A Gift Idea, A Thank You, Holiday with a Hero, More in CVI Blog

Part of the CVI Family's Christmas Look

The Christmas trees, fireplace and other decorations in our hotel lobby make a great backdrop for a family holiday picture.  Since “a picture is worth 1000 words,” we’ve shown pictures of part of our family to demonstrate how it’s done. We hope to see you and your family here over the holidays and feel free to take as many pictures as you’d like in front of this setting or any of our Christmas decorations!

A Practical, Flexible & Versatile Gift Idea

Have local family or friends who might enjoy a nice dinner in CV Steak? Or how about out-of-town family or friends you’d like to have visit but just don’t have room for them in your home? Those are just two of the many situations that make CVI Gift Cards so useful and versatile! 

Let’s go over the full list starting with the dining options: Katie's Country Kitchen, CV Steak and Job's Perk at the Carson Valley Inn; the restaurant at Bodines Casino; the Jackpot Cafe at Sharkey's Casino and Betsy's Big Kitchen in SlotWorld.  Gift cards are usable at all of the bars at all four of our properties and for accommodations in the Carson Valley Inn Hotel, Motor Lodge or RV Resort. Cards can also be used to purchase merchandise in Jobs Perk or gas/merchandise at the Carson Valley Market (redeem inside).  And when the summer season comes around, they can also be used towards tickets for concerts in TJ’s Corral. 

Gift cards may be purchased at the Hotel Front Desk at the Carson Valley Inn or at the Guest Services counter at Bodines Casino, Sharkey's Casino and SlotWorld Casino. To buy them by phone, please call the CVI Hotel Desk at 775-783-6606 – we’ll even arrange to mail them if you wish.  Our Gift Cards do not expire, they may be used in increments and they are easily reloaded.  Sound good? Then solve your Christmas gift dilemma with a CVI gift card available in increments up to $500!

Share Your Christmas Food A Success!

What an incredible outpouring of support from the community last Friday at the 26^th Annual KTVN Share Your Christmas Community Food Drive! Hundreds of cars and trucks brought most of the donations. Others came by helicopter, emergency vehicle, horseback and even by foot from those living close by. Thanks to the all generous donations of food and cash, many in our community will have meals when they otherwise might’ve gone hungry during the coming year!

Holiday With a Hero

Our sister properties SlotWorld Casino and Bodines Casinos are teaming up with the Holiday With A Hero organization this Saturday by donating all restaurant sales on December 15 to this very worthy cause.  Between 8 AM and 8 PM various members of the Sheriff's Office, Fire Department and Air National Guard will be on hand to "assist" our servers at both properties as they deliver your meals. Sponsored by the Carson City School District, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and the Carson City Fire Department, the Holiday With A Hero program ensures underprivileged children in Carson City have a proper Christmas. The money raised this Saturday will be dispersed to designated and pre-qualified students as Walmart gift cards . . . and each recipient is escorted throughout the store on December 19 with a local Hero from the Carson City School District, Sheriff’s Office or Fire Department. According to Sheriff’s Sgt. Daniel Gonzales, “SlotWorld made a huge impact last year and with the addition of Bodines this year Christmas 2018 will be even bigger”.  Sgt. Gonzales also indicated, “This event helps break down any barriers that come with our job. Sometimes these kids see us in a difficult situation in their homes or neighborhoods. Holiday With A Hero allows us to let our hair down and interact with the kids on a different more personal level."

Santa Crawl

The 10th Annual Gardnerville Santa Crawl is Saturday, December 22 from 7 to 10 PM and wristbands are available now for $10.00 at Battle Born Wine or DST Coffee. We suggest getting yours in advance so you can jump right in and enjoy the drink specials at the participating businesses during the “Crawl.” All donations will be split between Austin’s House & Carson Valley Community Food Closet. Watch for all the details in next week’s blog.

Gingerbread & Cookies

Another Gingerbread Cookie (?)
Gets Decorated!

• Today is Gingerbread House Day.  Bet you thought we were going to tell you we have Gingerbread for sale at the Katie’s Bakery Counter and that   should come in and buy some? Nope - we don’t do gingerbread. You can blame the character in the green suit in the above Christmas picture taken in front of our lobby fireplace! However, we did find this young lady decorating a what looks like a gingerbread cookie at one of the recent Christmas parties here at the Carson Valley Inn. And since we can’t go without trying to “sell” something, now is the time to be thinking about booking your 2019 Christmas Party for your company, association or family. Just give Carrie a call at 775-783-6673.
• Tuesday is Bake Cookies Day. Nothing fills the home with a more inviting aroma then hot, fresh cookies baking in the oven. On the other hand, it sounds like a lot of work to us. So if you’d like to skip the fuss and mess of baking cookies at home just stop by the Katie’s Bakery Counter (there, we worked it in!) We bake Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter and  Oatmeal Raisin cookies here daily as we do cakes, pies, pastries and many other desserts and sweets available in Job’s Perk, Katie’s and CV Steak! As for that aroma of fresh baked cookies? We deal with it daily – some days better than others and that’s why most of us would be well served by losing a few pounds!?

