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    2003 Reno Trip
    (Friday, 18 July - Sunday 20 July, 2003)

    The biggest little city in the world

    Sarah & I left the Bay Area on Thursday mid-afternoon, arriving late'ish in Reno. None of the recommended restaurants in the downtown Reno area were open by the time we got there, so we went to Tivoli Gardens in the Eldorado Casino - bad idea. We woke early on Friday and drove just past the summit of the Mt. Rose Hwy and hiked up Mt. Rose, enjoying the spectacular wildflowers and good views. We had a hearty dinner at Louis' Basque Corner and went to bed.

    After a great breakfast at Peg's Glorified Ham & Eggs, we headed east through Fallon and walked around Grimes Point and Hidden Cave. Nothing like a hike in the desert in a Nevadan heat wave! We went in search of wildlife at the Sweetwater National Wildlife Refuge, but unlike us, most of the critters had the good sense to not be out in the 103°F midday sun! After exploring downtown Fallon (which doesn't take too long!) and having lunch at Aniceta's we drove back to Reno, stopping at a very cool-looking "antique" store that was unfortunately closed. We'd been thinking of driving around Pyramid Lake and hooking up with a colleague of mine, but we were tired and hot, so we decided to call it a day for exploring. We had probably the best seafood I've ever had in my life at the superlative Rapscallion then went out drinking and gambling. After blowing my budgeted $30 or so on nickel slots, we called it a night.

    We slept in a bit on Sunday, ate again at Peg's, then hiked around Sagehen Creek, a bit north of Lake Tahoe. We were a little late for some wildflowers it appeared, but there were a good many nonetheless. Afterwards we stopped by Auburn for lunch and a quick visit with my folks, and drove back to the Bay Area.

    There's much more I'd like to see in Nevada and around Reno in particular. Its size and cheap hotels make it a pretty handy launching point for exploring central-western Nevada and Lake Tahoe. I was a little sorry to miss Pyramid Lake, the newly-opened Reno Art Museum, and the National Automobile Museum, but I guess you can't do everything (despite my best efforts!).

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    Last modified 08 February, 2011 MST
    Copyright © 2009 Adam R. Paul
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