Falcons in the Ballroom, Elvis Leaves the Building Thursday, This Event Almost Full, More

Image Courtesy of Merry Muller

Eagles & Agriculture

The annual Eagles & Agriculture weekend is coming up January 24 – 27 and the Falconers’ Dinner in our Valley Ballroom (Friday January 25) has become one of the event’s most popular offerings. This year, the ag speaker will be Jeff Hunewill of the famous Hunewill Ranch in Mono County. Jeff will talk about how they combine a huge working cattle ranch with a vibrant and popular program that allows visitors to join them for several days and experience ranch life from the saddle. The falconers scheduled to appear are Kathleen Tigan, who will bring along ‘Louise’, the Eurasian Eagle Owl; first time participant Kalen Pearson, who is bringing a mature female Golden Eagle; local falconers Ryan Moglich with his White Gyrfalcon and of course, Eagles & Ag regular Lew Sauder with a Goshawk. They will share their knowledge and anecdotes about what it’s like to be the caretaker and partner of their birds. A four-course dinner is part of the evening and tickets are just $45 each. For information on all of the Eagles & Agriculture tours, seminars and events, click here.

Image Courtesy of Zephyr Cove Snowmobiling

Snowmobiling for CVI Guests

Snowmobiling season is in full swing after last weekend’s snowfall and since we often receive inquiries from hotel guests and locals, here’s what we know: there are two snowmobiling operations in our area and each offers a different mountain adventure.  Lake Tahoe Adventures specializes in basic through advanced backcountry snowmobiling tours in Hope Valley off Highway 88. While they operate out of Myers in South Lake Tahoe, they will meet your group in Hope Valley with the necessary clothing & gear rentals.  Zephyr Cove Snowmobiling offers a variety of ridgeline tours reaching 9,000 feet above sea level and offering breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe and peek-a-boo views of Carson Valley.  Their base operation at Zephyr Cove Resort has a full selection of clothing & gear rentals and their tours include bus transportation to the starting points. Whichever you choose, you’ll definitely enjoy a most memorable experience! Check out both operations by clicking on their website links above and be sure to make your reservations in advance.

Elvis Week Wraps Up Tomorrow

Our Elvis Week activities, giveaways and specials wrap up Thursday with Elvis Hot Seat drawings from noon to 6 PM for all playing in the casino using your Inn Club Card. You'll also see Elvis Impersonators in the casino between 5 and 8 PM. Today and Thursday you can catch these Elvis Food Favorites in Katie’s:  Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon French Toast for $6.99 in the morning and Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon with vegetables, rice and choice of soup or salad for $13.99 in the afternoon-evening.

Sporting Clays Event Filling Fast

We hadn’t anticipated this, but we’re giving a “last call” for our Winter Sporting Clays event coming up in February. The response so far has exceeded our expectations and we anticipate reaching the sellout stage within the next couple of weeks. The event starts on Thursday evening, February 21 with a reception and introductions for the new folks and lots of storytelling from the long-timers. Sporting clays takes place at Walker River resort on Friday and the Carson Valley Clays Club on Saturday. The weekend package also includes lunch both days and a Saturday banquet with lots of prizes. If this sounds like something you might enjoy, please don’t miss out – get the details at this link.

This Week in the Casino

• Ladies’ Night Wednesday: join us tonight from 5:30 to 8:30 PM with a Special Gift for the first 150 ladies. Also tonight, Chocolate Shoppe Gift Baskets as hot seat prizes, games, raffles, a weekly drink special and free bingo for ladies playing in the casino.
• 4X Points Daytime Wednesdays: 4X Points from 4 AM to 4 PM so be sure to use your INN Club card and pad your points benefits rapidly!
• Elvis Hot Seats Thursday: See details in the Elvis Week article above.
• Cash & Trips Giveaways Promotion Friday & Saturday:  Join us at 5, 7 and 9 PM for drawings for Cash, FreePlay and Trips!
• Point Multipliers Saturday: 4X Points on Reel Slots and Video Poker Slots all day every Saturday in January. Watch your points accrue at quadruple the normal rate!
• Your Rewards Monday: INN Club members, swipe at the casino kiosk Mondays in January for a free reward each week. Check at Guest Services for complete details on the Your Rewards Mondays.
• And at the Sports Book:
• Progressive Pro PK'EM: The pot climbed to $4,528 after Wild Card weekend. It’s yours if you catch all 15 of this week’s winners and props (ties split)!
• On the Cabaret and Casino Screens: Plenty action with the NFL Playoffs ($2 domestic draft beer during the games), NBA and NCAA Basketball, NHL Hockey and Horseracing. Action on all of these events taken at the Sports & Race Book.
• Looking Ahead: Futures include winners of the NFL Conference Championships, the 2019 Super Bowl, the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the 2019 Stanley Cup, the 2019 NBA Championship, the 2019 World Series and the 2019 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup!

This Week in Our Restaurants

• Katie’s: Wednesday is Italian Day with three specials served from 11 AM to 10 PM: Fettuccine Pesto Alfredo for $5.99, Pork Marsala for $6.99 and Chicken Chasseur for $6.99. The Thursday special is a Turkey Plate 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 from 2 to 10PM.
• CV Steak: Thursday’s special 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 Steak.for $26. This Friday it’s Grilled Venison Chops with Cherry Brandy Demi for $32. 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.

