The weather wasn’t looking very pretty for a few days, so we decided to head for a city to find some things to do. We’d never been to Reno before, so we looked it up, found some fun activities, and pointed the bus that way.
We rolled into town and straight to the National Automobile Museum. Two-hundred-and-some really cool cars. It would be a great place for me to spend eight hours roaming through—but while the kids did enjoy it, it really wasn’t set up for them, and they whizzed through in barely over an hour. The museum threw one junker out in a hallway for the kids to climb around on, but that was about it. I enjoyed the place, but it’s amazing what setting up a handful of cool cars for people (i.e. kids) to climb into could do for the place. I point that out just in case the Harrah clan is looking for tips on how to draw a crowd into its establishment.
Gotta love minor league baseball. Picked up front-row seats the night before the game for less than upper deck at the Twins game would cost. Hot dogs, Pretzels, Peanuts, Cracker Jacks, a couple of beers, and two foul balls rounded out the day nicely. The balls were gifts to the kids from two separate guys who snagged balls tossed into the crowd by the players. Nice.
The stadium is right downtown, so we took a little walk around afterwards. Man are gambling towns depressing. There are so many people wandering around like zombies that just put their last quarter in a slot machine, and yet they still somehow held onto the belief that that could be the one.
With our two activities, and the worst of the cold weather out of the way, we’d be moving on in the morning. Reno was no place for us to linger.
10 Comments on “Biggest Little City”
Gambling towns can be very depressing, but Reno seems to take it to a newer and Lower level.
If someone only looks a pictures of a run-down hotel in a run-down area, one might think that. As a Reno resident, it just isn’t true. The Reno/Tahoe area has some of the best outdoor recreation in the west – skiing, hiking, bike trails, horses. Not far from the city itself, you can see wild horses roaming, an annual migration of bald eagles, and other wildlife. The city also has a burgeoning public art scene, thanks to the proximity to the annual Burning Man event. More and more bay area tech industries are moving to Reno, as it gives their employees the “lifestyle” they seek without the costs of living in Silicon Valley.
Don’t write Reno off too quickly.
Oh, Pat & Ali – I’ve been a reader for years. Glad to see you visiting the area!
True enough. Our view of the places we visit is only a snapshot. Not the overall picture. We know that many of the places that we love in Mexico, others would pop into for a couple of days and call it a dump.
Yes, I found Reno more than depressing. But take a stop at Lake Tahoe if you are heading over, it is gorgeous. My wife commented yesterday that we didn’t eat hotdogs last time we were in the US. I told her we would have to go to a baseball game, because they just don’t taste the same elsewhere. I did treat her to a corn dog, though, which I find much better.
I don’t know if you are in a hurry to get to Portland, but if you cut over past Clear Lake to Willits, and head north, there is a lot more to see and do. The Skunk train to Fort Brag is fun, the red woods, etc. And farther up you can hit the coast or cross back over to Grants Pass.
Try a Costco dog..best deal in the USA..$1.50 for a big dog, I like the Polish dogs a little more spicy.. and a drink!! Kids could split one. Flash anything to get in you don’t need a Costco card to buy a dog.
I can’t even stand the thought of stepping foot in a Costco. Did it once, and felt suicidal afterwards. Consumerism overload. Stick to going to the baseball game for a hotdog. 🙂
Amen, Pat!
What’s there not to like about 4 gallon tubs of fake mayonnaise or 25 pound bags of tilapia? 🙂
Simply LOVE the pale green gull-wing 300SL Mercedes! The red interior just makes the whole thing seem like Christmas.