Summer of Cal/Nev – Day 53
Today we embark on our planned Carson/Lake Tahoe tourist run. We were out of the rooms by 8AM and decided to have breakfast at the Hash House A Go Go (guess what they were smoking when they came up with that name?). The Harrahs in Reno doesn’t have a coffee shop, and their buffet doesn’t open until 10, so this is your only choice for breakfast. On just a side note, I was mailed a $10 food coupon “good at any of our restaurants except Quizno’s, Hash House a Go Go, the Japanese place, and Starbucks.” That only leaves the overpriced steakhouse and the buffet. C’mon!
We sat at a table at the Hash House and we were all served coffee—problem—the coffee was cold. After a new round of coffee (conveniently hot this time) we ordered our breakfast, which was actually quite good. We got into the car with the first destination being Carson City, which is about thirty to forty minutes away on the recently opened Interstate 580.
I talked about Carson City on my Hit ‘em All Nevada trip and I remember remarking about how very nice and quaint this small city was (even though it is the State Capital of Nevada). The downtown area streets are lined with trees, and the stores and shops are all small mom and pop joints including the casinos. We first stopped at the Cactus Jack’s casino, a place with about 75 machines (all short pay VP, of course) and a cool little café in the corner that consisted of a counter and two small card tables. I have no doubt the food here is excellent.
Cactus Joe's in Carson City
The small cafe in Cactus Joe's
We then walked across the street to the equally small Horseshoe Club. They also had an assortment of the older video slot machines, a small café, and the ubiquitous bar (it’s simply not Nevada if you can’t get liquored up 24 hours a day). On the side of one of the walls was a bank of nickel machines that had full pay Pick ‘em—a very rare find. I believe it’s the first time I have found full pay Pick ‘em for nickels. The only drawback was all the machines are coin fed all but guaranteeing dirty hands and hopper fills.
There is one more casino here, the Nugget (there appears to be a casino with Nugget in the name in every city in Nevada), which is the largest of the three casinos, but we didn’t go into it to check it out.
Unfortunately, I cut this sign off, but it was an interesting banner stretching across the main road inn Carson.. It reads: Breastfeeding...
Down another block is the State Capital. I’m disappointed that my pictures do not do this place justice. The grounds are immaculate and this regal building (first built in the 1840s and last refurbished and upgraded in 1977) is something everyone should take time to visit if they’re in this area. We went inside where the walls are lined with huge paintings of former governors. The governor’s office is on one end, and the Secretary of State office on the other. All the doors to the offices were symbolically left open as you walk by while the office administrators look up over their glasses as we scrumptiously peer in. I was SO tempted to walk right into the office and demand to see Governor Sandoval to complain about the shrinking VP schedules at the Harrahs’ properties and to “to get right on it!” But I chickened out and continued upstairs to where they have a small museum with the actual desks, chairs, and other artifacts of the state legislature of Nevada including the actual first American Flag (fairly tattered but vibrant) that flew over the capital the day it was granted statehood.
State Capitol Building of Nevada
Nevada Supreme court in the late 1800s
It was getting late and we were spending too much time here, so we headed back to the car but couldn’t quite leave without driving over to the Governor’s Mansion. What is with government buildings and white columns? The girls took their pictures of the mansion and we were finally off to Lake Tahoe.
The climb to 7000 feet took about 25 minutes as we curled around the many winding turns finally reaching the casino area of Lake Tahoe. I have stayed here at Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe when Martin and I came up here a few years ago on a comp. What really stuck out was that the rooms are all very oddly put together with the walk-in closets almost as large as the room itself. This is Terry, Louise, and Cindy’s first trip here, so we walked into all the casinos (except the Horizon—why bother?). Harrahs and Harvey’s (both owned by Caesar’s) are connected by an underground tunnel, which has a Mexican restaurant on one end of it, so it was easy to go from one place to another.