Football and Other Sports at the Inn

• Rodeo Headquarters Through Saturday: Make the CVI your NFR Viewing Headquarters as the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo continues through Saturday. We’re showing the live rodeo telecasts starting at 7 PM in the Cabaret Lounge and you can enjoy $2 Coors, $2 Coors Light and $2 shots of Jack Daniels while the action continues until 10 PM.  Hungry? We’ll bring you any of our Bar Snacks right to your seat in the Cabaret Lounge or at the Casino Bar while you enjoy the rodeo action.
• Our Guys Picks!  Humility reigns strong with Our Guys not wanting to get on a hot streak to end the season.  A 3 & 5 week ensures things must change with two weeks left of prognostication.   Mike looks to turn his luck around with the Arizona Cardinals +8 ½ at the Falcons and the over 54 in the Eagles – Rams game.  Steve is taking the Panthers +6½ versus the Saints and loves Middle Tennessee St. +7 against Appalachian St. in the New Orleans Bowl.  Alan is looks to remain the best picker among The Guys with Utah St. -8 vs. North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl and the Eagles +9 at the Rams.  Greg is going with the all Bay Area Play; 49ers +6 and the Raiders +3.   
• The Progressive Pro PK'EM jackpot climbed to $4,180 for whoever picks this week’s 15 winners or props straight up on a $5 Card. Play as many as you wish and any ties will be split.
• Monday Night Football Poker Room Grid: $282 is available for this coming Monday’s Saints/Panthers game: That’s $70 and change for the first three quarters and the final score. You must be present to win and any unclaimed winnings roll to the following week. Check the details on this page. 
• The NCAA Bowl Games Start Saturday.  The New Mexico Bowl is first and a total of 39 bowl games will have taken place by the time the Sugar Bowl wraps up on Tuesday night, January 1, 2019. The Bowl Games Sheet in our sports book lists all the bowl games by date with information on the times, location, teams, television coverage and odds.
• Enjoy $2 Domestic Draft Beer during all NFL games at the CVI.
• On The Board This Week: NCAA Bowl Games, NFL Football, NBA and NCAA Basketball, NHL Hockey and Horseracing. Futures include winners of the NFL Conference Championships, the 2019 Super Bowl, the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the 2019 Stanley Cup and the 2019 NBA Championship.

This Week in the Casino

Special Ladies' Night Christmas Ornaments This Week and Next

• Ladies’ Night Wednesday: join us tonight from 5:30 to 8:30 PM and we'll be giving away two more Free CVI Ornaments to the first 150 ladies and Holiday Gift Baskets as hot seat prizes. You’ll also enjoy the usual games, raffles, a weekly drink special and free bingo for ladies playing in the pit or at slots. If you have an ugly Christmas sweater, hang onto it for one more week and wear it for the Ugly Sweater Contest that will be part of ladies night next Wednesday, December 19!
• 4X Points Daytime This Wednesday:  Use your INN Club card while playing and you’ll be racking up 4X Points today from 4 AM to 4 PM.
• $75,000 Holiday Giveaways Promotion Friday & Saturday:  Join us at 5, 7 and 9 PM for drawings for cash and FreePlay!
• Point Multipliers Saturday: 4X Points on Reel Slots and Video Poker Slots all day every Saturday in December. Use your rapidly accumulating points for FreePlay, dining, Katie’s Bakery products, hotel stays and more!
• Guaranteed FreePlay Monday: Use your card while playing and you are the guaranteed winner of $7 - $10 in FreePlay for each 250 points you earn Monday up to 1,250 points! The FreePlay downloads automatically to your account with accompanying graphics and sounds!

In Our Restaurants

• Wednesday is Italian Day in Katie’s – three specials served from 11 AM to 10 PM and remember we kicked in some new Italian Day Specials for December so be sure to check them out by Clicking Here!  The new Thursday special in Katie’s is Pork Vera Cruz for $6.99. Fridays and Saturdays, Katie's offers a Roasted Prime Rib and Fried Shrimp Dinner special served with baked potato, vegetable and soup or salad for $14.99 and Katie’s Sunday special is "The Chandler" Chicken Dinner including southern fried chicken with mashed potatoes and cole slaw for $5.99. Click here to check hours and specials for all seven days in Katie’s.
• Thursday’s special in CV Steak is the CV Steak Mix Grill, a combination of our Filet Mignon, a Dijon and molasses Marinated Pork Tenderloin Medallion and Herb Marinated Lamb Chop for $26. This Friday it’s Beer Braised Wild Boar Shanks slow cooked in beer, tomato, mustard and fresh herbs for $28. Saturday night’s special is Garlic Studded Prime Rib for $26 and Sunday's special is King Crab Legs for $28. These specials are served with fresh vegetable, choice of rice or potato – au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked – tableside tossed salad and warm demi-loaf of bread.

