What’s New
• CommRow: CommRow is a new urban adventure and entertainment centre in downtown Reno. Inside is a bouldering park with an adjacent children's climbing and play area. Outside is the world’s largest climbing wall, towering above the Reno Arch at 50 metres high. After dark, live music takes centre stage in CommRow’s entertainment and dance venues, Cargo and Centric. Three eateries and four lounges make this a place to stay at all day - and night. Reno.
• Gold Rush: Nevada is experiencing a mining boom, ranking among the top three producers of gold in the world. Silver is also making a comeback and stirring mining fever in everyone. Visitors can search for their own treasure at several rock-hounding sites, including opal mines in northwestern Nevada, turquoise in central Nevada, and garnets in central-eastern Nevada. Or see how the pros do it with scheduled tours of the world’s richest gold mines just outside Elko, Nevada.
• The California Trail Interpretive Center: Situated right on the original California Trail, the route that many settlers and 49ers took out West in the mid-1800s. The interpretive centre depicts the history of the settlers from when they left their home in the East to when they arrived in California, Nevada and Oregon. It shows the hardships they endured and what life was like on the trail. Just behind the building are ruts in the road from the wagon trains. Tahoe.
• The Mint Coin Press: Manufactured by Morgan & Orr in Philadelphia, who created many of the steam-powered coining presses then in use throughout the world, the first six-tonne press arrived at the Carson Mint in 1869. As was the custom of the day, it was painted with a large “1” to signify the first press located in the coiner’s department. Carson City.
• International Air Terminal: McCarran International Airport is putting the finishing touches on a state-of-the-art, $2.4 billion Terminal 3, a new 14-gate international air terminal in Las Vegas.
• Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace: The newest hotel in Vegas features state of the art amenities and an in-room MediaHub allowing guests to connect and stream direct from any mobile device. The 668-room hotel tower offers guests a private entrance, separate hotel lobby and direct access to the Garden of the Gods pool oasis and gardens. The opening of Octavius Tower marks a major milestone in the two-year renaissance of Caesars Palace, which began in March 2011 with the return of Celine Dion, and encompasses the recent launches of Elton John and Rod Stewart at The Colosseum and the opening of Central Michel Richard, by its namesake award-winning chef. Las Vegas.
Attractions
• Las Vegas Strip: The heart of Las Vegas is lined with themed resort hotel-casinos providing a never-ending selection of entertainment, elegant cuisine, luxury shopping, opulent spas and world-class shows.
• Truckee River Whitewater Park: Year-round kayaking in fresh, clear water in a whitewater park that offers 11 drop pools and slalom course in the heart of downtown Reno’s famed casino district.
• The Freemont Street Experience: Entertainment venue hosting Viva Vision, the biggest screen on the planet with more than 12 million lights and 550,000 watts of concert quality sound. Shows are put on nightly. A pedestrian mall has two permanent performance stages. The Neon Museum preserves neon signs from old hotels. A zip line runs beneath the Viva Vision canopy.
• Nevada State Museum: Tour a ghost town, walk through a silver mine and see the actual equipment used to stamp more than $50 million in gold and silver coins mined from the Comstock Lode in the late 1800s. Carson City.
• Atomic Testing Museum: Intriguing exhibits chronicle the history of U.S. nuclear weapons testing, nuclear science, world wars and the Nuclear Age. Affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. Las Vegas.
• Las Vegas Springs Preserve: Indoor/outdoor display of sustainable lifestyle; a reconstructed box canyon with native plants and birds; and “live” flash flood demonstration.
• Kit Carson Trail and Talking Houses: Walking trail through Carson City’s residential district. Celebrated locals, including Mark Twain, are featured at historic stops through locally available AM radio broadcasts.
• Lake Mead National Recreation Area: A haven for boaters,
Las Vegas News Bureau kayakers, water hounds, and water skiers. Created by the Hoover Dam and the Colorado River, the sheer size of Lake Mead and Lake Mohave boggles the mind. Boaters take advantage of sheltered coves, flooded canyons, and clean beaches, while hikers, wildlife photographers and sightseers revel in the awe-inspiring scenery and variety of hiking trails. Cruises are available on a paddle wheeler to and from Hoover Dam. There are also campgrounds, boat and jet-ski rental services, hotels, restaurants, beaches and four marinas.
• Silver State Peace Officers Museum: Learn about the history and evolution of law enforcement, as well as view some artifacts from the 1930s gangster era, including John Dillinger’s death mask and items related to Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde and Baby Face Nelson. Virginia City.
Nevada Commission On Tourism
• Valley of Fire State Park: 10 kilometres from Lake Mead, boasts amazing red sandstone rock formations created by ancient sand dunes, and lifting, faulting and erosion of the terrain over time. Activities in the park include hiking, camping and picnics. Favourite formations are Atlatl Rock, Arch Rock, Elephant Rock, Fire Canyon/Silica Dome, Seven Sisters and White Domes. Desert iguanas and Gila monsters crawl among the plants. Desert-banded geckos, collared lizards, and chuckwallas lurk among the rocks. Ground squirrels, coyotes, bighorn sheep, roadrunners and white tailed antelope are just some of the animals that call the Valley of Fire home. 
Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower
• The Mob Museum: This museum is an interesting story. It opened in February 2012 and tells the story of organized crime in America from the perspectives of both the Mob and law enforcement. At The Mob Museum, facts are exposed from fiction and shed a light on how the Mob came to be, the battles that were fought, and what remains today. Learn about the Mob’s biggest players including Al Capone, Whitey Bulger, Bugsy Siegel, John Gotti and many more. Las Vegas.
