Valentine's Day Package Last Call, Yummy Sweets, New in CV Steak, More from the Carson Valley Inn

View from Heavenly Overlooking Carson Valley

Skiing? Stay Here!

Kristen Lummis is a successful recreation sports blogger specializing in skiing. She and her husband recently visited with us from Colorado spending three days experiencing the various nearby ski resorts and enjoying some of the other attractions and "things to do" in the Carson Valley. We met with her for breakfast very early one morning before she took the short drive to Heavenly for a morning of skiing. We quickly learned that as an award-winning writer and passionate skier, Kristen really “gets it.”  We can't help but love her picture above showing the Carson Valley in the background. She will be writing and posting about her visit to Carson Valley and her stay at the Carson Valley Inn as promised in this Facebook video shot from Heavenly. 

The Carson Valley Inn is conveniently located for skiing at Kirkwood and Heavenly - perfect for Epic Pass holders! Click the appropriate link to learn more about our accommodations choices and amenities our dining choices, free cabaret entertainment and gaming fun. And remember, parking is free and there's never a resort fee!

Made Your Valentine's Day Plans? If Not . . .

Valentine’s Day is just over a week away and if you’ve already made your plans, we commend you! If you haven’t, you know that at this point you are running out of options. Fortunately, we still have a few of our Valentine's Day Overnight Packages available – a thoughtful and inclusive way to treat your spouse, fiancé or your girlfriend/boyfriend to a special Valentine’s night at the Carson Valley Inn. We include a room, $75 in total Food & Beverage Credit, assistance making reservations in CV Steak if you wish and a chilled bottle of champagne on arrival. Probably goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: hurry! Click Here for more information.

And The $5,116 Progressive Jackpot Winner Is

• As of last night, we actually do not know who the winner is yet. Here's what we do know: one of the many sports fans who played our $5 Pro Pk'em Progressive Parlay card on Super Bowl Sunday got all 15 picks correct! That's good enough to take sole possession of the $5116 jackpot. All you need to do is "come forward" at either Sharkey's or the CVI with your winning ticket. And, as we hinted was possible in last week's blog, two of the 15 picks were actually ties and all ties were marked as winners. Remember, we don't know who bought the winning ticket so it's up to you to come in and claim your prize.
• Seasonal Wagers on the board this week include NBA and NCAA Basketball, NHL Hockey, the Daytona 500 on February 16 and Horse Racing.
• Futures Bets on the board include: 2020 NCAA College Basketball, 2020 NBA Championship, 2020 Stanley Cup, 2020 World Series and 2020 NASCAR Championship.
• The 2020 Major League Baseball Season kicks into gear early next week when pitchers and catchers report for all 30 teams. The Grapefruit League and Cactus League spring-training games start on February 22. The regular season begins on March 26 when all 30 teams play.

Treat Yourself from Our Katie's Bakery Case

Yummy!

Cake Pops, Punch Cake, Chocolate Apricot Shortbread Cookies, Raspberry Vanilla Tartlets . . . These were just some of the mouthwatering treats we caught in the picture above taken at our bakery counter earlier this week. While we can’t guarantee which of  these will be there the next time you stop in, we do encourage you to check the bakery counter every time you swing by Katie’s because there seems to be something new cropping up just about every other day!

Slowly Braised Bone-In Beef Short Rib

New in CV Steak!

While we were focusing on the Super Bowl and Tanya Tucker’s Grammy nominations the last couple of weeks we neglected to let everyone know we’ve added some new entrées and appetizers in CV Steak. We haven’t tried them all yet, but we do really want to recommend the Slowly Braised Bone-In Beef Short Rib pictured above. This “immediate hit” is served with red wine demi-glaze, Yukon gold mashed potatoes (you can also choose baked or au gratin), vegetable and, of course, the CV Steak signature tableside tossed salad. Next week we’ll try to take a picture of the new Ahi Tuna Poke appetizer. Meanwhile, grab your reading glasses and check out the full menu!