John Dawson Band in Cabaret Lounge

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge

Tyler Stafford tonight and Thursday, the John Dawson Band Friday and Saturday, NFL Football Sunday and Monday nights and Adam Bergoch next Tuesday and Wednesday.  Tyler Stafford’s songs often draw comparisons to songwriters such as John Mayer and Paul Simon delivered with a candor and immediacy reminiscent of John Lennon. The John Dawson Band is a Reno based group of five fun-lovin' guys who just like to entertain with a variety of modern country and classic rock. Adam Bergoch plays an acoustic guitar whilst mixing in effects from his abundance of digital pedals and singing along to some of the most popular songs, including Alternate Rock, Indie, Oldies, Dance, & even Rap.

Planning a Stay at the CVI? You will always get the best rate by booking directly with the Carson Valley Inn either online or by calling our Reservation Department directly at 775-783-6629 or 800-321-6983.

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or 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!

Christmas in July? Are We Your Best?

Creedence Ticket Sales Robust

Stu Cook and Doug "Cosmo" Clifford

Great concert by Trace Adkins last Saturday . . . and lots of last minute calls from fans wanting tickets after the concert was Sold Out. So, let’s get this out on the table: while it’s still over three weeks until Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford bring Creedence Clearwater Revisited into TJ’s Corral on Sunday evening, August 12, we are getting close to selling out the available seats. If you were a music fan in the late sixties and early seventies, you don’t want to miss out on the chance to experience the rock hits of CCR right here in Minden! We checked and there are still rooms available that night in both our Hotel and Motor Lodge so plan on making a night of it! Purchase concert tickets through our website which allows you to view the seating layout map and select your seat. You can also buy tickets in person at the Hotel Front Desk. Reservations for the Hotel, Motor Lodge and RV Park can be made on our website or by calling 775-783-6629. 

Not Your Usual Christmas in July Blurb

We’ve all seen them . . . The Christmas in July Celebration headline followed by some type of a sale or push to get you to do something that usually gets handled in December. This isn’t one of those situations. What we do suggest is that you give some thought to whether you’ll be trying to organize a Christmas Party for your company, association, club or other organization. When December rolls around, we turn on the Christmas flair for parties held here at the Carson Valley Inn. Our banquet rooms have Christmas trees, wreaths and other holiday touches. The linens are holiday colors . . . and there’s Christmas background music. We even have specially themed buffets during December with entrées and ingredients appropriate to the Christmas season. And if you’re holding your party here at the CVI, we offer your guests a special room rate on the night of your party so there is a safe haven for those who choose to imbibe. Sound like something you should be looking at now or that you anticipate getting tasked with at the last minute? Then “get on it” by calling Carrie at 775-783-6673. We have plenty of weeknight availability in December… unfortunately all the weekends are already booked. However, here’s a thought that started to catch on during the last two years: if you’d rather not try to work your Christmas party around all of the other business and family events of December, why not give a little broader definition to the event and plan a celebration dinner in early January when we do have some weekend availability.

Speaking of Christmas . . .

Unless you jumped onto Prime Day on Amazon.com earlier this week you probably haven’t even started, or even began thinking about, your Christmas shopping. That’s OK, and we’re not suggesting you start buying stuff now. We are planting this seed: when it does come time to start Christmas shopping, wouldn’t it be nice to have a small stash of money already set aside? A perfect way to start your “stash” is with a part-time job at the Carson Valley Inn. Perhaps you’re soon heading back to school and will be available afternoons or evenings? Perhaps your kids are heading back to school and you’ll be available during the day? Or, perhaps it’s just time to buckle down and “get a job!”  Whatever your reasoning, please consider applying for one of these open positions at the CVI!

But It's Still July and It's Hot!

Did reading about Christmas cool you down during the triple-digit heat of this week? Probably not – didn’t work for us either! So consider this: our air-conditioning works great, we have plenty of cold beer at both of our bars and the frozen smoothies in Job’s Perk are a real chiller. This combination is a perfect reason to stop in at the Carson Valley Inn and beat the heat!

Are We the Best?

Lots of activity going on as local businesses jockey for position to win various categories in The Record Courier’s Best of Carson Valley 2018. To borrow a term from Febreze, you’d have to be “Nose Blind” to not have noticed at least some of the many ads, signs, social media posts, emails, and other pleas from Carson Valley businesses and organizations asking for your vote. Frankly, we don’t believe in that approach so we simply invite you to go to this link, read the brief instructions, select a category and get started. If you think we deserve your vote in a particular area, we’ll graciously accept  it with our thanks!

Sip ‘N’ Savor

We just have to give a shout out to our sister property Sharkey’s Casino as they always seem to be one of the centers of the frivolity during the Main Street Gardnerville Third Thursday Wine Walks! This Thursday will be no exception as the event takes on a Sip ‘N’ Savor theme which means that in addition to the wine and other beverages to enjoy at the various businesses, there will also be food trucks and food caterers strategically located along the way. The event runs from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM and all the details are at this link. 

