Nevada

Eagle-spotting is a thrilling and educational experience, but knowing where to go can be a challenge. Did you know that bald eagles are found in every U.S. state except Hawaii? This guide offers an extensive list of the best places across America to see these iconic birds in their natural habitats.

Bourbon's historical home is the wooded hills and hollers of backwoods Kentucky. The cool mountain streams and springs matched with the fertile cornfields and Scots-Irish immigrants looking to do something with their extra corn beyond just another round of cornbread and Johnny Cakes. However, they weren't the only farmers that enjoyed the smooth, slightly sweet tasting corn liquor we know today as bourbon. As settlers expanded westward, they brought whiskey with them and the most ingenious of them brought stills and set up production wherever they landed on the western frontier.

Like many of you guys, we've been holed up in our home area for the past two years - in fact my last major event before pandemic lockdowns was the 2020 Mint 400 in Las Vegas. It's been a long time to stay home but thankfully things in the United States are starting to get better and with vaccines and boosters available, even those like myself are getting the confidence to start traveling again. We were invited to attend the inaugural Tropicana Wine Mixer last month and while we were a bit nervous initially I was very impressed by both Tropicana Las Vegas as well as the event itself.

When you are planning your bachelor party, the first question always seems to be "Where should we go?" If you want a fun night out with friends and don't want to break the bank, then this list of 10 cities is for you. From Las Vegas to New York City, these top destinations will make your trip unforgettable!

Conventionally you might think about hiking or using Jeep trails to go explore the history of the wild west mining boomtowns. However, Virginia City, Nevada has a bunch of bike trails that you can take to explore the history of what was once a vibrant mining town and today is one of the top places anywhere in the world to go explore an authentic wild west town that somehow manages to be family-friendly despite it's rough and tumble appearance.

Vegas bachelor parties are the stuff of legends and that's why you see them so often in movies like The Hangover and even Last Vegas. Simply put, there is no other place on earth with all the things for a perfect bachelor party like you will find in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, with opportunity comes the chance for danger and too often when you think "Vegas Bachelor Party" the image of topless dancers and dangerous debauchery comes to mind, but there's more to Vegas than that. You can still have a great time and send your buddy out in style without pissing off the bride (too much).

For those of you who have dreamed of one day attending the Baja 1000, I've got an alternative closer to home. The Mint 400, also known as The Great American Off-Road Race might not be as well known as the Baja 500 and Baja 1,000 but it is an awesome experience and opportunity to meet your favorite drivers, manufacturers, and be a part of one of the greatest off-road races in the world. 

The Chevrolet Corvette is one of the most iconic cars in the world. Since 1953 it has captured the minds of men (and women) around the world for it's style and performance but also for being a fabulous example of American automotive design ability. While there are other American-made sports and muscle cars - none come close to the way Corvette combines performance and style into a lifestyle that is larger than just another fast car. However, few people actually get to experience how amazing this car really is since at highway speeds and on regular roads it's just a great looking car that turns head and goes fast. That all changed for me when I got invited to spend a day with Chevrolet driving a few different versions of this American icon around the track at the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School in Pahrump, Nevada - just outside Las Vegas.

So many people visit Las Vegas and never venture outside of the strip... they don't even know what they are missing. On the other hand, I visit the city several times each year and have wondered what adventures the mountains might have in store. On this trip, I hooked up with my friends at Trail Trek Tour who had some Toyota TRD Pro trucks ready for some adventure. Unlike most of my off road trips that take place at very low altitudes and cruising through sandy, scorching hot, sun-bleached desert, this time we were headed up to a very windy 7,700 feet on a mountain trail with trees and rocks.

Nevada is one of those states where most visitors only visit one or two points. In the case of this state, you have Vegas and Reno... but while much of the state is empty desert, there are some real gems that deserve more attention. Carson Valley is one of those spots and it's surprisingly convenient, low cost, and packed with awesome stuff that guys of all ages will love.

