Ryan + Katey

My mom thought that I should make a slightly more comprehensive list of things to do, since many (most!) of you are coming from out of town and might be here for more than one day. So, I’m gonna give you a “you’re a tourist, so do these things” list combined with some of my personal recommendations for food, etc.

• National Automobile Museum – a small but supremely cool museum showcasing cars that range from the first ones ever built to the 1980’s. They have a really neat collection, and I’d actually recommend going here if you need something to do.
• Virginia City – about 45-60 minutes away from Reno, Virginia City is an old mining-town-turned-tourist-trap. Basically, the town looks like it’s stuck in the Wild West. Old time photos, candy, shops, food, and saloons abound.
• Wild Island – Reno’s only water park, along with go karts, mini golf, bowling, and more. The water park is pretty decent-sized considering the size of Reno, and they serve alcohol in the park if you’re into that.
• Circus Circus – They have circus acts and a midway arcade. It’s just like the one in Vegas, but in Reno.
• Golf Courses – I don’t golf, so I don’t know what ones are good (which is why there’s no link!) but I do know that Reno has a ton.
• Grand Sierra Resort – A massive resort and casino south of Reno’s downtown area. It’s not near any of Reno’s smaller downtown casinos, but there’s a lot more to do. Swimming at The Beach (their outdoor pool with sand), bowling, an arcade, laser tag, a $3 movie theater, an ultra-bar, tons of restaurants (including a Charlie Palmer steakhouse, which is expensive but really good), mini golf, go karts, indoor golf, a driving range over water, a spa, and shopping. Don’t forget gambling, too.
• Downtown Reno – this is basically where all the casinos are. Eldorado, Circus Circus, Silver Legacy, CalNeva, and Harrah’s. If you want to see the standard Reno sleeze, this is where you go. In all seriousness, this is Reno’s main strip, running down Virginia street. Eldorado has good bars and restaurants (including a brewpub), Circus Circus is more kid friendly, CalNeva has extremely cheap food, and Silver Legacy and Harrah’s are the more “generic” casinos. If you want to gamble, this might be the place to go.
• 775 Gastropub – this is my favorite restaurant in Reno. They have food for all diets, including vegan and gluten-free needs, and a truly massive beer list. They also have some great cocktails, if you’re into that sort of thing. I would really recommend stopping here if you have a chance and want some unique food.
• Shopping – There’s the Legends at Sparks, Meadowood Mall in central Reno – south of downtown, and there’s the Summit, far south of Reno. Meadowood Mall is your standard shopping mall. Legends has your outlet stores, along with Scheels: the sporting good store so large it has a ferris wheel inside, and Summit is your standard high-end outdoor shopping center.
• Riverwalk District – Just south of downtown, this area has some of the best non-casino dining in Reno. There also are a few smaller boutique shops in this area.
• Craft Beer & Wine – one of my (and Ryan’s!) favorite spots in all of Reno. It’s a small store/bar with a huge walk-in cooler for beer and cider. You take the bottles up to the register, and they’ll open them for you if you want to drink them there, but you can also take them with you. They also sell a small selection of high-end spirits, and a large selection of wine out on the floor.

Reno also has lots of concerts from used-to-be-famous artists rolling through town at any given moment, as well as local cover bands. I don’t know who’s playing yet this far away, but maybe someone you want to see will be here!