This Week in the Casino

• Ladies’ Night Tonight: Join us from 5:30 to 8:30 PM with a Green Flower Night Lite for the first 150 ladies and Shelly Camp Gift Baskets as hot seat prizes.  Also tonight: games, raffles, a weekly drink special and free bingo.
• Progressive Cash Giveaway Friday and Saturday:  Join us at 6, 7 and 8 PM when we hold drawings for cash, FreePlay and chances for the Progressive Cash Giveaway Jackpot.
• Point Multipliers Saturday: Inn Club members earn 4 Times Points on video reel slots and 3 Times Points on video poker slots all day Saturday - a great way to build up your point total to use for comps and other special benefits.
• FreePlay Bonus Up to $50 Monday: Use your card while playing and you’re the guaranteed winner of $7 - $10 in FreePlay for each 250 points you earn on Monday up to 1,250 points! The FreePlay downloads automatically to your account.
• Sports and Race Book:  Del Mar Racetrack opens its Summer Season today and we welcome all the extra race enthusiasts who enjoy opening week by placing a wager or two at our Race and Sports Book! This week you can  also bet The Open (British Open Golf Tournament), Major League Baseball, WNBA, Canadian Football League, the NASCAR Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Horseracing at all the other tracks. Futures include winners of the World Series, NASCAR Monster Energy Series, the NFL Conference Championships, the 2019 Super Bowl, the 2019 NCAA Football Championship and the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament!   Not that we and many or our customers are anxious, but College Football starts on Saturday, August 25 and the first NFL Game is Thursday, September 6!
• Speaking of Horse Racing: Mike Pegram's colt Once On Whiskey won last Saturday's Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby!  

Hot Dogs, Tequila and Creme Brule!!

• Today is Hot Dog Day and July 26 (that's next Thursday) is Chili Dog Day. By our own admission, Job's Perk is not equipped to handle the talents and associated volume of Hot Dog Eating Champion Joey Chestnut! However, we do serve both Hot Dogs and Chili Dogs every day in "The Perk" and you can enjoy them as loaded or as simple as your appetite and tastes dictate!
• Thursday is Daiquiri Day. You can't think Daiquiri without thinking Rum; and you can't think Rum without thinking Jimmy Buffet; and you can't think Jimmy Buffet without thinking Margarita; so just skip down to Tequila Day below!
• Sunday is Crème Brule Day. Heavy cream, egg yolks, vanilla . . . all baked, topped with caramelized sugar and served warm. Now, hold that thought for the next time you want the perfect finale to a dinner in CV Steak!
• Tuesday is Tequila Day. Tequila comes in everything from the "best suited for blended drinks" to the "seriously, how much is one bottle!" and many in between.  We've sat through presentations and tastings on the upper crusts of tequilas . . . but for today we suggest you just try whatever sounds appealing from this list of 35 Tequila Drinks More Exciting Than a Margarita! How many can the CVI bartenders make? Well, if you go there, please don't mention that you read about it in our blog . . . they all like us blog writers now and we'd like to keep it that way!

In Our Restaurants

• Wednesday is Italian Day in Katie’s – three specials for $6.99 each served from 11 AM to 10 PM! The Friday and Saturday night special in Katie’s is Roasted Prime Rib & Fried Shrimp for $14.99 served from 4 PM.
• Thursday’s special in CV Steak is the CV Steak Mix Grill, a combination of our Filet Mignon, a Dijon and molasses Marinated Pork Tenderloin Medallion and Herb Marinated Lamb Chop for $26. This Friday its Rabbit Loin with white wine Dijon cream sauce and root vegetable puree for $25. Saturday night’s special is Garlic Studded Prime Rib for $26 and Sunday's special is King Crab Legs for $28.These specials are served with fresh vegetable, choice of rice or potato – au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked – tableside tossed salad and warm demi-loaf of bread.
• Click the restaurant name for more info, specials and links to menus for Katie’s, CV Steak and Jobs Perk at the CVI . . . or our nearby sister property restaurants, the Jackpot Café at Sharkey's Casino, Bodines Restaurant at Bodines Casino and Betsy’s Big Kitchen at Slot World Casino.

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge

Jamie Rollins tonight, Just Us Thursday through Saturday, Steve Lord Sunday and Monday, and Chris Twomey Tuesday and Wednesday.  An upbeat and experienced entertainer, Jamie Rollins performs a variety of music from country to rock, to classic oldies and R&B – plus a few of his own songs. Just Us is a unique group of musicians who decided to blend together the sounds of the Motor City and Oakland, CA to develop "Sweet, Grown & Sexy" sounds - music from the 60’s to the present.  A guitarist with dynamic vocals, Steve Lord is a man of a thousand songs, presenting an evening of oldies, country, pop, blues, jazz, soul and rock 'n' roll. Chris Twomey has roots deep into a genre of folk-rock and his performances include From 2Me to The Diva Kings to Dad's LPs to whatever is next!