Tanya & Charlie Update

Our "people" are dotting the I's and crossing the T's on the arrangements for at least two more 2020 concerts in TJ's Corral as we march towards finalizing our seven or eight-concert schedule. Meanwhile, tickets are on sale now for the two concerts already announced:  Tanya Tucker and special guest Aubrie Sellers (part of Tanya's CMT Next Women of Country Tour) on Saturday June 6 and the Charlie Daniels Band concert in TJ's on Friday, June 26. You can also stop by or call (775-783-6606) our hotel registration desk.

Some Important Reminders

• Qualifying for our poker room's April 6 Tournament of Champions is underway! Simply win one of the February or March Daily Shootouts held at noon every Tuesday through Sunday and you are automatically "in." Find out more about our poker room promotions, special games and tournaments on this page.
• Treat Your Mom, Grandma, Wife or In-Laws to Mother’s Day Weekend at the Carson Valley Inn! Here's a link to more information on our Mother's Day Weekend Package.
• Starting on your Federal Tax Return? We can help with a Win-Loss Report on your gaming activity using your card in any of our four casinos: CVI, Sharkey's, Bodines and SlotWorld. 

This Week’s Promotions Lineup

• Ladies’ Night Wednesday: Ladies’ Night fun from 5:30 to 8:30 PM with a Free Hand-Held Massager  for the first 150 ladies (100 with FreePlay), All Wrapped Up Gift Baskets as hot seat prizes, free Bingo Games, free Raffles and a Drink Special.And ladies, be sure to bring your man next week when we add a Mens' Night element with special prizes and drawings for the first 50 men to register.
• Point Multiplier Friday: Earn 4X Points on slots and videos all day this Friday. 
• Polar Plunge Drawings and Board Game Friday & Saturday: The drawings take place between 6 and 8 PM for cash and FreePlay prizes and chances to play our Polar Plunge board game to "break the ice" for up to $1000!
• Point Party Sunday: You’ll be earning anywhere from 2X to 10X Points from noon to 8 PM with the point multiplier changing every half hour. We guarantee the 10X Points will run for 30 minutes at least twice every Sunday in January.
• Rollin’ for Cash Monday: Hot Seat drawings between Noon and 7 PM. All active players using your Inn Club card are “in the pot” for a chance to win up to $500!

This Week in Our Restaurants

Katie’s Specials This Week:

• Wednesday: CVI Smoked Chicken Legs served with jalapeno corn bread, mashed potatoes, bacon baked beans & BBQ from 11 AM to 10 PM for $6.99.
• Thursday: Spaghetti & A Giant Meatball with mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, parsley, garlic bread from 11 AM to 10 PM; $6.99.
• Friday and Saturday: Meat Lovers Platter with slow roasted brisket, pulled chicken & smoked sausage plus choice of 2 sides from macaroni salad, baked beans, potato salad or coleslaw. From 11 AM to 10 PM; $13.99.
• Sunday: "Chandler" Chicken Dinner; southern fried chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw. From 2 to 10 PM; $7.99.
• Monday: Katie’s Shepherd’s Pie; a one-dish serving of sautéed ground beef with grandma’s brown gravy, peas and carrots. From 11 AM to 10 PM; $5.99
• Tuesday: Pork Chili Verde served with Spanish rice and black beans for $7.99 from 11 AM to 10 PM.

CV Steak Specials:

• Today: Pork Stroganoff, pork tenderloin and a cream sauce of mushroom, Dijon mustard and Sherry wine served with egg noodle pasta.
• Thursday: CV Steak Mix Grill, a combination of our Filet Mignon, a Dijon and molasses marinated Pork Tenderloin Medallion and herb marinated Lamb Chop Steak.
• Friday: Venison Chop with brandy green peppercorn sauce.
• Saturday: Garlic Studded Prime Rib.
• Sunday: “Oscar Style” Fillet of Salmon with crab and Béarnaise sauce. 

