Super Weekend, Valentine's Weekend and More at the Carson Valley Inn

In this week's blog we have information about our Spring Stag Golf Outing, this Saturday's Tailgate Party, Super Sunday happenings, February promotions, Fridays Game-On special, Valentine's Day, and two of our owner's horses running this week.

Spring Stag Golf Outing: All the information on our Spring Stag Golf Outing is now up on our web site. This traditional season-kickoff guy's golf weekend includes a Thursday optional practice round and evening reception, golf on Friday and Saturday at the two Genoa Lakes courses, a Saturday-night banquet with an abundance of raffle prizes, a tee prize package for every participant and more.  This is our 30^th go at this event and anyone who has attended in the past will tell you it's a golf getaway you won't want to miss!

 Mike's Horses: As of post time for this blog (pun – get it!), two of CVI Owner Mike Pegram's horses are running this week. Hoppertunity runs in the 6^th race at Santa Anita on Thursday and Secret Circle (a Preakness Stakes winner last November) is scheduled in Sunday's Palos Verdes race at Santa Anita. Remember, with horse racing, it's never for sure until the starting gates open!

Saturday Tailgate Party: We don't get a chance to use our outdoor Valley Sky Theatre much this time of year but we're cranking it up this Saturday for a Tailgate Party – all part of our Super Weekend festivities.  The fun runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday with food and drink specials, a chance to meet former NFL players, free live entertainment with After Dark and drawings – both outside during the party and in the casino at 4:30 p.m.

$5,000 Guaranteed Pay Out on $5 Parlay Card This Sunday: If you've been following our blog you know the "why," so we'll just remind you of the "what" and "how." We have $5,000 cash to give away this Sunday to the winner of our $5 Super Sunday Parlay.  There are 15 bets on the card including picking the winner and proposition bets. Whoever picks the most correctly out of 15 wins the $5,000 (ties split)! Play as many $5 cards as you like - entries are accepted until 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 2 during any hours the Sports and Race Book is open at the Carson Valley Inn or Bodines Casino. Complete contest details are available at the Inn's Sports and Race Book.

Lots of Places to Watch Sunday's Game: It'll be hard not to catch the big game action and all the associated commercials on Sunday with the HD big screen in the Cabaret Lounge and over 35 more HDTV flats screens in the Cabaret and casino bar area, table games area, CV Steak bar and poker room. Stop by and enjoy our $2 jumbo draft beer specials and don't forget our served-at-your-seat Bar Bites Snacks!

February Promotions Start in a Few Days: Our Cupid's Cash and Freeplay Giveways and other February promotions kickoff this Saturday. Lot's going on, as always!

Valentine's Day Dining and Special Weekend Package: Less than three weeks to go until Valentine's Day – falls on a Friday this year so we added an attractive 2-night Hotel Package! 

First let's cover dinner: Both CV Steak and Katie's are offering their regular menu plus specials on Valentine's Day. PLEASE . . . if you are planning dinner in CV Steak on Valentine's Day – and we hope you are – make your reservations NOW by calling 775-783-6650.  Our Valentine's Weekend Hotel Package (it's also President's Day weekend) offers accommodations for two nights with arrival on Friday or Saturday, a dining credit and more.

This Friday's Game Dinner Special: Our Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak this Friday is Wild Boar Tenderloin Medallions with a bourbon honey au jus and spiced grapes. As with all CV Steak entrees, the Game-On Friday special also includes tableside-tossed salad and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato.

Lots More Coming Up: We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday!

Have questions or comments about the Carson Valley Inn? Send us an email using info at carsonvalleyinn dot com.  Please also feel free to call us at 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator. He or she will get you to the correct person or department!

This Week's News from the Carson Valley Inn

A Wild Game Special in CV Steak, the Annual Senior Health Fair, a $5,000 Super Sunday Jackpot, our upcoming Bridal Fair, new ownership at the Genoa Lakes golf courses and more are covered below in this week's Carson Valley Inn blog posting.

