Nevada

Northern Nevada businesses and organizations find traffic through van and RV travelers

Published

10 months ago

March 15, 2024

Northern Nevada businesses and organizations find traffic through van and RV travelers

Imagine a ranch with roaming alpacas. And then, off to the side, parked vans and RVs. It’s a sight you might not expect to see on a farm. But for Stacey Payne, this has become a part of her business.

At Olde LYFE Alpacas, people can stay overnight in trailers, vans, tents and more. She rents land on L. Davis Ranch in Washoe Valley, where her chickens, goats, llamas and alpacas live, surrounded by barns and large grazing areas.

Travelers stay overnight on her ranch in two different ways. Payne has a link on her website which allows people to book a parking or camping spot on the ranch. But she’s also signed up for services that do the booking process for her. She’s a host on several websites, including Harvest Hosts.

“I look at every single thing that could possibly draw people here. And people love that they get to have free ranging alpacas around them,” Payne said.

Ember Braun

KUNR Public Radio

The ranch mini potbelly pig looks at the camera while alpacas roam near one of the barns in Washoe Valley, Nev., on Feb. 6, 2024.

Payne signed up with these companies because she wants traffic for her agritourism business. In addition to renting out spaces, she also sells yarn and animals. She travels to New Mexico, Arizona, California and other states to shear animals as well.

But with Harvest Hosts, she doesn’t get any income from the booking itself. When travelers book the camping spot on Harvest Hosts, they’re encouraged to spend $30 on products or services from the host. For Payne, this means selling beanies, alpaca wool and felted soaps. People can also walk and feed the alpacas for a fee.

“It really comes down to a lot of different revenue streams. You’ve got to have guests coming. You got to have sales going on, of either animals or product, in order to combat downtimes, like right now, winter. Very few people are traveling this area in their RVs,” she said.

A wall lined with socks and awards is to the left. Shelves with various products, like soaps and toys, stand on the right. — Inside of Payne’s gift shop hang socks, beanies, and various products in Washoe Valley, Nev., on Feb. 6, 2024.

Other farms around her use Airbnb, but she doesn’t have the means to do that, she said. By hosting campers on the property, she offers something new for the mainly retirees and families that come to visit.

“I think that there’s a huge draw to not staying in a Walmart parking lot. And not staying along the side of the road somewhere or not staying where there’s a bunch of people,” she said.

While hosts can sign up for free, RV users and other travelers pay a fee. Those who sign up with Harvest Hosts pay a $99 yearly membership.

Mary Dierker is one of those members. She and her husband, along with their dog, have used the service for three years.

“So say, we’re in between places and we just need a place where we can park and have some of the local feel of that area. It’s a helpful tool for when you’re traveling long distance,” she said.

Her favorite part is meeting new people on her travels, Dierker said.

“It’s not so much the location for me. It’s those random, wonderful conversations that when you travel, you get to have with another. And the likelihood of you ever seeing them again is slim, but they’re the most engaging,” she said.

Her favorite location is a whiskey distillery out in Wyoming. And as a retired small-business owner, she likes that people get exposed to these local businesses, she said.

“It’s encouraging travelers who so easily get on interstates and blow by unique small communities that have a lot to offer us,” Dierker said.

Many of the businesses and organizations that signed up with these types of companies saw the opportunity to attract more people.

One of them is Gold Hill Hotel, located right next to Virginia City. Tony and Jill Clough own the oldest hotel in Nevada. They’ve operated the business for three years. The weekends between May and October are their busiest, Tony Clough said.

“Going up into Virginia City is difficult from where we are here. Typically, the RV route would be taking the truck route, which runs around the other way. So if we weren’t a part of Harvest Hosts, that would be a whole group of folks we’d probably never see here at the Gold Hill,” Clough said.

Dining tables are set with utensils and tablecloths. Black and white photographs hang in frames on the dark walls of the restaurant. — Inside the Crown Point Restaurant at the Gold Hill Hotel, dining tables are prepped as staff is preparing for Miner’s Dinner Night in Gold Hill, Nev., on Feb. 19, 2024.

But there’s many more choices than just hotels and ranches. Distilleries, breweries, golf courses, historical sites and even churches are among the locations listed.