Planning a Stay at the CVI? You will always get the best rate by booking directly with the Carson Valley Inn either online or by calling our Reservation Department directly at 775-783-6629 or 800-321-6983.

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or 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!

Thanksgiving Week Fun at the Carson Valley Inn, Slot World Reopens

Lead Baker Tracy Miller
Stacking Just Some of the Pie Boxes
for Thanksgiving Dinners to Go

Thanksgiving Week at the Inn

Patriotic Theme Tree
A Small Sample of  Our
Many Christmas Decorations

• Free Pumpkin Pie Today! Earn just 50 points today (Wednesday) and then go to the casino kiosk and print your certificate for a Free Pumpkin Pie! Continue to enjoy the rest of your visit and remember to stop by Job’s Perk before you leave today and exchange that certificate for a free Pumpkin Pie. Thaw it out for dessert tomorrow or keep it frozen for the next holiday or a pumpkin pie emergency!
• Ladies’ Night Tonight:  Join us 5:30 to 8:30 PM tonight with a free Chocolate Shoppe Cranberry Pistachio Treat for the first 150 ladies and Chocolate Shoppe Thanksgiving Baskets as hot seat prizes. Also tonight: games, drink specials, FREE Bingo and your opportunity to earn entries for the November 29 drawing for a Free Designer Wallet and Handbag.
• If you ordered one of our Thanksgiving Turkey Dinners to Go before we sold out be sure to pick it up Thanksgiving Day just inside the hotel entrance between 10 AM and 1 PM at the time designated when you ordered. It's all boxed and ready to go and we'll even have folks available to carry the turkey and fixings to your car.
• Thanksgiving Dinner: If you’re joining us for Thanksgiving Dinner tomorrow, Katie’s will get you seated as quickly as possible whether you’re partaking in our Thanksgiving Specials or dining off our regular menu. If you have Thanksgiving reservations in CV Steak we’ll look to seeing you at the time of your reservation. 
• Poker Room Special Opening Time Thursday: Poker players, after spending the first part of the day with your families come on in when our Poker Room opens at its special starting time of 4 PM on Thanksgiving Day. 
• VIP Gifts Thursday: We’ll be doing our regular Thursday VIP Gift Giveaways at 2, 4, 6 and 8 PM with a Free 43” TV for someone this week! Be sure to use your INN Club card while playing to qualify for these hot seat drawings
• Shop Here Friday thru Sunday: While you’re here over Thanksgiving Weekend, stop by the 18th Annual Kandy Kane Holiday Craft Fair in our Valley Ballroom Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Lots of holiday decorations, gifts, crafts and much more - admission is free!

• Candy Cane Lane Illuminates Friday: Our outdoor drive-thru Christmas light display powers up for the season this Friday at dusk and will continue nightly through December 31.  Thousands of Christmas lights highlight a variety of scenes (some moving) depicting traditional characters and images getting ready for and enjoying Christmas. Crank up your car radio as accompanying music can be heard by tuning to 89.9 FM.
• Christmas Starts To Show Throughout the CVI: Our elves have been busy putting up the Christmas decorations inside the Carson Valley Inn and you’ll see even more activity after the Thanksgiving weekend as they scurry around to put on the final touches.
• Friday Harvest Giveaways Drawings: Join us at 5, 7 & 9 PM for up to $10,000 in Cash and Free Play on the final Friday night of this November promotion!
• 5X Points Saturday: That’s five times the benefits for your play all day this Saturday – a perfect day to pad your account with the points you’ll need for your next dinner out in CV Steak!
• Harvest Giveaways Finale Saturday Night: Join us for drawings at 6 and 8 PM as we have plenty of cash and Free Play to distribute.
• A $78,000 Christmas Bonus? Any of our readers would take it! Our Penny Progressive Jackpot now exceeds that amount and it can (and eventually will) only be won at one of our four properties; the Carson Valley Inn, Bodines Casino, Sharkey’s Casino or Slot World.   

A Slow Moment During the 2016 Food Drive

Share Your Christmas Food Drive in Two Weeks!

Just two weeks until the KTVN Share Your Christmas Community Food Drive at our RV Park Entrance. This weekend is a good time to buy a few extra items to add to your drive-through donation on Friday, December 8 from 6 AM to 6 PM. See you then!

Slot World Joins the Family

Slot World Casino on Hwy 50 East in Carson City reopens at 8 AM today as part of our “family” that also includes Bodines Casino in Carson City, the Carson Valley Inn in Minden and Sharkey’s Casino in Gardnerville. Slot World underwent a complete transformation over the last 6 – 7 weeks with just about everything demolished and rebuilt from the air handling equipment, to the floors, walls, ceiling, restrooms, casino, kitchen, restaurant and everything in between!  Colorful lighting is evident throughout the casino bringing life and energy. A large bar in the center of the casino provides a gathering place to meet friends, enjoy a cocktail or watch sports on one of the many HDTV flat-screens. “Betsy’s Big Kitchen” is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. serving breakfast, lunch and dinner choices plus weekend dinner specials. Come on down and check it out . . . and be sure to follow, like and share the Slot World Facebook page.

