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Visited Reno ONCE 10 yrs ago & looking for info/comments

 
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trafficmaven



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 3
Location: Seattle

PostPosted: Mar Sun 12, 2006 6:35 pm    Post subject: Visited Reno ONCE 10 yrs ago & looking for info/comments Reply with quote

After 4 trips to Vegas over the past several years, my husband and I are talking about maybe going to RENO on our next "Nevada-Gambling" vacation for a change.

Vegas is great, but it's so BIG! We find ourselves going to old downtown Fremont Street almost every night we're there because of the atmosphere and intimate feeling of the smaller area/casinos. We might go back to Vegas and just stay downtown but are considering Reno. We like the ability to walk around from place to place without a compass and a map and hiking shoes. Ha!

Don't get me wrong, Vegas is FUN, but we noticed on our last trip in January how CROWDED it seemed! It seemed like we had to stand in line quite a bit. And is it just us, or has Vegas gotten a bit dirtier and more seedy now? I don't know, we're not snobs by ANY means, believe me! And we are certainly LOW rollers. I mean we've stayed at IP and Vegas Club for heaven's sake...and a dumpy condo BEHIND the IP so we're NOT snobby about our surroundings or anything like that.

We're young middle-agers who love to party and gamble ($5/lower BJ & slots) and drink and stay out late. We're the kind who really enjoy seeing good local musicians and live music who don't especially like the thought of spending $100-200 to see a performance! Free is good! cheap is good! Ha!

We went with a large group to Reno about 10 years ago and it was fun. I don't really don't know what's there now. I plan to do some research and was hoping for any and all insight you can help me with. We live in Seattle.

Thank you in advance!
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jimc



Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 12
Location: manhattan, kansas

PostPosted: Mar Mon 13, 2006 8:14 am    Post subject: Reno is the Best for Gambling. Reply with quote

TRAFFICMAVEN

I have been to Las Vegas and Reno's gambling is the reason I always come back here for the cheap gambling. You cannot go wrong with the information on this web site, its full of valid and up to date info. You can stay dirt cheap downtown at the CalNeva or Fitz. You can gamble cheap at the same places. Or you can stay at better places like the El Dorado or Silver Legacy. We always stay at CircusCircus but other board members don't like the place, to each his/her own.

The Peppermill and Atlantis are really nice but the gambling is more and they are 2 miles south of downtown on Virginia. The best place to just gamble IMO is the Western Village in Sparks. But don't stay there, the rooms are crummy and expensive compared to downtown.

Cheaporeno web site will give you a different view.

I meet my sisters (no spouces allowed) there every July since the mid 90's and I spend 21 hours a day for a week gambling and eating. Three hours are devoted to sleep.

I have never gone home broke and a couple of times I have made money.

According to my calander, I have 115 days to go. I CAN'T WAIT.

P.S. the screen savers on my computer at work are from this site.
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stan_allen



Joined: 19 Dec 2005
Posts: 1129

PostPosted: Mar Mon 13, 2006 9:52 am    Post subject: The case for Reno Reply with quote

I'll offer the two cents of another low-roller: if you find yourself burned out on the pricey, increasingly overcrowded, stultifying glitz of Vegas, then Reno might just be the exact antidote you need.

The thing to keep in mind is that downtown Reno has a definite tinge of the seedy and the sleazy, and no one should go there expecting otherwise.
Once this concept is safely accepted, the affordability factor provides the true payoff. I find that the best combo is to stay at one of the purportedly "Upscale" places - either the El Dorado or the Silver Legacy - and trek the two or three blocks over to Fitzgerald's, Cal-Neva, or even Sands to get maximum mileage out of one's gambling dollar, or nickels, as the case may be. (I say "Purportedly" just because some trip reports have expressed 'downscale' experiences even at these 'nicer' hotels.)

There's plenty of range in eating choices, too, so for my (limited) money, Reno is the place to go - cheaper gambling, drinking, and partying than Vegas, but with all the same basic stuff. Yes, one will quickly observe bums and other downscale types in the area, but if you've visited any other medium-to-large size city in the United States, it's nothing new.
Who really needs a mile-long shopping mall of designer clothing boutiques and crushingly expansive hotel lobbies when you're just there to party?
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remano



Joined: 20 Dec 2005
Posts: 717

PostPosted: Mar Mon 13, 2006 1:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Visited Reno ONCE 10 yrs ago & looking for info/comm Reply with quote

trafficmaven wrote:
* * *
Vegas is great, but it's so BIG! We find ourselves going to old downtown Fremont Street almost every night we're there because of the atmosphere and intimate feeling of the smaller area/casinos. We might go back to Vegas and just stay downtown but are considering Reno. We like the ability to walk around from place to place without a compass and a map and hiking shoes. Ha! * * *!


Sounds like Reno might be just the place for you.

If you fly, you'll find the airport to be convenient and manageable. No need to ride a tram from one terminal to another to find your baggage, or to take a bus to a rental car lot. Most hotels still offer free airport shuttles for their guests.

The eight main casinos in the downtown core are all within walking distance of each other. Three of them are connected by street overpasses so you don't even have to go outside. The size and quality of the casinos are about what you find in downtown Las Vegas. You will find all varieties and denominations of slot machines. Table games usually have a $5 minimum, although at certain times and locations you may find minimums of $2 or $3. Some of the hotels don't have pools so you should be sure to ask if a pool is important to you.

Most of the entertainment consists of lounge bands and weekend headliners, primarily music and comedians. Harrah's and Eldorado both have production stage shows. They're not nearly as extravagant as the Las Vegas shows, but not as expensive, either. For example, tickets are in the range of $30-$40 for Balagan a "Cirque du Soliel style" circus show at Eldorado, and they have dinner and show packages starting at about $40 and up. I don't think you can touch an actual Cirque show in Las Vegas for under $100.