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge

Arizona Jones, Thursday thru Saturday: In an entertainment world often enhanced by technology and gimmicks, Arizona Jones prefers to present their performances the old fashioned way – live and personal. When they put their rockin’ spin on classic R& B hits from the 60’s and 70’s, you never know who’ll be singing louder, the audience or the band. They play the hits from Aerosmith and Amy Winehouse to Wilson Pickett and ZZ Top . . . and many artists in between. Coming up next in our Cabaret Lounge: The Michael Furlong Band, February 13 - 15 and Gruve Nation, February 20 - 22.

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!

Snow Arrives, Valley Horses Do Well, Food Drive, New Community Center, More

Now That We Have Some Snow in the Area:  Keep doin' the dance 'cause it's working as we saw some significant snow in the Tahoe area this week and the ski resorts are opening more of their terrain every day (see proof on Heavenly web cams).  We had no doubt (OK, we had a little doubt), so the Carson Valley Inn's 2014/2015 Ski Packages are ready to book!  We also have a special Epic Pass Hotel Rate for those who have one of the 2014/2015 Epic Passes for the northern Nevada Vail Resorts properties which include Heavenly, Kirkwood and Northstar.  Also, keep an eye open for a special ski package on the weekend after the Super Bowl . . . more to come.

California Chrome Wins Big, CVI Owner Mike Pegram's Horses Also Do Well: Horse racing had quite a local tie this past weekend from California to Kentucky to New York! Mike Pegram's colt Hoppertunity, a 2014 Kentucky Derby favorite who was scratched days before the Derby with a foot bruise, roared back with a win in the Grade 1 $500,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs last Friday. On Saturday, Mike's past Breeders' Cup winner Secret Circle finished 2^nd in the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct Park in New York. Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Steve and Carolyn Colby's California Chrome won the Hollywood Derby at Delmar. And on Sunday, Midnight Hawk came in third in his race at Delmar. "Hawk" is owned by Mike in partnership with Chicago Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville, Blackhawks assistant coach Mike Kitchen, Altanta Falcons offensive line coach Mike Tice, and John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings. Oh, one more: Mike's SECRETSATMIDNIGHT won the previous Saturday, November 22 at Delmar.

It's Christmas Kickoff Weekend in the Carson Valley with plenty of visual and experiential events guaranteed to get you into the holiday spirit.

• Here at the Carson Valley Inn, Candy Cane Lane is lit up nightly through December – enter at the large electronic sign and follow the lighted arch. Inside the CVI, our Christmas decorations are all up, so be sure to check them out.
• The Dangberg Home Ranch for the Holidays Toy Exhibit runs through December 10 from 10 am to 4 pm.
• The Gardnerville Christmas Tree Lighting and Fireworks are Thursday evening at Heritage Park.
• Caroling, Tree Lighting and Santa are all on the docket Friday evening in Genoa.
• The Minden Gazebo and Tree Lighting Festivities are also Friday evening in Downtown Minden and Minden Park, just a short walk from the CVI.
• Breakfast with Santa is Saturday morning at the Genoa Town Hall
• The Douglas County Historical Society Annual Holiday Gala is midday Saturday at the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center
• The Carson Valley Chamber's Annual Parade of Lights is Saturday evening ending in Downtown Minden.

The KTVN Channel 2 Share Your Christmas Community Food Drive is coming up fast on Friday, December 12 at the RV Park entrance from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.  United Blood Services is again holding a Blood Drive from 11:30 to 5:30 at the site of the Food Drive. To schedule an appointment or find out more, click here.  And if you absolutely can't make it next Friday to donate food, you can always buy a $10 bag (or a few) at the Gardnerville Raley's – all that food winds up at the Food Drive that afternoon.  As for our KTVN On-Air crew of Adam, Chloe and Arianna . . . guess which one enjoys cooking and traveling to San Francisco, which one enjoys coaching basketball and working with animals, and which one harbors a healthy obsession with Lake Tahoe?

