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Finally, a Trip to Reno!

 
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Jan Fri 21, 2011 5:02 pm    Post subject: Finally, a Trip to Reno! Reply with quote

For most people, Reno's pretty remote. It's not the sort of place one just winds up, like a Radisson near O'Hare is.

Well, as luck has it, I was able to manipulate the living hell out of some travel plans next month to accommodate three days in Reno!

This'll be just my second time there in the past three years, and I'm really looking forward to this solo sidetrip.

Anticipated highlights include:
    VP at Club Cal Neva and Peppermill
    Poker at Circus Circus
    Betting heavily on each day's biggest NHL underdog
    Craps at, well, pretty much anywhere now that Siena's great table's gone
    Shedding a tear for Shooter's stripper pole
    A big pastrami sandwich at the Peppermill
    Wings at Brews Brothers and a Bully's
    Cheap beer at the Lil' Waldorf
    Good beer at Great Basin
    Fantastic whisky at Ceol
Anyhow, I'll be flying in on Fri Feb 11 and leaving on Mon 14. Can't wait!
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alison



Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 1150

PostPosted: Jan Sun 23, 2011 12:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lucky You!! Looking forward to reading your trip report.
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BC Dave
Site Admin


Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 1592

PostPosted: Jan Sun 23, 2011 11:17 pm    Post subject: Alright! Reply with quote

Sounds good Shooty! Great travel itinerary!
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Jan Fri 28, 2011 4:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's the list of Reno taxis from the airport's website:

Of these, or any other Reno taxi operators, which do you consider the best?
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LilyJDragonfly



Joined: 03 Mar 2009
Posts: 425

PostPosted: Jan Sat 29, 2011 10:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The couple times we grabbed a taxi for something we used Reno/Sparks.....
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john
Site Admin


Joined: 17 Dec 2005
Posts: 1181

PostPosted: Jan Sat 29, 2011 10:21 am    Post subject: From a local Reply with quote

Whittlesea is slow and sometimes doesn't even show up. I've had very good experiences with Reno-Sparks
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Jan Sat 29, 2011 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Then Reno-Sparks it is, thank you very much.
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Feb Fri 11, 2011 3:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Woot! Finally winging my way to Reno. Right now I'm on the plane from Orlando, with changes in Atlanta and Salt Lake. I know, drudgery for most, but I like to fly, and Delta upgrades me on most flights!

Gonna be zonked, but gonna try and check out the Little Waldorf tonight, I hear it can be quite a scene.

Woot!
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LilyJDragonfly



Joined: 03 Mar 2009
Posts: 425

PostPosted: Feb Fri 11, 2011 6:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keep us posted!!
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Feb Wed 16, 2011 12:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I spent this past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights in Reno. Here are some random thoughts of stuff I saw and experienced.

Reno is Empty
Peppermill and Atlantis had some decent crowds on Sunday afternoon when I was there. But the downtown casinos were much less crowded than their designers intended, despite good road conditions over Donner Summit. I worry for Reno's casinos.

Club Cal Neva is Shabby, Kinda Like Reno
I love Cal Neva's gambling. The craps table is good, the roulette is cheap, and the video poker is about the best in town (quarter bartop 10/7 DB). But boy is it shabby. Moreover, the casino's promotions are an embarassment. They've dedicated a huge area upstairs to Beer Pong, and I understand they often host jell-o bikini wrestling. I'm no prude, but jeezus, some dignity would be a welcome change.

But really, Cal Neva's shabbiness is part of its charm, much like Reno's charm. It's definitely not for everyone, the Cal Neva, but then neither is the drive along Fourth Avenue between downtown and Sparks. Yet that dilapidated old stretch of Highway 40, with decaying motels, seedy bars, scary strip joints, and decaying light industry also has a certain beauty to it, to me. There's a lot of love-hate in Reno, but I generally tumble to the love side.

Bus Service is Great
I had a rental car for two of my three days, but I also rode around a bit on the bus. For tourist areas, Reno's bus system is quick, cheap, comfortable, and frequent. Staying at Circus Circus, I was a short walk from the gleaming new Transit Center downtown. I rode the new Rapid buses along Virginia to Peppermill and Atlantis, they were quick and great. I also rode a #11 to and from the new Transit Center in Sparks. (Wow, but Fourth Avenue is blighted.) If you buy it at a vending machine, the 24 hour pass is just $4 and activates upon first use ($5, immediate activation if bought on board). A real steal.

