Although you’ll find dozens of communities touted as the best places to live and retire, simple geography has placed the Reno/Tahoe area at the head of the class. Tucked into the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the area is blessed with some of the most majestic scenery in the country along with unlimited opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation. Hundreds of miles of hiking trails await the outdoor enthusiast, and more than 26 downhill and backcountry ski resorts are available to skiers. Golfers can tee it up at dozens of golf courses, and water sports lovers can recreate in a plethora of lakes and streams. With all of this recreation just outside the door, it’s no wonder that the area is dubbed “America’s Adventure Place.”
With a long history as a gaming destination, the area also offers a rich variety of indoor entertainment. Since gambling was legalized in Nevada in the 1930s, the casinos have offered nonstop gaming and lavish entertainment to locals and visitors alike. As the area has grown in population in recent years, the arts and culture of its communities have flourished. No area of comparable population size has such enormous variety and quality of entertainment as Reno/Tahoe.
The area of coverage for this guide incorporates a large territory, so I have divided it into four locations: Reno, Sparks, North Shore of Lake Tahoe, and South Shore of Lake Tahoe.
Reno and Sparks are sister cities that butt up against each other in the Nevada county of Washoe. This county stretches from the northeastern tip of Lake Tahoe to the Oregon border.
Lake Tahoe, North America’s largest alpine lake, straddles the state line with two-thirds of the lake sitting in California and the other third sitting in Nevada. The lake is bordered by Placer and El Dorado Counties in California and Washoe, Carson, and Douglas Counties in Nevada. More than 60 creeks flow into Lake Tahoe, but only the Truckee River flows out of the lake, on its meandering route through Reno and Sparks to eventually empty into Pyramid Lake, north of Reno.
For purposes of this guide, I define the North Shore of Lake Tahoe as that area from Meeks Bay on the southwestern side of the lake clockwise to Spooner Lake, near the intersection of Nevada Highway 28 and U.S. Highway 50. I define the South Shore as the area from Spooner Lake clockwise around Lake Tahoe and back to Meeks Bay.
These four areas are described in a little more detail later in this chapter, but first, some general information on the Reno/Tahoe area as a whole.
When the Nevada State Legislature legalized unlimited gaming in Nevada in 1931, the Reno/Tahoe area became a mecca for people hoping to strike it rich in the casinos. With nonstop entertainment 24 hours a day, the casinos are hard to beat as crowd-pleasing, main attractions. They range in size from giants, like tri-property Circus Circus–Silver Legacy Resort Casino–Eldorado Hotel/Casino complex in downtown Reno, to smaller, locally oriented establishments, such as the Rail City Casino in Sparks.
Some visitors literally never see the light of day during their entire visit to the area, as the dizzying array of casino amusements becomes their main focus. With the exception of the circus acts at the Midway Stage at Circus Circus and the automated mining machine and laser show at Silver Legacy, the amenities of the casinos are explored in the chapters on Hotels and Motels, Resorts, and Casino Nightlife.
But for now let’s venture outside and have a look at “the other Reno/Tahoe,” a land rich in history, natural beauty, and unlimited opportunities for recreation and personal enrichment. You can reach for the stars at the Fleischmann Planetarium and take a walk down Main Street America circa 1930 at the National Automobile Museum. You can pet a deer at the Sierra Safari Zoo, ogle priceless art at the Wilbur May Center, and ride a paddle wheeler across the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe. Or you can simply drink in the wonder and majesty of one of the most beautiful natural settings on Earth. Once you begin to explore this side of Reno/Tahoe, you can appreciate why it’s called “America’s Adventure Place.”
With Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains just outside, it might seem redundant to list other attractions. A view anywhere can be a breathtaking attraction in itself. Lake Tahoe has been called “America’s Treasure” by politicians, travel writers, and nature lovers, and the 72-mile drive along its shoreline has been named “The Most Beautiful Drive in America.”
You can pick up information at the local chambers of commerce and visitor bureaus: 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline Village (775-832-1606); 3000 North Lake Boulevard #10 in Tahoe City (530-583-3494); and 169 Highway 50 Third Floor in Stateline (775-588-1728). Web sites include www.tahoe.com, www.gotahoenorth.com, www.bluelaketahoe.com, www.tahoefun.org, www.virtualtahoe.com, www.tahoechamber.org, and www.discovertahoe.com.
Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America, and its crystal-clear waters reflect an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colors depending upon the weather at that particular moment. In this chapter I’ll point out some of the must-see attractions in the Lake Tahoe Basin, other than the scenery. For a description of parks, beaches, and recreational opportunities, see the Winter Sports, Golf, Parks, Camping and RVing, Fishing and Hunting, and Recreation chapters. And for the ultimate mind-blowing Tahoe experience, I wholeheartedly recommend any view of the lake at sunset, preferably with your favorite person and your favorite libation close at hand.