Check Out These Interesting Tidbits

• Our owner Mike Pegram has a horse scheduled to run in the $500,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs Friday – check with the crew at our Race and Sports Book for more information.
• Remember the boisterous Bunko for Breast Cancer event held in our Valley Ballroom last month? The evening of costumes, revelry and bunco play raised over $22,500 for the efforts of the Carson Tahoe Cancer Resource Center bringing the total to over a quarter of a million dollars raised by our community through this GE sponsored event over the last 14 years.
• Sunday is National Cake Day and we innocently thought this would be a good opportunity to feature one of the many cakes made in our bakery. We went down to the bakery yesterday morning we were politely told by our bakers in unison that unless it was about a pie this week, they didn’t have time for us. After bringing our cake level up to par on Monday, they started concentrating on baking the pumpkin pies necessary to handle all of the Thanksgiving specials served in Katie’s, the many pumpkin pie orders placed in advance by our customers at our Katie’s bakery counter, and the double-digit dozens of pies needed to complete the Turkey Dinners to Go we will be distributing on Thursday morning.
• Tuesday is National French Toast Day and with the opening of Betsy’s Big Kitchen at Slot World we now have four locations at which you can enjoy French toast on Tuesday morning – or any morning. Joining Betsy’s (Texas toast base) are Katie’s (our own baked bread) at the Carson Valley Inn, the Jackpot Café at Sharkey’s Casino (brioche bread) and the restaurant in Bodine’s Casino (Texas toast base).

Sports Related – All of It

• Our Guys Picks: It can’t get any worse for Greg going 1 & 5 the past three weeks.  He will continue to ride the Cleveland Browns (2 – 8 against the spread) and take them +8 ½ at the Bengals and the Arizona Wildcats as a pick’em at ASU.  Now on to the winning picks! Mike will take Bama –4 ½ at Auburn and the Washington State Cougars +9 at Washington.  Alan will continue his hot streak with the Chargers as a pick’em at the Cowboys and the Giants +7 ½ at the Redskins.  After 11 weeks, both Mike and Alan (the Sportsbook guys) are 13 & 9 and Greg (the Sales guy) is 7 & 15.
• Enjoy $2 Draft Beer during all Televised Pro and College football games at the CVI - and our staff will bring your bar bites order to you right at your seat.
• The Progressive Pro PK'EM is at $3776 this week. The parlay cards are just $5 each - pick all 15 Pro Propositions and the jackpot is yours!!
• NFL hats, tee shirts, Budweiser merchandise and other prizes are given away in drawings during Monday Night Football at the CVI. Also, three tickets are distributed each week for the Ultimate Tailgate Party package which will be given away during the Monday Night Football game on December 18.
• Monday Night Football Grid in our poker room every week – we start with four $40 prizes each week and add in any unclaimed prizes from the previous week. There’s been a scarcity of winners present lately so this coming Monday we’re giving away $144 for each of the first three quarters and the final score . . . that’s over $575! Earn entries during live poker games this week ‘til all squares are claimed.
• Place Your Bet: Place your bets on Pro and College Football, NHL Hockey, Pro and College Basketball, and Horse Racing. Futures on the board include winners for the 2018 Super Bowl, 2018 NCAA Basketball and Football Championships, 2018 NBA Championship and 2018 NHL Stanley Cup.
• Sports tickets can be cashed-in at Guest Services when the Sports Book is closed. Horse Race tickets can be cashed only when the Race and Sports Book is open. Winning sports bets placed at any of our three casinos (CVI, Bodines, Sharkey’s and Slot World) can be cashed at any of the four locations. 

Entertainment and Shenanigans in the Cabaret Lounge

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge

Denver Saunders tonight, The Kid and Nic Show Thursday thru Saturday, NFL Football on Sunday and Monday and Patrick Major Wednesday. Vocalist/guitarist Denver Saunders will have you dancing, laughing and even singing along. Kirk and Nicole Tracy have been performing together since 1977. Their Kid and Nic Show keeps the crowd dancing, singing and laughing along as they perform pop, rock, dance, oldies, current and classic country, 80's hits, Latin, funk, swing, blues, jazz and reggae. The show also features some fun "theme" medleys of songs from movies such as Grease, The Blues Brothers and Animal House. Patrick Major’s style includes his own mix of original guitar and vocals combined with rock classics from the last four decades.