Circus Circus is Meh
Had a great rate at Circus Circus' Sky Tower. The rooms are bland but servicable. The wifi, provided as part of the $4.95 resort fee, was awful. Poor connection speed, frequent drops, and it inserts advertising into web browsers. Worst part, though, was how challenging it is to walk from the room and the front desk in the main casino area. Long walk, and one gets to climb and descend 2-3 staircases with luggage. Still, Circus Circus is a great value, and the casino's much more pleasant than when I first met it in the 1980s. I'll be back, but I'll try for a room in the main tower next time.

Wings, Wings, Wings
I like buffalo wings way beyond what's defensible. I had wings three times.

I went to Bully's Sport Bar on Mae Ann for their happy hour special: 8 wings and a side of fries for $6. Delicious! I had the nitro wings, and they were lightly breaded and hot, but not crazy hot. Played Gambler's Choice JoB VP for beer comps, lost a little. Definitely a good place for wings.

I also went to Joe Bob's Chicken Palace way south on Virginia. I don't see the appeal. It's a sports bar or sorts, but they don't have many TVs and they didn't have the NHL package. WTF? I ordered some of their "Super Hell Fire" wings, and while the chicken itself was very good, the sauce was incredibly mild, with almost no zing at all. I won't be back.

Lastly, I had wings during happy hour at the always-terrific Brews Brothers at Eldorado. These are very good wings, not breaded, and soaked in sauce. I had two orders, and when I told the server my first wasn't quite hot enough for me, he said the Mexican cooks like hearing comments like that, looking at it as a challenge. The second order was much hotter but still delicious. They should standardize their sauces so I can get that heat with my first order. Of course, the beer's good here too, and the VP was pretty decent too, and my beers were comped. Highly recommended.

Peppermill's Pastrami Downgrade
I've written a few times here about how much I liked the pastrami at the Sports Deli inside the Peppermill. Had it on Sunday, and was not happy. Very fatty and mushy, the bread was a little stale, and they don't have spicy brown mustard at the condiment stand, you have to ask for it from the line cooks. I dunno, just didn't seem anywhere near as good as it's been in the past.

A Couple Dives
For me, no trip to Reno is complete without hitting a couple dive bars. I went to two. First up was The Little Waldorf. This is a college bar across Virginia from the Lawler Events Center. This is where 20ish college kids go to get drunk for cheap. It's a fun place to hang with other college kids, but I'm no college kid, so this wasn't for me anymore.

I also went to Abby's Highway 40 just east of downtown along Fourth Avenue. Nothing special here, just another drinking-class bar. Was glad to run into a Reno lifer who tends bar at some place called "Lucky's", which he described as a toilet. When i told him I wanted to check out another area bar called Jub Jub's Thirst Parlor (formerly the Broken Spoke) but couldn't find it, he said it is purposefully hidden and fueled by heroin and cocaine. Needless to say, that pretty much ended my search.

So some good stuff, some not so good, but on balance a great way to spend a lost weekend. Can't wait to hit Reno again!
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stan_allen



Joined: 19 Dec 2005
Posts: 1129

PostPosted: Feb Wed 16, 2011 4:47 pm    Post subject: But then, Cal-Neva was *always* shabby! Reply with quote

Thanks for the notes; good updates, with depressingly familiar themes, but also bright spots, which is perhaps all we can hope for at this point.
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Qcumber1860



Joined: 05 Oct 2006
Posts: 53

PostPosted: Feb Thu 17, 2011 12:29 am    Post subject: CAl Neva Reply with quote

SHOOTY!!! I agree 100% about CAl Neva.... it to me is OLD SCHOOL.. and that is WHY I Like it.. I play mostly there whenIminReno except for the traditional trip to sparks.. and HEY!! I am a City Bus Driver myslef and couldnt agree more.... REno has a great system....I will be out ther March 14-16...does Cal Neva have n aiprort shuttle? I am stayn gther this tiem(3 nites.$54 with tax) going solo... All I need is a roon.. haven ttreid it before
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