Nevada
9 Ideal Nevada Destinations for a 3-Day Weekend in 2024
Amidst the vast desert landscapes and iconic sagebrush, Nevada’s small towns are waiting to be discovered, offering a blend of charm and quirkiness, with a dash of frontier spirit. Imagine stepping back in time where Main Street is lined with historic saloons, antique shops, and locals who greet visitors like old friends. From the ghostly whispers of Virginia City to the relaxing resorts of Mesquite, each town tells its own tale, promising a three-day weekend in 2024 filled with unexpected delights and the kind of adventures that the family will reminisce about for years to come. So, pack light, fuel up, and get out there to uncover the authentic heart of Nevada’s small-town magic.
Boulder City
When looking for a weekend destination, Boulder City is a perfect starting point. The Hoover Dam offers guided tours and a visitor center for a deep dive into the dam’s complex engineering. Lake Mead provides endless opportunities for boating, fishing, and swimming. The Nevada State Railroad Museum takes guests on historic train rides, making them feel like they have traveled back in time, while Hemenway Park is where travelers can spot bighorn sheep while enjoying a picnic. Staying at the Boulder Dam Hotel adds a touch of old-world elegance to any visitor’s trip, while the Boulder City Art Guild entertains by showcasing local artistic talent.
Ely
In Ely, the Nevada Northern Railway Museum offers a journey through time with its historic train rides and exhibits. Garnet Hill is a hotspot for rockhounding enthusiasts eager to find their own garnets. Ely Renaissance Village presents preserved historic buildings, maintaining the town’s original spirit through the passing decades. Visitors can stay at the Hotel Nevada & Gambling Hall, featuring one of the many casinos to be found in town.
Great Basin National Park is also close to town, with hiking trails, Lehman Caves tours, and exceptional stargazing. Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park lets you explore 19th-century charcoal ovens, and the Ely Art Bank is a hub for local art displays and community events, rounding out a culturally rich visit.
Winnemucca
Winnemucca provides a blend of history and outdoor adventure, and a diverse selection of entertainment for visitors from all over. The Humboldt Museum features exhibits on local history and culture and the Buckaroo Hall of Fame gallops into rodeo history with fascinating exhibits. For outdoor activity the Water Canyon Recreation Area is ideal for hiking, picnicking, and spotting wildlife, while Vesco City Park is perfect for family outings, with sports facilities and open spaces. Hosting a thrilling experience in an unexpected location, the Winnemucca Sand Dunes are great for off-roading and sandboarding. To cap off the days Model T Casino offers gaming, accommodation, and dining options, making it a fun spot to unwind after a day of exploring.
Pahrump
For a delightful myriad of activities, Pahrump is the pick that does not disappoint. Start with the Pahrump Valley Winery for wine tastings and vineyard tours. Sanders Family Winery is another stop for enjoying local wines and special events. For a different kind of excitement, Front Sight Firearms Training Institute provides comprehensive firearms courses. Racing enthusiasts can head to Spring Mountain Motor Resort for thrilling racing courses and events.
The Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino combines gaming, dining, and entertainment for a lively evening, as well as a comfortable place to stay while you take in the joys of the town. Lastly, Lake Spring Mountain offers water sports and a relaxing environment, perfect for winding down your weekend.
Virginia City
The Virginia & Truckee Railroad provides a journey back in time with its historic train rides and tours, and is just one of the many things that make Virginia City well worth the visit. Explore some of the town’s mining history and artifacts at The Way It Was Museum. Piper’s Opera House continues to host historic performances and events, maintaining the town’s connection to it’s past as well as the arts.
Experience the Old West at the Bucket of Blood Saloon, featuring live music and a unique atmosphere. The Fourth Ward School Museum offers a glimpse into the educational past with its well-preserved exhibits. Don’t miss the Storey County Courthouse, where historic architecture and informative tours await. For accommodation guests can book rooms at the Silverland Inn, which boasts a casino, indoor pool area, and a bar.
Elko
Within Elko, the Western Folklife Center showcases cowboy poetry and cultural exhibits, celebrating the area’s expansion era traditions. Visit the Northeastern Nevada Museum for an inside look into local history and wildlife. Sherman Station features restored historic buildings and serves as a visitor center, providing a historical backdrop to any trip. Ruby View Golf Course is a public golf course offering stunning mountain views and for nature lovers, Lamoille Canyon presents scenic drives and hiking trails that highlight Nevada’s natural beauty. The Elko County Fairgrounds host annual fairs, rodeos, and various events, ensuring a lively experience that leaves guests collapsing into bed at Maverick Hotel and Casino by Red Lion Hotels.
Tonopah
If looking for a weekend with history and celestial wonders then Tonopah should be at the top of the list. Start with the Tonopah Historic Mining Park, where mining history and old equipment makes the past tangible and easy to imagine. The Central Nevada Museum presents even deeper insights into local history and its artifacts. As night falls, Tonopah Stargazing Park provides some of the darkest skies for stargazing in Nevada.