There are some seedy characters in the streets but so does Las Vegas. It's no worse than most similarly sized cities and way better than what you'll encounter in San Francisco. The police try to keep foot patrols in the area at least during busy times. There are also some very nice areas, like the river walk and whitewater park.

If you have a car you can take a trip to Lake Tahoe. There's nothing anything like it near Las Vegas. Virginia City and Truckee are other good side trips. If you have a yearning for the type of desolation that surrounds Las Vegas, you can always head out to Pyramid Lake.

Some of the bigger special events will bring crowds, most notably Hot August Nights and Street Vibrations. Even then, Reno has its advantages. An event like Hot August Nights would be just another car show in Las Vegas, lost amid the hustle and bustle and lights. In Reno it dominates the entire city and the participants have the run of the town.
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trafficmaven



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 3
Location: Seattle

PostPosted: Mar Mon 13, 2006 10:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, I can't thank you all enough for the GREAT info!

Reno certainly sounds like our kind of place! I'll continue to read and learn and plan our trip.

We have a timeshare in FL and I see a couple of them in Reno we can exchange so we might do that. One is Plaza Resort Club at 121 West St. Google Map shows it's near the river and close to downtown. Looks like a real nice place, altho there are probably packages that might be cheaper. Our exchange rate is $149, so with airfare on top, it's probably cheaper to get a package deal. Hell we don't need an entire week anyway Wink Lord I loathe the day we bought that darned timeshare! It sucks us dry with maintenance and insurance and exchange fees. Live and learn! Embarassed

I wonder if anyone flies non-stop from Seattle besides ALASKA, or as my husband and I call it 'Shoestring Airlines'....no WAY do we want to fly Alaska!! Anyone know??

Thank you AGAIN for the GREAT info. I appreciate the time and trouble!
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Dave



Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 212

PostPosted: Mar Mon 13, 2006 10:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Traffic. I live just North of you. You can fly Southwest as well. They have a few direct flights and some not so direct. They have some pretty good deals if you keep a look out. Funny when you look at it, it is almost the same flight time from here (Seattle) to Reno is almost the same distance as REno to Vegas.
I think you guys will have a blast. I love the somewhat small town feel of Reno compared to Vegas. My one visit to Vegas was fine but I just prefer Reno. I did like Binions but I'll take Reno any day!
Take care,
Dave Smile
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trafficmaven



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 3
Location: Seattle

PostPosted: Mar Mon 13, 2006 11:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great, Thanks Dave! I'll look into SW for flights. Cool
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RenoLady



Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 316

PostPosted: Mar Tue 14, 2006 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Southwest Vacations are a really good way to go, we've used them often to go to Vegas from Sacramento or Reno, and we also use them to bring my husband's folks into Reno from Spokane.

An example of a trip:


Vacation Price

Seattle to Reno/Lake Tahoe
Southwest Airlines
Flight: 772 - 2 Seats
Departs:
Arrives: 11Apr06
11Apr06 06:40am
08:15am Seattle
Reno/Lake Tahoe 0



Reno/Lake Tahoe to Seattle
Southwest Airlines
Flight: 957 - 2 Seats
Departs:
Arrives: 14Apr06
14Apr06 07:50am
09:35am Reno/Lake Tahoe
Seattle 0


Included features and/or taxes (prices listed not reflected above): Quantity
Segment Fee, PFC and September 11th Security Fee 2 PFC/Tax 41.20

Roundtrip Air Fare and Hotel
Price listed includes roundtrip air fare for the number of travelers on your reservation, hotel accommodations for number of nights selected, and hotel taxes.

Quantity
Circus Circus Hotel Casino Reno 1 Room 358.00
Check-in:
Check-out: 11Apr06
14Apr06 Room Category:
Sky Tower


Included features and/or taxes (prices listed not reflected above): Quantity
Promotion Discount 1 Item - 35.80


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Travel Protection
Quantity
Decline to Purchase Travel Protection None .00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total Price
Total 363.40


This is the total price, airfare, room for three nights and all taxes. The discount is a promo code I have REVISIT2. Any weekend times, or better hotels will see a price increase, but not by much. Even Atantis is only $20 more for the same time period.
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dedhd



Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Mar Tue 21, 2006 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do yourself a very big favor- book downtown Las Vegas anfd get Reno off your mind. The place is the pits and the gambling sucks. If you enjoy handing over money with no return then Renos IS the place for you. There are no free lounge acts that I could find, and the food is inedible. For the love of God stick with LV!
I went there thinking the same thing but found out just how bad this city is.
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RenoLady



Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 316

PostPosted: Mar Tue 21, 2006 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LOL

Sounds like someone lost some money.

DEDHD is right about one thing, Reno is NOT Las Vegas, it has never claimed to be.

Reno is what it is, and has enough returnees to suggest there's SOMETHING to it.

Different strokes for different folks.
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llkraus



Joined: 28 Dec 2005
Posts: 104
Location: Tyler, TX

PostPosted: Mar Tue 21, 2006 9:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

trafficmaven wrote:

We have a timeshare in FL and I see a couple of them in Reno we can exchange so we might do that. One is Plaza Resort Club at 121 West St. Google Map shows it's near the river and close to downtown. Looks like a real nice place, altho there are probably packages that might be cheaper.


I believe that's the one that shares a wall with the old Comstock casino. If so, it's okay at best. As I recall, room was small. There were two of us and the sleeper bed in the sofa was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever slept on. Also, the Comstock is no longer a casino and the old Showboat, which used to be close, has also closed.

If you had a choice, you might want to consider options.

llk
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