Summer of Cal/Nev – Day 51
I absolutely hated having to leave my Atlantis room. This was a great place to stay and I did manage to pack and leave without dropping or breaking anything. Reno on this day is what they’d call a Chamber of Commerce Day. The weather was in low 80s, there was a slight breeze, and it was clear as far as you could see.
It's a beautiful day in Reno
I was to be at the airport to pick up Terry and Louise at 9:30 and it was only a couple of miles away from the Atlantis. I grabbed the newspaper (that was waiting for at my door when I got up), a cup of coffee and parked the car in the airport garage. The Reno airport is one of the easiest I’ve seen to get in and out. It’s small, so you can easily find a parking spot close to the gates. It wasn’t long before they came down the escalators.
Terry and Louise is a couple who live in Denver I had met in 2007 when Terry was an LVA member and we met at a buffet in the Paris. He convinced me to run with my daughter in that year’s Las Vegas Marathon (before the Rock and Roll Marathon people bought it). We have since become good friends and have managed to get together at least a couple times a year. Louise had never been to Reno and Terry only once on an all nighter, so when my itinerary was set, we decided to meet here for a couple of days.
We were also going to be picking up Cindy, who was flying in from San Diego, at 11:30 so we had almost a couple of hours to kill. I drove them to the Peppermill Hotel and Casino to show them what I call the Neon Jungle. The interior of this mega-casino is bathed in neon and colored lighting that gives it a distinct look from any other place.
Terry and Louise in the Neon Jungle
We wandered around checking out the many varied rooms and, of course, checking the VP schedules along the way. We did stop to check a strange VP game, which I’ve now forgotten the name but like Dream Card, you have to bet twice the amount but you’re paid a multiplier for any winning hand. Terry played one hand of 8/5 Jacks on triple play, caught a pair and with the multiplier won $3.75. He cashed it out. Strange game, but I think I’d like to someday give it a shot. I did play a fiver in Keno but lost. Terry managed to turn his $3.75 into $4.00 and we headed out. We made a fast stop at McDonald’s for a small snack and each settled on a small chicken wrap.
We drove back to the airport and didn’t have to wait long when Cindy’s plane arrived from San Diego and we were off to Harrahs, our stop for the next three nights. It was only a little after noon but they managed to check us in with a couple of adjoining rooms on the 13th floor (yes, no superstitious builders here) in the east tower. I had never stayed in the east tower and once we arrived I could see why. This is the old tower and certainly the size of the rooms gives that away with the very small bathrooms and you feel everything is a bit cramped. At first I was a little upset and thought about going down to change to the west tower, but the rooms have been remodeled and refurnished well, and it is a comp, so it will be okay.
Harrahs, Reno, NV
After unpacking, it was time to check out the lay of the land. If you put Las Vegas on one end of the spectrum of excitement and action and Laughlin on the other end (relaxed and laid back), you’d find Reno right in the middle. There’s somewhat of a party atmosphere, but the people here are not as affluent and the surrounding town is an eclectic mish-mash of redevelopment, depressed, and artistic.
We took a walk into one of the oldest casinos called the Cal/Neva. Its age is obvious and unlike the El Cortez in Las Vegas, they haven’t managed to figure out a good ventilation strategy as the smoke odor permeates the casino. Terry considered getting a slot club card, but they don’t offer any kind of bonus or promotion, so he passed.
I felt it would be an injustice to not show them The Nugget. This is a dive, there’s no better way to describe it, but it’s a famous dive—not for their horribly tight machines, but for their diner that’s tucked into the back. The Man versus Food show declared its Awful Awful Burger as the best in town. Everything served here is huge. The hot dogs are almost the length of the table you’re sitting at; the fries are delivered in large baskets. This is where the term greasy spoon was invented. Okay, I’ll just say it—it’s a dump—but the food is a gluttonous wet dream.
We then walked up Virginia Street to the Eldorado Hotel and Casino, which is attached to both the Silver Legacy and Circus Circus—like a shopping center of casinos.