The Mizpah Hotel, famous for its ghost stories, offers tours that mix history with a bit of the supernatural, and an excellent place to stay for those not afraid of the things that go bump in the night. Renewable energy enthusiasts can visit the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project for a supercharged tour that is an experience found nowhere else. For a taste of the local flavor, the historic Tonopah Liquor Company bar has as many rich stories as it has drinks.
Mesquite
Mesquite offers a perfect blend of history, arts, and outdoor activities. Visitors can dive into the local history at the Virgin Valley Heritage Museum, where exhibits tell the story of the area. Golfers will appreciate the challenge and beauty of Wolf Creek Golf Club, a championship course, while Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery showcases local art, making it a must-visit for art lovers. For a bit of excitement, the Eureka Casino Resort combines gaming, dining, and entertainment. The Virgin River is great for boating, fishing, and various water sports. Motocross fans can head to Mesquite Motocross Park, which hosts thrilling racing events and competitions. There is always something to do in Mesquite.
Fallon
Fallon is a small town with a variety of attractions perfect for a three-day weekend. The Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon provides an opportunity to learn about US naval aviation with its exhibits. At Grimes Point, visitors can explore ancient petroglyphs and archaeological sites, and the Churchill County Museum delves into local history with extensive exhibits. For comfort and familiarity, the Holiday Inn Express is a great place to spend the nights. The Oats Park Arts Center offers a vibrant arts scene with its exhibitions and performances. For outdoor enthusiasts, Lahontan State Recreation Area is ideal for boating, fishing, and camping, while bird watchers and nature lovers will find the nearby Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge a hotspot for wildlife viewing.
In Nevada’s small towns, every street corner hides a story, every diner gives a sample of local flavor, and every sunset paints the sky in hues that even Instagram filters can not fully capture. These towns offer a getaway that is as refreshing as a dip in Lake Tahoe and as captivating as a midnight stroll under the stars. So, when you plan your three-day weekend escape for 2024, remember that in Nevada’s small towns, the adventure is not just in the destination it is woven into the very experience itself.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Holiday shopping is in full swing. At one warehouse in the Las Vegas Valley, thousands of customers a day are lining up to pick up items they won online in an auction at prices they say can’t be beat.
Quinton Stephenson has been shopping at NellisAuction.com for a decade and says the deals can’t be beat.
“You can find just about anything on the website, and you can usually save, you know, 30, 50, up to 70 percent pretty easily,” Stephenson said. “I picked up a 10-man Coleman tent for my son. He likes to camp a lot. I think it was like 66 bucks, and it was like a 300 and something dollar tent,” he said.
Wide selection and quick pickup process
They have more than 50,000 items up for bid in Las Vegas alone, with tens of thousands more at other locations. It all starts on the website.
“And there they can find kind of any item you can think of. TVs, hair dryers, toothpaste. We sell anything and everything that you can think of. They’re going to bid online. And when they win it, they’re going to come and they’re going to pick up through our curbside pickup process,” said Kyle Johnson, chief communications officer.
More than 3,000 customers alone stopped by the site on Dean Martin Tuesday alone. In the rain, they checked in and the items they won in the auction were loaded in their vehicles. Many times in less than 5 minutes.
Return policy draws repeat customers
What keeps many shoppers coming back, is the auction’s rare return policy.
“I can return things for just about any reason at all. So there’s no, you don’t have to pay to return something. There’s, there’s no fee for it. Um, so there’s like no risk,” Stephenson said.
The auction started as a mom-and-pop shop on Nellis Boulevard with one pallet. Now they have thousands upon thousands of pallets with tens of thousands of items.
Copyright 2025 KVVU. All rights reserved.
Nevada
Egg shortages and Christmas trees: Looking back at Nevada’s top 2025 environmental stories – The Nevada Independent
Merry Christmas and a happy new year loyal Indy readers!
Remember the challenge of finding eggs during the bird flu outbreak, or when federal lawmakers were considering selling hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in Nevada? It feels like eons ago, but in reality, it was just a few months! A LOT happened in Nevada this year, so as 2025 wraps up, join me in taking a few minutes to look back at some of the biggest stories of the year.
I also wrote this month about the economic impact of outdoor recreation on Nevada — turns out, it’s no slouch, eking out several other major industries. So once you finish reading this newsletter, get outside — it’s good for your health, and, as I reported earlier this month, good for the state’s economy!
🥚💧🎄
January — With utility infrastructure nationwide causing a growing number of wildfires, NV Energy asked state regulators to allow it to charge customers additional costs to pay for a $500 million self-funded insurance policy. State energy regulators agreed the utility needs additional insurance, but wasn’t convinced that customers should pay for it. Stay tuned for a decision in 2026.
February — As bird flu swept through Nevada, trying to find eggs in early 2025 was a bit like searching for toilet paper during the pandemic.
March — Staff turnover, an archaic paper billing system and “lack of proper oversight” were highlighted in an eye-opening state audit of the Nevada Division of Forestry after it provided nearly $33 million in firefighting services it never billed for. The division has since made a sizable dent in recouping those costs.