Hidden Mickeys Can Bring You $100 Worth of Food and Beverage in CV Steak: This is a pretty simple "contest." Mixed in among the many hundreds of Christmas decorations inside the Carson Valley Inn are 9 Mickey Mouse themed Christmas ornaments. In Disney parlance, these are called Hidden Mickeys. So how does this tie to $100 Worth of Food and Beverage in CV Steak? For every correct location you identify (shoot us an email by clicking here) before the deadline, you'll be entered once into our Hidden Mickey contest. We'll hold a drawing on December 23 and the winner will be notified by email. $100 in CV Steak goes a long way . . . So why not look around and let us know where you see our Christmas Hidden Mickeys.

Reno Shuttle Going Well: The folks at Amador Stage Lines told us that the Carson Valley Airporter scheduled shuttle service between the Carson Valley and Reno is going very well. Make you plans now to use this service if you are flying out of town for Christmas or New Years.  Also a great way for out-of-town visitors to get between the Reno Airport and Carson Valley!

New Senior and Community Center: Congratulations to Douglas County on the long-anticipated opening of the Douglas County Community and Senior Center this Saturday! The Grand Opening and Open House starts at 1:00 p.m. at the impressive new facility at 1329 Waterloo Lane in Gardnerville. A great opportunity to tour the 83,000 sq. ft. building which includes a wide variety of services and state-of-the-art amenities.

Throw Down for Best Sandwich: The carsonvalleytimes.com "Sandwich Wars" started earlier this week with four Katie's favorites on the nomination round ballot: The Big Bird, The French Dip, The Nevadan and The Monte Cristo. Still plenty of time to add more of your Katie's favorites and start voting! Need a reminder on what Katie's offers? Click here to go to the lunch and dinner menu.

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

• Special Poker Game Expanded: The new daytime no-limit game we covered in last week's blog quickly proved both popular and fun, so the crew in the poker room added another day and you can now jump in on this lower-risk no-limit game at 1 p.m. on both Wednesdays and Fridays! Word from the Poker Room is that the Saturday hourly High Hand Contest is also creating some extra interaction as the end of each hour closes in!
• Ladies Night New Start Time: Ladies' Night now starts at 5:30 p.m.   Tonight's Hot Seat winners will receive a valuable Yankee Candle gift basket and the first 150 ladies to check in tonight will receive a Yankee Candle Votive. To have your business featured on one of our Ladies' Nights (we do pay you for the prizes); call Stephanie at 775-783-7711.
• Jackpot Update:
• The Penny Progressive Jackpot was approaching $53,000 when we checked late yesterday afternoon . . . sure starts climbing at a faster rate when it tops $50k. As a reminder, this jackpot is all at the Carson Valley Inn, so no worries about someone hitting it elsewhere!
• The Pro PK'em Progressive is $4,096 for this weekend's NFL games. That's just about where it was when it hit for the first time last year . . . just sayin'.
• This Week's Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak is Grilled Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast 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!

Fire Back at Us! Have questions 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!

Win a 3-Night Golf Trip to CVI, Boxing this Saturday, More

Win 3 Nights at the CVI and 3 Rounds of Golf - No Joke!!  If you are a golfer,  you definitely want to read this one. Your best golf joke can win you exactly what the headline states and more. One of the rounds of golf is part of the Divine 9 Golf Media Tour on Tuesday, September 30. On the surface, it's a round of golf. However, it is one of the most unique rounds of golf you will ever play: two holes at each of nine area courses - all in one day! You start with breakfast at o dark thirty, the bus leaves at dawn and you'll be joining a dozen media types who will be writing about, tweeting, blogging, or recording the day's events to help promote the courses and lodging in our area. This day is not for the feeble. It's long, the crowd gets loud towards the end of the day, and there's no time for practice swings or whining. There are plenty of liquid refreshments on the bus, lunch and snacks are included, and everyone gathers for dinner at the JT Restaurant and Bar after the last two holes at the end of the day - and it's all included. Sound like something you'd enjoy? Here's how you enter: Go to this link for the details and then just send your best golf joke by noon on Wednesday, September 17. We guarantee the winner will have a golf and social experience you won't soon forget.