Genoa, Nevada is a perfect town to visit for any guys looking for a taste of what the west was like before being tamed. If you venture just around the corner from the Mormon Station and Nevada's oldest bar though, you'll find one of the finest foodie spots in Nevada. The Pink House seemingly doesn't fit here but at the same time it works perfectly. Not only is the building itself one of the oldest structures in Genoa but it was about striking out into unfamiliar territory and trying new things. That's exactly what you'll find here today...

Las Vegas has been a foodie town for generations and despite the fancy new places that open up every week, there are still some classics left in town like the Golden Steer Steakhouse. Founded in 1958, it saw the golden years of "Old Las Vegas" and a list of celebrities a mile long, including: Frank Sinatra, Muhammad Ali, Tony "The Ant" Spilatro, Natalie Wood, Nat "King" Cole, Joe DiMaggio, Elvis Presley and Mario Andretti. In 2009 Bon Appetit Magazine even featured it in their feature, "The Best Steaks On Earth." Now, they are revealing some of their famous recipes and we've got a few samples to share!

Sitting at the far south end of the strip, Mandalay Bay Resort seems like more of a conference hotel than a destination for a guys weekend, but over several visits it has become one of my favorite properties in Las Vegas. Simply put, it's got great bars and restaurants, fantastic entertainment, a great gaming floor, good rooms, easy parking, and it's about to get even better once the Las Vegas Raiders open their new stadium across the street in 2020.

Las Vegas has some of the best bars and some of the best restaurants in the world but no matter how much talent and desire to be the best... most are good at one or the other, not both. During a visit last night to Libertine Social inside of Mandalay Bay, I was treated to an experience that frankly I wasn't expecting based on the relatively unassuming entrance.

Reno has been at the butt of a lot of jokes for as long as I can remember and unfortunately, it's always been "Nevada's Other Casino City". In reality, while the comparisons are easy to make, it's more than just another Vegas and in fact has a ton of personality that is all its own. 

Anyone that's ever done the drive home from Las Vegas to Southern California after a weekend getaway can tell you how terrible the traffic is. This normally 4-5 hour trip can instead become 8-9+ hours of bumper to bumper rush hour traffic where you are forced to be at 100% attention on roads that would normally compel you to look around and enjoy the drive. So, instead of fighting that fight a few weeks ago, I decided to take the long way home and discovered a fantastic road trip that was a lot of fun to drive in the 2017 Flex that Ford gave to us for the trip.

One of the things I love about Vegas is all the amazing restaurants. It seems there is a never ending supply of creativity that is both pushing the culinary as well as architectural arts. What I didn't expect was to find an astonishingly awesome dinner at the top of Delano on the far south end of the strip. That's where Rivea sits and offers diners an unparalleled view of the entire strip. They say retail is location, location, location and this is absolutely true for Rivea. Luckily for us, the service and food was equally fantastic - making for one of the best dinners I've experienced in a long while.

Allllllll aboard! It's time to take a journey into the past and explore a time when the west was barely settled and riches were sitting just below the surface of the earth simply waiting for someone to uncover them. During this time, one of the greatest mining booms in the United States happened in Virginia City, site of the 1859 Comstock Lode.

That discovery instantly turned men into millionaires and the city exploded from just a handful of miners to 25,000 residents. With that explosive growth and the city's remote location at 6,200 feet elevation on the side of a mountain, a railway was needed. While the V&T railway isn't the exact same as what once serviced the city, it is a great way for guests to reach Virginia City from Carson City today and it provides a better perspective on Virginia City's history than simply driving up the twisty turny roads.

After recently spending the majority of a week in South Lake Tahoe, CA enjoying winter activities with family and friends, I find this quote below very fitting and can relate the experience we had at Heavenly Mountain Resort with the most simplistic interpretation. All the activities, amenities, and natural beauty that Heavenly Mountain Resort and surroundings have to offer is specifically designed to be an exceptional playground for adults and kids to experience and enjoy on a regular basis. Heavenly Mountain Resort will keep you coming back. It truly is a little bit of heaven on earth!