The Rambling Man Travel Review: Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada… The Biggest Little City in the world, located mere miles from scenic Lake Tahoe. Reno, known for so many things. Yes, gambling is probably the first thing that creeps into your head as you begin the initial descent into Reno / Tahoe International Airport on the East end of Reno. But, Reno is so much more!! And, to be clear, because in an odd way I get this question more often than not. “No, Reno is not any where near Las Vegas!” Frankly, Sin City is a 6 plus hour car trip away. And, yes, the two Old West towns have some things in common, but the truth is they have more uncommon than you would expect. This is the Silver State, Ramblin with the Rambling Man, checking out the dudeability, the hang outs, the good time, hidden gems…. Rambling, walking, eating, drinking, fishing, hunting, sporting… Rambling into town, and taking in the town for all its worth. From local sporting events, to grabbing a cold beer, or strolling a midnight street in search of every dream inside my soul.
If you want to double down on 11 in a game of black jack, sure… You can take lady luck for a twirl at most locations in Nevada. Heck, you can gamble in the grocery store! Gambling, of course, does not hold a stick to legalized prostitution in the Silver State. A must see “dude event,” a most unique experience while in Nevada. One must visit a brothel. The experience of Ringing the bell, having the ladies line up, and the entire pomp and circumstance of legalized prostitution… This is Nevada!! Embrace it Bro.. And, hey, I am not singing a sad cowboy tune, but one does not have to sleep with a hooker to visit a Brothel. Gentleman, the experience of visiting the Whore House is truly West Coast Cowboy Country Cool. The experience of visiting the relic of the old west sorta makes actually having to bang a hooker totally unnecessary. But, if you do decide to go to Tuna Town in the desert. The house madam at the Brothel, and Brothel ownership, usually have high standards of safety and satisfaction. Plus, the State of Nevada ensures STD safe sex. What a Country! More like what a State. Yes, the only state with Legalized Prostitution, but not the only state with prostitution. As the oldest profession continues its strong industry and economic success globally.
Some suggestions: Mustang Ranch on the outskirts of Reno defines old west prostitution, and if you can avoid the rush of tires truck drivers who frequent the place, the experience is sure to remind you that being a dude is still groovy. The experience is sure to make you proud once again to be the sole proprietor of your personal penis, regardless of size. Mustang offers drinks and libations with the most perfect bar to take in a conversation with one of the many girls patrolling the room. The many patrons, of course, have their own unique stories as well sitting near if you so desire to engage. But, dang it bro, you are on vacation, strike up a conversation. Most Renoites will be more than happy to share a story or two, especially if you are talking golf, hookers, skiing, cold beer, or cards.
I woke up a bit foggy… I think I got home around 3:30 AM, an UBER brought me from Mustang back to my downtown Reno hotel room at the Eldorado Hotel and Casino. I was nude, my clothes from last night thrown over the chair adjacent to my bed, I could still smell the stench of Mustang and Crown Royal bellowing from my garments. What a night… I need some coffee and to walk some of the haze from behind my eyes. I take a quick walk upon exiting the casino doors at the Eldorado, moving South down Virginia St. I then take a right turn on First St.
I arrive at Hub Coffee Roasters on Riverside Dr in Reno. I sit outside, a round table with an extra chair my only company. I sip a tall black coffee and pick at my cheese Danish. My view is of the Truckee River and the adjacent walking trail and park. The trees scream early fall as I sit still listening to the peace of the morning.
On foot one can embrace a new city on a much more intimate level. You can walk almost in slow motion as you take in the new sights, smells, and people. My walk today has a walking path that winds around the Truckee River directly West towards the Keystone Ave Bridge, the Booth St. Bridge, and Idlewild Park. The orange, yellow leaves under my feet, as cool mountain air surrounds me. I hear chirps from a few birds, and the 10:00 AM train and its screech and horn. The water from the river heads East, against my walk. It is a most perfect morning, and I am stoned immaculate in my city by the big lake in the Sierras. You can almost smell that the snow of Winter is near, I walk. My head phones in both ears, music plays, song after song. I hear my playlist, my shuffle playlist. The many songs from Apple I-Tunes subscription.
