TravelNevada Offers Thrilling Reasons To Travel in 2018

CARSON CITY, Nev., Dec. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In Nevada, 2018 is shaping up to be one of the best years yet, with new resorts, restaurants and recreation. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a longtime fan, TravelNevada invites all to experience the "Don't Fence Me In" spirit in a whole new way.

~Winter and Sports Action~

Diamond Peak Ski Resort On-Mountain Interpretive Tours (Lake Tahoe)
In partnership with the Incline Village General Improvement District's Waste Not conservation staff, Diamond Peak will offer a series of guided interpretive ski/snowboard tours of the mountain this winter. Program participants will meet at the Base Lodge with a guide before touring the mountain to discuss the plant and animal life that flourishes within the ski area's boundaries, as well as the history of the resort, Incline Village and Lake Tahoe. Throughout the winter, tours will be available for all levels of skiers and snowboarders.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe $2 Million in Capital Improvements (Lake Tahoe)
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe made improvements that will significantly enhance the guest experience during the 2017-18 seasons and beyond. One of the resort's major projects includes a first-of-its-kind enclosed dual conveyor lift that will offer beginners and children protection from the elements and unprecedented access to Mt. Rose's learning terrain. Additional projects include expanded snowmaking and snow grooming capabilities, and facility upgrades at the Winters Creek Lodge base area.

Professional Sports Teams (Las Vegas)
Nevada has been on a mission to draw in professional sports teams, and that mission is nearly accomplished. In fall 2018, Las Vegas will be home to a WBNA team. The San Antonio Stars are relocating to Las Vegas and will begin play at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. This follows the announcements of Nevada's first professional sports franchise — the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights — which began play in fall 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip, and the United Soccer League's newest team, Las Vegas Lights FC, which will begin play in 2018. Last, construction has begun on a new stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders, the state's first professional NFL team.

~Off the Beaten Path~

Lincoln County Mountain Bike Trail System (Southern Nevada)
A project to develop an extensive mountain bike trail system in Lincoln County is underway. Three government agencies are collaborating with the International Mountain Bicycling Association on the project: the city of Caliente, Nevada State Parks and the federal Bureau of Land Management. Caliente was scheduled to open a Mountain Bike Skills Park and 1.5- to 3-mile trail by Nov. 30, 2017; and the BLM opened a 3-mile section of trail (the first part of what eventually will be a 22-mile trail) in 2017.

Nevada Backcountry Discovery Route (Eastern Nevada)
Adventure motorcycling nonprofit Backcountry Discovery Routes unveiled the Nevada Backcountry Discovery Route in early 2017. The route for dual-sport and adventure motorcycle travel goes from Oatman, Arizona., north to Jarbidge. The 900-mile, north-south route is primarily on dirt roads, offering views of Nevada's expansive deserts, sagebrush valleys and mountain ranges.

New State Parks (West Central and Southern Nevada)
The state of Nevada added two new state parks during the 2017 legislative section. Walker River State Recreation area was developed on three former ranch properties near the East Walker River, and spans 12,000 acres. Ice Age Fossils State Park in North Las Vegas is on 315 acres of land surrounded by the recently created Tule Springs Fossil Bed National Monument, which is managed by the National Park Service.

~Eye Candy~

Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum (Elko)
Nevada's ranching culture is preserved at the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum recently opened in November 2017 in Elko. The museum is in the historical G.S. Garcia Saddle Shop building and presents Western heritage through exhibits, demonstrations and programs. Saddles, bridles, harnesses, bedrolls and other cowboy gear are on display, and such Western arts as leather stamping, rawhide braiding and silver engraving are featured. Many of the artifacts housed there are rooted to the beginning of Nevada's first rodeo and legendary saddle maker J.M. Capriola.

The Neon Museum Expansion (Las Vegas)
The Neon Museum in Las Vegas expanded with the purchase of a .27-acre adjacent lot. The expansion houses 30 historical signs not previously on view, including those from the Las Vegas Club, Spearmint Rhino and Longhorn Casino.

The Eddy Container Park (Reno)
The Eddy container park and beer garden opened in May 16, 2017, in downtown Reno. The pet-friendly venue, constructed out of shipping containers, has three bar areas, two bocce ball courts and artwork by local artists. The Eddy is at 16 S. Sierra St., on the south side of the Truckee River.

Rio Secco Golf Club Redesign (Las Vegas)
Rio Secco Golf Club in Las Vegas unveiled a major redesign by the course's original architect, Rees Jones, in October 2017. Renovation highlights include stripping, coring out and re-grassing all 18 greens, re-contouring and re-grassing five of the greens and a new practice putting green adjacent to the practice tee. Rio Secco Golf Club sits at the foothills of the Black Mountain Range, about 13 miles southeast of the Las Vegas Strip.

~Epicurean Fuel for Fun~

Reno Bites Culinary Themed Road Trip (Reno)
In conjunction with Reno's Restaurant week, TravelNevada launched a culinary themed trip around Reno in late 2017. The 218-mile loop route takes hungry travelers through Fallon, Carson City, Carson Valley, Stateline, Incline Village and back to the Biggest Little City. A detailed itinerary of the route can be found at www.TravelNevada.com, (type Reno Bites Road Trip in the search field).

Shoe Tree Brewing Opening (Carson City)
Shoe Tree Brewing Company opened in early 2017 in Carson City. Brothers and brewers Jeff and Paul Young are behind this operation, named in honor of a fallen cottonwood tree off Highway 50 in Churchill County. Before it was chopped down in 2011, the tree's branches hung heavy with old shoes people had thrown at it: "It wasn't a big part of our lives, but we were brewing pretty heavily around the time it was cut down," Jeff Young told the Nevada Appeal. This story ends happily: a nearby tree has since replaced the old shoe tree; and the newly minted brewery has memorialized the roadside attraction with a slate of creative new suds.   