Both Cindy and I swiped our Total Rewards cards at both properties for their Summer Millionaire contest and both won some “entries” into the drawing at the end of the year. In Caesars-speak “entry” means “worthless.” We were hoping to go up to the top of Harvey’s where the Diamond Lounge is located because the view is amazing; however, we were told the Diamond Lounge is only open on Fri, Sat, and Sunday and we can’t just “go up to look around.” We could, however, take the Lakeview elevators to the top floor where a restaurant is located and look at the view from the window there. So we trekked over to the other side of the casino, located the elevators and went up to the 19th floor. The restaurant was closed, the doors were locked, but there was a side window to the right. If you lean into the window with your face pressing into the pane, and peer to your extreme left, you can see the lake in the distance—what a (#%&!) waste of time!
We walked across the street to the Montbleu Hotel and Casino (once Caesar’s Lake Tahoe) to check to see if the two Derby Horse Race machines were still there. Yes, they were. We each took $5 in quarters and for the next half hour had a great time screaming at the little mechanical horses as they raced around the track. The casino was like a ghost town. There were only two or three customers in the sportsbook and just a few gamblers at the tables and machines.
Approaching the Montbleu Casino in Lake Tahoe
Enjoying the Derby games in the Montbleu
Harvey's Hotel and Casino in Lake Tahoe
As we walked back to Harvey’s where we parked in the valet, Terry and I wanted to check out the Diamond Lounge at Harrah’s because we were told by the same boothling that sent us up to the 19th floor for the view that Harrah’s DL is open 24 hours a day. I had never heard of a diamond lounge open 24 hours a day, so I had to see it for myself. We left the girls to fend for themselves at a Keno machine (yes, I have them hooked) and when Terry and I went into the high limit area where the DL is located, my Diamond card didn’t work. I went to the High Limit cashier and he cleared our card so we could gain entry. The diamond lounge is very well furnished (reminds one of the old-school Men’s Clubs in New York with the high back leather and vinyl chairs). It turns out that yes, you can go into the DL anytime you want, but aside from sitting on the furniture there is nothing for you. No drinks of any kind (not even coffee or water) until 4 PM when food is served (more chicken wings) for two hours and drinks for another two hours. How sad it has become for these once very cool Diamond Lounges that the Caesar’s bean counters have ruined this one time great benefit to being a “valued” player.
We went back to join the girls and then it was back into the car to go see the lake. We drove around the lake into the California side trying time and time again to get close enough to the thing to stick our toe in the water. Everywhere we drove, there was only paid parking, or other places which were full, or with signs that read No Public Parking—Tow Away Zone! After a couple of turns that sent us into neighborhoods of the rich and poor (if there is such a thing as poor in Lake Tahoe), we finally caved in and paid $7 to a state beach area. The place was full (hey, it’s Monday!) with people getting sun tans, swimming in the lake, and barbequing hot dogs. We finally got to the water.
Cindy and Terry as he works on his "old man stance" in lake
After some pictures and getting the sand out of the nooks and crannies of toes, we were off and heading back to Reno. There was some discussion of going all around the lake but after looking at the size of the lake from the vantage point in the beach area, we figured that would be a big mistake. If you haven’t seen Lake Tahoe, you really can’t grasp just how BIG this lake really is—it would take us the rest of the day and into the night before we got around the whole thing.
We made the drive back down the mountain and into Carson City once again. I told everyone that I’d like to take the old 395 back to Reno as a change of scenery instead of the new Interstate 580 and headed off in the direction of where I thought it was—I got us lost…again (just how did I manage to drive across the entire county and Canada a couple of years ago?).
As we got out the GPS to get back on track, we passed a couple of small casinos that I had evidently missed during my Hit ‘em Nevada trip. We pulled into the parking lot to check them out. The first was called Slot World. They were having a promotion for new sign ups where you spin a wheel for free play or free food. Cindy, Terry, and I won $5 free play and Louise won a $10 food comp. Because we were old farts, they gave us an additional $10 in free play, so with $15 to spend, we headed for the nickel machines while Louise headed for the café where she’d devour a piece of cherry pie with a couple scoops of ice cream. This turned out to be a good stop. I walked away with $15 cash (Keno), Cindy walked away with $20 cash (Keno) and Terry walked away with $35 cash (DDB hitting quad 4s), and Louise walked away full of pie and ice cream.