In Our Restaurants

• Wednesday is Italian Day in Katie’s – three specials for $6.99 each served from 11 AM to 10 PM!
• Tonight’s special in CV Steak is the CV Steak Mix Grill, a combination of our Filet Mignon, a Dijon and molasses Marinated Pork Tenderloin Medallion and Herb Marinated Lamb Chop for $26. This Friday, it's Alligator Tenderloin Medallions: three sautéed medallions with a garlic caper wine sauce for $28. Saturday night’s special is Garlic Studded Prime Rib for $26 and Sunday's special is one pound of King Crab Legs for $32. These specials are served with fresh vegetable, choice of rice or potato – au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked – tableside tossed salad and warm demi-loaf of bread.
• Holiday Full Disclosure:  We’re not big fans of negatives in this blog, but just so ya know, neither the CV Steak Sunset Special nor the usual Katie’s Pork Loin Special will be offered this Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
• Click the restaurant name for more info, specials and links to menus for Katie’s, CV Steak and Jobs Perk at the CVI . . . or our nearby sister property restaurants, the Jackpot Café at Sharkey's Casino and the Bodines Restaurant at Bodines Casino. 

Planning a Stay at the CVI? You will always get the best rate by booking directly with the Carson Valley Inn either online or by calling our Reservation Department directly at 775-783-6629 or 800-321-6983. 

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or 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!

Free Veteran's Day Lunch Friday, Kelly Lang Joins TG Sheppard Saturday,

Kelly Lang Appearing with TG Sheppard
Saturday in the Valley Ballroom

Two for One at TG Sheppard Concert Saturday

Dead Girl Walking is one of 14 songs in TG Sheppard's Legendary Friends and Country Duets album featuring duets with artists such as George Jones, the Oak Ridge Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis, Lorrie Morgan, Ricky Skaggs, Merle Haggard, Engelbert Humperdinck, Willie Nelson, Conway Twitty and more. What makes this song so special to TG? It’s a duet with his wife Kelly Lang, his special guest at the TG Sheppard Concert this Saturday night in the CVI Valley Ballroom!  A recent inductee into the North American Country Music Hall Of Fame, Kelly Lang's career continues to grow at a rapid pace. She was recently invited by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees to perform "Islands In The Stream" in honor of Kenny Rogers, at his recent Country Music Hall Of Fame induction. Kelly and Barry also performed together at the Grand Ole Opry. Kelly has performed with, and had her songs recorded by, some of music's biggest legends spanning throughout all genres of music. She has made numerous appearances on the biggest music shows in television history and her songs can be heard on radio waves throughout the world. Tickets are just $25 at the hotel desk or call 775-783-6606.  All the details are at this link. TG had over two-dozen Top-Ten Country Songs from 1979 through 1987 – Look ‘em up and let’s see how many he gets to during his special acoustic show at the CVI this weekend!

Every Veteran and Active Military Person Has a Story – some have many. Some are light hearted – some are gut wrenching. We invite you to share these stories with each other and with us at our annual Free Veterans Day Spaghetti Lunch this Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Valley Ballroom! This is the sixth year for the Carson Valley Inn's free Veterans Day Spaghetti Lunch which includes fresh tossed salad with choice of ranch, Italian or thousand island dressings; spaghetti with choice of marinara sauce or Bolognese (meat sauce); garlic bread and assorted cookies.  The bond of service to our country brings hundreds of neighbors and community residents to this event each year. Some have not met but do so at this lunch. Others have formed friendships at this event in previous years. You all definitely have commonality in your patriotism and we look forward to seeing you Friday!  Simply present your military ID and lunch for you and your guest is on the Carson Valley Inn!  Don't have your ID? Just tell us about your service to our country or give us "that look."  We’ll know and we'll welcome you right in!

Even a Busy Elf Deserves a Rest! She moves at “Mach 2 with Her Hair on Fire” so don't get in her way! We're talking about Eileen Knox, our mild-mannered (sort of) Executive Office Manager most of the year, and faster-than-the-speed-of-light Christmas decorator during November. Eileen and her "helpers" from our Engineering department will be scurrying around the Inn setting up interior decorations over the next few weeks as they turn up the Christmas spirit for full effect by Thanksgiving weekend. As for this picture, even the busiest of elves sometimes hides in a remote back-of-the-house stairwell just to catch a brief rest!

Sometimes it Pays to Scream and Yell! And as you remember us reporting in this blog in October, screaming and yelling are the quiet part of the annual Bunko for Breast Cancer event held in our Shannon Ballroom each Fall. The many volunteer employees at our local GE plant who produce this event reported earlier this week they raised $15,785 for local breast cancer causes this year. In our opinion, that is something to scream and yell about!

• CV Steak and Katie’s will be serving their regular menu plus Thanksgiving Specials on Thursday, November 24. Due to the holiday, on Thanksgiving Day the following will not be available: the Thursday Burgundy Beef Tips special in Katie’s and the Sunset Menu and Sushi Special in CV Steak.
• If you would rather have us do the cooking so you and the family can dine at home, we are offering a special Thanksgiving Dinner to Go for up to Ten by advance order. This feast includes a fully-cooked 18-20 pound turkey plus all the trimmings - mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green beans amandine, cranberry sauce, a pumpkin pie, rolls and butter all for just $89.00 plus tax. Orders must be placed by Tuesday, November 22 at noon . . . But we do have a limit to how many orders we can take so please don’t delay.
• Seems like nothing is more “Thanksgiving” than pumpkin pie, so here’s a reminder: Pumpkin Pies and Pumpkin Cheesecakes are made daily in our bakery through December. Place your order for these or any of the goodies on our "take 'em home" bakery menu at the Katie's Bakery counter. 