The fountain at the entrance of the Silver Legacy Casino
After a slow walk through the casinos (with many wrong turns as these places are mazes to get around and I was a poor guide), we stopped for some coffee at Starbucks. Terry had remembered reading that there was a bank of four machines in the Silver Legacy that had full pay deuces wild. While they waited for the coffee, I went out in search of these machines and found them at the entrance at Virginia St. We got our frapachinos and headed for those machines. We were lucky that two in the middle were available so Terry and I sat down and each put in a hundred. The girls headed out to explore on their own. We played for almost an hour. I was doing well but Terry was slowly draining his investment. When the girls returned, Terry had lost his hundred, but I had more than doubled mine. Neither of us hit the deuces but I did manage a good number of five-of-kinds and a couple of wild royals that let me cash out a $140 profit. The only other thing of note is that we did find a couple of 100-plays with 9/6 Jacks or Better in the nickel denomination.
We next headed into Circus Circus, which unlike its sister property in Las Vegas, is quite clean and well-maintained. We watched a high wire act for a while and walked around the arcade of carnival games. We stopped when Louise saw a childhood favorite, Chicken in a Pot. Cindy and Louise paid the dollar and both scored landing the chickens in the pots and walked away was their cherished made-in-China velveteen flowers and a stuffed strawberry toy—perhaps the biggest score of the trip.
Cindy and her prizes. No water necessary!
Entrance to Circus Circus
Fatigue was starting to take hold and we walked back to Harrahs for dinner. Terry had read that there was a bank of quarter 9/6 Jacks somewhere in Harrahs and we went on a hunt to find it but after checking every quarter machine in the place came up empty. They did have quite a few 9/6 Jacks at the dollar level, but Reno Harrah’s follows suit with all the other Caesar’s properties and has fairly poor VP schedules.
Everyone was hungry and I waited to use my $100 food voucher I was eligible for after I renewed my Diamond card last January. After a small debacle with the Total Rewards clerks, I got the voucher and we decided on their buffet as it was Seafood and Steak night. We all agreed that overall the food was good and left stuffed and ready to play a little. We settled in on a bank of quarter machines that had 7/5 Bonus Aces. Both Terry and I lost our hundred dollar investment and Louise didn’t fare much better. The machines simply didn’t seem to have any quads in them. It’s been a rough day at the games.
We took a walk as dusk approached. The weather was perfect as we wandered down to the river walk. The city did an amazing job where the Truckee River runs through town with hip restaurants and coffee shops and lined with sculptures and winding paths.
Sculpture at a cement park where skateboarders do their thing
The courthouse building in Reno
What to do with the closed Fitzgerald casino? Put up a wall climbing attraction...to the very top!
There was an event going on at the outdoor stage area where the crowd of leather wearing, tattoo covered spectators seemed in contrast with the “entertainment” consisting of a rap singing minister backed by his off-key background singers praising Jesus while hustling skull decorated t-shirts. There were a lot of locals wading in the slow moving river and an occasional BBQ hibachi gave off a nice aroma.
We eventually made our way over to the Sienna Hotel and Casino. When I was last here I was on my Hit ‘em Nevada tour and this place, which took over for the closed Oasis casino had just been remodeled an open for a couple of days, so there was hardly anyone here. However, tonight the place was doing well with plenty of players hammering away at the machines and throwing dice. We checked out the VP schedules and again they were all short-pay. As we walked, I was called over by a gentleman who recognized me from these reports. His name is Danny and he’s not a member of the LVA but follows the report on the free side. Needless to say, I was taken aback at being recognized and a little flattered.
Trip Report fan, Danny, and I at the Sienna Casino...sorry for the blurry pic
We were about to walk out of the casino when I decided to show everyone my Keno skills with a $5 investment in the nickel Four Play. I lost in short order, but Louise had a couple of nice hits, and Terry—who hasn’t been able to hit the broad side of a barn—continued his losing ways and lost as well. However, we had a great time teasing and laughing.
We made our way back to Harrahs and after losing another couple of 20s in those damn penny machines, we called it a night. Here’s hoping that Lady Luck shines a little brighter on us.