One of those churches is the North Valleys Church of the Nazarene. Senior Pastor Pam Plaisted enjoys hearing about other people’s travels. Instead of the recommended $30 purchase, travelers have the chance to leave a donation with the church.

“I feel like it helps the church and gets our name out there. I don’t preach at them per se, but I give them the opportunity, obviously. And I always ask them, ‘Can I pray with you? Is there something I can pray for with you or for you,’ ” she said.

The church typically hosts a majority of female travelers, Plaisted said.

“And I’m like, ‘Aren’t you afraid? You know, you’re out there on your own.’ They’re like, ‘Well, you know, gotta be smart.’ It’s one of the reasons that women will come to our place in particular, is they feel that they’re safe here,” she said.

As for the members themselves, the majority are 55 or older and retired, said Ali Lindsey, senior business development manager for Harvest Hosts. Typically, summers are the busiest season.

“Those special occasions like the solar eclipse are always busier. I think it is beneficial in the way that it drives revenue to those small businesses,” Lindsey said.

KUNR’s Ember Braun is a student at the Reynolds School of Journalism.

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Nevada

'All the lads want to go': Wigan rookies push for Vegas selection

Published

7 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

'All the lads want to go': Wigan rookies push for Vegas selection

Wigan’s rookie brigade put their hands up for Vegas selection after the Warriors did what Allegiant Stadium rivals Warrington could not and registered a win in their opening pre-season clash.

“I’d love to go to Vegas – with the squad we’ve got over here at Wigan it’s a big fight for places,” said back rower George Hirst after Sunday’s 28-16 defeat of Oldham.

Wunderkind half Jack Farrimond pulled the strings and non-stop lock Harvie Hill seemed to take every second hit-up as coaches rewarded the players who’ve been back in training since last year while Australian-based stars and England internationals took a break.

Hirst returned to the club he helped win promotion to the Championship last year and impressed in Arctic conditions at Boundary Park. Another former Roughyed, Tyler Dupree, scored Wigan’s first try.

“It’s down to me really,” Hirst said. “Train well, play well. I’d love to go but it’s not my choice.

“All the lads want to go. We’ll find out closer to the time. There’ll be a few lads disappointed.”

One man who might sneak onto the plane is 18-year-old Taylor Kerr, who played alongside Farrimond in the halves but can also handle hooker and back row.

“It’s just a sign of a quality player,” said assistant coach Thomas Leuluai, a renowned utility in his 40 Test career for the Kiwis and 448 NRL and Super League appearances.

“They’re all in that squad for a reason. We’ve got good depth. The guys today, they haven’t done themselves any harm, have they?

“Who’s going to Vegas? I don’t know when he (head coach Matty Peet) is picking that, but the guys today have made a good account of themselves and should be happy.”

Super League rivals, Huddersfield and Salford, joined Warrington – beaten 36-22 by Widnes – in being toppled by Championship teams over the weekend.

“It’s good to be the only ones who won,” said Hirst.

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Nevada

Missing pilot’s plane found near Mount Jefferson, authorities say

Published

15 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Missing pilot’s plane found near Mount Jefferson, authorities say

After weeks of searching, the plane of a pilot who went missing earlier this month was found near Mount Jefferson on Saturday.

Authorities had not been able to get more than a couple of miles away from the scene as of Sunday afternoon, and the condition of pilot Michael Martin, who was the only person onboard, remains unknown.

Nye County Director of Emergency Management Scott Lewis was just returning from the scene Sunday afternoon when he spoke to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and said that there was “significant damage” to the aircraft.

“We just need to get the resources and get them up there as quickly as we can. It was very windy during our search just now, very treacherous area, very steep area. We have a lot of things to overcome, but we’re working on it,” Lewis said.

The elevated position made the scene unreachable by foot, and Lewis said the team needed to wait for helicopters to reach the scene.

Martin, an experienced, licensed pilot, took off from North Las Vegas Airport the morning of Jan. 2 without telling anyone. His location last showed him as near Mount Jefferson, about 50 miles from Tonopah. His family reported the 65-year-old pilot missing on Jan. 5.

Authorities searched hundreds of square miles for Martin but suspended search and rescue efforts Thursday after finding no physical evidence, Lewis said.