Sports and Race Book:

• On the Board: This week you can bet NFL and NCAA Football, NBA Basketball, NHL Hockey, and the Sunday Can-Am 500 NASCAR.  Also on the board: futures bets on who will win the NBA Championship, NCAA Football Championship and the February, 2017 Super Bowl.
• The PRO PK’EM Parlay Progressive is now at $3705 – pick all 15 NFL props straight up on the $5 card and it’s yours!
• Chatter Around the Sports Book with Mike and Allen:
• Last Week: Allen picked the Raiders (-1) over the Broncos (Raiders Won!!!) and “his” underdog Eagles (+2½) over the Giants (Sorry, Allen).  Mike picked the Arkansas Razorbacks (+5) over the #10 Florida Gators (Good one, Arkansas dominated) and Iowa (+7½) over the Penn State (wrong, way wrong).
• This Week:  Allen said, “Definitely not my Eagles.” He is picking the favored Steelers (-2½) over the Cowboys. Mike decided to come out from his “hide behind the obscure games” stance and likes underdog Arkansas (+7) to cover or beat LSU and favored Stanford (-3½ ) over Oregon. 

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge:  The RYE Brothers fill our stage through Saturday night, we show NFL Football on the Big Screen in the Cabaret on Sunday and Monday nights and George Pickard is here next Tuesday and Wednesday. The Rye Brothers are a “power-pop” country act, mixing contemporary country music and rock n’ roll guitar driven songs. Led by Paul Justin & Justin Foutz, who trade off on the lead vocals and guitar licks. Paul and Justin formed Rye Brothers in the of Summer of 2015 and quickly added a solid rhythm section consisting of Jacob Delott (bass, backing vocals) and Jeff Sorenson (drums, backing vocals) to round out this Southern California based quartet.  Click here for the upcoming lineup of free entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge.

In the Casino

• Ladies’ Night Tonight: Join us 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. with free Emoji Plush gifts to the first 150 ladies, Shelly’s Gift Baskets as hot seat prizes, games, drink specials, FREE Bingo and earn entries for the November 30 drawings for a free $500 Shopping Spree of assorted gift cards!
• Bingo Thursday: Come in and play Bingo on the odd hour, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and win $50 - $100 instantly!  Simply be in the casino playing slots or table games using your INN Club card and watch for our staff bringing around Free Bingo Cards. 
• Holiday Giveaway Drawings Friday: A total of $10,000 in cash and prizes in guaranteed between CVI and Bodines Casino every Friday thought December 16 in our $70,000 Guaranteed Holiday Giveaways. Friday drawings are at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. with plenty of chances to get in on your share. Use your INN Club card while you play!
• 4X Points Saturday: Every Saturday in November earn 4X Points all day.
• Free Sweatshirt Mondays: We're giving away Free CVI Sweatshirts every Monday through November 28^th!  To qualify, simply earn 175 points the same day and the free sweatshirt is yours . . . plus you keep the points!
• Free Bingo Mondays: There’s Free Bingo in the casino for INN Club members every Monday in November with games at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., Noon and 1 p.m.
• Penny Progressive Over $32,000 . . . someone will win this jackpot on one of the Triple Red Hot 7's slots at the CVI, Sharkey’s or Bodines.
• Poker Room: Featured Games, Tournaments and Special Promotions with something going on every day of the week - Click here for all the poker room info.
• Here’s a Handy Page with all our November Casino Promotions!

In Our Restaurants

• Wednesday is Italian Day/Night in Katie’s – three specials for just $6.99 each! Check all the Katie’s Daily Specials at this link.
• The 18-Piece Sushi Platter Special is served in CV Steak on Thursday (hint: save $4 Thursdays), Friday and Saturday nights.
• Our Friday special in CV Steak is Game Mixed Grill of buffalo and elk medallion and alligator sausage for $32.  Saturday night’s special is Garlic Studded Prime Rib for $26 and Sunday's special is one pound of King Crab Legs for $32. All three specials are served with fresh vegetable, choice of rice or potato (au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked), tableside tossed salad and warm demi-loaf of bread.
• Click the restaurant name for more info, specials and links to menus for Katie’s, CV Steak and Jobs Perk at the CVI . . . or our nearby sister property restaurants, the Jackpot Café at Sharkey's Casino and the Bodines Restaurant at Bodines Casino. 

Planning a Stay at the CVI? You will always get the best rate by booking directly with the Carson Valley Inn either online or by calling our Reservation Department directly at 775-783-6629 or 800-321-6983.

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or 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!