Katie’s Komments

Interesting string of comments posted about Katie’s on Facebook over the last week or so. Falls under that category we bring up every once in a while, “We can’t write it this well ourselves!”

• Best overall restaurant in Minden/Gardnerville. - Dennis R.
• Don’t have to drive to get to Katie’s. Just a walk away. Loved it - Cozy atmosphere - Late-night dining - Great food - Casual - Fine dining - Child-friendly - Scenic views - Comfort food - Large portions. - Ovido A.
• Great food and service, large portions, inside casino. - Sonja B.

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge

Jamie Rollins tonight, Revival Thursday thru Saturday, and Tyler Stafford next 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 his own songs.  Revival recreates the music of the '60s, '70s, and '80s, with a stunning accuracy and precision that's rarely found in today's live music scene. They will take you from the British invasion, through the muddy fields of Woodstock, to the diverse songs of the 80's like no one else can. Named “Reno’s Best Songwriter 2013” Tyler Stafford is a homegrown talent. His songs often draw comparisons to songwriters such as John Mayer and Paul Simon delivered with a candor and immediacy reminiscent of John Lennon.

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!

Horses, Cowboy Festival, Job Openings, More

Super Bowl Weekend Wind Down:

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

Horse Racing News:

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

A Horse of a Different Color

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

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

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

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

Some Holidays and Special Events:

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

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

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

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

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

5 Million Point Giveaway and Did Elvis Really Leave the Building?

In this week's blog: How to win a free T.G. Sheppard Concert Weekend Package, what happens when you valet park a horse at the CVI, our 5 Million Point Giveaway in March, Cowboy Mardi Gras, a space shuttle developer speaking at the CVI and more!

Win a free T.G. Sheppard Concert Weekend Package: This is a free-to-enter contest on our Facebook page. We don't ask for any personal info – just check out contest posting on our Facebook page and Like, Comment or Share to enter. We are taking reservations now for the T.G. Sheppard Concert Weekend Package: Two nights in the hotel, two concert tickets, $50 in food credits and admission to a private pre-concert Meet & Greet. Check our web site for the details. Oh, if you win the Facebook contest, and you already made reservations for this package, we'll make the appropriate adjustment!

5 Million Point Giveaway: Yes, it's a lot of free player club points to just give away . . . but that's our guarantee between the Carson Valley Inn and Bodines Casino during March! The March Promotions start this Saturday and we'll remind you of pertinent days in each week's blog posting.

What Really Happened When Elvis Was Here? Remember Elvis Week last January? Our friends at the Carson Valley Visitor's Authority roped him into a short video for their Rugged, Relaxed, Reachable campaign and   . . . well take a look for yourself at this video and some of the horsin' around! 

This Friday's Game Dinner Special: Our Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak this Friday is Roasted Stuffed Quail with prosciutto, wild rice and plum port glaze.  As with all CV Steak entrees, the Game-On Friday special also includes tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato – all for $27.00.

Interesting Happenings in our Valley Ballroom:      

• Cowboy Mardi Gras at CVI this Friday: Austin's House 2nd Annual "Cowboy Mardi Gras" is this Friday night in our Valley Ballroom. This is a fun and very casual event to benefit the kids of Austin's House- wear your favorite western wear and/or Mardi Gras clothes and colors - and join others in our community who care deeply about the welfare of children! A great western BBQ buffet, music, dancing, games, raffles, and a Silent Auction! Tickets are available by calling 775-267-6711. 
•  "Dream Chaser" Shuttle Developers at CVI: The Sports Aviation Foundation Annual Membership Dinner on Saturday, March 8 will feature Greg Stanley from the Sierra Nevada Corporation, a privately owned aerospace company in Sparks. They are developing the "Dream Chaser" the next generation shuttle to the space station. For tickets, call 775-782-9871.
• What's Next at CVI? How about you! Quite a few fundraisers, meetings, reunions, conventions and banquets happen at the CVI each year and there are many positive comments on our web site. To find out about holding an event for your group, business or association at the Carson Valley Inn, contact Carrie at 775-783-6673. 

Ladies Night Tonight! The hot seat winners at tonight's Ladies' Night festivities from 6 to 9 p.m. will receive a Gift Basket. Deanna and Julie will be handing out a compact mirror to the first 150 ladies who show up - and 20 of these will also have Free Play as a bonus!  Ladies Night Bingo games are at 6:45, 7:30 & 8:15 p.m. with the first 2 games "paying" $50 in Freeplay and the last game paying $100 Cash. 

Keeping You Posted:

·         New Bar in the Convention Center:  Progressing rapidly with framing this week. We hope to be completed by March 10.

·         Super Sunday Parlay Card $2,500 Winner: hard to believe, but someone took the time, and paid the $5, to play a ticket – and still has not claimed the second $2,500 prize.  Must have really been distracted by the Super Bowl commercials!

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

Have questions or comments about the Carson Valley Inn? Send us an email using info at carsonvalleyinn dot com or leave a comment on this posting.  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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