Established in 2019
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Climb aboard for a never before felt, heard or seen experience of western American history, spacious Nevada landscapes, and Las Vegas lavishness that generates scholarship funds for students in the communities visited. In Nevada, adventure is always the main attraction!
SUMMER/FALL TOURS - NEVADA
Per Person
$499
3 days
2 nights
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Picnicking/guided walk in Kershaw-Ryan State Park
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Guided walk through the old mining town of Pioche
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Lodging in iconic Hotel Nevada in Ely
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Guided walk through the old mining town of Ely
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Ninety minute historic steam train ride out of Ely
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Stargazing in Ward Charcoal State Historic Park
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Picnicking/guided walk in Cathedral Gorge State Park
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Guided walk at Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge
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Plenty of random fun time on Las Vegas Strip
INCLUDES:
2022
ITINERARY:
Friday morning we leave Las Vegas from our host hotel, the Orleans Hotel, and head north stopping at an oasis in the desert near Caliente for a guided walk at Kershaw-Ryan State Park that’s situated in a colorful canyon, with towering walls up to 700 feet high where natural springs grow a garden of wild grapevines, white oaks, fruit trees and willows, and a spring-fed pond providing a refreshing pool to picnic by.
Then we visit the old western town of Pioche, that’s located on the side of a mountain with buildings predating the turn of the 19th century, stopping at the historic Alamo Bar located in the former 1860 Wells Fargo Bank and Stage Stop building before remolded into the Alamo Bar in 1900, and the Old Lincoln County Courthouse nicknamed the” Million Dollar Courthouse” after it cost $75,000 to build in 1872 (equivalent to $1,700,000 in 2020). Then on to Ely for a check-in at the historic Hotel Nevada & Gambling Hall. Located in the heart of downtown Ely the authentic hotel, rich in history since 1929, maintains its original architecture along with period décor with modern amenities added, and has remained a landmark, both in Ely and the state of Nevada.
Saturday morning we’re on a guided walk in Ely offering breathtaking views of forested mountains and snowy peaks. We visit Renaissance Village and walk through each house, decorated to represent the various ethnic groups that lived and worked here in the early 1900's as well as a miner's cabin, general store, and an original one-room school house. We see a mineral collection, well drilling rig, and historic doll collection and visit the art bank gallery and cultural center that depict the richness of Ely's history with murals and sculptures.
We visit Ely’s Northern Nevada Railway Museum stepping back in time to when steam reigned supreme. This 56-acre historic complex includes over 70 orginal buildings and structures. We visit the shops, engine house and train yard and then head down the tracks aboard one of the antique cars pulled by a 1908 standard gauge coal fired steam engine for a ninety minute adventure into the mountains. We can ride in one of the antique cars, caboose, the cab, even be the engineer.
The day concludes with a guided walk and some star gazing in the scenic, nearby Ward Charcoal State Historic Park, a forested retreat featuring six beehive shaped charcoal ovens that were used from 1876 through 1879 to help process rich silver ore that was discovered in the area. Then back to the Hotel Nevada in Ely.
Sunday morning we leave Ely and head south picnicking at Cathedral Gorge State Park near Pioche, while taking in the natural beauty formations easily viewed up close from the great walking trails for exploring the cave-like formations and cathedral-like spires, a result of geologic processes from tens of millions of years ago. Near Alamo the tour visits the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge’s wetland and riparian habitats for thousands of migratory birds, numerous birds of prey, deer, reptiles, small mammals, and rare fish, affording those on the tour the opportunity to see meadows, marshes, lakes, streams and desert within a single afternoon. A late afternoon arrival to the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. You're then welcome to board the bus later for several hours at random on the Las Vegas Strip before heading back to the Orleans Hotel Sunday night.
July 15-17
August 12-14
September 9-11
October 14-16
WINTER/SPRING TOURS - NEVADA
Per Person
$499
3 days
2 nights
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Picnicking/guided walk in Death Valley National Park (including Bad Lands and Furnace Creek)
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Guided walk at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
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Lodging in Longstreet Inn in Amargosa Valley
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Guided walk through the old mining town of Goldfield
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Lodging in historic Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah
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Guided walk through the old mining town of Tonopah
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Guided walk through historic Mining and Stargazing Park
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Plenty of random fun time on Las Vegas Strip
INCLUDES:
ITINERARY:
Friday morning we leave Las Vegas from our host hotel, the Orleans Hotel, and head west to Death Valley National Park where snow frosted towering peaks and lush wildflower meadows await your discovery. We lunch at The Oasis At Death Valley, and visit the Furnace Creek Visitors Center and Borax Museum. During the day we travel to the the colorful hills of Zabriskie Point, to dry lake beds where 700 pound rocks leave 1,500 feet trails, to beautiful jagged spires worn by wind and rain, to Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level, the lowest and driest point in North America, to a guided walk on the Badwater Basin Salt Flats walking trail, and to the wonderment of dark night stargazing..
We check-in to nearby Amargosa Valley’s cozy Longstreet Inn & Casino named after Jack Longstreet (1843-1928) who sought no fame, but called upon to curtail the activities of criminals who roamed the area. Jack was married to a Paiute wife and built and lived in a nearby rock and adobe home.
Saturday morning a guided walk takes us through the internationally recognized, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the largest remaining oasis in the Mojave Desert. You’ll see relict species of desert fish that have existed here since mammoths drank from these very springs that come from melted ice from the last ice age. We stop in the old mining town of Goldfield. Here you’ll get a sense of what it was like to live in a gold rush boom town with 30,000 people, 87 attorneys, 40 doctors, 22 hotels and 14 cigar stores as listed in the 1907 town directory. We pay our respects to some of the remaining locals at the Santa Fe Saloon, the oldest Nevada saloon in continuous use.
We check-in to nearby Tonopah’s historic Mizpah Hotel, a member of the Historic Hotels of America. Built when Tonopah was at the height of its silver boom, the Mizpah Hotel was named after the nearby Mizpah Mine. Directly connected to the mine shaft was the hotel’s basement where the silver and gold was brought by ore bucket and stored. The Mizpah Hotel was the social hub of Tonopah. Still standing are the stained-glass windows, lighting fixtures, elevator, clawed-foot bathtubs, and the majority of the lobby’s furnishings, all originals from the 1908 opening.
Tonopah has incredible night skies. In most cities you can see between 25-50 stars, in Tonopah you can see 7,000! Just look up! No telescope necessary!
Sunday morning we’re on a guided walk visiting the historic buildings, bars, and unique shops. We begin to see the story of Tonopah’s pioneering people who toiled underground, poured the drinks, washed the clothes, and made a life in the harsh, new environment of this Wild West saloon town, remote desert hideaway, and once the home of Wyatt Earp.
We step back in time entering Tonopah's famous Historic Mining Park, exploring Mining History – buildings, artifacts, mine shafts, drop-offs, cave-ins and a walk down a mine tunnel into a steel viewing cage suspended over an original stope. A late afternoon arrival to the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. You're then welcome to board the bus later for several hours at random on the Las Vegas Strip before heading back to the Orleans Hotel Sunday night.