We then walked across the street to the other small casino called Jackpot Crossing. They also had a senior promotion of $10 free play for new sign ups (who have thought getting old would have so many perks?), so we did so and all played Keno and all eventually lost; however, also here was a very nice free soft drink and coffee and cappuccino fountain (real cups and glasses—I’m guessing they don’t want people just coming in and taking the drinks and leaving). We all had a vanilla cappuccino was very delicious (and filling considering the other three of us haven’t eaten since breakfast).
We drove back to Harrahs and chose to use valet this time because we’re in the midst of the Hot August Nights events and Reno is jammed with vintage cars and 1950s and 60s’ enthusiasts. It was getting late and time for dinner. We decided to once again head back to the Silver Legacy for dinner as Terry and I added some more comps to our slot cards yesterday and could use that towards dinner. We went to the Central Café where Louise and Cindy had burgers, I had a club, and Terry had the Kung Pau Chicken.
This is an amazing display in the lobby of the Silver Legacy.
Dinner was excellent and we walked back to Harrahs where once again, we stopped to watch a girl climb the huge rock climb wall set up against the now closed Fitzgerald’s casino.
As she scales this wall...doesn't look all that much...
Oh yea...that's high
The Nugget in downtown Reno...home of the famous Awful Awful Burger
It was a perfect summer night with mild temps and a slight breeze. We just hung around outside and watched the occasional parade of vintage cars cruise down So. Virginia Ave. It was the perfect end to a terrific day. While the girls stayed outside to watch the cars, Terry and I went inside where he took a shot at the 7/5 Bonus triple play. He lost his $100 stake in record time as the cards dealt got worse and worse. I said my good nights to everyone and headed up to the room while the girls stayed longer to enjoy the night and watch the cars. Terry headed back to the Silver Legacy (his now favorite place in Reno) to play one last round of games as they are flying back to Denver tomorrow.
I was just falling asleep when a text came across my phone: Terry hit a Royal.
More tomorrow.
Today we embark on our planned Carson/Lake Tahoe tourist run. We were out of the rooms by 8AM and decided to have breakfast at the Hash House A Go Go (guess what they were smoking when they came up with that name?). The Harrahs in Reno doesn’t have a coffee shop, and their buffet doesn’t open until 10, so this is your only choice for breakfast. On just a side note, I was mailed a $10 food coupon “good at any of our restaurants except Quizno’s, Hash House a Go Go, the Japanese place, and Starbucks.” That only leaves the overpriced steakhouse and the buffet. C’mon!
We sat at a table at the Hash House and we were all served coffee—problem—the coffee was cold. After a new round of coffee (conveniently hot this time) we ordered our breakfast, which was actually quite good. We got into the car with the first destination being Carson City, which is about thirty to forty minutes away on the recently opened Interstate 580.
I talked about Carson City on my Hit ‘em All Nevada trip and I remember remarking about how very nice and quaint this small city was (even though it is the State Capital of Nevada). The downtown area streets are lined with trees, and the stores and shops are all small mom and pop joints including the casinos. We first stopped at the Cactus Jack’s casino, a place with about 75 machines (all short pay VP, of course) and a cool little café in the corner that consisted of a counter and two small card tables. I have no doubt the food here is excellent.
Cactus Joe's in Carson City
The small cafe in Cactus Joe's
We then walked across the street to the equally small Horseshoe Club. They also had an assortment of the older video slot machines, a small café, and the ubiquitous bar (it’s simply not Nevada if you can’t get liquored up 24 hours a day). On the side of one of the walls was a bank of nickel machines that had full pay Pick ‘em—a very rare find. I believe it’s the first time I have found full pay Pick ‘em for nickels. The only drawback was all the machines are coin fed all but guaranteeing dirty hands and hopper fills.
There is one more casino here, the Nugget (there appears to be a casino with Nugget in the name in every city in Nevada), which is the largest of the three casinos, but we didn’t go into it to check it out.