Senior Health Fair Today: There's a big Senior Health Fair in our Valley Ballroom today from 8 a.m. to noon and admission is free! The event is actually open to anyone of any age and it’s the "15th Annual" sponsored by The Douglas County Senior Center. Over 30 vendors will be on hand including home health services, medical providers, County offices, community health nurse, social services, assisted living facilities, senior volunteer organizations and more.  Certain types of blood work will be available for a low cost. It's a great assembly of information all in one convenient location so come on by if you are in the area.

Game Dinner Special: Our Game-On Fridays in CV Steak features a different "game" oriented dinner special each Friday. This week (Friday, January 24) CV Steak is offering a Wild Game Mix Grill for $29. This hearty plate includes Rabbit sausage and marinated tenderloins of both Buffalo and Elk with Cabernet Demi-Glace plus fresh vegetable. As with all CV Steak entrees, the Game-On Friday special also includes tableside-tossed salad and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato.

More Horse Racing News: Carson Valley Inn owner Mike Pegram had three horses run at Santa Anita Park this past weekend. In the $200,000 Stru Stakes for four year olds on Saturday, it was a one-two finish for Mike as Shakin It Up finished first and Govenor Charlie second. On Sunday, Fiftyshadesofhay finished fourth in the La Canada Stakes. One of the other horses broke sharply inward leaving the starting gate, interfering with Fiftyshadesofhay and forcing jockey Mike Smith to check sharply out of the gate.

Bridal Fair Coming Up: The next Carson Valley Inn Bridal Fair is Sunday, February 23 from 2 to 5 p.m. in our Valley Ballroom and admission is free! Produced in conjunction with "The Entertainer," the event features wedding vendors, free wedding related seminars, free refreshments, prize drawings and a special "man cave" for the grooms and fathers to hang out and enjoy a cocktail while watching an NBA game. All the details are on our web site (click here) or call Carrie at 775-783-6673.

$5,000 Guaranteed Pay Out on $5 Parlay Card Super Sunday: Our Progressive Pro Pick'em jackpot didn't hit on January 19 so we rounded it up to $5,000 and it must be given away on Super Sunday! There are 15 bets on the card including picking the winner and those always-fun proposition bets. This one is simple: whoever picks the most correct wins the $5,000 (ties split)! Play as many $5 cards as you like - entries are accepted until 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 2 during any hours the Sports and Race Book is open at the Carson Valley Inn or Bodines Casino. Complete contest details are available at the Inn's Sports and Race Book.

For the Thousand of Golfers Who Stay with Us Each Year: Yesterday, the Genoa Lakes Properties including both the Lakes and Resort Courses were acquired by the Genoa Golf Group IV, LLC. Both courses will undergo improvements under the new ownership and Lou Eiguren is staying on as General Manager.

Lots More Coming Up: We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting next Wednesday for information on our Spring Stag Golf Weekend in April and a very special Mother's Day Weekend Hotel Package in May.

Have questions or comments about the Carson Valley Inn? Send us an email using info at carsonvalleyinn dot com.  Please also feel free to call us at 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator. He or she will get you to the correct person or department!

Parking Horses at the Carson Valley Inn?

Midnight Hawk

What do a Pro Football Coach, NHL Hockey Coach and a Casino Owner have in common? We'll get to that . . . and also talk about valet parking a horse, Two Tickets to Paradise, tickets to The Flamingos, our Monthly Blackjack Tournament winners and a few other things this week!

Monthly Blackjack Tournament: Last night was the 2^nd Tuesday of the month and that meant our monthly blackjack tournament!  Richard L. finished first for $725.00, Jack J. won $435.00 for 2^nd place and Bev. T captured the 3^rd place prize of $290.00. Our next tournament is Tuesday, February 11 and all it takes is a $25 entry fee!

About the Pro Football Coach, NHL Hockey Coach and Casino Owner: As some of you know, Carson Valley Inn owner Mike Pegram is also very active in Thoroughbred horse racing. We are often asked when his horses are running and how they are doing.  The "when they will be running" part is tricky as decisions are often made and changed based on many factors. The "how they are doing" part is a little easier as it involves reporting after the fact.

