Hit Pay Dirt! Mining Memorable Moments For Visitors!
This year's Western Region conference will be held in Carson City, NV, Sept 26-30, 2017.
>> Download the Call for Papers
>> Download the Preliminary Conference Program
Jump on your burro, pony, stagecoach or even one of those newfangled 4 wheeled gas powered contraptions or flying machines and head out for the gold fields of Carson City, Nevada!
Carson City is where the 2017 Western Region of ALHFAM Meeting is being held on September 27 – 30 and we’ll all “Hit Pay Dirt” as we network and learn how to mine memorable moments for our visitors! Join the fun with a pre-conference tour to the mining town of Bodie, California on September 27. Then follow up with great networking and educational opportunities during conference workshops. We have informative, entertaining speakers and we will visit local sites in Carson City on September 28 and 29. Then “wind down” on September 30 with a train excursion and sightseeing trip in Virginia City, Nevada.
For you history buffs out there (which means all of us), Carson City was a significant town in western history, whose growth was influenced by “geography and geology.” In 1843, the John Fremont expedition came through the area and named Carson River in honor of Kit Carson, a mountain man and scout. For those traveling to California during the gold rush, the valley was a welcome oasis after the long trek across the deserts of the Great Basin. Many rested and re-supplied in Carson City before the final, difficult climb over the Sierra Nevada. The area grew significantly after 1859, when gold prospectors discovered silver at Virginia City. This “rush” was followed by the boom of gold and silver production in Bodie during the late 1870’s.
Hotel accommodations: The Plaza Hotel, Carson City; 801 S Carson St, Carson City, NV 89701; Phone: 888.227.1499 (Toll-Free) or online at: carsoncityplaza.com/specials using the code: ALHFAM0917 (Rooms need to be booked by August 20th to receive the ALHFAM special rate.)
Travel to Carson City: Carson City is 45 minutes from the Reno Airport, and shuttle service from the airport is available. For those flying, we would appreciate if you would coordinate transportation with others flying, and share rental cars. This conference is a “working field trip” and for those who want to go to Bodie State Historic Park near Bridgeport, Calif. (see details below), and Virginia City, rental cars will be needed for shared transportation.
Please contact Peggy Barchi at: Peggy@trainmuseum.org to coordinate transportation from/to the airport for those who won’t have a vehicle at the conference.
Pre-Conference Bodie Trip: Please let us know if you will be doing the Bodie trip, so we can ensure we have enough drivers.
Call for Papers: If you’d like to be a workshop presenter, please send in your Call for Papers application which is available here.
