Carson Valley Inn: August 2014

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

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!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

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!

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Lee Rocker's Big Bass, Quarterback Club Returns, HI-Flying Motorcycles, A Point Well Taken, More

Concert and Events Notes

My What A Big Bass You Have!! And that big bass belongs to Lee Rocker, founder of the Stray Cats! Lee and his rockabilly band are the featured act at the Austinpalooza to benefit Austin’s House this Saturday in TJ's Corral and all ticket sales go directly to Austin's House. Buy your tickets on line in advance or at the gate and catch five bands with in-and-out convenience from 2 to 10 p.m.
What about the High-Flying Motorcycle Acrobatics you'll see during our 30^th Birthday Celebration on Sunday, August 24? The video above shows a similar event in Las Vegas and we know this will whet your appetite for the Free event in our parking lot. Also on tap a week from Sunday: Free entertainment with the Blues Monsters in TJ's Corral plus free games for the kids and more.
The Charlie Daniels Band Concert on Friday, August 29 is totally Sold Out – Thank You for making this concert a big success so far in advance!

Hey, It's Me on the Sign! Donna was playing "my machine" (one of our Quick Hit Platinum Slots in her case) when the bells and whistles started going off. She knew she had won something and thought she had 8 "Quick Picks" which would have been about a $3,000 payout. Even thought the Jackpot light was flashing she still counted the Quick Picks three times and came up with 9 each time – just what it took to trigger the top jackpot of $13,647. Donna told us she had won a few $1,000 jackpots before on the Quick Hit Platinum and had been joking to friends about hitting the Big Jackpot. Well, she did! Per Donna, "I am extremely excited that when I was driving through the Valley it was MY name that was up on the big sign!"

Getting to the Point! Points – seems every casino talks about the benefits of earning points. We have an impressive list of ways you can redeem your points here at the Carson Valley Inn: free play; dining in CV Steak, Katie's or Job's Perk; accommodations in our hotel, motor lodge or RV park; gas, diesel or merchandise at the Carson Valley Market; cakes and pies at the Katie's Bakery Counter . . . and more.

But here's another point of view on earning points at the CVI: There are many benefits you can realize without actually using or redeeming your points. In other words, you get the benefits and You Keep the Points! There are dozens of examples over the last few months – here are just a few:

Every one of our concerts (Valley Ballroom and TJ's Corral) has seats reserved for INN Club players who receive invitations based on recent points earned. No points are "charged" for these concert tickets.
A variety of special buffets are held each year for INN Club players who received invitations based on recent points earned. No points are "charged" for these feasts.
Themed parties (Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby, etc) are held each year for INN Club players who receive invitations based on recent points earned. No points are "charged" for these feasts.
Just about every month we have one or more days when we giveaway tee shirts,sweatshirts, mugs, hats or something - just for earning a minimum number of points that day. You get the item and You Keep the Points!
Many of our promotions have giveaway drawings each week and you accumulate drawing entries based on points earned . . . but no points are "charged" for these giveaways.
A monthly mailer is sent to INN Club members based on recent points earned. These mailers have a variety of offers such as food credits, overnight stays, free play and more . . . and all of these offers can be redeemed with no points "charged!"

Are we suggesting you play in the casino more? No - we always encourage our guests to enjoy gaming as entertainment within your comfort level and your means. We are suggesting that whenever you play at the CVI (table games, slots and poker room) you always use your INN Club Card. The point is – your points do add up to so much more at the Carson Valley Inn.

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret: Popular soloist Steve Lord appears tonight and is then joined by some of his favorite musician friends for a special treat on Thursday. The John Dawson Band takes over the stage on Friday and Saturday – these five fun-lovin' guys entertain with a variety of modern country and classic rock. Dale Poune is in on Sunday night and Johnny Smokes entertains Monday through Wednesday. If you Johnny last time you already know this is an act well worth seeing. While carrying the label of "One Man Band," this moniker fails miserably to even begin to define the high tech and energetic live experience of a Johnny Smokes show.

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

Nevada Wolfpack Football Coach Brian Polian brings the Quarterback Club back to the CVI

for a luncheon on Monday, September 22, 2014. Coach will break down the season after the first three games and preview the upcoming week's game against San Diego State. More information will be coming soon, but mark your calendar now.
Speaking of Football: Monday Night Football will have some new twists at the CVI this year . . . watch for more information coming in a week or two.
This Week's Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak is Veal Scaloppini with Lemon and Capers - 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!
Our monthly Blackjack Tournament was last night and $1,300 in prize money went out to the top three finishers: Daphne Gaines (1st for $650), Jack Jordan(2nd for $390) and John Smith (3rd for $260). Mark your calendar for the next tournament on Tuesday evening, September 9.
Here's a great story published on motorcycling around Carson Valley, the upcoming Carson-Tahoe Moto on August 21 – 24 at the CVI and eating pie at the CVI.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

What Would Yo Do with a Sudden $50,000, Action Oriented Events, Hard Knocks, More

Inn-Side Inn-formation on Some Upcoming Events at CVI:

The Carson-Tahoe Moto on Friday - Sunday, August 22 – 24 is a gathering of motorcycle riders

and it’s a rally with an emphasis on discovering great roads—whether you prefer pavement or dirt—and meeting new people who love motorcycling. While the "Moto" is headquartered here at the CVI, it’s about getting out on the road and riding—not standing around looking at bikes. Sound like something you'd enjoy? Sign up today!
Our 30^th Birthday Celebration is Sunday, August 24 with Blues, Brews & Motocross plus much more! The day's events include activities all day in the casino plus free outdoor high-flying aerial motocross acrobatics demonstrations and free entertainment with the Blues Monsters in the evening. Plus . . . free popcorn, free ice cream and free games for the kids.
Our 30th Annual Mixed Scramble Golf Tournament is September 5 & 6 and this is the perfect event for golfers of ALL levels and abilities. The blind draw of teams makes it easy to meet new people and enjoy a round of golf without undue pressure. Check out all the details including a sign up form.
The Annual Bunko for Breast Cancer night is just two months away on Saturday, October 11 and this is one of the most un-corporate-like events that our friends at the Minden GE facility sponsor all year! Suffice it to say that earplugs are so advised that they are actually provided 'cause the noise, shouting, laughter and general merriment is . . . you'll just have to dive in and enjoy it! To sign up, volunteer, or find out what this can all possibly mean, call Pamela at 775-215- 1001. And be warned, as soon as you mention Bunko to Pamela she might start babbling – this event knocks her and the GE committee sideways every year . . . but it always raises five figures for Cancer Services in our community!
The Annual CVI Shooting Outing is February 19 – 21 and we're working on the flyer and web page now. Look for more details soon, but get it on your calendar now for two days of sporting clays, an opening night reception and an awards buffet with game and traditional fare.

Concert Notes:

Chris Young put on a great show to a sell-out crowd last Saturday and we commend this young artist and his crew for their professionalism, friendliness and cooperativeness. Keep an eye on Chris . . . he's a good one!
The Austinpalooza to benefit Austin’s House is a week from this Saturday (That's August 16) and

all ticket sales go directly to Austin's House. As a reminder, this is a full day of music running from 2 to 10 p.m. and the whole day complete with in-and-out access is just $25! The Stray Cat, Lee Rocker anchors the show and four area bands will take the stage before him including The Engineered Disaster, Seymour's Trick Bag, Bootleggers and Lavish Green. Austin's House is the only Emergency Children’s Center in Northern NV. The children who are placed at Austin's House have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect . . . and Austin's House provides care until these children are either reunited with their family or an appropriate long term placement is made. These are very sad situations but Austin's House makes it good . . . and your purchase of a $25 ticket or two will help them continue!
Somehow, we found fifty more Standing-Room-Only tickets for the Charlie Daniels Band Concert on Friday, August 29 and they went on sale last night. If you're thinking of attending, better act quickly 'cause they will certainly go fast! Remember, you really don't have to stand - bring a blanket and sit on the grass area!

What Would You Do with a Sudden $50,000? Whether the amount was $50,000 or a Million Dollars (remember Steve Martin's quick advice as to how to become a Millionaire?), we've all had that question posed to us or a least thought about it. And most of us either blurt out something definitive – from frivolous to practical to philanthropic – but soon the thought dissipates because it's all hypothetical anyway. Nancy, a local resident guest, recently faced the question for real! It went like this: Nancy was walking by the Penny Progressive and saw the jackpot was quite high so she sat down, inserted the $27 ticket she had cashed out from another machine and started playing. Soon the machine stopped working and some people came over." Turns out it was our CVI staff looking like they were going to start clapping and singing Happy Birthday like they do in some of those many restaurants. Nancy assumed there was something wrong with the machine – and there was: it stopped automatically 'cause she had just won the $50,184.00 jackpot! We caught up with Nancy a few days later and asked that stupid question that casino people, reporters and PR flacks always ask, "What was your first thought when you realized you had won?" Her answer was one word, "flabbergasted!" Of course we followed up with the equally required and trite "What are you going to do with the money?" By then, Nancy and her husband Leroy had thought it out and they choose to forgo the frivolous (at least for now) and stick with the practical (invest for the kids) and philanthropic (10% to United Methodist Church). What would you do?

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

The HBO show Hard Knocks 2014 season debut was last night and this year HBO is following the Atlanta Falcons throughout training camp and the preseason as they whittle their roster down for the season opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 7. So why is this in the CVI blog? Mike Tice is the Offensive Line Coach of the Falcons and Mike is a frequent CVI visitor, a friend of CVI owner Mike Pegram and the driving force behind the Mike Tice Charity Golf Tournament that has raised over $250,000 for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada Carson Valley Branch over the last 4 years. Viewer discretion is advised as HBO has no language filters!
In the Cabaret This Weekend: For more than ten years Escalade has been entertaining northern Nevada with a blend of R&B, jazz and pop. The group performs the best of the artists of Motown such as The Drifters, Coasters, Temptations and Four Tops plus the hits of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. Band leader Jeff Odom’s strong vocals and infectious personality make this band a local favorite.
Our monthly Blackjack Tournament is Tuesday, August 12 . . . check at the Pit for details. Pit? That's totally acceptable casino-talk for "table games area."