April — Nevada wrapped up the 2024-25 water year with a fairly mediocre snowpack in much of the state, interspersed with abysmal conditions. This winter’s snowpack is starting off where last winter left off — underwhelming.
May — May was a packed month. Word spread that NV Energy had overcharged customers millions of dollars over roughly two decades; later in the month, the utility’s CEO abruptly departed after six years. And, a potential federal move that would have released hundreds of thousands of acres of public land across Nevada for sale and/or development faced serious pushback from both sides of the aisle. Former D.C. reporter Gabby Birenbaum wrote about it extensively, including this piece in which Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) defended his involvement.
June — Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a slew of environmental bills, including one to strengthen the state’s wildland firefighting capabilities, two bills that stand up unfunded water buyback programs and others to increase protections for utility customers.
July — The One Big Beautiful Bill Act rolled back utility-scale solar tax credits much sooner than anticipated. Was it a coincidence that just three months later, permitting for a massive solar project planned for Southern Nevada appeared to get scrapped?
August — The third time wasn’t a charm for Southern Nevada, which saw cuts for the third year in a row to its water allocations because of declining Colorado River flows. This water year isn’t starting too hot either — I’ll have a story on that in the coming weeks.
September — I was on vacation when the federal government announced it would take a 5 percent stake directly in Thacker Pass and another 5 percent stake in the project’s developer, Lithium Americas, before it would release the initial chunk of a critical, several billion-dollar loan necessary for construction. My co-workers Eric Neugeboren and Mini Racker looked into the Trump administration’s new trend of partial ownership of private enterprise while I was off.
October — The feds (sort of) announced the cancellation of a Vegas-sized solar project in rural Nevada. This one was tricky to report on because of the lack of information put out during the federal shutdown. Time will tell what, if any, parts of the project go forward in the wake of substantial federal cuts to solar tax credits.
November — The question of what to do about coyote killing contests in Nevada has been a hot topic in wildlife circles for years. Passage of regulations authorizing the contests were approved by the state wildlife commission and finalized several weeks later by state lawmakers, marking a (not-so-satisfying) end of the saga.
December — Toilet wax rings, competitive antennas and zombie trees — my co-worker Mini Racker and I had a great time writing about how a Nevada fir tree dubbed “Silver Belle” became our Capitol Christmas tree.
In the weeds:
Pricey park passes — Starting Jan. 1, annual passes to enter all parks managed under the National Park system — including Nevada’s Great Basin, Red Rock and Lake Mead — will cost more than three times as much for nonresidents than U.S. residents. Residents will pay $80 for annual passes while nonresidents will pay $250, according to the Department of the Interior.
Where’s the beef? — With limited options for in-state meat processing and inspections, the Nevada Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture have created the Nevada State Meat and Poultry Inspection Program, allowing locally raised meat to be processed, inspected and sold in Nevada. The initiative was a priority of Gov. Joe Lombardo.
Not so clean — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled with Chedraui USA Inc., a Mexican company that owns El Super and Smart & Final, after the company sold unregistered disinfectants with labels making unverified statements in Nevada. Under the settlement, the company will pay more than $470,000 in fines; it has also removed the illegal products from its stores.
Here’s what else I’m reading (and listening to) this week:
I’ve shared stories on access to public land before; now, 99 Percent Invisible has a great breakdown of a yearslong legal battle between a Wyoming billionaire and some Missouri hunters he claims trespassed to access public land.
From ProPublica and High Country News: How wealthy ranchers profit from public lands with declining oversight.
The Daily Yonder writes that as winter approaches, rural Americans are struggling to afford heat.
And from the Los Angeles Times: California will now allow some mountain lions to be killed.
A closer look:
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A North Las Vegas man awaiting trial for allegedly killing his girlfriend during a fight is dead, according to Nevada prison officials.
Markeem Benson, 30, died at High Desert State Prison near Indian Springs on Monday, Dec. 22, the Nevada Department of Corrections said in a statement.
An autopsy has been requested, according to the department.
Benson was serving time for an attempted robbery conviction from 2024, for which he was originally sentenced to probation with a suspended prison sentence.
He was also charged with the murder of 33-year-old Renise “Nene” Wolfe.
Renise Wolfe is pictured in this undated photo. Police allege Markeem Benson shot and killed Wolfe in a North Las Vegas apartment. (Photo provided)
North Las Vegas Police arrested him in December last year. According to an arrest report, Benson’s father called 911 saying Benson wanted to turn himself in for murder.
The father told detectives that Benson called him saying, “I killed her; I think I killed her” and “told him something to the effect of ‘she’ came at him with a gun, there was some kind of ‘tussle,’ and then the gun went off,” the report states.
An grand jury indicted him for murder and possession of a gun by a prohibited person. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the indictment, his probation was revoked in March, and he was incarcerated at High Desert State Prison to serve a term of two to five years.
A jury trial was scheduled to begin in April next year for Wolfe’s murder. Instead, prosecutors have asked for a hearing on Dec. 30 in light of Benson’s death, per court records.
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