Reno, NV Road Trips

Reno is steeped in a rich, diverse, and rugged history. This is where the historic Johnson-Jeffries fight happened. This is where Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable made The Misfits in 1961—the last completed film for both (Gable died in 1960, after shooting was complete but before release; Monroe died in 1962). It is where the railroad tumbles down out of the mountains from California to cross the Truckee River and begin the long journey east. It's difficult to walk the streets of Reno without seeing the history in this dynamic city. Most Renoites consider the start of it all to be 1859, when Charles Fuller built a log bridge across the Truckee River and started charging folks to cross over it on the way to the Gold Rush in California or coming back to Nevada for the "Washoe Rush" in Virginia City. Fuller set up shelter for weary travelers to rest. He served meals at a price, and created an opportunity for prospectors to exchange stories and information. The town site of Reno, named after Civil War General Jesse Reno, was established on May 13, 1868. Since its beginning, Reno has spread across much of the Truckee Meadows. Reno and Sparks (a smaller adjacent city) now spread across this small valley separating the Sierra Nevada mountains to the West and Nevada's expansive desert areas to the East. The profiteering characteristic of the founders may have occasionally plagued the course of Reno's subsequent generations. Some Renoites claim Nevadans are simply of a freer nature. Others think the city has repeated the steps of the goldrush era founders.

Reno is an interesting city, with plenty to see and do day and night; many attractions which should be considered "must-see" are 30–60 minutes outside of town by car. Therefore, renting a car is a good idea when visiting Reno. 1 Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W Liberty St (free parking), ☏ +1 775-329-3333, [email protected]. Tu-Su 10AM-6PM, Th 10AM-8PM. The Nevada Museum of Art building was designed by Will Bruder and opened in 2003. It plays host to national and international touring exhibits in addition to smaller exhibits of regional significance. It is the only accredited art museum in Nevada. . $15/adult, $13/concession, $3/child. (updated Nov 2019) 2 Wingfield Park, 2 S Arlington Ave, ☏ +1 775-825-9255. Daily 5AM-10PM. Closed through summer 2026. Along the Truckee River just a few blocks from the casino core, Wingfield Park features an amphitheater with regular performances during the summer months, a kayak park open year round, and many pleasant spots to sit and watch the world go by any day of the week, at pretty much any time of the day. Home of annual events the Reno River Festival, held for three days in early June, and the Artown Festival, July 1–31. (updated Nov 2023) 3 California Ave. This area of small shops and restaurants is a short walk from the downtown casino core and provides a pleasant setting for a meal. (updated Mar 2015) 4 University of Nevada, Reno, ☏ +1 775-784-4700. An ideal location for a pleasant stroll, the layout of the University campus was inspired by Jefferson's University of Virginia.

1 Nevada Wolf Pack, Lawlor Events Center, 15th and Virginia, ☏ +1 775-348-PACK (7225) (select option 2). M–F 10AM–5PM. University of Nevada sports, competing in five men's sports, 10 women's sports, and one coed sport (rifle shooting), mostly in the Mountain West Conference. As with most major universities, the most widely followed sports are football and men's basketball. The Wolf Pack's rivalry with its sister campus in Las Vegas, UNLV, is especially intense. The main athletics venues are on campus, with the most notable being Mackay Stadium (football) and the Lawlor Events Center (basketball); the latter also houses the main ticket office for all Wolf Pack sports. The men's basketball team is planning to move to a new arena at the Grand Sierra Resort in 2026. 2 Reno Aces, 250 Evans Ave, ☏ +1 775-334-7000. Minor League Baseball in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, one of two U.S.-based leagues that are a step below Major League Baseball. The Aces are the top farm team for the Arizona Diamondbacks. $14–39. (updated May 2023) Reno Rodeo, 1350 N Wells Ave, ☏ +1 775-329-3877. mid-June. 10-day rodeo competition with championship events on the final day. (updated May 2023) Tourism is the main focus of Reno, and a number of yearly tourism events are held in the Reno-Sparks area, mostly during the summer months. 3 The Great Reno Balloon Race, Rancho San Rafael Park. pre-dawn to midday. Three day hot air balloon event over Labor Day weekend.

One thing Renoites know is food! Check out some of these great spots: 1 Peg's Glorified Ham 'n' Eggs, 420 S Sierra St (downtown), ☏ +1 775-329-2600. Daily 6:30AM-2PM. Peg's is always busy for brunch, but well worth the wait. A local favorite. There are actually five of these in Reno, the other four at 196 Lemmon Dr (North Reno), 6300 Mae Anne Ave (West Reno), 720 S Meadows Pkwy (South Reno), and 1495 E Prater Way (Sparks). The downtown location is the original. $10-17. (updated May 2023) 2 JJ's Pie Company, 555 W 5th St, ☏ +1 775-786-5555. Sports, beer, pizza, and subs. (updated Jan 2021) 3 Smiling with Hope Pizza, 6135 Lakeside Dr, ☏ +1 775-825-1070. 4 Louis' Basque Corner, 301 East 4th St, ☏ +1 775-323-7203. (updated Mar 2026) 5 Beto's Taqueria, 575 W 5th St, ☏ +1 775-324-0632. (updated Feb 2018) 6 El Adobe Cafe, 55 W Arroyo St (right off S Virginia), ☏ +1 775-327-4422. Su-Th 10AM-8PM, F Sa 10AM-10PM. Sit-down Mexican food. Family owned and operated. $11-15 ish. (updated Feb 2018) 7 Miguel's (original), 1415 S Virginia St, ☏ +1 775-322-2722. Tu-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM, Su noon-8PM. Mexican restaurant that's been here forever (actually since 1959). Also family owned and operated. about $10. (updated Mar 2021) 8 Miguel's (South Reno), 13901 S Virginia St, ☏ +1 775-851-0500. Tu-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM, Su noon-8PM. Mexican restaurant that's been here forever (actually since 1959). Also family owned and operated. about $10. (updated Mar 2021) 9 Toucan Charlie's, 3800 S Virginia St (Inside Atlantis), ☏ +1 775-824-4433.