The Collegiate and Amateur Boxing card in TJ's Corral this Saturday starts at 4 p.m. and tickets are just $10 . . . get 'em online or at the hotel desk. Catch boxers from Nevada, Airforce Academy, Cal and Washington as they tune up for the 2015 season.  You'll see 2014 National Champions and National finalists in action and have a chance to meet the Nevada Boxing coaches and some of the Nevada Boxing alumni.

Was that the Real Billy Joel? If you thought you heard Billy Joel singing in TJ's Corral last Saturday . . . it wasn't the real Billy Joel!  We had a summer BBQ for our INN Club members with a Billy Joel Tribute Act as the evening's entertainment. Why point this out? It's just another reminder to use your INN Club card whenever you play at the CVI. All the invites to this event went to folks who had earned a certain level of points in the past few months and, the best part: No points were charged to attend the event! We have more of these events coming up . . . so please always use your card!

100 Days 'Til Ski Season: Actually, as of today, there are 72 days 'til ski season . . . because we are just now getting around to including this link to the "100" list that our friends at Heavenly Lake Tahoe send us on August 13. So, you can go through the first 28 days on fast-forward and pick up from today, scan thru all 100, or pick 'n' choose as you wish. No matter how you shake it, Ski Season is on the horizon and the Carson Valley Inn will be posting our 2014/15 Ski Packages soon! And for the record: we're going to take a swipe at the day-71 tip as soon as it warms up today!

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

• We mentioned a lot of the details of our NFL Football Promotions  last week but forgot to remind you that that our Bar Bites Snacks are available during all games (because they are served 24/7) and we invite you to check out the offerings at This Link. Nothing like having food delivered to your seat while you watch sports at the CVI!
• Speaking of Football - After Further Review: Nevada Football's first 2-0 start since 2010 has everyone pumped up at the University of Nevada and "things" are happening fast . . . including a change in date for Coach Brian Polian's Wolf Pack Blitz lunch at the Carson Valley Inn. Originally scheduled for September 22, the trip to Minden by the Coach and Athletic Department staff will now be on Monday, November 3. All other details are the same: The cost is $17 per person and advance reservations are a must through the University of Nevada Athletic Department at 775-682-6901.
  
• 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 just $26.00!
• Congratulations to last night's winners in our September Blackjack Tournament as the top 3 finishers shared the prize pool of $1250. Mickey Bennett finished first for $625. Second place and $375 was won by Joshua Gutierrez. The $250 for third place went to Ron Perreira. It's just a $25 buy-in and the next monthly tournament is Tuesday, October 14.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret: Dale Poune appears tonight, The Vegas Road Show entertains Thursday – Saturday, NFL Football fills the Cabaret Sunday and Monday nights and Steve Lord takes the stage Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Ladies' Night –Tonight! Each of tonight's Hot Seat winners will receive a Cosmetic Travel
  
  Bag filled with goodies assembled by Julie and Stephanie. And the first 150 ladies to check in tonight will receive a deco-magnet (some pictured). Remember, if you are a local merchant interested in getting involved in our Ladies' Night promotion, please contact Stephanie at 775-783-7711. We are looking for six hot seat prizes and 150 of something smaller every week!
• A reminder about two big events in our Valley Ballroom this Weekend:
• The Sierra Nevada Republican Women “September 11” Dinner is Friday evening. Tickets for this official NV Sesquicentennial event are available thru Nancy, 775-267-6937.
• The Friends of the NRA dinner is Saturday and last minute tickets are available through Blayne at 775-450-2349. 

What's On Your Mind? 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!