The Union (Reno)
The Union, a restaurant-brewery-coffee house backed by Reno chef and local entrepreneur Mark Estee and Mark Trujillo of Hub Coffee Roasters among others, opened in summer 2017 in Carson City. The Union serves up locally sourced salads, wood-fired pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and more.

Las Vegas Restaurant Developments
Minus5 Ice Experience opened a new ice attraction/bar inside the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian and the Palazzo on the Las Vegas Strip. Debuting in summer 2017, the Minus5 Ice Experience at the Grand Canal Shoppes has a 1,500-square-foot ice attraction with a walk-up warm bar. It's the third Minus5 Ice Experience in Las Vegas (the others are inside the Mandalay Bay and the Monte Carlo.)

Drinks are made with mechanical precision at the Tipsy Robot, where two robotic arms prepare drinks ordered from an app. Belly up to the bar, which opened in June 2017, inside the Miracle Mile Shops inside Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas Strip. The Tipsy Robot also has human bartenders, for those who like their cocktails made by hand, literally.

Rock 'n' roll bar Corduroy in the Fremont East Entertainment District of Las Vegas, celebrates the '70s and early '80s with a vintage speaker collection-turned-art exhibit and music from the era — think Blondie, Madonna, Run-D.M.C. and Depeche Mode. Corduroy debuted in August 2017.

Chef Gordon Ramsay of "Hell's Kitchen" fame is set to open a restaurant named after his Fox-TV cooking competition show. Expected to open in winter 2017 inside Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip, Hell's Kitchen will be Ramsay's fifth Las Vegas restaurant. Designed to be an experiential and immersive destination restaurant, Hell's Kitchen will transport guests to the studio set of Ramsay's TV show, now in its 17^th season.

Las Vegas chef Brian Howard, last seen helming the kitchen at Comme Ca in the Cosmopolitan, opened his new restaurant, Sparrow + Wolf, in spring 2017 just west of the Strip. Sparrow + Wolf's ever-evolving menu is influenced by Howard's travels, coupled with slices of regional American cuisine.

~Resting Up for Adventure~

Caesars Palace $100 Million Palace Tower Renovation (Las Vegas)
The iconic Caesars Palace Las Vegas has completed the renovation of its Palace Tower, the resort's largest tower, featuring 1,181 stylishly designed guest rooms and suites and a price tag topping $100 million. Considered the crown jewel of the tower, the coveted 29th floor features 10 luxurious new villas with exquisite finishes, bespoke furnishings, a curated art program and plenty of space: the rooms range in size from 2,750 square feet to 4,085 square feet. Like the grand villas in the Octavius, Forum and Augustus towers, the new Palace Tower villas feature the finest design details.

Paradise Park Lagoon Themed Resort (Las Vegas)
Wynn Resorts plans to start construction in December 2017 on the first phase of Paradise Park. This $1.5 billion resort and theme park will include a white sand dune lagoon waterfront featuring several other attractions. The first phase includes a lagoon, boardwalk, convention space and food services. It will be built on 130-acres off the Las Vegas strip.

Golden Gate Hotel & Casino Completes Major Expansion (Las Vegas)
Las Vegas' original hotel, Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, has completed a major expansion project, marking a new chapter in the 111-year-old Downtown Las Vegas property's elaborate history. Featuring a modern yet timeless design from Dez Motif and architecture by MOSER Architecture Studio, the renovation includes a casino floor nearly doubled in size, a majestic grand entrance, an extension of its outdoor bar – OneBar at One Fremont Street – and more. Spanning 5,000 square feet, the updated casino space has introduced 91 new slots to the gaming floor. The centerpiece is an eye-catching 360-degree, 24-foot tower of televisions, artfully displayed as though the TVs are emerging from a fountain. Mixing the nostalgia of vintage Vegas glitz with Art Deco style, Golden Gate has introduced a redesigned façade, including glamorous 500-pound golden velvet drapes to create an unforgettable casino entrance. Inspired by the Jazz Age, the drapery is adorned with exquisite gold medallions, serving as a grand arrival to the casino's marble-floored rotunda.

The Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe (Lake Tahoe)
The Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe, a 169,000-square-foot, 154-room hotel, opened in June 2017 at Edgewood Tahoe golf course in Stateline. Edgewood, located on the shore of Lake Tahoe and home of the annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, steps it up with the $100 million property. The resort's lake-view great room features 38-foot-high floor-to-ceiling windows, a grand staircase of hewn logs, walnut paneling and limestone carvings. All rooms offer gas fireplaces and private decks as well as handsome wood furnishings. The lakefront pool is heated year-round with a 40-person hot tub and fire pits.

Renaissance Hotel Downtown Reno (Reno)
Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel, a Marriott International property, opened in May 2017 in downtown Reno right next to the Truckee River. Formerly the Siena resort and casino, the non-gaming Renaissance Reno has 214 renovated guestrooms, including 28 suites; and Bundox Bocce, a 22,000-square-foot, family friendly entertainment venue with seven indoor bocce ball courts, two 5-foot projection screens, a restaurant and bar. The pet-friendly property also sports an exercise facility, a seasonal outdoor pool, and a full-service restaurant with al fresco riverside dining.

For more Nevada travel experiences, visit TravelNevada.com.

The Nevada Division of Tourism (TravelNevada) is part of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. It promotes and markets Nevada as a tourism destination for domestic and international leisure and business travelers through its marketing and advertising programs and by coordinating partnerships between public and private entities. TravelNevada also administers grant programs for local entities to market travel and tourism offerings and publishes Nevada Magazine. For more, visit TravelNevada.biz.

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SOURCE TravelNevada