Unfortunately, I cut this sign off, but it was an interesting banner stretching across the main road inn Carson.. It reads: Breastfeeding...
Down another block is the State Capital. I’m disappointed that my pictures do not do this place justice. The grounds are immaculate and this regal building (first built in the 1840s and last refurbished and upgraded in 1977) is something everyone should take time to visit if they’re in this area. We went inside where the walls are lined with huge paintings of former governors. The governor’s office is on one end, and the Secretary of State office on the other. All the doors to the offices were symbolically left open as you walk by while the office administrators look up over their glasses as we scrumptiously peer in. I was SO tempted to walk right into the office and demand to see Governor Sandoval to complain about the shrinking VP schedules at the Harrahs’ properties and to “to get right on it!” But I chickened out and continued upstairs to where they have a small museum with the actual desks, chairs, and other artifacts of the state legislature of Nevada including the actual first American Flag (fairly tattered but vibrant) that flew over the capital the day it was granted statehood.
State Capitol Building of Nevada
Nevada Supreme court in the late 1800s
It was getting late and we were spending too much time here, so we headed back to the car but couldn’t quite leave without driving over to the Governor’s Mansion. What is with government buildings and white columns? The girls took their pictures of the mansion and we were finally off to Lake Tahoe.
The climb to 7000 feet took about 25 minutes as we curled around the many winding turns finally reaching the casino area of Lake Tahoe. I have stayed here at Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe when Martin and I came up here a few years ago on a comp. What really stuck out was that the rooms are all very oddly put together with the walk-in closets almost as large as the room itself. This is Terry, Louise, and Cindy’s first trip here, so we walked into all the casinos (except the Horizon—why bother?). Harrahs and Harvey’s (both owned by Caesar’s) are connected by an underground tunnel, which has a Mexican restaurant on one end of it, so it was easy to go from one place to another.
Both Cindy and I swiped our Total Rewards cards at both properties for their Summer Millionaire contest and both won some “entries” into the drawing at the end of the year. In Caesars-speak “entry” means “worthless.” We were hoping to go up to the top of Harvey’s where the Diamond Lounge is located because the view is amazing; however, we were told the Diamond Lounge is only open on Fri, Sat, and Sunday and we can’t just “go up to look around.” We could, however, take the Lakeview elevators to the top floor where a restaurant is located and look at the view from the window there. So we trekked over to the other side of the casino, located the elevators and went up to the 19th floor. The restaurant was closed, the doors were locked, but there was a side window to the right. If you lean into the window with your face pressing into the pane, and peer to your extreme left, you can see the lake in the distance—what a (#%&!) waste of time!
We walked across the street to the Montbleu Hotel and Casino (once Caesar’s Lake Tahoe) to check to see if the two Derby Horse Race machines were still there. Yes, they were. We each took $5 in quarters and for the next half hour had a great time screaming at the little mechanical horses as they raced around the track. The casino was like a ghost town. There were only two or three customers in the sportsbook and just a few gamblers at the tables and machines.
Approaching the Montbleu Casino in Lake Tahoe
Enjoying the Derby games in the Montbleu
Harvey's Hotel and Casino in Lake Tahoe
As we walked back to Harvey’s where we parked in the valet, Terry and I wanted to check out the Diamond Lounge at Harrah’s because we were told by the same boothling that sent us up to the 19th floor for the view that Harrah’s DL is open 24 hours a day. I had never heard of a diamond lounge open 24 hours a day, so I had to see it for myself. We left the girls to fend for themselves at a Keno machine (yes, I have them hooked) and when Terry and I went into the high limit area where the DL is located, my Diamond card didn’t work. I went to the High Limit cashier and he cleared our card so we could gain entry. The diamond lounge is very well furnished (reminds one of the old-school Men’s Clubs in New York with the high back leather and vinyl chairs). It turns out that yes, you can go into the DL anytime you want, but aside from sitting on the furniture there is nothing for you. No drinks of any kind (not even coffee or water) until 4 PM when food is served (more chicken wings) for two hours and drinks for another two hours. How sad it has become for these once very cool Diamond Lounges that the Caesar’s bean counters have ruined this one time great benefit to being a “valued” player.