Local resources were still looking in the area, and late Saturday, a game warden using special glasses found the plane, Lewis said. The search team had already looked in the area, but the snow previously covering it had melted.

Mystery departure

The circumstances of Martin’s disappearance remain unclear. The day he went missing, he told the owner of the company where he works that he’d be taking an early lunch but would return by 12:30 p.m. for an important meeting, according to his daughter-in-law Kathleen Martin.

Martin, an aerospace engineer, is employed as president of Erickson International, a window film manufacturer in Las Vegas, according to his family and LinkedIn page. Erickson operations employee Don Gist previously said the two had discussed working on a project together that afternoon.

Martin’s plane took off at 10:51 a.m., but his flight transponder stopped transmitting at 11:15 a.m. At 12:06 p.m., Martin’s daughter-in-law said, his phone last pinged near Tonopah, and at 12:26 p.m., his iPad — which he used as a navigation aid — and his Apple Watch last showed him near Mount Jefferson, about 50 miles from Tonopah.

She said his family initially believed he’d had a stressful holiday season and was taking a one- or two-day break in a local hotel, but they reported him missing the evening of Jan. 5 because they couldn’t get in touch with him.

Martin did not appear to have established a flight plan, according to Lewis,

Cathy Martin, his wife of 40 years, previously told the Review-Journal that Michael Martin had left without explanation years ago for one or two days.

“We had a little tiff Wednesday night, but it wasn’t a huge one,” she said. “I just asked him a question and we discussed it and it was done. He wasn’t upset.”

If he survived a crash, he had the skills to take care of himself in the wilderness, his wife said.

A missing person report released by police indicates Martin might have been upset and carried a handgun in his work bag the morning he left.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social. Review-Journal staff writer Noble Brigham contributed to this report.

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Nevada

Davidson scores 23 as Wolf Pack defeats San Jose State 75-64

Published

22 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Press Room

Davidson scores 23 as Wolf Pack defeats San Jose State 75-64

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nick Davidson’s 23 points helped Nevada defeat San Jose State 75-64 on Saturday night.

Davidson also contributed seven rebounds for the Wolf Pack (11-7, 3-4 Mountain West Conference). Xavier Dusell added 15 points while finishing 5 of 8 from 3-point range and grabbed five rebounds. Kobe Sanders shot 5 for 11 (0 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 5 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points, while adding eight assists.

Robert Vaihola led the way for the Spartans (9-11, 2-6) with 12 points and six rebounds. Sadaidriene Hall added 12 points and two steals for San Jose State. Josh Uduje also recorded 12 points and two steals.

Nevada entered halftime up 36-32. Davidson paced the team in scoring in the first half with nine points. Nevada took the lead for good with 7:18 remaining in the second half on a hook shot from Davidson to make it a 57-55 game.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

SAN JOSE ST. (9-11)

Hall 5-11 0-0 12, Vaihola 4-7 4-6 12, McClendon 2-8 1-2 6, Uduje 4-9 3-3 12, Yap 3-7 2-2 10, Davis 3-8 4-5 12, Washington 0-1 0-2 0, NgaNga 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-51 14-20 64.

NEVADA (11-7)

T.Coleman 3-7 0-0 6, Davidson 9-14 4-5 23, Hymes 2-4 2-2 6, Foster 2-2 1-1 5, Sanders 5-11 3-5 13, DuSell 5-8 0-0 15, McBride 2-6 1-2 5, Bailey 1-2 0-0 2, Love 0-1 0-0 0, Rolison 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-55 11-15 75.

Halftime_Nevada 36-32. 3-Point Goals_San Jose St. 8-27 (Hall 2-4, Davis 2-5, Yap 2-6, Uduje 1-5, McClendon 1-6, Washington 0-1), Nevada 6-18 (DuSell 5-8, Davidson 1-3, McBride 0-1, T.Coleman 0-2, Sanders 0-4). Rebounds_San Jose St. 21 (Vaihola 6), Nevada 35 (Davidson 7). Assists_San Jose St. 13 (McClendon, Uduje, Yap 3), Nevada 20 (Sanders 8). Total Fouls_San Jose St. 15, Nevada 15. A_7,798 (11,536).

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