Three miles is a decent introduction walk to Reno, as I start my daily stroll from Hub Coffee Roasters by directly heading west on the adjacent walking trail… I walk with the morning sun on my back, music keeping me company. Beck, REM, Pearl Jam, Band of Horses, Elliot Smith, Mount Eerie, Bob Dylan…. The Truckee River from the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountain range brings fresh and clear water from the tops of elevated peaks seen in the distance, the river keeps me company as I ramble on. It is a most perfect walk, a mix of solitude, water, fall, and some strange faces. My own music allows me to not skip a beat.
I have a personal tour of a local Cannabis Dispensary at 4 PM. And dinner with an old friend, Clint Cates. Yes, above and beyond gambling and prostitution, Nevada has recently legalized cannabis. Yep, you can literally go pick up a sack at a local retail weed dealer. What a country? And they deliver…
The inner workings of a cannabis dispensary, a bit underwhelming. It is all about security in a cash only business… And, the chronic has some street value, no doubt. So, bullet proof sheet rock, big safes with secret codes and levels of management. Not to mention, a big wall of people. I thought “Starbucks but weed” after 15 minutes into my tour because the Mynt Dispensary in Downtown Reno. The place was packed, all sorts of sour faces and young people alike looking at such a variety of products. Heck, when I was a kid, getting a sack of weed was a crap shoot. You would get a plastic sandwich bag with something green inside, and you would pay the man the cash. Today, its sativa or Indica. It’s oils, wax, vape pens, and don’t get me started on the names. Pot can’t just be pot anymore. Marketing has invaded the space, so pot now is Orange Krusk Kush, or Spiral to Insanity. Regardless, Reno has it all, and the Mynt Dispensary is close and will satisfy one’s curiosity on what is recreational legalization. Check it out….
Mr. Cates urged me to see the Grow Facility, the actual place the pot is grown. And, talk about impressive… To see such a green forest of pot inside the facility was one most unique experience. What a country? And, Nevada, Northern Nevada. This place is lit, no pun intended.
And, when you are stoned? Besides taking a walk and being outdoors, I enjoy food, duh… I think that is the pothead mantra, let’s get high and eat are faces off. For Clint’s chronic hospitality, and world class tour of the Mynt Dispensary facilities, I offered to buy the pot entrepreneur dinner.
Clint, he suggests a local staple, but a Cougar Stop first.
We walk into The Polo Lounge with glazed eyes and an unquenchable thirst. We pull up to seats at the bar, we were Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday in a pair of cowboy boots galloping into this local dive bar. And, we were looking for a cold drink.
The Polo Lounge located in Midtown Reno is a retro and freaky dive bar with strange faces everywhere. The bar, however, is first and foremost a place to drink in a town of drinkers. Did I mention? Reno can drink. I am feeling a Vodka and Tonic with a lemon night is on the horizon. I am in the land of milk and honey, as this dive bar is also a Cougar den. Hot, horny, older women. And like fine wine, and vodka to my tongue, an older woman is truly as sexy as a woman can possible be. Especially, if the music is loud, the drinks are cheap, and last call is just a rumor. That’s right, you can drink all day and all night in the Biggest Little City. No last call!! What a country bro!!!
Clint stumbles back from a food run, we lost most of the night in a haze of laughter, pick up lines, and bar games. We even missed the food reservation. Clint finds a solution! He brings back some food from Miguel’s Mexican Cantina, a short walk away from The Polo Lounge. I am mouth first into an onion and cheese enchilada and a chili relleno in the most elegant egg crepe as 2 AM reared its ugly head. I order a cold beer to wash it down, The Polo Lounge happily accommodates our request to bring in outside food. Dive bar, check. Great company and laughter, check. Great Mexican food, check!! The Rambling Man thinks highly in regards to the drinkability and Eatability in the Biggest little City…
I sleep until high noon. The partly cloudy fall day brings a day to catch up. I have one more night in Reno, what will the last day of my weekend getaway bring. I hope more laughter, and more food.
What will today bring, a Sunday afternoon and night in Reno. I stick to my vacation theme, let’s walk, drink, eat, and find some laughter.