We went back to join the girls and then it was back into the car to go see the lake. We drove around the lake into the California side trying time and time again to get close enough to the thing to stick our toe in the water. Everywhere we drove, there was only paid parking, or other places which were full, or with signs that read No Public Parking—Tow Away Zone! After a couple of turns that sent us into neighborhoods of the rich and poor (if there is such a thing as poor in Lake Tahoe), we finally caved in and paid $7 to a state beach area. The place was full (hey, it’s Monday!) with people getting sun tans, swimming in the lake, and barbequing hot dogs. We finally got to the water.
Cindy and Terry as he works on his "old man stance" in lake
After some pictures and getting the sand out of the nooks and crannies of toes, we were off and heading back to Reno. There was some discussion of going all around the lake but after looking at the size of the lake from the vantage point in the beach area, we figured that would be a big mistake. If you haven’t seen Lake Tahoe, you really can’t grasp just how BIG this lake really is—it would take us the rest of the day and into the night before we got around the whole thing.
We made the drive back down the mountain and into Carson City once again. I told everyone that I’d like to take the old 395 back to Reno as a change of scenery instead of the new Interstate 580 and headed off in the direction of where I thought it was—I got us lost…again (just how did I manage to drive across the entire county and Canada a couple of years ago?).
As we got out the GPS to get back on track, we passed a couple of small casinos that I had evidently missed during my Hit ‘em Nevada trip. We pulled into the parking lot to check them out. The first was called Slot World. They were having a promotion for new sign ups where you spin a wheel for free play or free food. Cindy, Terry, and I won $5 free play and Louise won a $10 food comp. Because we were old farts, they gave us an additional $10 in free play, so with $15 to spend, we headed for the nickel machines while Louise headed for the café where she’d devour a piece of cherry pie with a couple scoops of ice cream. This turned out to be a good stop. I walked away with $15 cash (Keno), Cindy walked away with $20 cash (Keno) and Terry walked away with $35 cash (DDB hitting quad 4s), and Louise walked away full of pie and ice cream.
We then walked across the street to the other small casino called Jackpot Crossing. They also had a senior promotion of $10 free play for new sign ups (who have thought getting old would have so many perks?), so we did so and all played Keno and all eventually lost; however, also here was a very nice free soft drink and coffee and cappuccino fountain (real cups and glasses—I’m guessing they don’t want people just coming in and taking the drinks and leaving). We all had a vanilla cappuccino was very delicious (and filling considering the other three of us haven’t eaten since breakfast).
We drove back to Harrahs and chose to use valet this time because we’re in the midst of the Hot August Nights events and Reno is jammed with vintage cars and 1950s and 60s’ enthusiasts. It was getting late and time for dinner. We decided to once again head back to the Silver Legacy for dinner as Terry and I added some more comps to our slot cards yesterday and could use that towards dinner. We went to the Central Café where Louise and Cindy had burgers, I had a club, and Terry had the Kung Pau Chicken.
This is an amazing display in the lobby of the Silver Legacy.
Dinner was excellent and we walked back to Harrahs where once again, we stopped to watch a girl climb the huge rock climb wall set up against the now closed Fitzgerald’s casino.
As she scales this wall...doesn't look all that much...
Oh yea...that's high
The Nugget in downtown Reno...home of the famous Awful Awful Burger
It was a perfect summer night with mild temps and a slight breeze. We just hung around outside and watched the occasional parade of vintage cars cruise down So. Virginia Ave. It was the perfect end to a terrific day. While the girls stayed outside to watch the cars, Terry and I went inside where he took a shot at the 7/5 Bonus triple play. He lost his $100 stake in record time as the cards dealt got worse and worse. I said my good nights to everyone and headed up to the room while the girls stayed longer to enjoy the night and watch the cars. Terry headed back to the Silver Legacy (his now favorite place in Reno) to play one last round of games as they are flying back to Denver tomorrow.
I was just falling asleep when a text came across my phone: Terry hit a Royal.
More tomorrow.