Two of CVI owner Mike Pegram's horses ran last weekend. Ridden by Hall-of-Fame Jockey and recent CVI guest Mike Smith, 3-year-old colt Midnight Hawk finished first in the $100,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park and accumulated qualification points towards the Kentucky Derby in May (much still needs to fall into place before the Derby!). Mike's partners in Midnight Hawk include friends Joel Quenneville, coach of the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks and former Minnesota Vikings head coach and frequent CVI guest Mike Tice who just took the job as the Atlanta Falcons offensive line coach. Later last Saturday at Santa Anita, 5-year-old Drill finished 3rd in the San Pasqual Stakes. Check our upcoming blogs for more on when Mike's horses will be running and how they did.

Eddie Money and More in the Valley Sky Theatre:  We're starting to pin down the first few events and concerts for the outdoor Valley Sky Theatre so watch our web site soon for information about Eddie Money ("Two Tickets to Paradise") on Saturday, June 21, Michael Martin Murphey ("Wildfire") and his band on Thursday, May 1 and the Carson Valley Sertoma Chili Cook-off and Craft Fair on April 26 & 27.

Did Someone Really Valet Parking a Horse at CVI Last Friday?  Actually, yes! The Carson Valley Visitors Authority was working on the Carson Valley Rider video campaign and Terrie (she's the face of the Visitor's Authority's campaign) did  ride up to the hotel entrance on a horse, get greeted by Elvis and get handed a valet ticket by Mark Breeden, our Bell/Valet Supervisor, who wound up with the reins! We'll let you know when the CVI segment of the video is used in an on-line or advertising message.

About our Progressive Pro Pick'em contest:  It didn't hit last Sunday so we have another $5 parlay card this week for a $4,480 jackpot.  Pick all 15 props and the pot is yours (ties split).  If it isn't won this Sunday it MUST be paid to whoever hits the most picks on Super Bowl Weekend. Entries are accepted until 8 a.m. Sunday during any hours the Sports and Race Book is open at the Carson Valley Inn or Bodines Casino. Complete contest details are available at the Inn's Sports and Race Book.

Flamingos Concert This Friday: Just a reminder that the Flamingos Concert is this Friday, January 17. Tickets are just $22 at the Hotel Front Desk.

Have questions or comments about the Carson Valley Inn? Send us an email using info at carsonvalleyinn dot com.  Please also feel free to call us at 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator. He or she will get you to the correct person or department!

Is Elvis Still Alive? We Know Someone Who Knows!

We are in the heart of  Elvis Week here at the Carson Valley Inn, so today's posting has some interesting Elvis related tidbits, info on how you can win two free tickets to the Flamingo's Concert on January 17 or a free ski weekend on January 24 and 25 and some insight into the Pro Pick'em leftover jackpot . . .

Is Elvis Still Alive? This is actually the most common question asked of Dave Hebler, a former Elvis bodyguard who will be part of the Elvis Week festivities in the Cabaret Lounge this Wednesday through Saturday. Dave's primary responsibility was the personal safety of Elvis at home as well as at recording sessions, personal appearances, concert tours and various recreational activities. Dave also taught Elvis martial arts and, with two other Elvis bodyguards, was one of the three collaborators on the book Elvis What Happened?  Over the years, Dave has fielded literally thousands of Elvis questions with the most common being - Is Elvis Still Alive? No questions are off limits for Dave who has first-hand Elvis insights known by only a very few!  He also shares some interesting and often funny stories about Elvis that you may not have heard before. Dave had some truly great times and outrageous experiences with the man who was not only the greatest entertainer who ever lived but, per Dave, one of the best persons as well.

Backed by the CVI band, Brian Andrews performs as Elvis Wednesday through Saturday in the Cabaret Lounge twice each night with Dave's Q &A sessions in-between.  A jam session featuring fifties and sixties music and plenty of Elvis tunes wraps up each night. Be sure to check out all the Elvis Week activities on our web site.

Here's the straight scoop on the Progressive Pro Pick'em contest: We had one winner during the regular season, the pot is back up to $4,360 and we have to (MUST is a better way to say it) give away the progressive jackpot by Super Bowl weekend at the latest. The special $5 parlay card has 15 picks for the four NFL games this Saturday and Sunday. We are really trying to make it easy – picks include Winners, First Half Winners (first half ties win both ways), First Score type (touchdown or field goal) and Over/Unders (we made 'em even numbers so if the score lands on that number, both bets win). Play as many cards as you want for just $5 each . . . pick 'em all and win the jackpot (ties split)! If the Progressive doesn't hit this weekend, the pot increases based on the number of bets this week and we'll put it out again next week for the Conference Championships. Entries are accepted until 8 a.m. Sunday during any hours the Sports and Race Book is open at the Carson Valley Inn or Bodines Casino. Complete contest details are available at the Inn's Sports and Race Book.