• Bonnie Springs Ranch: Reproduction of an 1880s Western mining town. Bonnie Springs Ranch, built in 1843 as a stopover for wagon trains travelling to California, offers horseback riding in Red Rock Canyon, and has a hotel, a quaint restaurant and a petting zoo.
• M&M’s World: Four floors full of M&M’s products and memorabilia from M&M’s dolls and alarm clocks to bathroom essentials, Monopoly, M&M’s in 22 colours and personalized M&M’s; 3-D film I Left My M in Vegas; fourth floor offers a close-up look at an M&M’s sponsored Toyota Camry race car. Las Vegas.
• Hoover Dam: An engineering showpiece between Nevada and Arizona, completed in 1936, two years ahead of schedule, by a team of 200 engineers and 7,000 workers, under difficult conditions. The dam, named after the 31st president of the United States, Herbert Hoover, helped to contain run-off from the Colorado River as it made its way towards the Gulf of California and directed water to the agricultural areas of California and Arizona. The dam also produced much needed electrical power. An elevator ride allows visitors to view the inner workings of the Dam.
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Events
• National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (January), Elko.
• White Pine Fire and Ice Show (January), Ely.
• Lock Your Love, Valentine's Day (February), Lovelock.
• Mountain Oyster Fry and St. Patrick’s Day Parade (March), Virginia City.
• Laughlin River Run (April), Laughlin.
• V&T Railroad rides (May-October), Carson City-Virginia City.
• BigHorn Rodeo (May), Las Vegas.
• Reno Rodeo (June), Reno.
• Carson City Rendezvous (June), Carson City.
• Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (July to August), Lake Tahoe.
• The Legends Reno-Tahoe Open at Montreux, PGA Tour (July), Reno.
• Nevada Territory Wild West Fair (formerly Nevada State Fair) (August), Reno.
• Las Vegas 350 NASCAR (September), Las Vegas.
• National Championship Air Races (September), Reno.
• Virginia City Camel Races (September), Virginia City.
• Haunted Ghost Walks (October) Minden, Gardnerville, Genoa.
• Nevada Day Celebration & Parade (October), Carson City.
• National Finals Rodeo (December), Las Vegas.
Travel NevadaPlaces
• Virginia City: Once, one of the richest mining towns in the world and the heart of the Comstock Lode. This lively town with wooden sidewalks, saloons, shops and museums is America’s largest historical monument.
• Great Basin National Park: Dominated by the 3,981-metre Wheeler Peak, this pristine wilderness is also home to ancient bristlecone pines and the limestone Lehman Caves. Public tours available.
• Reno: Popularly known for an abundance of outdoor recreation, arts and culture, gaming and nightlife and the sparkling Truckee River Whitewater Park downtown.
Reno-Sparks.com
• Lake Tahoe: The largest alpine lake in North America. Lake Tahoe is a year-round resort internationally famous for both summer and winter recreation – everything from skiing to wind surfing.
• Virginia City: One of the largest historical districts in the U.S. and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Red Rock Canyon State Park: Offers unsurpassed beauty with towering cliffs, thundering waterfalls, rocky red terrain and exotic desert wildlife. A total of 10,000 years of history can be witnessed on a 21-kilometre scenic loop past Indian roasting pits, “handprints” and pictographs. This amazing park is home to about 200 different animals including burros, rabbits, coyotes, bighorn sheep, red tailed hawks, golden eagles, hummingbirds and even a few wild horses, bobcats and mountain lions.
Nevada Tourism
Hidden Gems
• Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum & Cultural Center: Near mystical Pyramid Lake, the museum is a treasure trove of Paiute history and culture. Gift shop. Nixon.
• Cathedral Gorge State Park: Amazing cathedral spires naturally carved from rock. Panaca.
• Bonnie Springs Old Nevada: Horseback riding, Western town, miniature train rides, dining. Blue Diamond.
• Genoa Courthouse Museum: Fascinating displays depict lifestyle of Native Americans and early settlers in the beautiful Carson Valley. Genoa.
• Hickison Petroglyphs: Interpretive trail off US Highway 50 offers opportunity to see ancient petroglyphs or rock art etched on boulders. Austin.
Did You Know?
State Motto: All for Our Country
State Flower: Sagebrush
State Bird: Mountain bluebird
State Insect: Vivid Dancer Damselfly
Fast Facts
Region: SOUTHWEST
America’s Byways: Lake Tahoe National Scenic Byway, Las Vegas Strip National Scenic Byway, Pyramid Lake National Scenic Byway, Great Basin Scenic Byway, Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway, Angel Lake Scenic Byway, Mt. Charleston Scenic Byway, Mt. Rose Scenic Byway, Red Rock Canyon Scenic Byway, Valley of Fire Scenic Byway.
Shopping: Las Vegas Premium Outlets (North and South), Forum Shops (Caesars Palace), Shops at the Venetian and Palazzo, Fashion Show Mall, The Wynn Esplanade Shops.
Direct Flights: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, Sunwing, WestJet
Sales Tools: Nevada Visitors Guide, Nevada Adventure Guide, Nevada Open Roads, Hwy 50 Survival Guide
Info: Nevada Commission on Tourism
1-775-687-4322
www.TravelNevada.com