More tomorrow.
I absolutely hated having to leave my Atlantis room. This was a great place to stay and I did manage to pack and leave without dropping or breaking anything. Reno on this day is what they’d call a Chamber of Commerce Day. The weather was in low 80s, there was a slight breeze, and it was clear as far as you could see.
It's a beautiful day in Reno
I was to be at the airport to pick up Terry and Louise at 9:30 and it was only a couple of miles away from the Atlantis. I grabbed the newspaper (that was waiting for at my door when I got up), a cup of coffee and parked the car in the airport garage. The Reno airport is one of the easiest I’ve seen to get in and out. It’s small, so you can easily find a parking spot close to the gates. It wasn’t long before they came down the escalators.
Terry and Louise is a couple who live in Denver I had met in 2007 when Terry was an LVA member and we met at a buffet in the Paris. He convinced me to run with my daughter in that year’s Las Vegas Marathon (before the Rock and Roll Marathon people bought it). We have since become good friends and have managed to get together at least a couple times a year. Louise had never been to Reno and Terry only once on an all nighter, so when my itinerary was set, we decided to meet here for a couple of days.
We were also going to be picking up Cindy, who was flying in from San Diego, at 11:30 so we had almost a couple of hours to kill. I drove them to the Peppermill Hotel and Casino to show them what I call the Neon Jungle. The interior of this mega-casino is bathed in neon and colored lighting that gives it a distinct look from any other place.
Terry and Louise in the Neon Jungle
We wandered around checking out the many varied rooms and, of course, checking the VP schedules along the way. We did stop to check a strange VP game, which I’ve now forgotten the name but like Dream Card, you have to bet twice the amount but you’re paid a multiplier for any winning hand. Terry played one hand of 8/5 Jacks on triple play, caught a pair and with the multiplier won $3.75. He cashed it out. Strange game, but I think I’d like to someday give it a shot. I did play a fiver in Keno but lost. Terry managed to turn his $3.75 into $4.00 and we headed out. We made a fast stop at McDonald’s for a small snack and each settled on a small chicken wrap.
We drove back to the airport and didn’t have to wait long when Cindy’s plane arrived from San Diego and we were off to Harrahs, our stop for the next three nights. It was only a little after noon but they managed to check us in with a couple of adjoining rooms on the 13th floor (yes, no superstitious builders here) in the east tower. I had never stayed in the east tower and once we arrived I could see why. This is the old tower and certainly the size of the rooms gives that away with the very small bathrooms and you feel everything is a bit cramped. At first I was a little upset and thought about going down to change to the west tower, but the rooms have been remodeled and refurnished well, and it is a comp, so it will be okay.
Harrahs, Reno, NV
After unpacking, it was time to check out the lay of the land. If you put Las Vegas on one end of the spectrum of excitement and action and Laughlin on the other end (relaxed and laid back), you’d find Reno right in the middle. There’s somewhat of a party atmosphere, but the people here are not as affluent and the surrounding town is an eclectic mish-mash of redevelopment, depressed, and artistic.
We took a walk into one of the oldest casinos called the Cal/Neva. Its age is obvious and unlike the El Cortez in Las Vegas, they haven’t managed to figure out a good ventilation strategy as the smoke odor permeates the casino. Terry considered getting a slot club card, but they don’t offer any kind of bonus or promotion, so he passed.
I felt it would be an injustice to not show them The Nugget. This is a dive, there’s no better way to describe it, but it’s a famous dive—not for their horribly tight machines, but for their diner that’s tucked into the back. The Man versus Food show declared its Awful Awful Burger as the best in town. Everything served here is huge. The hot dogs are almost the length of the table you’re sitting at; the fries are delivered in large baskets. This is where the term greasy spoon was invented. Okay, I’ll just say it—it’s a dump—but the food is a gluttonous wet dream.
We then walked up Virginia Street to the Eldorado Hotel and Casino, which is attached to both the Silver Legacy and Circus Circus—like a shopping center of casinos.