Even though the Reno/Tahoe area is normally thought of as an adult playground, you’ll find plenty of things to do here as a family. One thing that Insiders will tell you is that local businesses are definitely kid-friendly.
So what does the area have to offer? A lot of activities, both indoor and outdoor, to keep you and your kids entertained.
You’ll notice that most of the activities I recommend are outside—after all, the area is renowned for its scenic beauty, and I feel it imperative that you and your kids get away from your hotel or motel room. Some of my suggestions keep you inside, though, and some even include things to do in and around the casinos.
On the subject of kids and casinos, heed these words of warning: When traveling through the casinos with your children, don’t dillydally. Kids are allowed to walk through casinos as long as they don’t linger, especially near the slot machines or the table games. Also, parents are not allowed to make bets with their children in tow. The best way to traverse the gambling establishments is with your little ones firmly in hand. The hustle and bustle and the bright lights of the casino floor will mesmerize most kids, causing even the least interested to stop and stare unless parents are firm about moving along.
To help you locate the activities that best fit your interests, I have arranged this chapter by category, then I’ve further divided the activities by my four geographical areas (Reno, Sparks, North Shore Lake Tahoe, and South Shore Lake Tahoe). Although I do my best to give you up-to-date figures for hours and prices, they can vary somewhat by the time you read this book. It’s a good idea to call and verify this information before setting out with the entire family, especially if you have a carload of little ones. For other things to do as a family, check out the Recreation, Winter Sports, Spectator Sports, Annual Events, and Day Trips chapters.
When you’re surrounded by majestic mountains, dramatic deserts, and verdant valleys, it’s impossible not to wonder what’s just down the road or over the next hill. Although the Reno/Tahoe area itself is certainly captivating enough for even the most discriminating visitor, when it comes to nearby day trips, the immediate area is most assuredly not “all she wrote.”
In this chapter we’ll venture out to explore the wonder and magic that lie just two or three hours’ drive away. We’ll drift lazily in a hot-air balloon over cattle standing knee-deep in the Carson Valley’s velvety green grass. We’ll sink blissfully into the same soothing hot springs once enjoyed by Clark Gable and Mark Twain at David Walley’s Resort, Hot Springs & Spa. In the historic town of Truckee, we’ll visit the site of the most highly publicized acts of cannibalism in America. We’ll immerse ourselves in the rowdiness of a Victorian-era mining settlement in colorful Virginia City. And we’ll drink in the primal beauty of an enormous mosaic of moving sand at Churchill County’s Sand Mountain. These experiences and more are guaranteed to pique your intellectual curiosity, overwhelm your physical senses, and, at the very least, keep you fully entertained for the better part of a day.
But before we head down the road, a word to the wise about the weather in this part of the world. If you’re traveling into the desert during the summer months, you should be aware that temperatures during daylight hours often exceed 100 degrees. To beat the heat once you get where you’re going, you can’t always count on cooling off in the shade of a tree, since some desert regions are completely devoid of large vegetation. If you’re expecting to picnic or to set up a day camp, you’ll need an umbrella or tarp to provide shade. To be on the safe side, carry plenty of water and be sure to drink frequently to avoid dehydration, even if you’re in the car. If you’re tramping around in the desert, you should wear comfortable shoes, loose clothing, a sun hat, and sunscreen. Since temperatures can plummet 60 or more degrees in the desert when the sun goes down, it’s also a good idea to have a jacket or light sweater handy if you’re out after dark.
In the winter months, the enemy is not the sun but winter storms that can create blizzard conditions and make driving hazardous, especially in mountain areas. Insiders know the best rig for winter driving is a four-wheel-drive car, sport utility vehicle, or truck. In the absence of these, you can usually get around pretty well with chains or snow tires when conditions demand them. It’s a good idea to keep some warm clothing, water, dehydrated food, and other emergency supplies in the car during winter months, since it’s not unusual to get delayed, even on heavily trafficked roads, during winter storms. I don’t want to discourage you from venturing out, but you should know that sometimes hazardous conditions do exist. If you’re enamored with TV ads showing Hummers racing through deep snow and fording deep rivers, don’t rent an SUV as a novice four-wheel driver and expect to do the same. Life-threatening conditions that even Hummers won’t get you out of do exist. Be prudent and be safe. The best advice I can give you is to make sure you check the weather report and fill your tank with gas before heading into the mountains or out into the desert. For updated road information in Nevada, call (877) 687-6237 or go to www.nevada dot.com. In California call (800) 427-ROAD (7623) or click on www.dot.ca.gov.