1 LEX Nightclub, 2500 East Second St (At Grand Sierra Resort and Casino), ☏ +1 775-789-5399, [email protected]. Daily 9PM - 4AM. LEX features three full bars, 33 VIP tables and deluxe amenities. The nightclub also features nine intricate skylights, a $2 million lighting system and an adult indoor pool partially covered by a glass dance floor, creating the illusion of dancing on water. (updated Oct 2016) 2 Flowing Tide Pub. Locations on 10580 North McCarran Boulevard and 465 South Meadows Parkway. 3 Sierra Tap House, 253 W 1st St (On Truckee Riverwalk), ☏ +1 775-322-7678. (updated Oct 2016) 4 The Depot, 325 E 4th St, ☏ +1 775-737-4330. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-2AM, Su 11AM-9PM. Craft brewery/distillery and restaurant with 6 different beers 4 kinds of spirits. (updated Oct 2016) 5 The Z Bar, 1074 South Virginia St, ☏ +1 775-348-1723. (updated Oct 2016) 6 Great Basin Brewery, 5525 S. Virginia St., ☏ +1 775-284-7711. Su M 11AM-9PM, Tu-Sa 11AM-10PM (Reno location opens Su at 9:30AM). Brewery, distillery and restaurant. (updated Feb 2018)

Most visitors to Reno stay at one of the hotel/casino resorts. See above for a list of casino resorts. There are however many options for those that don't want to stay at a casino. 1 Motel 6 Reno - Livestock Events Center, 866 N Wells Ave, ☏ +1 775-786-9852, fax: +1 775-786-3162. (updated Oct 2016) 2 SureStay Plus by Best Western Reno Airport, 1981 Terminal Way, ☏ +1 775-348-6370, toll-free: +1-800-648-3525, fax: +1 775-348-9722. 3 Comfort Inn & Suites Reno Airport, 1250 East Plumb Ln, ☏ +1 775-682-4444, fax: +1 775-682-4445. The Comfort Inn & Suites at the Reno - Tahoe International is conveniently one quarter mile (400 m) from the Reno Airport. (updated Oct 2016) 4 Courtyard Reno, 6855 South Virginia St, ☏ +1 775-851-8300, fax: +1 775-851-8311. (updated Oct 2016) 5 Sonesta ES Suites Reno, 9845 Gateway Dr, ☏ +1 775-853-8800, fax: +1 775-853-8805. 6 Whitney Peak Hotel, 255 N Virginia St, ☏ +1 775 398-5400. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. A good choice for the traveler that wants to be downtown but not in a casino. Right next to the Reno Arch. Non-smoking. (updated May 2023)

As Reno and the Sierra Nevada are popular weekend destinations for Northern Californians, traffic can be bad coming to Reno on Friday evening, and leaving Reno on Sunday evening, especially in the ski season. The most direct route to Reno from Sacramento is via Interstate 80 over Donner Summit (7239 feet or 2206 m). This route sees a great deal of snowfall during the winter, and will shut down for periods of up to a day several times during a typical winter. Northern California residents also use U.S. 395 in Susanville, which stays at a lower elevation and has less problems of traffic and weather. Residents living in the Redding and Chico areas of California find this route safer and quicker. If you plan on crossing this or any other pass in the Sierra Nevada in the winter, keep an eye on the weather forecast, and always carry tire chains if you do not have four-wheel drive. An alternative route is US 50 over Echo Summit (7330 feet). This route follows the American River up from the Sacramento Valley, and then drops into the Lake Tahoe Basin. From there you can continue on US 50 into Carson City, and from there head north to Reno on US 395, or continue around the lake to Incline Village and drop into Reno on the Mount Rose Highway. This route is two lanes only for much of the way, and traffic can be heavy both in the winter and the summer, and winter maintenance is not as good as on Interstate 80.

Reno is served by two freeways: I-80 running east-west, and I-580 (previously US 395), running north-south. Circling the valley of the Truckee Meadows is the McCarran Blvd ring road. The primary business artery is Virginia Street, which runs north-south through downtown Reno. Major east-west routes include Moana Lane, Plumb Lane, Mill Street, Second Street, Fourth Street, and Sixth Street. Major routes running north-south in Reno include Keystone Avenue, Lakeside Drive, Wells Avenue, and Kietzke Lane. Nearly all national car rental agencies serve the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Note that several agencies do not have fleets within the airport property. Most notably, Enterprise's fleet is 1 mile away from the terminal. However, the terminal includes an Enterprise service counter, they offer free shuttle service during business hours, and taxi vouchers and a pickup hotline for drop-offs after hours. If you're not arriving by plane, Enterprise also has a branch on the second floor of the Silver Legacy casino downtown. Reno's transit system, called RTC RIDE, is operated by the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County. The busiest route, the #1 bus, has been replaced with two services, RTC RAPID, a priority express bus making limited stops, and RTC CONNECT, the local. RAPID runs 15 minutes or better headways most of the day through Downtown Reno (a good place to start is the RTC 4th Street Station at 4th and Lake) and down South Virginia Street (the major north-south street) to Meadowood Mall.