The fountain at the entrance of the Silver Legacy Casino
After a slow walk through the casinos (with many wrong turns as these places are mazes to get around and I was a poor guide), we stopped for some coffee at Starbucks. Terry had remembered reading that there was a bank of four machines in the Silver Legacy that had full pay deuces wild. While they waited for the coffee, I went out in search of these machines and found them at the entrance at Virginia St. We got our frapachinos and headed for those machines. We were lucky that two in the middle were available so Terry and I sat down and each put in a hundred. The girls headed out to explore on their own. We played for almost an hour. I was doing well but Terry was slowly draining his investment. When the girls returned, Terry had lost his hundred, but I had more than doubled mine. Neither of us hit the deuces but I did manage a good number of five-of-kinds and a couple of wild royals that let me cash out a $140 profit. The only other thing of note is that we did find a couple of 100-plays with 9/6 Jacks or Better in the nickel denomination.
We next headed into Circus Circus, which unlike its sister property in Las Vegas, is quite clean and well-maintained. We watched a high wire act for a while and walked around the arcade of carnival games. We stopped when Louise saw a childhood favorite, Chicken in a Pot. Cindy and Louise paid the dollar and both scored landing the chickens in the pots and walked away was their cherished made-in-China velveteen flowers and a stuffed strawberry toy—perhaps the biggest score of the trip.
Cindy and her prizes. No water necessary!
Entrance to Circus Circus
Fatigue was starting to take hold and we walked back to Harrahs for dinner. Terry had read that there was a bank of quarter 9/6 Jacks somewhere in Harrahs and we went on a hunt to find it but after checking every quarter machine in the place came up empty. They did have quite a few 9/6 Jacks at the dollar level, but Reno Harrah’s follows suit with all the other Caesar’s properties and has fairly poor VP schedules.
Everyone was hungry and I waited to use my $100 food voucher I was eligible for after I renewed my Diamond card last January. After a small debacle with the Total Rewards clerks, I got the voucher and we decided on their buffet as it was Seafood and Steak night. We all agreed that overall the food was good and left stuffed and ready to play a little. We settled in on a bank of quarter machines that had 7/5 Bonus Aces. Both Terry and I lost our hundred dollar investment and Louise didn’t fare much better. The machines simply didn’t seem to have any quads in them. It’s been a rough day at the games.
We took a walk as dusk approached. The weather was perfect as we wandered down to the river walk. The city did an amazing job where the Truckee River runs through town with hip restaurants and coffee shops and lined with sculptures and winding paths.
Sculpture at a cement park where skateboarders do their thing
The courthouse building in Reno
What to do with the closed Fitzgerald casino? Put up a wall climbing attraction...to the very top!
There was an event going on at the outdoor stage area where the crowd of leather wearing, tattoo covered spectators seemed in contrast with the “entertainment” consisting of a rap singing minister backed by his off-key background singers praising Jesus while hustling skull decorated t-shirts. There were a lot of locals wading in the slow moving river and an occasional BBQ hibachi gave off a nice aroma.
We eventually made our way over to the Sienna Hotel and Casino. When I was last here I was on my Hit ‘em Nevada tour and this place, which took over for the closed Oasis casino had just been remodeled an open for a couple of days, so there was hardly anyone here. However, tonight the place was doing well with plenty of players hammering away at the machines and throwing dice. We checked out the VP schedules and again they were all short-pay. As we walked, I was called over by a gentleman who recognized me from these reports. His name is Danny and he’s not a member of the LVA but follows the report on the free side. Needless to say, I was taken aback at being recognized and a little flattered.
Trip Report fan, Danny, and I at the Sienna Casino...sorry for the blurry pic
We were about to walk out of the casino when I decided to show everyone my Keno skills with a $5 investment in the nickel Four Play. I lost in short order, but Louise had a couple of nice hits, and Terry—who hasn’t been able to hit the broad side of a barn—continued his losing ways and lost as well. However, we had a great time teasing and laughing.
We made our way back to Harrahs and after losing another couple of 20s in those damn penny machines, we called it a night. Here’s hoping that Lady Luck shines a little brighter on us.
More tomorrow.
