Virginia and Truckee Railroad

Daily Steam Trips for 2009 are planned for the Virginia and Truckee Railway. The wests most famous short line railroad takes visitors on a three mile excursion from historic Virginia City to Gold Hill. The Virginia & Truckee Railroad began operated in 1870 and was in operation until 1950. Today the line is alive and kicking with trains departing daily in the summer months. Next time you are in the Reno/Carson City area be sure to take a ride on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad.

Mount Charleston

Looking for some fun in the snow near Las Vegas then head to Mount Charleston. Charleston Peak, is the highest mountain of the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada and is about 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas. A 45 minute drive takes you to a different world where it is possible to ski, snowboard or have a snow ball fight. The ski area is not not nearly as big as the major resorts but with such a short drive it's worth a visit. Weekends can get busy so if you don't come on a weekday, you'll find yourself in line for one of the two lifts for quite a while. To get to the ski resort from Las Vegas, take U.S. Highway 95 north to Highway 156, Lee Canyon. Follow Highway 156 for 17 miles to the resort. The highway ends at Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort.

Springs Preserve Las Vegas Winter Lights Festival

Springs Preserve is holding it's annual winter light festival with over a half-million sparkeling Christmas lights decorating the grounds. Guests will enjoy entertainment from roaming performance groups, carriage rides, visits with Santa Claus and Theater Las Vegas' original puppet show "Dickens Done Over."
Holiday-inspired treats and green gift options will be available throughout the Preserve. The Festival runs 5 to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday from Nov. 28 to Dec. 21, 5 to 9 p.m. daily from Dec. 22 to 24 and Dec. 26 to 30 (the Preserve is closed on Christmas). Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for children ages 5 to 17 and free for Annual Pass members and children 4 and under. Entry includes admission to all museums and galleries. Springs Preserve 333 S. Valley View Blvd Las Vegas, Nevada (between US 95 and Alta Drive) Phone: (702) 822-7700 Map

Las Vegas City Center

Las Vegas City Center is located front row on the Las vegas strip. This massive construction project is the most expensive privately funded project in U.S. History. The first phase of MGM MIRAGE's CityCenter, a gargantuan, $11+-billion, 68-acre project, is under construction on the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and Monte Carlo. Phase two will eventually occupy the space behind and between Monte Carlo and New York New York. The Boardwalk Hotel was demolished along with a few local businesses to make room for this immense project. Harmon Road will meander through CityCenter and cross I-15 via an already completed bridge.
The massive city center will include:
- 4,004-room 61-story ARIA Resort & Casino (Cesar Pelli)
- 165,000-square-foot casino (Pelli)
- 400-room + 227 condos - Mandarin Oriental Hotel/Residences (Pedersen / Tihany)
- 400-room + 207 condos - The Harmon Hotel/Residences (Foster and Partners)
- 1543-unit Vdara Condo/Hotel tower (Rafael Viñoly)
- Twin, 337-unit luxury condo towers Veer (Helmut Jahn)
- 500,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space The Crystals Mall (Daniel Libeskind)
- $40 million worth of modern sculptures and installations by world famous artists
- 225,000 square feet of convention and meeting space
- 900,000 square feet for back-of-house operations
- 2,000-seat theater
- 70,000-square-foot spa
- 7,500-car parking garage
- Fire station
- People movers (trams)
- On-site power plant

When completed in late 2009 City Center CityCenter will have a 1/4-mile Las Vegas Strip frontage. The project's center will the 61-story ARIA Resort & Casino with 4,000-rooms, designed by world renowned architect Cesar Pelli. There will be plenty of glitz in the form of light shows projected against building facades. Reports from MGM MIRAGE state that a new Cirque du Soleil show, called Elvis, will premiere at the CityCenter Resort on opening day.