin appears tonight, Stew Stewart entertains Thursday – Sunday and Jonathan "JB" Barton takes the stage Monday thru Wednesday.
• This Week's Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak is Mesquite Smoked Buffalo Prime Rib, a 10 oz. carving of American Bison Prime Rib, seasoned with a rock salt mixture of herbs, cold smoked and slow roasted to retain juices. Served with creamed horseradish, tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $32.00!
• Ladies' Night Gifts & Prizes: Each of tonight's Hot Seat winners will receive a Gift Basket from World Market . . . and the first 150 ladies will receive clip-on book lights. Next Wednesday night there will be more stuff from The Blue Cow (Blue Cow? We'll explain next Wednesday).
• Coming next Wednesday's blog: A September Top Ten Recreational & Adventure Activities in our area and an update on the scheduled bus service between Carson Valley and Reno Airport.

Get In Touch With Us: 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!

Reno Airport Shuttle Coming, A Message from Charlie Daniels, Exhibition Boxing in September, Skydiving and More

Lots of interesting information and news this week, thanks for reading!

Charlie Daniels Offers These Remarks: If you are one of the 1300+ people with tickets to the sold-out Charlie Daniels Band Concert on Friday, August 29, the message from Charlie in the video above is for you!

Our Carson Valley Inn 30^th Birthday Celebration this Sunday features Blues, Brews & Motocross plus much more! Outside, the free high-flying motocross aerial stunt shows are at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. next to TJ's Corral. We'll have free activities for kids plus free popcorn and free ice cream for kids of all ages. There's also free entertainment in TJ's Corral from 6:30 to 8:30 with the Blues Monsters. Inside the Carson Valley Inn we're serving free cake and champagne from 2 to 3 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. We'll also be giving away free birthday t-shirts at random times while they last. INN Club members earn triple points from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and drawings for up to $5,000 will happen at 3, 4, 9 & 10 p.m.

Boxing in TJ's Corral on September 13: Collegiate and Amateur Boxing is "on the card" in TJ's Corral on Saturday, September 13^th starting at 4 p.m. The Collegiate bouts feature boxers from the Air Force Academy, University of Nevada, University of Washington and University of California, Berkeley. There will also be a few amateur bouts and all the usual fanfare that surrounds boxing events. Tickets are on sale now – just $10 for the whole card!

Scheduled Bus Service between Reno Airport and Carson Valley:  Great news for locals and visitors to our area . . . it looks like the long-anticipated Scheduled Bus Service between the Reno Airport and Carson Valley may finally be in place by this November if all goes well. We have been working with Amador Stage Lines for over 2 years as they have weaved through the process of obtaining a grant that will enable them to get this service started. At this point, they are looking at four scheduled round-trips every day (yes, 7 days a week) with the times based on the inbound and outbound flight patterns. Local stops will definitely include the Carson Valley Inn and the new Community Center. Amador Stage Lines also runs the South Tahoe Express which connects the Stateline area with Reno Airport. We've known these folks for 30 years and they don't do something unless they can do it right! They promised to keep us informed and we'll provide updates on start date, costs, schedules, etc. as we get the information.

Throwback Thirty: Our  version of Throwback Thursdays is Throwback Thirty - some pictures from 30ish years ago when the CVI was first born. The picture on the left was actually taken slightly  after 1984, but it shows the hotel and casino entrance (check-in was originally at the casino entrance on the main level) as it was when the CVI first opened. We had 150 slots and 99 rooms at the start . . . what a story since then!

Carson Valley Inn Goes International! Two dozen Rotary Youth Exchange students from around the Northern NV/CA Rotary District gathered at the Carson Valley Inn this past weekend for their start-of-year orientation session. Countries from all over the world were represented by these students who will be staying with host families until next summer. Our Thanks to Rotarian Jon Greene who posed the group and took this picture at our hotel entrance on Saturday.

How Would You Look in this '65 Mustang Coup? Darn good we'll bet! Someone will have the chance to find out because our sister property Bodines Casino is giving this car away soon. Bodines players are earning entries every time they play this month and Qualifying Drawings are every Friday and Saturday with the car giveaway on Saturday, August 30. Stop by Bodines on your next trip to Costco and check it out!

Jump? Are You Out of Your Mind?! If you are not of the "Why jump out of a perfectly functional airplane" persuasion, then this is for you! Another exciting outdoor activity is joining the plentiful list of Carson Valley area recreational opportunities: Skydiving!! Based at one of the finest General Aviation Airports in the west, Skydive Lake Tahoe opens for business this month at Minden-Tahoe Airport, just 5 minutes from the Carson Valley Inn. And if the song "Jump" popped into your mind when you read this (bet it just did now) hopefully it was the Van Halen version - the only single the group released in their career to reach number one in the U.S. Will you "jump?" 

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

• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret: Johnny Smokes appears tonight, Atomika entertains Thursday - Saturday, Dale Poune is in on Sunday & Monday and Greg Austin takes the stage Tuesday & Wednesday.
• This Week's Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak is Seared and Braised Antelope with Cranberry Port Glaze and Smoked 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!
• How Much is in Your Piggy Bank? You'll have to let us know after Ladies' Night tonight. Each of tonight's Hot Seat winners will receive a Piggy Bank pre-loaded with a surprise amount of cash.
• An Super Bowl Ultimate Tail Gate Package is just one of the many reasons to watch, win and enjoy during the 2014 football season at the Carson Valley Inn and Bodines Casino. Watch for all the details in next week's blog posting on Wednesday, September 27.
• Would You Fit in at the CVI? We posted some new job openings recently and again invite you to consider joining the CVI Team. You couldn't ask for a nicer property – with a great benefits program to boot!

Get In Touch With Us: 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!