About winning the two free Flamingo's Concert Tickets or a Free Ski Weekend: Keep an eye on our Facebook page this week as we'll be posting a couple of free-to-enter contests. One is for a Free Ski Weekend on January 24 & 25 and the other is for a pair of tickets to the Flamingos Concert on Friday, January 17. It's a pretty simple "like, share or comment to enter" process, so don't miss out. 

Have questions or comments about the Carson Valley Inn? Send us an email using info at carsonvalleyinn dot com.  Please also feel free to call us at 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator. He or she will get you to the correct person or department!

News and Views from the Carson Valley Inn

Happy New Year! The Carson Valley Inn Blog is up and running! We'll be making regular postings to relate what's going on at the Carson Valley Inn and, when possible, we'll share some behind-the-scenes information about the CVI. Today, a few musings about Elvis, flights to warm climates, income taxes, outdoor entertainment (no, not now – in the summer!), our Pro Pick'em jackpot and skiing . . .

In this blog posting, you'll see certain words become underlined when you hover over them – these can be clicked upon to take you directly to the appropriate page on our web site.

Our January Promotions, January Katie's Dinner Specials and information on our 2014 Elvis Week are all on our web site.  The Cash and Getaways promotion will have plenty of winners and you might as well be one (or more) of 'em! A Southwest Airlines flight to somewhere warm would certainly be welcomed by most folks this time of year . . . and there's also a cruise and freeplay and cash!  We have a new twist to Elvis Week this year with one of Elvis' former bodyguards and his martial arts instructor (same guy!) on hand to answer questions about "The King."  Dave Hebler is his name and we'll give you a little more about him in next week's blog posting.

A common question we get this time of year has to do with a obtaining a gaming win/loss statement from the CVI for tax preparation purposes (yep – it's just about that time again!).  We have a pretty simple procedure and details are on the form you can obtain by clicking here. This brings up a good point: We suggest you always use your INN Club card when playing in the casino at the Carson Valley Inn. Using your card is the only way we can capture what you'll need for that all-important win/loss report.

Our Entertainment Manager, Stew Stewart, has been working on concerts for our new outdoor Valley Sky Theatre and we will be announcing some of these concerts soon. The information will be on the Valley Sky Theatre web page so check back often. Speaking of entertainment, The McBride Brothers are performing in our Cabaret Lounge nightly through Saturday and they won't start Saturday until after the evening NFL Playoff game. As a reminder, all CVI Cabaret Lounge entertainment is presented with no cover charge and no drink minimum . . . it's just plain FREE!

If you happen to be a skier, why not take advantage of one of our attractive hotel ski packages!  Already have one of those incredible Epic Passes that get you on to the local Vail Resorts trio of Heavenly, Kirkwood and Northstar? We can still help you out with special room rates for Epic Pass Holders.

Our Progressive Pro Pick'em wound up the regular NFL season with a Jackpot of $4,266 not-yet-won. It's someone's to win, so our Race and Sports Book Manager Walt Matson is carrying it over into the NFL Playoffs!  Walt and his crew came up with a $5 parlay card with 15 picks for the first round of the NFL Playoffs this weekend: There are Winners, First Half Winners (remember, ties count on both sides), Point Totals, First Score type, etc. Play as many cards as you want . . . pick 'em all and win the jackpot! Oh, if more than one person wins, the pot is split! If the Progressive doesn't hit this weekend, the pot increases based on the number of bets this week and we'll put it out again next week. Entries are accepted until 8 a.m. Sunday during any hours the Sports and Race Book is open. 

Have a question or comment about the Carson Valley Inn? Send us an email using info at carsonvalleyinn dot com.  Please also feel free to call us at 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automatic voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator. He or she will get you to the correct person or department!

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