I start my last night with a Sunset Walk at nearby Virginia Lake. The manmade lake is exactly one mile around, it is a big oval walking / running path near the intersection of Virginia St. and Plumb Lane in Reno. It is a most beautiful walk and sunset. I start my walk, set for 3 laps, at approximately 5:45 PM, sunset set for 6:20 PM, and the sky was set ablaze with all of autumn’s glory. The lake is full of aquatic life, ducks, geese, turtles, fish. With the best feature of Virginia Lake, a forest of sage brush. As dusk approaches, the smell from the sage brush is worth a billion silver dollars. The smell of sun fading from summer, the old west meeting the fresh air of ancient mountain shadow. Air so still, my heart beats in rhythm with the season.
After the walk, I go to the nearby Atlantis Casino…. The Atlantis, less than a quarter mile from Virginia Lake, is where I will partake in the Steam Room with Eucalyptus spray and a world class massage. I feel like I am made of rubber, I feel happy. So, I make my way down to the sportsbook within the bowels of the Atlantis casino. I grab a beer and a nearby handicapping sheet, I am going to bet on the NFL Sunday night game of the Week, it’s the Patriots vs the Chiefs. What a game!! I put $500 on Tom Brady, the old man from Nor Cal, to win the game by more than two points.
At halftime, I stagger over to the Purple Parrot restaurant within the Atlantis to get my all time favorite sandwich, The Monty Cristo. This fried sandwich with a side of strawberry preserves is not something I eat, nor even have the option of ordering. The Monty Cristo with a side of fries, I sit at my table, lost in the casino carpet, and flashy neon lights, my eyes fixed upon the next numbers in the never ending run of Keno games on the overhead TV. In my head, I keep wishing for eight numbers to match, a dream of wealth and fame surely awaits if I can only just get 8 numbers correct.
The night fades into the swallows of tomorrow, I make my way back to downtown and the Eldorado. My flight leaves tomorrow at 10:15 AM….
Hue of the TV radiates upon my tired and sleepy head, a weekend in Reno. I spark my lighter, weed set aglow, I inhale. Stoned immaculate, I am the Rambling Man. Reno ENVY… Reno, Nevada… Walkability Score: 9 out of 10, Drinkability Score: 7 out of 10, Eatability Score: 7 out of 10, Overall Value: 8 of 10, The Ability of the City to Provide a Unique Experience: 10 of 10.
Or course, my weekend getaway is meant to start a conversation regarding travel. Reno has so much more to offer, like most cities, it would take multiple trips to take it all in. I, do however, list below some activities or events to consider when traveling to Reno.
1. Fish for Brown or Rainbow Trout in the Truckee River. Entrance Point at Mayberry Park west of town make this easy to access. Artificial flies, a Salmon Egg, or even a piece of Bacon on the end of the stick will find success at dawn or twilight.
2. Check out a University of Nevada Football game at nearby Mackey Stadium in the Fall, a Nevada Basketball game in the Winter, or a Reno Aces Minor League Baseball game in the Spring or Summer. Hey, we love our sports, and checking out a new venue is always cool.
3. Walking Options: Mayberry Park, Downtown Reno, Virginia Lake, Rancho San Rafael
4. Harrah’s Auto Museum – This is a legit place, full of classic cars that will blow your mind.
5. Rib Cookoff, Balloon Races, Hot August Nights, all tourists traps but a place to start a weekend to Ramble On…..
Finally, and in closing, what is the soul of the city, what is the Soul of Reno? Reno has two faces, and contradiction surrounds. The beauty of Lake Tahoe, the Truckee River, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, alongside the despair of prostitution and gaming. The city is the chain of vice, and the elegance of a perfect small town. It is the old west, yet modern day growth and opportunity abounds. It’s the Wild, Wild West, it’s the Biggest Little City in the World. Regardless, Reno is a fantastic place to Ramble On.
The Rambling Man continues next week, we explore Athens, Georgia. Please follow us on Twitter, @BarkmanPete. We are no longer on Facebook. Why? Because Facebook sucks.
Please consider checking out other Podcast segments available on The Pete Barkman Show. Segments include the following: The Rambling Man, Las Vegas Larry’s Losers ( sports picks, predictions, and handicapping). And, our How To Live a Happy and Healthy Life Series. Plus, much more. The Pete Barkman Show, available on most Podcast Platforms.
theartofmadeline
ellievsbear
gummygunk
origamiaround
kaledo-art
vaporwave