Visit Carson City advances V&T website rollout and seeks America250 funding for regional wayfinding "railroad spikes"

David (Dave) Peterson and Eric Brooks briefed the board on digital and grant activity. Peterson said the new V&T website (vtrailway.com) is live in phase 1 and 2, with remaining phases temporarily pulled back to prioritize ticketing and Polar Express excursions to avoid sales disruptions. Brooks described a proposed America250 Nevada grant application that was recommended to proceed to the Nevada Commission on Tourism and, if approved, would fund a regional interpretive and wayfinding project he described as four‑foot railroad‑spike installations at significant locations. Each spike would include a one‑word theme on the front, braille, and the word displayed in three native languages on other faces; a QR code on the spike would link to more interpretive content and a map of all spike locations. Brooks said the concept—referred to in the meeting as "Points of Unity"—was designed to encourage visitors to explore multiple sites in the region and could be extended to Virginia City, Silver City, Gold Hill and Carson Valley. Brooks said the America250 grant required relevance to the 250th anniversary and that the spike idea tied to railroad heritage and the V&T story. He reported the application advanced to the Nevada Commission on Tourism and, if recommended there, would go to the America250 NV committee for final approval later in September. Peterson and staff said they are coordinating the spike project with regional partners and the Dustin Wonder/Trail project (referred to in the meeting by similar names) and plan to select locations with a mix of historical and artistic significance. The board discussed how QR content might connect to the city’s existing Carson Trail stops and tourism maps.